Speaking during a high-level working lunch between the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Mr Annoh-Dompreh said Africa’s enormous reserves of critical minerals, expanding trade opportunities and environmental assets must be transformed into industrial growth, jobs and prosperity.

The meeting brought together the PAP Bureau and chairpersons of permanent committees to examine South Africa’s G20 Presidency, Africa’s role within the G20, and the implications of the incoming United States Presidency for the continent, particularly on debt, trade, climate finance and BRICS.

While commending the policy briefing, Mr Annoh-Dompreh said Africa had long articulated its position in the global order.

The greater challenge, he argued, was turning those aspirations into practical policies that improve the lives of ordinary Africans.

He pointed to Africa’s vast deposits of minerals needed for the global energy transition and said the continent should be using them as leverage.

“Africa has some of the world’s largest deposits of these critical minerals. That should give us considerable leverage in the global energy transition.”

He questioned whether Africa had developed a coherent continental strategy to govern, extract and commercialise these resources, warning that without greater coordination, African countries would continue exporting raw minerals while other economies captured the greater value through refining, manufacturing and technology production.

Responding to the concerns, Southern Transitions representative Jordan McLean highlighted the African Green Minerals Strategy and the work of the African Minerals Development Centre as foundations for a coordinated continental approach.

She noted that Africa holds about 30 per cent of the world’s reserves of key minerals and should use that position to negotiate stronger partnerships, promote value addition and participate across the production chain.

“External partners are not approaching Africa’s minerals only through the prism of the energy transition. They are also seeking to secure access to those resources.”

Mr Annoh-Dompreh also challenged what he described as inequities in global climate finance, questioning why promised financial support for developing countries had repeatedly failed to materialise.

“In the face of the vulnerabilities confronting our continent, how do we position ourselves when the polluter-pays principle is globally accepted, yet the promised support does not arrive?”

He observed that developed countries industrialised through carbon-intensive growth, while African countries are now expected to pursue cleaner development under stricter environmental rules.

“The developed world industrialised through pollution at a time when there was no comparable international climate regime. Africa is now moving towards industrialisation, but the global message is that we must rely on renewable and clean energy.”

The Ghanaian legislator also questioned the credibility of some carbon credit arrangements operating across Africa and called for common standards to ensure transparency and protect local communities.

“How do we position ourselves as a continent when questions are being raised about the credibility of carbon-credit declarations and arrangements?”

Turning to trade, he said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) remained one of the world’s most ambitious trade agreements, but its benefits were yet to be fully felt by ordinary Africans.

“We have signed the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, one of the largest trade arrangements beyond the World Trade Organisation (WTO), but it is still not being felt by the people.”

He further urged policymakers and researchers to communicate continental policies in simpler language so citizens could better understand and benefit from them.

“How do we simplify this framework beyond theory so that the average African can recognise it as a continental instrument and understand the direction in which we are collectively moving?”

READ ALSO:

Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing vision becoming a reality – Mahama

GES releases 2026 recruitment application status schedule

Addressing Heads of State and Government on the second day of the African Union Extraordinary Summit, President Mahama said Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing agenda has moved beyond ambition and is now entering a phase of implementation.

He noted that the continent’s heavy reliance on imported essential medicines and health commodities continues to expose African countries to significant vulnerabilities, making it imperative to invest in local pharmaceutical production.

According to the President, strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity will improve access to essential medicines, enhance health security and support Africa’s broader industrialisation agenda.

He said developing the pharmaceutical industry would also contribute to economic transformation by creating employment opportunities for the continent’s growing youth population.

President Mahama further expressed concern about the decline in international development assistance for health, noting that many African countries continue to depend heavily on external funding to sustain their healthcare systems.

He described the situation as a defining moment for the continent, calling for bold, homegrown solutions that will make African health systems more resilient and self-sufficient.

The President emphasised that investment in healthcare should be regarded not only as a social responsibility but also as an economic strategy capable of driving sustainable growth, industrial development and job creation.

He urged African leaders, health ministers, policymakers and development partners to move beyond policy declarations and translate their commitments into concrete actions.

President Mahama stressed that the future of healthcare on the continent will depend on decisive leadership, sustained investment and a collective commitment to building a competitive pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Africa.

READ ALSO:

Unemployed Trained Teachers demand update as deadline for recruitment results expires

Ghana marks 14 years of Atta Mills’ death with wreath-laying ceremony [Photos]

When the powerful twin earthquakes devastated Venezuela’s northern coastline, the 49-year-old fisherman had been on the boat for 18 days and was told by radio that the building he and his family lived in had collapsed.

When he got back to shore, a staggering 26 members of his family were gone.

They include his sisters, their children and grandchildren, as well as his stepfather and nine cousins. Their ages ranged from two years old to their late 70s.

“It’s a terrible, terrible thing,” he says, struggling to find the words.

“I haven’t cried for them yet, not until I find the last ones who are missing,” he adds with stoicism.

Victor’s entire family lived in a public housing complex known as OPPE 26, located in Caraballeda. The town in La Guaira state is considered the Ground Zero of the tragedy.

His daughter and granddaughter thankfully survived and their much-reduced family now lives in a tent on a golf course.

One month on from the disaster, he is not the only one still searching for, and finding, loved ones.

More than 5,300 people are confirmed to have died in the quakes and more than 16,500 were injured, according to a tally updated almost daily by the government.

The government has not said how many people are still missing, but the figure is estimated to be in the tens of thousands.

As the afternoon sun went down at OPPE26, three bodies were pulled from beneath the rebar and rubble, including that of an 11-year-old girl.

Her father, heaving deep sobs, now finally able to grieve after his desperate month-long search for her has come to an end.

Rescue workers downed tools or said a prayer as the child’s body was delicately removed in black plastic sheeting, her father’s howls piercing the air and drowning out the sound of earthmoving equipment working nearby.

“This is soul-destroying,” says Magin Hernández, a member of another search team, weeping quietly. “For the rescuers, the families, the friends; just soul destroying”.

For most survivors and victims’ relatives the soul-crushing grief is also combined with a deep and growing sense of anger at the authorities.

The resentment is palpable. Almost everyone you speak to at the Caraballeda housing complex asks the same questions: how could ten of 12 housing blocks collapse? Were the building plans flawed or corners cut or inadequate materials used? Is there evidence of negligence?

I put some those questions to Public Works Minister Juan José Ramírez as he toured the site.

The buildings were sound, he insisted, adding that no nation could have coped with the sheer scale of the disaster.

“This wasn’t one but two almost simultaneous earthquakes, both moving in different directions,” the minister argued.

“All around us you can see both public and private buildings were brought down,” he said, motioning across the road to other destroyed apartment blocks.

“The earthquake didn’t discriminate between the two.”

At one of the pancaked private buildings, in the coastal town of Catia La Mar, an unlikely rescue took place eight days after the earthquakes struck.

From beneath the concrete slabs, a security guard, Hernán Gil, was pulled out alive from an underground car park.

The jubilant scenes briefly lifted Venezuela’s spirits.

Today, Laura Barrios continues to search in the same building for her brother-in-law, whose body remains trapped in the same subterranean car park.

Most of the international crews that rallied for Gil have long since gone home and now even the earthmover, which was clearing the unstable debris, has been sent to another site.

The news that Laura’s family are searching on their own again came a day after they located the bodies of her sister-in-law and the children, aged 10 and three, huddled together in their bedroom.

“The other day was the Day of the Child in Venezuela,” Laura sobs. “But we have no children to celebrate. Ours are gone.”

She has been furious at the authorities for reacting slowly.

But she says the news that the heavy machinery is pulling out when her family still needs it has sapped her of the will to fight.

“What more can we say that this rubble doesn’t already tell us?” she asks, looking at the devastation surrounding us.

“Lost T-shirts, cutlery that was never used, crockery sets, toys. Entire lives, gone in just 39 seconds.”

In the queue for a hot meal at the World Central Kitchen – one of the US-based humanitarian agencies operating in Catia La Mar – people show characteristic Venezuelan good humour in the face of greater adversity than most have ever known.

While people need the food and bottled water, they also appreciate a smile or hug, gestures of human kindness and camaraderie.

Yet they return to cheap nylon tents, pitched on the curbside, their temporary homes for the foreseeable future.

This week, the government of Delcy Rodríguez donated 200 homes to affected families.

The overall need, though, may be 100 times higher. Reconstruction will take years and billions of dollars in investment – the World Bank has estimated that the twin quakes caused $19.6bn (£14.7bn) in damage.

Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president in January days after US forces seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and took him to New York to stand trial on charges of “narcoterrorism”.

While she has the backing of the Trump administration, it is Washington which is in control of Venezuela’s oil industry – the main source of revenue in this oil-rich country – so it is far from clear how the rebuild will unfold.

Many of those in tents once lived by Playa Pirata – a short stretch of beach which was full of visitors on the public holiday when the earthquakes hit.

They watched in desperation as their homes collapsed in front of them and ran towards their apartments to try to save relatives and pets trapped inside.

Theirs are just some of a thousand horror stories which Venezuelans still struggle to comprehend, and which have forever scarred a nation ill-equipped to cope.

Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz, who was known as Amaranta Hank in X-rated circles, was sworn in as a senator for the left-wing Historic Pact party in Bogotá on Monday, the Colombian outlet La Opinión reported.

Ortiz, 33, was a former journalist who became a porn star in 2017 before leaving the industry two years later, turning to politics.

She was elected in March in the Norte de Santander region and is now working to guarantee social security rights for adult-content creators.

Ortiz has claimed people working in the adult industry need legal protections to prevent exploitation by companies and agencies.

“These women have been unprotected by the state because, due to misinformation, prejudice and double standards, no one has declared to regulate it,” she said in a campaign video.

She has clapped back against critics who claim former adult stars shouldn’t run for office.

“Why can’t a woman who was in the adult industry aspire to a popularly elected office?” she said, citing past former porn stars turned politicians such as Ilona Staller – who rose to fame with her 1970s radio show “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?” before becoming an Italian lawmaker.

“My experience allowed me to understand inequality, the struggle for freedom and the popular economy, arguments that I now promise to bring directly into legislative debate,” Ortiz said.

“The problem is that society consumes adult films but denies us the possibility of speaking in spaces of power.”

The Historic Pact — which happens to be Colombia’s outgoing president Gustavo Petro’s party — is the largest in the state senate, with 25 seats.

Ortiz was elected because she was 23rd in their list of candidates.

“I feel embraced by my people,” she said after her election win.

Ortiz is also fighting for quality mental health and campaigning for measures to prevent sexual abuse.

“There is a political transformation underway that still has a long way to go but the important thing is that it has already begun in some way,” she said.

Petro was barred from running for another term — and conservative pol Abelardo de la Espriella will be sworn in as Colombia’s president on Aug 7.

The rain kept pouring as the wedding car inched through knee-deep floodwaters to the church.

It was 22 July 2025 and Typhoon Wipha was battering the Philippines with 130km/h (80mph) winds. Jamaica Aguilar already knew it was flooded at the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos, an hour north of Manila, where her wedding was to take place.

“I remember praying and asking, please stop raining just for today so we can enjoy this,” Aguilar recalls, nearly a year later. “And luckily, it stopped when I [stepped] outside the car.”

The make-up staff had warned her there would news crews, but she had brushed them off, incredulous and nervous. Now she could see them. Stepping out of the car, she spread the train of her dress outside the church, as the media lined up.

“I was just nervous, and thinking to myself, this is it, this is the one,” said Aguilar. “Although this is not how I planned it, there it is.”

It’s love in the middle of a disaster – Aaron Favila

Aaron Favila, a photojournalist with the Associated Press, captured the moment, and his photos immediately exploded online. In April 2026, he won a prestigious prize at the World Press Photo 2026 for the images.

Fossil fuel emissions are driving up climate extremes. In practice, what this means is that the scene captured by Favila is likely to become more common: a bride having to walk down the aisle barefoot and through floodwaters, while almost 10 million people in her country reel from the impact of a tropical storm. The Philippines has a long history of dealing with and managing floods, but climate change is now rigging the game.

The night before

Aguilar and her fiancé Jade Rick Verdillo had attended a mass at Barasoian Church on the eve of their wedding.

Halfway through, it started raining heavily. Floodwaters moved through the wooden benches, covering the church floor. “We were watching the news non-stop, and it was saying [the rain] might get heavier,” Verdillo says.

The couple stayed up until 03:00 reading forecasts and texting the wedding planners, the church and their guests. Would the storm wane? Should they cancel the wedding? Would guests be able to make it?

The planners and the church offered to reschedule, but not their party venue. “I jokingly said to them that as long as there’s food for the guests, it’s OK not to have the tables,” says Verdillo.

In the end, they decided to push through: whatever the next day would bring, they were determined that the wedding would go ahead.  

The wedding day

Favila almost missed capturing the wedding. He was 50km (31 miles) away in Manila, having lunch after putting together a breaking news package about flood-hit communities.

He heard about the flooded wedding just one hour before its scheduled start.

When he got the tip, he didn’t hesitate. As the only photographer in the Manila bureau, he has covered many extreme weather events, “but never a wedding in floods”.

Favila jumped into his company’s car, but waist-deep floodwaters soon blocked it, so he left the driver and hitched a lift in a large rescue truck. When he saw the white gown in front of the church, he leaped off, but the bride’s pre-ceremony photo session had ended.

“They were actually finished,” he recalls. “The wedding organisers were waiting at the door.”

Still, he managed to catch Aguilar’s attention and directed her for a final few shots before she walked down the aisle.

“It’s love in the middle of a disaster,” he said. “You see the floods, and it’s not a happy picture. So, it’s a mixture of happy and sad and resilience. I think people connected with the photo because of that.”

Down the aisle

Before the wedding, the couple had scrolled through dozens of “bride reveal” videos on TikTok. The moment when the groom and the bride see each other was special for them.

On their wedding day, it didn’t work. “I was laughing inside my head because I couldn’t see him because of the reporters in the middle of the church,” Aguilar says.

Unable to see her fiancé, she focused on her steps. She was barefoot to improve her grip.

“I wasn’t thinking about anything except, ‘Please don’t fall, please don’t trip’, because the tiles were getting slippery as I went deeper and deeper into the church,” she says.

Still, there was a benefit of having so many TV cameras and photographers in the church, says Verdillo. Nearly half of the 100 guests couldn’t make it through the flooded roads.

“If the [media] weren’t there, I think our venue would have felt quite empty,” he says.

Throughout the wedding, the waters kept rising. From the altar, the couple could see that many benches were misaligned, nudged by the currents. 

As the ceremony wrapped up, they lined up for photos. It was impossible for them, however, to know which camera belonged to the official wedding photographer and which were media. “So we were just smiling at everyone’s cameras,” says Verdillo.

Shortly after the ceremony, the couple took doxycycline pills to prevent flood-borne diseases such as leptospirosis, and asked their guests to do the same.

The aftermath

That evening, Favila filed the photos and went to bed as the newlyweds partied with their guests (after Aguilar had changed out of her soaked, heavy dress). The next morning, the couple and the photographer found themselves at the heart of a viral story. Other weddings in the Philippines had been disrupted by floods, but did not receive the same international attention.

“His photos were what went viral,” says Aguilar. “Especially the one of me outside the church. That’s the one that got everybody’s attention.”

Favila kept getting tagged on social media. Strangers sent the couple photos of them on the front page of US newspapers. Someone compared their wedding to a scene in the movie Crazy Rich Asians, in which one of Singapore’s richest brides marches through a pool of water.

Verdillo believes people found their story fascinating because it is relatable. “Problems are there. You cannot escape them. But what you can do is face them and move on with your life,” he says.

Saffron O’Neill, a researcher at the University of Exeter in the UK who studies climate visuals, says she wasn’t surprised the photos caught the world’s attention.

“These photos are so unexpected in how they pair the usual visual signals we expect to see in wedding photography (the couple, the white dress, the church, gathered friends and family) in a totally unexpected situation – standing knee-deep in floodwaters,” says O’Neill.

Favila believes his job as a photojournalist is to show people that climate change is happening now. “It’s not like before when people said, ‘Oh, in 10 years we will have great climate change effects’,” he says. “I think the effects of climate change are happening now.”

But the couple’s story is not only about resilience. Flooding became a heavily political issue in the Philippines during the 2025 storm season, following massive protests about a mismanaged $9.2bn (£6.9bn) fund for flood defences. Government inquiries identified hundreds of “ghost projects”, leading protestors to complain about backroom deals between politicians and companies. Senators, ministers and congresspeople have resigned or been fired in the aftermath.

Investment in flood defences is critical as the Philippines is among the world’s most vulnerable countries to typhoons and climate change is making these stronger. Warmer ocean temperatures due to global warming cause typhoons to become stronger and more damaging. Every decade since 2000 has seen a 17% to 19% increase in typhoon-related rainfall in the country.

Aguilar and Verdillo live in Navotas, a coastal area in northwest Manila, an area which is highly vulnerable to extreme weather and flooding. “They are slowly developing projects against flooding, but the rise of the sea level in Navotas is much faster than the effort the government is putting in,” says Verdillo.

After the couple furnished their house in 2025, their first typhoon season together took a darker turn. After water entered their house, their new refrigerator and washing machine broke down and their sofa and bed were completely soaked.

This year, they have added additional precautions, like raising the refrigerator up higher. Looking back at his childhood, Verdillo realises he had normalised flooding, but he says this is not tenable. “Now that I’m older,” he says. “I don’t want my children to experience the same thing.”

When they look back on their wedding day, Aguilar and Verdillo see it as a special moment.

“If you had told me beforehand that my wedding was going to be flooded, I would have said ‘no way’,” says Verdillo. “But now, honestly, I wouldn’t change anything about that day.”

The 37-year-old star entered his plea at Southwark Crown Court in a hearing that took less than five minutes.

His co-defendant, 40-year-old Omololu Akinlolu, a rapper who performs under the name Hoody Baby, also pleaded guilty to affray.

Assault and grievous bodily harm (GBH) charges, which the pair denied, were dropped, as was a charge Brown faced of having an offensive weapon.

Judge Tony Baumgartner scheduled the sentencing hearing for 26 October, 2026.

READ ALSO:

Ebo Whyte celebrates 43 years of marriage, credits wife for shaping him

Meet Ghanaian fashion designer recognized by Beyonce, featured in Meta campaign

The two strangers got on so well they could complete each other’s sentences – which made sense when they discovered the truth.

Dave was Andrea’s biological brother, who had been adopted by another family more than 30 years ago.

“I was shaking, I was just shaking and my heart was pounding,” Andrea told the BBC. “I’d finally found him. It’s unbelievable.”

In 2005, Dave was managing the bus station at the airport and Andrea serviced the vending machines.

Over the next two years they became firm friends, texting and phoning each other when they were not at work.

One day during a phone call, Dave told Andrea something he had never mentioned before. He was adopted and his birth name was Stuart Proudlove.

“I kind of froze and didn’t speak for a minute,” said Andrea.

Her maiden name was Proudlove and she had a brother who was adopted before she was born.

“It’s not a very popular name and it had to be him. Other than family, I had never heard that surname anywhere else,” she added.

She immediately rang her mother, Susan, to check her long-lost brother’s birth date. They matched: 24 March 1966. She called Dave straight back.

“I said ‘it’s got to be you, it’s got to be you’, and I said ‘I need to see you’, and so I went to pick him up,” Andrea said.

As they were driving to their mother’s house, Dave realised where he was. They were driving along the bus route he used to cover before becoming a manager.

His old route had taken him right past his mother’s house, and the school that Andrea had attended.

He had been within touching distance of his birth family without realising.

Susan said finally meeting Dave was a surreal moment.

“There were lots of tears. Then we just all hugged,” said Andrea.

“I couldn’t believe that I’d got my brother and my mum together, it was amazing.”

Andrea’s mother had told her that she had a brother when she was younger.

She told her he had been given up for adoption and had gone to a lovely lady who could not have children of her own.

“I immediately wanted to go and call him so we could play,” Andrea said.

Susan said she had tried to find her son with the help of the Salvation Army, but had not got anywhere.

“I asked if we could go and get him back,” Andrea said. “She did explain that it didn’t work that way, so I promised her that I would find him for her one day.”

Now they were finally being reunited.

“She had wanted that since being as young as I can remember,” Anderea added.

“So yeah, I gave her that. I promised her that.”

On the mantlepiece in Susan’s home was a picture of Dave as a baby.

It had been sent by his adopted parents to his birth mother days after his adoption.

The same photograph had also been displayed in his adopted parents’ house.

Dave had known he was adopted since he was 10 years old because his adopted parents had shown him the paperwork.

But he said he had a very happy childhood, and had never harboured any desire to track down his birth mother.

“I didn’t feel like I had to go searching or have any unanswered questions,” he added.

‘Lottery win’

For all three, finding each other has been a life-changing experience.

“I went from having really not a lot of positivity in my life at the time, to finding out that my best friend was my sister,” Dave said.

“I’d found my birth mum being able to sort of make her truly happy. And I’d found a family really that I never really knew existed.”

Their mother died recently, but both said they were glad she got to be reunited with her son.

“She was so desperate to find you to make sure you’d had a really good life,” Andrea said.

For Andrea, the reunion was bittersweet. She had longed to find her brother for years.

“My mum and dad, they separated unfortunately and so I went through a lot of hard times knowing [Dave] was out there but I didn’t know [where].”

The pair said they were now making the most of the time they have together after moving in with each other in Kidsgrove, Staffordshire.

Finding each other was, they said, their “lottery win”.

U.S. District Judge Lydia Griggsby will determine the sentence at a hearing scheduled for 9:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT) in the Washington suburb of Greenbelt, Maryland, where Goldstein stood trial for six weeks this year ​in a case that exposed his double life as a star litigator who traveled ​the globe for multimillion-dollar poker games.

Goldstein was charged in January 2025 in the ⁠final days of Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration with concealing earnings and losses from poker ​games in the U.S. and abroad with stakes reaching millions of dollars. He pleaded not guilty.

A ​jury convicted Goldstein in February for failing to report millions of dollars in poker winnings, lying on mortgage loan documents and making improper payments through his former law firm Goldstein & Russell.

Prosecutors had asked Griggsby to sentence Goldstein to ​more than eight years in prison and require him to pay $3.1 million in restitution for ​unpaid taxes. Sentencing recommendations are not binding on federal judges, who can go beyond them, or lower, in ‌punishing a ⁠defendant.

Goldstein’s defense lawyers have urged Griggsby to sentence him to what they called a lengthy supervision period that would hold him accountable while also allowing him to “repay his debts, address his gambling addiction, and contribute to society.”

The trial featured testimony from Goldstein, law firm leaders and actor ​Tobey Maguire, who starred ​in 2002’s “Spider-Man” and other ⁠films. Maguire told jurors he hired Goldstein in 2020 to try to recover more than $7 million that a Texas businessman allegedly owed the ​actor in a poker debt.

Goldstein had argued more than 40 cases at ​the Supreme ⁠Court before retiring in 2023 and was a founder of the SCOTUSblog legal  news website. His clients included Alphabet’s Google and “Fortnite” video game maker Epic Games.

A Democrat, Goldstein was part of the team that ⁠represented Al ​Gore in the Supreme Court fight over George W. ​Bush’s victory in the 2000 presidential election.

Goldstein earlier added former U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar of law firm Cooley to his ​defense team, signaling his preparation for an appeal of his conviction and sentencing.

The package includes €100m for non-lethal military equipment, as well as a further €25m to help restore and protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

The announcement was made as Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin visited Kyiv for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Martin, who described the conflict as an “unprovoked war of aggression” said support for Ukraine is a top priority for the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU.

The package means Ireland has provided more than €670m (£571m) in support to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee said Russia continued to target Ukrainian towns, cities and critical infrastructure, adding that the funding would help strengthen Ukraine’s resilience.

“Ukraine is a central focus of our EU presidency”, she said.

“Russia continues its indiscriminate attacks against Ukraine’s towns and cities. Tragically, civilian casualties are now at their highest since the full-scale invasion began. Our support will help defend Ukraine from these brutal attacks.”

The minister added that Ireland is “committed to supporting Ukraine’s EU accession path”.

The attackers ​stormed communities in the Sauna district of ​the Talata Mafara local government area at about ⁠1300 GMT on Tuesday and opened fire on ​people working on their farms, residents told Reuters.

“They ​killed at least 24 innocent farmers. We are still counting the losses,” resident Auwal Sani said by ​phone.

Zamfara is at the centre of ​a security crisis in Nigeria’s northwest, where armed gangs locally ‌known ⁠as bandits frequently raid villages, kidnap residents for ransom and steal livestock.

Residents said the gunmen travelled nearly 50 km (31 miles) along the ​Mayanchi-Anka highway, ​a key ⁠trade route, before reaching Sauna without encountering security forces.

Police and military ​authorities were not immediately available for ​comment.

Another ⁠resident, Bello Aliyu, said Tuesday’s attack lasted for about three hours.

“They rustled an unspecified ⁠number ​of livestock, leaving several people ​wounded who are currently receiving treatment,” he said.

Held alongside the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the meeting brought together Sports Ministers, Heads of Mission, senior government officials and international sporting stakeholders under the theme: “Reimagining the Power of Sport towards Healthier, Fairer and Equitable Commonwealth Communities.”

Representing Ghana, Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, called for greater fairness, inclusion and evidence-based policymaking in the development of Commonwealth sport.

He emphasised the need to remove barriers that limit access to sporting opportunities, particularly for developing countries and talented individuals who may be disadvantaged by complex systems.

Speaking on access to Commonwealth sporting programmes, Kofi Adams stressed the importance of creating a more transparent and equitable application process that allows more countries to identify, prepare and support deserving athletes and participants.

The Minister also urged governments to make greater use of data and research to maximise the developmental benefits of sport.

He noted that while many Commonwealth countries have strong passion for sport, the potential of that enthusiasm remains underutilised without strategic planning and evidence-based interventions.

According to him, data-driven policies can help governments understand participation trends, identify areas of need and design programmes that promote healthier lifestyles while strengthening communities.

His interventions aligned with broader discussions at the meeting, where ministers highlighted sport’s contribution to public health, mental well-being, social cohesion, economic resilience and sustainable development.

Participants also called for stronger investment in community sport and greater support for countries with limited resources.

The meeting reaffirmed the Commonwealth’s commitment to building sporting systems that are safe, inclusive and accessible, with particular focus on women and girls, young people, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented groups.

Delegates also welcomed upcoming events including the 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games in Malta and the 2030 Commonwealth Games in India, while expressing support for Africa’s bid to host the 2034 Commonwealth Games.

Ghana’s participation reinforced the message that unlocking sport’s full potential requires fair opportunities, deliberate investment and data-informed decision-making to create healthier communities and sustainable development across the Commonwealth.

The attackers ​stormed communities in the Sauna district of ​the Talata Mafara local government area at about ⁠1300 GMT on Tuesday and opened fire on ​people working on their farms, residents told Reuters.

“They ​killed at least 24 innocent farmers. We are still counting the losses,” resident Auwal Sani said by ​phone.

Zamfara is at the centre of ​a security crisis in Nigeria’s northwest, where armed gangs locally ‌known ⁠as bandits frequently raid villages, kidnap residents for ransom and steal livestock.

Residents said the gunmen travelled nearly 50 km (31 miles) along the ​Mayanchi-Anka highway, ​a key ⁠trade route, before reaching Sauna without encountering security forces.

Police and military ​authorities were not immediately available for ​comment.

Another ⁠resident, Bello Aliyu, said Tuesday’s attack lasted for about three hours.

“They rustled an unspecified ⁠number ​of livestock, leaving several people ​wounded who are currently receiving treatment,” he said.

Speaking during a meeting with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, President Mahama said Ghana had begun developing its agenda for its tenure as AU Chair, with reparations, gender equality and child welfare among its top priorities.

“We have started looking at some issues that we will push on the agenda the year that we chair. We are already champions in several areas. One is reparations,” the President said.

President Mahama highlighted Ghana’s leadership in advancing the reparations agenda on the global stage, noting that the country, with the backing of the African Union, successfully sponsored what he described as a historic motion on reparations at the United Nations General Assembly.

“With the support of the AU, we were able to move a historic motion on the floor of the General Assembly. We’ve held the follow-up conference here in Accra called ‘The Next Steps’,” he stated.

He revealed that Ghana is planning another high-level meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to review progress made by committees established to advance the reparations agenda.

“So we are looking again on the sidelines of the UN to hold a high-level meeting to review the work the committees have started to do,” President Mahama added.

The President said Ghana intends to build on its existing advocacy efforts during its tenure as AU Chair while also promoting initiatives aimed at advancing gender equality and improving the welfare of children across the continent.

READ ALSO:

Bawumia leads NPP delegation to Ashanti Regional Office for meeting on Wontumi conviction

Fire guts fashion training centre at Kumasi Top High, destroys materials worth thousands of cedis

Brent crude oil, one of two key global benchmarks, rose more than 6% to more than $100 per barrel in early Thursday trading. That is its highest level in eight weeks, since the end of May.

U.S. crude oil also jumped for a second straight day, rising more than 5% to almost $92 per barrel — its highest level since June 11.

The new surge in prices comes after Tehran-backed Houthi rebels claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, following their announcement of a naval blockade on the kingdom.

It appeared to mark the first time since the Iran war began that ship attacks had spread beyond the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, opening up a new front in the volatile conflict.

The Houthi threat is so unsettling to oil markets because millions of barrels per day pass through the Bab el-Mandeb strait in order to reach global markets.

About 12% to 15% of global maritime trade worth more than $1 trillion transits the waterway every year.

It has also served as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic remains largely at a standstill with ship crossings there falling to single digits Tuesday.

Since the start of the month, oil prices have now risen about 35%. Those prices are now higher by more than 60% since the start of the year.

Along with oil prices, gas prices have risen too.

The national average price Thursday rose to $4.09 per gallon, up from $4.06 Wednesday, according to motor club AAA data tracked by NBC News.

This has erased much of the progress toward lower prices that came after the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June.

That deal has now collapsed, with President Donald Trump threatening Wednesday to blow up an Iranian bridge or power plant for every vessel attacked by Tehran.

Then, hours later, came the Houthi claim to have hit two tankers in the Red Sea.

The United Kingdom’s Maritime Trade Office reported a tanker “being struck by an unknown projectile” north of the critical Bab el-Mandeb strait in the area. And the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported the Encelia was set ablaze by an attack while sailing overnight in the Red Sea, citing an unidentified source from the General Authority of Transport. It did not mention the Layla.

“Inflation has remained top of the agenda for markets this morning,” said Deutsche Bank’s global head of macro research, Jim Reid, citing the jump higher in Brent oil. “Indeed, the strikes between the US and Iran show no sign of easing, and the Houthis said they targeted two oil tankers in the Red Sea yesterday, raising fears that the conflict is widening.”

That worry about inflation as a result of higher oil and gas prices has driven bond yields higher this week as a result. Early Thursday, the U.S. 10-year Treasury bond was trading at 4.67%, its highest level since January 2025.

That 10-year bond has a heavy hand in steering consumer borrowing rates. On Wednesday, the average 30-year U.S. mortgage rate rose to 6.77%, its highest level since July 2025.

The President said the engagement provided an opportunity for both countries to openly discuss an issue that continues to raise concerns across Africa.

President Mahama made the disclosure when he received the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, at the Jubilee House in Accra on Wednesday, July 22.

He said he used the meeting with the South African delegation to explain Ghana’s concerns about the attacks, stressing that addressing the matter openly was necessary to find a lasting solution.

“On July 21, President Cyril Ramaphosa sent a delegation to me, and I explained the reason why we need to discuss it. Sometimes these things happen, and we want to sweep them under the carpet, but when we do that, we do not cure what the problem is,” he said.

President Mahama emphasised that Ghana’s concerns should not be interpreted as hostility towards South Africa but rather as a constructive effort to encourage transparency and highlight measures being taken to address the situation.

“I told them that Ghana does not harbour any malice against South Africa, but we are raising it so it gives them the platform to explain what they are doing to the world,” he added.

He further appealed to the African Union to take a more active role in addressing recurring xenophobic attacks, warning that such incidents undermine efforts towards continental unity, free movement and regional integration.

President Mahama noted that Ghana had incurred significant costs evacuating some of its citizens from South Africa following previous attacks, highlighting the wider human and financial impact of xenophobic violence.

His comments come amid renewed calls for coordinated continental action to tackle xenophobia and strengthen the protection of African citizens living and working across the continent.

Tenisha Warner filed a lawsuit Monday seeking more than $1.2 million US from Warner’s mother, Pamela Warner — who oversees his trust. The suit was filed in DeKalb County Superior Court in Decatur, Ga., where Warner and his family lived, on the first anniversary of the actor’s death.

Warner was 54 when he died in an accidental drowning while on holiday with his family in Costa Rica on July 20, 2025. He was best known for playing Theo Huxtable, the son of Bill Cosby’s Cliff Huxtable on the hit NBC sitcom The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992.

‘I had no choice’

In a statement to CBC  News sent by her counsel, Tenisha Warner said she tried to resolve what she called her husband’s “complicated estate” privately while honouring his last wishes concerning their daughter, MacKenzie.

Lifestyle news articles

“Malcolm had every intention to provide for our nine-year-old daughter and me,” the statement said.

“I have been struggling to care for our daughter as a single mom and now as her sole provider.  Legally, I had no choice but to take action to protect our rights before any potential statute of limitations expired.”

Trust dispute

In her petition, Tenisha Warner says the 1996 trust — established long before Malcolm-Jamal Warner met her and before their daughter was born — allocates 100 per cent of the trust estate to other family members, with the majority going to Pamela Warner and some to his father and a half-sister.

The court papers allege that money from life insurance and retirement accounts has already been paid out to those beneficiaries totaling more than $1.25 million US.

The filing alleges Warner failed to complete multiple financial obligations to his wife and daughter before he died. Tenisha Warner is seeking at least $1,276,042.46 US — before interest, attorney’s fees and costs — and is asking the court to recognize her and their daughter as omitted heirs and spouses, to freeze trust distributions during the case, and to produce a detailed, formal report of all financial transactions, assets and expenses.

Those alleged obligations include:

• $1,000,000 US for a term life insurance policy naming Tenisha as sole beneficiary.
• $50,542.46 US tied to an annual anniversary gift provision of $16,000 US per year.
• $30,500 US for Roth IRA funding (a specialized individual retirement account) at the maximum contribution level described in the documents.
• $195,000 US for salary obligations at $5,000 US per month (described as Tenisha’s “chief of staff” role).
• The petition also says the premarital agreement required establishing a college fund for their daughter.

Pamela Warner’s memorial post

The actor’s mother posted a tribute on his memorial Instagram account Monday to honour the one-year anniversary of his death, calling it “amazing how a year of pain, hurt, loss, emotional destabilizaton, and most importantly growth, has come and sits here before me.”

“How can I be here and my child is not,” she wrote.

Her post also advised people to take care of those they loved and to “clear up any beef you may have with your loved ones, if possible. Cleanse your spirit of negativity.”

CBC News has reached out to Pamela Warner’s representatives for comment regarding the lawsuit, but did not receive a response by publication time.

The matter is scheduled for hearings on Sept. 23 and Oct. 1 in Los Angeles.

Trump said he appreciated Tinubu’s “decisive leadership ​on behalf of the Nigerian people” and applauded ⁠his efforts to address “the violence affecting Christian ​communities,” according to the letter, which was dated ​July 6.

“It is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal ​Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous,” ​Trump wrote.

The letter signals a warming of ties between Abuja ‌and ⁠Washington since Trump last November accused the government of failing to protect Christians from extremist violence and threatened to cut aid to Nigeria and take possible ​military action.

Nigeria ​rejected the ⁠allegations, saying insecurity affected citizens of all faiths.

According to the Nigerian presidency, ​the two countries established a joint security ​working ⁠group last year to expand intelligence sharing, training, and operations against militant groups.

The letter was released days ⁠after ​U.S. Assistant Secretary of State ​for Africa Frank Garcia visited Abuja for talks on strengthening ​security cooperation.

The 80-year-old authoritarian leader, who has been in office since 2007, also said he would work with the congress he controls to pass new laws that would “build a wall” against the opposition.

Ortega made the announcement on Sunday during the official ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Sandinista revolution, in which he helped overthrow the brutal dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza.

Although his administration and that of his wife and “co-president”, Rosario Murillo, had already been marked by the steady erosion of democracy in the Central American country, many are describing his announcement as a significant rhetorical escalation.

“With this decision, Ortega and Murillo have sealed the country’s transition to a full-fledged family dictatorship,” said Tiziano Breda, Latin America senior analyst at the NGO Armed Conflict Location and Event Data.

During a speech in front of thousands of state employees who, according to local media, had been coerced into attending, Ortega said: “There will be no more elections here so that they [the opposition parties] can try to seize the government, seize power.”

The president, who had not appeared in public for 61 days, added: “We will work with the National Assembly and the relevant institutions on laws, because we need laws that build a wall, a barrier, against the coup plotters and the traitors who sell out their country.”

The elections were due to take place next year, but Ortega gave no details on whether they would be cancelled or whether the opposition would be barred from taking part – something that has already happened in practice. During the 2021 campaign, his regime outlawed parties and jailed all opposition presidential hopefuls.

Breda said: “Ortega and Murillo are evidently afraid of the idea that the slightest political opening could create the conditions for dissent to manifest and threaten their grip on power, possibly suggesting that their already feeble domestic support is further falling.

“Therefore, instead of staging a rigged election, they have opted to eliminate electoral competition altogether.”

Last year, Ortega pushed through a series of constitutional reforms that included extending the presidential term from five to six years and promoting his wife, then vice-president, to the position of “co-president”. The US refers to their administration as the “Murillo-Ortega dictatorship”.

During his speech, the Nicaraguan president criticised the US over the January operation that abducted the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro: “With all their power, they stormed the presidential palace, where Nicolás and his wife, Cilia [Flores], were. They killed the entire security detail there – most of them were Cubans – and took them away to imprison them in the US. It is monstrous.”

The president said preventing the opposition from returning to power was necessary to protect the country from the “coup plotters” who, he claimed, had been behind the nationwide protests of 2018 – when, according to organisations including the UN, his regime carried out a violent crackdown that killed more than 350 people, wounded hundreds, jailed thousands and forced nearly 1 million Nicaraguans into exile.

Recently, the UN, the US, human rights organisations and 30 former Ibero-American presidents have directly blamed Ortega and Murillo for the death of the Indigenous leader and four-term congressman Brooklyn Rivera, 73, who spent nearly three years “unjustly imprisoned” by the regime, the US state department said.

According to organisations including Human Rights Watch, there are about 50 political prisoners in the country. The regime has stripped 546 people of their citizenship and shut down more than 5,600 non-governmental organisations, 29 universities and 58 media outlets.

She said Africa’s long-term health security will depend on its ability to finance its own priorities and build resilient health institutions capable of responding to emerging challenges.

Speaking on behalf of Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang at a High-Level Interactive Policy Dialogue in Accra on July 20, Prof. Ayensu-Danquah urged African governments to strengthen domestic health financing as global development assistance becomes increasingly uncertain.

The dialogue, organised by the African Renaissance Trust and the Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation on the sidelines of the African Union Extraordinary Summit, focused on advancing domestic health financing, accountability and strategic innovation across the continent.

Reflecting on the Abuja Declaration, under which African countries pledged 25 years ago to allocate at least 15 per cent of their national budgets to health, the Deputy Minister said the continent must critically assess its progress in light of changing global financing realities.

“Official development assistance is less certain. Long-standing funding models are changing. Programmes that many health systems have relied on can no longer be taken for granted,” she said.

“That reality means Africa must strengthen its ability to finance its own priorities, build enduring institutions and invest in health not as a recurring expense, but as a foundation for economic growth and human development.”

Prof. Ayensu-Danquah said Ghana is pursuing universal health coverage through policies aimed at expanding access to quality healthcare, improving health outcomes and reducing out-of-pocket healthcare costs.

She highlighted the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCares, and the Free Primary Healthcare Initiative as two flagship programmes introduced to address financing gaps and improve healthcare delivery.

According to her, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund provides financial support for the diagnosis, treatment and long-term management of chronic non-communicable diseases that are either inadequately covered or not covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

She said the fund also supports specialist healthcare by investing in medical infrastructure, equipment, research and specialist training.

On the Free Primary Healthcare Initiative, Prof. Ayensu-Danquah explained that the programme complements the NHIS by expanding access to essential primary healthcare services, with a strong focus on disease prevention and early detection.

She said every Ghanaian will be entitled to routine health screening for conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and certain cancers, as well as maternal and child healthcare, immunisation, treatment of common illnesses, community outreach, home visits and public health education.

The initiative, she noted, is being rolled out in phases, beginning with 150 underserved districts before nationwide implementation over the next few years.

The Deputy Minister also announced that the government has committed an initial investment of US$50 million to establish the National Vaccine Institute to boost local vaccine production and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

She said the investment builds on Ghana’s growing regulatory capacity, including the Food and Drugs Authority’s attainment of the World Health Organization’s Maturity Level 3 status and ongoing efforts to commercialise locally manufactured anti-snake venom.

Prof. Ayensu-Danquah welcomed the launch of the African Renaissance Health Financing Insights Dashboard, describing it as an important accountability tool that will help governments monitor health financing commitments and measure progress across the continent.

She stressed that building resilient health systems requires more than financing, calling for greater investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing, research, innovation, workforce development and stronger continental health institutions.

Concluding her remarks, the Deputy Minister urged African governments to move beyond policy commitments and deliver tangible improvements in healthcare.

“Our declarations must be translated into measurable progress in the lives of our people,” she said.

She reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with the African Union, regional institutions and development partners to build stronger, more resilient and self-reliant health systems across Africa.

READ ALSO:

Mahama urges bold action to tackle Africa’s growing health challenges

Wontumi’s 20-year jail sentence is severe and shocking – Peter Amewu

An announcement is expected from US President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday, US officials were cited as saying.

The agreement could be worth billions of dollars to the US, whose companies could be involved in building a facility to produce enriched uranium, which can be used as fuel for power plants but also to make nuclear bombs.

Nuclear experts and former officials in Israel – the US’s top ally in the Middle East – have voiced concern that the plan could ultimately lead to Saudi Arabia being able to develop a nuclear weapon.

The BBC has asked the White House for comment.

The US media reports say that, under the terms of the arrangement, after undertaking a joint study with the US, Saudi Arabia may be allowed to enrich uranium on its soil to produce fuel at a US-built enrichment facility instead of relying on imported fuel.

That provision would distinguish this agreement from another one that was struck by the US in 2009 with Saudi Arabia’s neighbour, the United Arab Emirates, under which the UAE does not produce its own fuel and accepts a host of other restrictions.

For that reason, the agreement is also expected to attract the concern of nuclear non-proliferation campaigners, whose ultimate aim is to prevent an increase in the number of nuclear weapons worldwide.

The nuclear issue has been at the centre of the months-long US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The two nations say one of the reasons they attacked Iran in February was to prevent the country from ever developing a nuclear weapon – something that Tehran denies planning to do.

Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told CBS News in 2018 that his own nation was not planning to acquire a nuclear weapon, but that “without a doubt if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible”.

The US-Saudi deal due to be unveiled on Wednesday has already been approved by Trump and will last 30 years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

If the US objects to enrichment taking place in Saudi Arabia following the joint study, the kingdom would not be allowed to do so on its own or with another foreign partner for 10 years, the newspaper says.

The plan will now be sent to the US Congress. Some lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are also expected to oppose the deal, though Trump’s Republican Party controls both the upper and lower chambers.

The US-Saudi deal has not been made contingent on the Saudis normalising diplomatic ties with Israel, the New York Times reports. The push for Saudi-Israeli normalisation has been an aspiration of successive US presidents.

“In light of trade action threatened by the United States earlier this week, it would be inappropriate to proceed with a celebratory event ​between the two countries,” Jenna Ghassabeh, a spokesperson for Canadian ​Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, said in an emailed statement.

The ⁠bridge is scheduled to open to traffic on July 27. ​A ribbon-cutting ceremony was planned for July 24, with U.S. and Canadian ​officials expected to attend, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said in interviews with local media.

Canada is still “committed” to opening the bridge on July 27 but will ​mark the milestone by celebrating “among Canadians” on July 24, Ghassabeh ​said.

On Monday, Trump unveiled 50% tariffs on a wide range of imports from Canada in ‌response ⁠to what the U.S. administration called its discriminatory treatment of American-made cars, alcohol and dairy goods.

The $4.7-billion bridge, named after the legendary Detroit Red Wings hockey player, had originally been set to open ​in June.

In February, ​Trump threatened to ⁠block the project, citing Canada’s refusal to stock some U.S. alcoholic beverages, its tariffs on dairy ​products and its trade talks with China.

The bridge ​opening was ⁠allowed to proceed after the U.S. and Canada struck a deal on tolls this month.

The new bridge will help ease truck traffic on ⁠the ​Ambassador Bridge into Detroit, the U.S.-Canada ​border’s largest freight port, which handled $126 billion in trade carried by commercial trucks in ​2023.

Ants are not among the 10 insect species approved for human consumption under the country’s laws. The approved list includes grasshoppers, locusts and two-spotted crickets, among others.

Prosecutors on Monday also asked that the restaurant, which holds two Michelin stars, be fined 20 million Korean won ($13,510; £10,100).

The owner admitted to serving ants but argued that they were used in a “small part” of the restaurant’s 15-course menu – as a topping for sorbets – and that diners were told they could opt for non-ant toppings.

The case came to light after officials from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety found reviews that diners had posted online with photographs of dishes sprinkled with ants.

Investigators estimate that some 49,000 ants, imported from the US and Thailand, were used in several dishes over four years.

Health authorities also found that the restaurant used ants that “contained up to 55 times more heavy metals than typical edible insects”, according to a report on The Chosun Daily.

South Korean authorities consider several criteria in deciding whether insects can be approved as food. These include food safety risks, toxicity, nutritional value, and whether they can be bred and processed hygienically.

In its defence the restaurant owner argued that just 60% of diners had opted to try the ants, while the rest were served alternatives like fermented vinegar and edible flowers.

He added that restaurants in other countries, such as Australia, Denmark and the UK, also use ants as ingredients.

Court documents did not name the restaurant nor its owner. Ten restaurants in South Korea, all located in capital city Seoul, have been awarded two Michelin stars.

The Michelin Guide awards up to three stars to eateries based on ingredient quality, flavour mastery, cooking technique, chef’s personality and consistency.

Two stars denote restaurants that do “excellent cooking” and are “worth a detour”, according to Michelin’s criteria.

The court is set to deliver its verdict on 2 September.

Ants are eaten, sometimes even valued as a delicacy, in several Asian, African and Latin American cultures. Weaver ants and their eggs are used in Thai and Cambodian cooking, while in Colombia, queen ants are as prized as caviar.

Gov’t Statistician highlights plans for register-based education data system after meeting…

Delegation from Dagbon formally informs Otumfuo of Ya-Na Abukari II’s death

Musa Aliyu, who leads the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, has alleged that he was stopped while driving in the capital , Abuja, on Saturday, and forced to withdraw 53,000 naira (£28; $38) from a cash machine.

Police Commissioner Ahmed Sanusi accused the men of abandoning their official posts to set up the unauthorised roadblock.

They now face a police disciplinary procedure that could result in their sacking. It is rare that these kinds of cases end up in court.

Aliyu’s report of the incident to the police prompted what the commissioner described as an “intelligence-driven operation”. That led to the arrest of the alleged ringleader and subsequently the other suspects.

In an interview with BBC Hausa, Aliyu explained what happened after he was flagged down on a busy road.

“When I stopped, a policeman came to my car door. I wound down the window, and he told me to open my car, so I did.”

The policeman then got in.

“He then asked me for my driver’s licence. I brought it out, and he asked me to give it to him, so I did. Then he said he would take me to court for violating traffic rules. I told him: ‘Let’s go to court.'”

But instead, Aliyu alleged, the policeman asked him for money by telling him: “You are a big man; you wouldn’t want your time to be wasted, but even if we go to court, you will be fined 52,000 naira.”

“I asked him to give me his bank account number so I could transfer the money, but he refused.” Instead, Aliyu alleged, he went to a cash machine and withdrew the money.

The national police chief condemned the officers’ alleged conduct in strong terms, warning that the command would no longer tolerate abuses of power.

“You have to choose: either a policeman or a thief,” Sanusi said. “You cannot be both. If you fail to choose, your actions will determine where you belong.”

Unemployed man jailed for attempting to steal police armoured vehicle

2 arrested for illegal mining near Adansi Asokwa Agenda 111 Hospital…

The study refers only to U.S.-supported care, and some of the children may have received treatment through national governments or other donors.

The analysis of U.S. government data found U.S.-supported pediatric HIV treatment fell by around 14% year-on-year, although the researchers said more detailed country-level data were needed to assess the full impact.

“These are signals, ​not a verdict. But children cannot wait,” said Kenneth Ngure, professor of global health at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology ​and a co-author of the study, presented at the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.

Other studies, including ⁠by UNAIDS, have also shown gaps in the HIV response since the cuts.

The U.S. State Department said it had not reviewed the study in ​detail but its methodology was flawed.

They said the decline was a sign of the success of the program, as fewer children were getting infected with ​HIV, and the numbers on treatment had been going down for four years.

But the authors said that the declines last year were steeper than this historical trend in five countries: Uganda, Haiti, Zambia, South Africa and Kenya.

DECLINE IN U.S.-BACKED TREATMENT

To reach their conclusions, Ngure and team analyzed data provided by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the international U.S. ​HIV program. They found a decline in U.S.-supported pediatric treatment in 20 of 21 countries analyzed.

Other agencies and national governments may have stepped in to ​keep children on treatment – a stated aim of the U.S – and the decline in coverage is also slightly lower if “central support”, or U.S. funding for national or sub-national ‌level work, ⁠rather than at clinics, is included: around 55,000 fewer children were reached last year under that metric.

The countries were chosen because they all had more than 2,000 children receiving PEPFAR-supported HIV treatment, the team said.

South Africa saw the largest absolute decline of around 30,000 fewer supported children, or 45%, followed by Zimbabwe, Kenya and Malawi.

South Africa, the country which has the most people living with HIV in the world, already funds the majority of its ​response. The U.S. has said it will ​no longer support efforts in ⁠the country.

‘FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS’

Health advocate Susan Wairimu Metta, who works with HIV-affected communities in Kisumu West, Kenya – the Kenyan area with the highest HIV prevalence rates outside Nairobi – said she recognised the picture painted by the new ​study.

“The funding cuts have had a real impact on paediatric HIV care in Kenya,” she said.

She said ​a decline in the ⁠availability of community support groups as well as new charges for tests that were previously free made it harder for families to stay fully engaged in care. This has led to a rise in the number of children presenting with advanced HIV in her region, she said.

The worst impact was during the initial period ⁠last year ​when the U.S. issued “stop work” orders as it began to dismantle parts of its international ​aid program, she said, but the situation has improved since then, in part because the Kenyan government has trained staff to help fill gaps.

“But many of the community-based support systems that ​prevented children from falling through the cracks have still not been fully replaced,” she added.

Australia made history late last year when it implemented the first ban on social media for under-16s. The British government announced similar restrictions last month, expected to come into effect next year. Spain, Greece and Denmark are also planning to impose minimum age limits for social media use.

French lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favor of the bill, which was strongly backed by France’s President Emmanuel Macron. He will now sign it into law.

“Social media will be banned for children under 15 starting this school year,” he posted on X after the vote as he thanked lawmakers for passing the bill.

“The brains of our children and our teenagers are not for sale,” he had said in a video message in January. “The emotions of our children and our teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated, neither by American platforms nor by Chinese algorithms.”

Macron had ordered the French government to expedite the bill’s passage through parliament, with the aim of having legislation in place for the beginning of the new next school year in September.

It is not yet clear how the social media sites will verify users’ ages. Australia requires companies to “take reasonable steps” to prevent underage children from opening or keeping accounts, and the French government has promised to implement age controls to back up the law.

Members of the French Senate debate a draft law that aims to ban social media access for children under 15, in Paris, France, on March 31, 2026. Firas Abdullah/EPA/Shutterstock

The legislation also bans advertising promoting social media to children, including by influencers, and requires advertisements for social media platforms to carry the warning: “Dangerous products for children under 15.”

The new law will be enforced by Arcom, France’s audiovisual and digital communications regulator. It is expected to apply to all the major platforms.

According to Arcom, children aged 12 to 17 in France spend an average of 1 hour and 21 minutes a day on TikTok. The regulator says the platform’s recommendation algorithm tends to promote the most “extreme” content, exposing teenagers to a continuous stream of anxiety-inducing or otherwise harmful videos.

Social media companies say they already take steps to protect children from some kinds of content.

‘Real change of atmosphere’

The proposal for a ban was welcomed by many French parents earlier this year.

“I think it’s great,” mother-of-six Geraldine Delacroix told CNN in March. “Now I’m waiting to see how it’s workable, but in any case, it’s better than nothing,” she added, noting that children could often get around existing parental controls. “Even if we block, they find ways to get around it,” she said.

In her work as a pediatrician, Delacroix has seen a growing distrust of smartphones and social media over the past decade among her patients’ families. “People are tense (about smartphones),” she said. “There’s been a real change of atmosphere.”

A smartphone displays a folder of social media applications, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat, and YouTube, in Creteil, France, on March 31, 2026. Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Her daughter Ariane said she saw little downside to the ban, but wished it had come in sooner, telling CNN it was “a bit too late for the young people of my generation who are 13 to 14.”

“We have a tendency to say, ‘OK, I’m just going to look at my phone for five or 10 minutes’ and then, as it’s super-addictive, we spend an hour, two hours on the phone,” she said.

Ariane, who is on all the major social networks, said that while they provided “fast, easy entertainment, without effort,” she saw almost no upside for children of her own age.

Her older sister, Gabrielle, who said she’d had access to Instagram and TikTok since before her 10th birthday – well before the age limit of 13 for most social networks – blamed Covid-19-era lockdowns for sowing bad habits of excessive smartphone use among her generation.

“Once you’re, like, used to it, you just keep on using it,” she said.

Gabrielle added that she had no doubt that children would find ways around the restrictions and suggested the platforms should instead do more to filter out dangerous content.

‘Not a toy’

For the countries looking into age restrictions, ensuring effective age verification is a major challenge.

“Bans alone won’t be enough,” French Education Minister Édouard Geffray told lawmakers in January. “We can’t just restrict, we have to educate and propose different ways of socializing.”

Katia Roux, of Amnesty International France, sounded a similar note on Tuesday. “The debate over banning social media for those under 15 is legitimate,” she told CNN. “However, this measure is not enough to make digital platforms safe. Only a shift in the business model of social media companies will truly protect all users. To begin with, the platforms’ addictive and manipulative features must be banned.”

Across OECD countries in 2022, at least half of 15-year-olds in most countries spent 30 hours or more per week on digital devices, including learning activities in or out of school.

Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said warned that “social media is not a toy,” in a statement calling for “age-appropriate restrictions.”

“In Europe, whoever develops a product is responsible for its safety. Car manufacturers must make their vehicles safe. We do not expect children to design their own seatbelts. We do not expect parents to fit airbags at home,” she wrote. “This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about whether and when social media can access our children.”

In France, some opposition lawmakers opposed the bill at an earlier stage over concerns about free speech and access to informative online content. Some senators had proposed a blacklist of certain social media platforms.

Teenager Nelya Ouali, whose mother does not permit her to have her own smartphone, said the law could impact her access to educational videos.

“We won’t be able to get more information as a result, because we don’t watch much television anymore,” she said, as she and her friends favor influencers’ videos. “But it’s still important for communication. Social networks are still important; they allow us to talk with our friends,” she said. “They allow us to be entertained, to take our minds off things.”

This is not the first time France has restricted access to online material. A ban on access to online pornography for minors overcame legal challenges to finally come into effect in 2025. It requires users to provide proof of age.

She said sustainable healthcare on the continent can only be achieved if governments take greater responsibility for funding the sector instead of relying heavily on foreign assistance, which she described as increasingly unpredictable.

Speaking at the African Union Extraordinary Health Summit in Accra on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Ambassador Twum-Amoah acknowledged the value of international partnerships but stressed that external support should complement, not replace, national investment in healthcare.

“We must transform health financing. Africa cannot build sustainable health systems on unpredictable and declining external assistance,” she said.

She called on African governments to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation and ensure healthcare remains a key priority in national budgets.

The AU Health Commissioner also urged countries to safeguard health sector allocations, improve the management of public funds and address inefficiencies that reduce the impact of available resources.

Ambassador Twum-Amoah further renewed calls for African nations to honour the Abuja Declaration by allocating at least 15 per cent of their national budgets to the health sector.

She, however, noted that increasing funding alone would not be enough, stressing that governments must also ensure resources are used efficiently to improve health outcomes.

“This is not simply about spending more. It is about spending better, prioritising prevention, primary healthcare, health workers, essential medicines, and services for those furthest behind,” she added.

According to her, investing in preventive healthcare, strengthening the frontline health workforce and improving access to essential medicines will be crucial to tackling the continent’s persistent health challenges and building stronger, more resilient health systems.

Also read:

• Mahama urges Africa to reduce donor dependence in healthcare

• Accra Reset: Mahama calls on Africa to fund healthcare internally

Everyday consumer items like wine and hockey sticks and industrial goods such as cement are among the goods targeted. However, several key exports will be spared, such as energy, potash, critical minerals and fish.

Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by saying Canada stood ready to “intensify” trade talks with the US in the coming weeks.

The White House said the duties would take effect in 30 days. It marks a major escalation in trade tensions between the North American neighbours.

Canada was one of the few countries to retaliate in 2025 against Trump’s tariffs, placing a 25% levy on about C$30bn (£16bn; $21.7bn) worth of US goods. Carney later dropped some of them but kept tariffs on US cars, steel and aluminium.

The US Supreme  Court ruled earlier this year that many of Trump’s tariffs imposed globally under emergency powers were illegally enacted. But his latest action on Monday night uses a different, obscure law that is untested in court.

The new duties apply to all covered goods regardless of whether the product was included under the existing free trade agreement between Canada, the US and Mexico, known as the USMCA.

“This is the latest in a series of unilateral US trade actions that began with the US imposing a series of tariffs in direct violation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement,” Carney said in a statement on X.

He also cited “threats to Canadian sovereignty”, a possible reference to Trump’s calls to make America’s northern neighbour the 51st US state.

Monday’s import taxes build on trade barriers already in place between the two nations.

The US has been maintaining active tariffs ranging from 15% to 50% on Canadian steel, aluminium and copper. Washington also charges a 35% tariff on Canadian softwood lumber, alongside a 25% tax on non-US parts in cars.

Canada has its own 25% counter-tariff on selected imports of American steel, aluminium and vehicles.

Monday’s announcement comes in the wake of President Trump’s threat to impose tariffs over Canadian wildfire smoke drifting into US cities.

But there is no mention of wildfires in the executive orders that Trump signed on Monday.

Instead, the three proclamations list US trade irritants that were previously known to Canada related to cars, dairy and alcohol – signalling a breakdown of trade negotiations between the two countries.

On cars, Trump is accusing Canada of charging a tax on US motor vehicles and parts that are not covered under USMCA.

He argues it is “unreasonable” and that Canada has discriminated against the US by not charging other countries a similar tax.

Automotive manufacturing in North America is highly integrated between Canada, the US and Mexico.

But Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said in the past that he believes Canada should “come second” to the US.

Trump has also named cars in the past as one issue where the two countries have competing interests.

Dairy, meanwhile, has long been a problem for the US, specifically Canada’s supply management system, which sets limits on foreign imports. Those that exceed the limit are charged a tariff upwards of 300%.

And lastly, the enduring boycott of US alcoholic drinks by most Canadian provinces has become a major sore point for the Americans since it was imposed last year.

Canadian premiers have said repeatedly that the boycott will be lifted if the US removes its tariffs on key Canadian sectors, including metals and automobiles.

Canadian trade negotiators have been trying to secure a deal that would at least reduce some of the current US tariffs.

Responding to the latest tariffs announcement, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on X: “If these tariffs proceed, Canada should respond tariff for tariff, dollar for dollar.”

The BBC has contacted the White House and the Canadian government for comment.

Earlier this year, the US chose not to renew the USMCA in its current form.

Canada and Mexico sought a renewal of the trade agreement, but the US wants to make changes to the deal, which was negotiated during Trump’s first term in office.

As it stands, the treaty will continue to govern North American trade over the next decade on a rolling basis, requiring annual reviews.

In February, the US Supreme Court struck down sweeping international tariffs imposed by Trump through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.

The justices ruled that the president had exceeded his authority when he announced the duties under a law reserved for national emergencies.

The White House vowed at the time that it would invoke other mechanisms to impose import taxes.

The duties announced on Monday were introduced under Section 338 of the 1930 Tariff Act, which covers trade discrimination rather than national emergencies.

Candance Laing, head of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, called the latest tariffs a “regrettable decision”, and urged officials to make “meaningful progress” in talks before the new duties take effect in 30 days’ time.

Chris Swonger, head of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, also called for both sides to find a solution, warning the decision “raises the risk of further retaliation”.

The agreement was signed in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Sunday during the summit of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The 6,800-kilometre pipeline is expected to transport Nigerian natural gas along Africa’s Atlantic coastline to Morocco, with the potential to supply European markets through existing connections.

The project, initially conceived as a bilateral initiative between Nigeria and Morocco, has now gained broader regional backing with the involvement of ECOWAS member states in its governance framework.

It was launched after a 2016 meeting between Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. It is being developed by Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

Moroccan officials say the pipeline reflects King Mohammed VI’s vision of a more integrated and energy-secure Africa, built around shared infrastructure and regional cooperation.

The Freetown agreement marks a major institutional step, although further arrangements are expected to be concluded in Morocco involving Morocco, Nigeria and Mauritania.

Mauritania, like Morocco, is not an ECOWAS member but remains a key country along the proposed route.

The next phase will focus on establishing the project’s management structures, including a dedicated project company expected to be based in Casablanca and a Pipeline Higher Authority to be headquartered in Abuja.

These bodies will oversee operational, regulatory and financial issues while coordinating with participating governments, energy companies, investors and international financial institutions.

The project partners are expected to intensify efforts to secure financing after the completion of technical, environmental and engineering studies.

When completed, the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline will pass through 13 African countries before connecting to Morocco’s existing Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline network.

The pipeline is projected to transport about 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually. Up to 15 billion cubic metres could be supplied to Morocco and European markets, while the remaining volumes would support energy needs in participating West African countries.

The estimated cost of the project is about $25 billion, with construction expected to begin once financing and regulatory arrangements are finalised.

Beyond gas transportation, the project is being positioned as a regional development corridor that could improve electricity generation, support industrial growth and encourage investment across West Africa.

Several countries along the proposed route continue to face energy challenges, including power shortages and high production costs. Access to natural gas could help improve energy reliability and strengthen industrial competitiveness.

Supporters believe the pipeline could also encourage the development of domestic gas resources, create jobs and deepen economic cooperation among participating countries.

For Europe, the project could provide an additional source of natural gas as countries seek to diversify energy supplies amid global geopolitical uncertainty.

However, officials involved in the project say its primary focus remains improving energy access and supporting economic development within Africa.

The Nigeria–Morocco partnership remains at the heart of the project, combining Nigeria’s position as one of Africa’s leading gas producers with Morocco’s strategic location and infrastructure capabilities.

The Freetown endorsement signals a shift from a mainly bilateral initiative into a broader African integration project.

The next major challenge will be turning political support into concrete financing, construction and long-term operation of what could become one of Africa’s largest energy infrastructure projects.

Also read:

• ECOWAS Council of Ministers supports Ghana’s AU Petition Against Xenophobia

• ECOWAS Court seeks stronger compliance with judgments

The Middle East conflict escalated over the weekend, with the U.S. conducting a ninth straight night of attacks against Iran, while U.S. allies Kuwait and Bahrain reported more Iranian strikes.

Brent crude futures settled $1.12, or around 1.3%, higher at $89.22 a barrel after hitting $91.42 for their highest since June 11.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude closed 74 cents, or 0.9%, higher at $83.23 after ​touching its highest level since June 12 at $85.39.

Mediators have passed Iran a proposal to de-escalate the war with the U.S., suggesting a 10-day ceasefire ​to find ways to revive an interim deal reached last month, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.

“While the ⁠conflict remains far from resolved, the prospect of renewed talks has eased immediate concerns over further disruptions to oil supply and shipping through the Strait of ​Hormuz,” said Daniela Hathorn, Senior Market Analyst, at Capital.com.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they would impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, opening a potential new front ​against the United States in its war with Iran and raising the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf.

“If a ceasefire does not materialize and Hormuz remains largely closed while the Houthi threat to Red Sea shipping intensifies, the risk of a significant rebound in oil prices would be substantial,” said Rystad Energy’s Jorge León, head of geopolitical analysis, ​adding that about 2.5 million barrels per day of Saudi oil is at risk from the Houthi threat.

However, a record amount of crude oil on water, ​estimated around at 1.35 billion barrels, could limit the next leg of oil price increases, Kpler analysts said in a note.

DROP IN TANKER TRAFFIC FROM GULF

The collapse of a U.S.-Iran ‌truce has ⁠reignited concerns over energy supplies moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Before the Iran war, about 20% of global oil supplies flowed through the waterway. Iran has also pressed the Houthis to close the Red Sea route if the U.S. attacks Iranian power infrastructure.

Four vessels made the transit through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, down from eight the previous day, LSEG data showed. At least three oil products tankers and one very large crude carrier have entered the strait since Friday to load oil, ​the data showed. Oil transfers between ​tankers in waters outside the Strait ⁠of Hormuz have slowed following a wave of recent attacks on vessels by Iranian forces, according to satellite analysis and sources.

Greek shipping company Dynacom Tankers said two of its managed vessels were hit by projectiles of unknown origin on Monday while ​sailing off the coast of Oman.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said two oil tankers “exploded” and were immobilised after attempting to ​take what it called ⁠an unsafe southern route through the Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday, the Guards also pointed to two ships involved in an “accident” in the same area.

It was unclear whether the two incidents were related or connected to attacks on the Dynacom vessels.

“The supply narrative has become more bearish. The anticipated recovery in shipping has effectively stalled, ⁠with Strait ​of Hormuz transit volumes falling to single digits,” ANZ analysts said in a note.

Gulf countries boosted ​crude oil and condensate exports in the first half of July to their highest since before the Iran war began in late February, shipping data showed, though flows through the Strait of Hormuz ​are slowing as fighting escalates.

The 46-year-old leader assumed the position following a decision by regional leaders, placing him at the helm of the West African bloc’s highest decision-making body.

Faye emerged as the new leader of the regional bloc during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority held in Sierra Leone.

He takes over from Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, who assumed the position in June 2025 following the completion of President Bola Tinubu’s tenure as chairman. 

President Faye’s new role will see him provide leadership and direction on key regional issues, including economic integration, peace and security, democratic governance, and cooperation among ECOWAS member states.

His election comes at a critical time for the regional organisation, which has faced challenges including political instability in some member states, security threats, and efforts to strengthen unity among West African countries.

President Faye, who became Senegal’s youngest president after winning the 2024 presidential election, has been widely recognised for his reform agenda and calls for greater sovereignty and cooperation among African nations.

His assumption of the ECOWAS chairmanship places him at the centre of efforts to navigate the future direction of the 15-member regional bloc.

In another major appointment, General Birame Diop, Senegal’s former Minister of Defence and former Chief of the General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, has been named President of the ECOWAS Commission.

General Diop, who also previously served as an adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General, is expected to take over the leadership of the ECOWAS Commission on September 1, 2026, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.

Alec Neel Vance was born on Sunday morning, the vice-president said in a statement on social media.

“Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother,” he added, also thanking the military doctors and staff at Walter Reed Medical Center for their care.

It is the first time a baby has been born to a sitting vice-president while in office for more than 150 years, according to the Associated Press.

The pair have three other children: Ewan, 9, Vivek, 6, and four-year-old Mirabel.

Usha Vance was born and raised in the working-class suburbs of San Diego, California, to a father who was a mechanical engineer and a mother who was a molecular biologist, both of whom had moved to the US from India.

She met JD Vance as a student at Yale Law School in 2010, when they joined a discussion group on “social decline in white America”.

Usha Vance (née Chilukuri) was born and raised in the working-class suburbs of San Diego, California, to a mechanical engineer father and a molecular biologist mother who had moved to the US from Andhra Pradesh, India.

JD Vance has been one of the most vocal members of the Trump administration in calling for higher birth rates in the US.

He wrote in his recently published book that Usha had initially been reluctant to have another child but that her mind changed after conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was killed last year.

“Not long after we buried my friend, she became pregnant with our fourth child, a boy,” he wrote. “One life was stolen from us, but another was given.”

The caucus says Parliament must be updated on the government’s response to the incident and the measures being taken to protect Ghanaians living in South Africa amid renewed concerns over attacks on foreign nationals.

Raising the matter on the floor of Parliament, the Deputy Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Bosome Freho, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, said legislators needed an official briefing on the circumstances surrounding the incident and its implications for relations between Ghana and South Africa.

“The young Ghanaian who was shot and killed in South Africa was brought to Ghana. This House has requested that the Minister for Foreign Affairs be scheduled to appear before the House to brief us on issues relating to the diplomatic relationship between Ghana and South Africa,” he said.

Mr Asafo-Adjei Ayeh said the widespread public discussion surrounding the incident, particularly on social media, made it even more important for the government to provide clarity.

“We have been hearing a lot about the issue on social media, and I believe the Majority Leader should schedule the minister to appear before the House to brief us on Ghana’s relationship with South Africa,” he added.

Responding to the request, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga said the decision on whether the minister should address Parliament would depend on the nature and sensitivity of the issues involved.

“Whether or not the minister comes to brief the House on bilateral relations depends on the minister’s assessment of the sensitivity of the issues and whether they should be discussed,” Mr Ayariga stated.

The killing of Bashiru Isak has sparked renewed public concern over the safety of Ghanaians living in South Africa, prompting calls for stronger diplomatic engagement and enhanced protection for Ghanaian citizens abroad.

Also read:

• Gov’t officials, family receive body of Ghanaian killed in South Africa (Photos)

• Final repatriation of 900 Ghanaians from South Africa to begin July 25

The position was outlined during a parliamentary debate on the increasing number of Zimbabweans returning home from South Africa, where migrants have continued to face hostility, periodic xenophobic violence and calls for mass deportations.

Responding to concerns raised by lawmakers, Zimbabwe’s Justice Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, said the government has no intention of targeting South Africans who are legally residing in the country.

He stressed that Zimbabwe would continue to welcome foreign nationals who comply with its immigration laws, adding that the principle of Ubuntu guides the country’s approach.

“We do not have a policy of chasing away visitors,” the minister told Parliament.

His remarks come amid renewed concerns over xenophobic attacks in South Africa, where foreign nationals have frequently been blamed for crime, unemployment and pressure on public services, sparking anti-immigrant campaigns and isolated incidents of violence.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Health Minister, Douglas Mombeshora, disclosed that more than 99,000 Zimbabweans returning from South Africa have undergone health screening for communicable diseases at border posts.

He said returnees suffering from chronic medical conditions have also been referred to health facilities to ensure they continue receiving treatment without interruption.

The Zimbabwean government said its decision reflects its commitment to protecting legally resident foreign nationals and maintaining its long-standing policy of hospitality, despite growing domestic calls for reciprocal action over the treatment of Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa.

The development comes as migration and recurring xenophobic tensions continue to test relations between South Africa and several countries across the continent.

US Central Command (Centcom) said forces successfully hit Iranian military capabilities, while Iranian state media said Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz had been struck.

Centcom said it also targeted Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) responsible for the attack that killed two US troops in Jordan on Friday, where another service member remains missing.

In response to the latest strikes, Iran’s army said it carried out drone attacks on two US bases in Kuwait, according to state media.

The US and Iran have ramped up attacks against each other in recent days, with both sides accused of striking critical infrastructure.

On Saturday, Iran said it carried out “large-scale attacks with kamikaze drones” against an American military “depot at Camp Udairi” and another at “Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait”, according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim  news agency.

The US strikes, on the eighth successive night of attacks, were “designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”, Centcom said.

The strikes were to “swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night,” the statement continued.

It followed a week of renewed hostilities in which Washington reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, as their preliminary ceasefire collapsed less than a month after it began.

In a statement earlier on Saturday, Centcom said: “Two US service members in Jordan were killed in action as US Central Command (Centcom) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing.

“Out of respect for the families, Centcom will withhold additional information, including the identities of the fallen warriors, until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified.”

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the deaths with a post on X that said: “Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve.”

The US death toll in the conflict has now risen to 16 after an American Navy pilot who went missing earlier this month was declared dead, marking the second increase in the toll this week.

Washington and Tehran struck a preliminary deal to end the war in June, but the agreement unravelled within weeks – with President Donald Trump declaring the agreement “over” on 8 July.

His son, actor Jason Donovan, confirmed his father died peacefully in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday night.

“Our Dad was a huge character, larger than life. He was our best friend … our world! We will desperately miss him but we take comfort knowing we were all here by his side in his final days,” the post said.

The London-born actor was also popular for his role in Australian police dramas Division 4 and Cop Shop, which aired in the 1970s and 1980s.

Jason’s post, written alongside his brother Paul, said they will take comfort in “knowing that he lived life to the max. Knowing that in life it’s either a daring adventure or nothing at all!”

“How lucky are we to have a Dad like you,” they added.

After moving to Australia as a teenager, Donovan started his career as a singer before he made his screen debut in the early 1960s.

Ten years later, he secured two of his most well known roles as Detective Mick Peters in Division 4, followed by Detective Senior Sergeant Vic Cameron in Cop Shop.

Donovan joined the cast of Neighbours in the 90s as Doug Willis in Neighbours, shortly after his son Jason left the show. He also featured as Al Simpson on Home and Away.

Alongside his six-decade long career in television, his memorable film credits include his role in The Man from Snowy River and Breaker Morant, as well as appearing on stage for a number of performances.

In a tribute, Jason also said his father used his profile during the early 1970s to garner support for an Australian film and television industry after an influx of content from the US and UK.

“The result of that campaign was an obligation on commercial television broadcasters to broadcast Australian stories,” Jason wrote alongside a picture of Donovan marching through the streets of Melbourne under a banner which read ‘T.V. MAKE IT AUSTRALIA NOW’.

“Without people like my Dad we might not have seen the growth in the industry during the 70s and 80s and indirectly, Australian films such as The Man From Snowy River, Breaker Morant, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Priscilla, Muriel’s Wedding, Crocodile Dundee [and] Strictly Ballroom.”

The MV Barima capsized near Iron Punt, on its route from Georgetown to Port Kaituma.

A distress call was received at 23:01 local time (03:01 +1 BST), triggering an urgent search operation involving state and private boats, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said in a statement posted on social media.

The state of the operation is currently unclear and it is not known whether authorities expect to rescue the remaining passengers.

The MV Barima was built in 1939 and is 40m (131ft) long, according to a listing on VesselFinder.

Edghill said it was fitted with 250 life jackets, two rigid life crafts and six inflatable life crafts.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips is said to be leading the government response.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said four US service members were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan but have since been discharged. Others who suffered minor injuries have returned to duty.

Jordan’s military earlier said it had intercepted 10 Iranian missiles fired into its airspace overnight, without reporting any damage.

The US military said it had carried out the seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran since President Donald Trump declared their temporary ceasefire agreement “over”.

The latest deaths come after a US Navy pilot who went missing earlier this month was declared dead – bringing the American death toll in the ongoing war with Iran to 14.

Under a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule released on Thursday, international students and exchange visitors will generally be limited to four years, while foreign journalists will be admitted for up to 240 days at a time, or just 90 days for Chinese nationals.

Anyone who wants to stay longer will have to apply for an extension or leave the country and apply to come back.

The regulation, which takes effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register pending congressional review, could impact admissions for college programmes starting in August and September.

It marks the latest step in Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration since returning to office in January 2025.

“For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amount of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging U.S. citizens,” a DHS news release said when the changes were first proposed last summer.

The administration says the changes will make it easier to keep track of people on these visas.

“DHS has many examples of students and exchange visitors staying for decades in their student or exchange visitor status,” the rule said.

The department said it had found more than 2,100 people who first entered as students from 2000 to 2010 who still had student status in April this year as they enrolled in new programmes, transferred schools or extended their programme dates to remain in the US.

The rule also tightens restrictions on international students transferring schools or changing academic programmes, particularly at the graduate level.

According to the DHS, there were more than 1.8 million student visa admissions in 2024, up more than 11 percent over the previous year.

The department also said the US admitted more than 500,000 exchange visitors and about 37,300 foreign journalists during the 2024 fiscal year, which ended on September 30, 2024.

“The significant increase in the volume of such visitors poses a challenge to DHS’s ability to monitor and oversee these nonimmigrants while they are in the United States,” the department wrote.

It is the latest step in Trump’s broader push to tighten restrictions on both illegal and legal immigration.

In June, the Department of State said it had revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump returned to office last year, including 8,000 students. Many of those students’ visas were revoked over their  political activism.

Immigration advocates and universities have warned that the policies risk making the US a less attractive place to study, teach or do research by increasing costs and discouraging coming to the US for longer study programmes.

Fricker won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 1990 for playing Daniel Day-Lewis’s on-screen mother in My Left Foot.

She played nurse Megan Roach in the BBC’s Casualty from 1986, making her final appearance in 2010; and was the Central Park pigeon lady in 1992’s Home Alone sequel.

In a statement, her agent Phil Belfield said: “We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her.”

He added: “I was honoured to know, love and work with her and she will always have a place in my heart and in the heart of so many film and TV fans the world over.”

Fricker’s former Casualty co-star Derek Thompson, who played long-running character Charlie Fairhead, paid tribute to the actress, telling BBC News: “Truly the best I have ever worked with, and I’ve worked with a lot of actors”.

Cathy Shipton, who played Lisa ‘Duffy’ Duffin, added that Fricker as “one of the most authentic people I’ve ever met”.

“She lived her life courageously warts and all. I loved her for her wit, her intelligence and her brilliant sense of humour,” Shipton told BBC News.

“Life happened when you were around Brenda. We shared a love of dogs – collies and my girl Juno is named after her favourite collie.

“I love her and miss her and am so glad l knew her.”

Born in Dublin, Fricker began her acting career with parts and in TV and the theatre,including Ireland’s first soap opera Tolka Row in the 1960s,ITV soap Coronation Street in 1977, and Licking Hitler, a Play For Today written by David Hare, in 1978.

She was in the cast of the first episode of long-running BBC medical drama Casualty in 1986, remaining a fixture until 1990 and returning regularly in the subsequent years.

She made history in 1990 when she became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award, beating Hollywood stars including Julia Roberts and Anjelica Huston.

My Left Foot told the true story of an Irish man named Christy Brown, played by Day-Lewis, who was born with cerebral palsy and could control only his left foot. The actor also won an Oscar for his starring role.

Another memorable role came two years later when Fricker was cast as the homeless bird lady befriended by Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin in Home Alone 2.

Her other film credits included 1993’s So I Married An Axe Murderer, 1994’s Angels In The Outfield, 1996’s A Time To Kill and 2003’s Veronica Guerin.

However, she later claimed she would have gone on to have a better career if it hadn’t been for her success at the Oscars.

“What did happen was the old curse of the Oscars, as they call it,” she told the Times in 2024.

The accolade led to her being typecast and overlooked for a lot of roles, including in theatre, she said.

“So there’s a lot that’s not great about an Oscar. And you don’t get any money. They could give you a few bob with it, at least,” she joked.

‘Warmth and toughness in the same breath’

Ireland’s Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Simon Harris said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of “a national treasure”.

“She was a consummate performer who graced our screens and stages with remarkable talent and authenticity. Brenda brought depth and humanity to every role she undertook,” he said.

“She truly was among the greatest exports this country has ever produced and an ambassador for Irish talent on the world stage. Quite simply, we will never see the like of her ever again.”

The US ambassador to Ireland, Edward Walsh, paid tribute to Fricker as “a giant of Irish film” and praised her “unforgettable” performance in My Left Foot.

Writing on X, he said: “From Dublin to Hollywood, her work brought Ireland’s stories to the world and inspired generations on both sides of the Atlantic.

“She leaves a remarkable legacy, and I extend my deepest condolences to her family, friends, and all who loved her.”

Teenage trauma

Fricker told her life story in her memoir last year, revealing an unstable upbringing in which she was beaten by her mother and groomed at the age of eight by a man who gave her elocution lessons and was sexually fixated with her, but who “never touched me”.

She spent two years in hospital after a bicycle accident at the age of 14, but was truly left “broken” after being raped at 17 at a party, then raped again later by an English actor.

Despite her traumas, she also had fond memories of that era. “When I was growing up, you could be wild and God bless the wild days.”

In that spirit, the path her life took was not calculated, she told The Times. “It’s all been luck… happy accidents.”

The singer made the revelation while arriving in Ghana with members of his team during a live stream with Nigerian streamer Davrel on June 15, 2026.

In a video from the stream, Davido was seen making a phone call to his wife, asking her to send $4,000 to his longtime aide, Lati, after he was unable to access his account.

“Good morning, my love. Please help me send Lati $4,000. I can’t log in and I don’t know why. I love you,” he said during the call.

After the conversation, the award-winning musician explained to a friend why he had relied on his wife to complete the transaction.

Davido said Chioma has taken responsibility for managing his finances because he does not trust himself to handle money due to his spending habits.

“My wife manages my money. I’m a reckless spender, so she’s the one who arranges everything. She’s my life coordinator and I don’t play when it comes to her,” he said.

Watch the video elow:

Davido and the rest of the team walking to the jet and he randomly calls his wife, Chioma to send Lati 4k dollars. Davrel asked if Chioma manages his money, Davido said yes that Chioma handles all his finances cos he’s a very reckless spender 😭😂💔 pic.twitter.com/AYeLVMqdl4

— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) July 15, 2026

READ ALSO:

Kwesi Arthur postpones North American Redemption Valley tour dates over health concerns

Stonebwoy pays emotional tribute to Fantan Mojah after reggae star’s death

Dozens of others, including school staff, were injured in the crash in the Kapchorwa area on Thursday evening.

Preliminary investigations show the bus suffered a mechanical fault before the driver lost control on Chekwatit Hill, a stretch of road that has been the site of several serious crashes, according to local officials.

“The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, struck a large stone along the roadside, and overturned,” police said.

The bus, carrying pupils from King David Junior School in Ndejje, crashed at about 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT) at Chekwatit village in Kawowo area, police said.

“Sadly, 20 children and 1 adult, who happens to be the founder and director, Mr Tadeo Ssekade, have gone to be with the Lord,” Minister of Local Government, Balaam Ateenyi Barugahara posted on X, while at the scene.

Videos shared by eyewitnesses showed the bus badly damaged, as local residents rushed to help the injured children.

The pupils were returning from a study tour, with local media reporting they had visited the Sipi Falls, a tourist area.

Uganda records thousands of road deaths every year, with speeding, poorly maintained vehicles and dangerous roads among the leading causes, according to traffic authorities.

The latest crash comes amid renewed concern over the safety of school transport after several serious bus accidents were reported in the country in recent weeks.

Gabriel Perez, who had worked at the White House since 2016, is accused of placing bets on words the president would use during major public addresses, including the State of the Union speech.

The trades were made on Kalshi, a prediction markets platform where users can bet on real-world events. The firm confirmed it reported the activity to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which regulates the platform.

Kalshi froze Perez’s account before any profits could be withdrawn, according to reports.

The platform told the BBC its analysts noticed unusual betting on “mention markets” – contracts where users predict whether a speaker will use common terms, such as specific countries, economic words, or campaign slogans, in March.

“The words of political leaders like Presidents and Fed chairs cause billions of dollars of movement in FX markets, oil futures, [and] the stock market,” Kalshi said.

Using account data, the company found the user was a federal employee operating White House teleprompters.

The exchange froze more than $90,000 before it could be withdrawn.

Robert DeNault, Kalshi’s head of enforcement, said the firm flagged the trades and had handed evidence to regulators.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump was aware of the teleprompter operator and that staffer was now on unpaid leave, before adding Perez would no longer work at the White House.

The story, first reported by ABC News, has been confirmed by the BBC’s US partner, CBS News.

Sources said Perez has been “fully cooperative” with the CFTC.

ABC said federal prosecutors in Manhattan declined to open a criminal case.

When contacted by the BBC to confirm it was investigating, the CFTC said it could not “confirm or deny” any probe.

Also read:

• R. Kelly appeals to Trump to commute 31-year prison sentence

• Trump retreat over Hormuz tolls suggests he is struggling to end Iran war

According to court records made public this week by the Office of the Pardon Attorney and first reported by The Guardian, the application is currently pending and seeks a commutation of Kelly’s sentence, not a full presidential pardon.

Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted in 2021 on racketeering charges after prosecutors said he led a criminal enterprise that recruited women and underage girls for illegal sexual activity and the production of child sexual abuse material. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

A year later, he was convicted in a separate federal case on three counts involving child sexual abuse images and three counts of child enticement. Although he received another 20-year sentence, all but one year runs concurrently with his earlier sentence, leaving him with a combined 31-year prison term.

The 59-year-old singer is serving his sentence at a federal prison in North Carolina and is not expected to be released until January 2046.

Kelly’s lawyer, Beau Brindley, has been lobbying Trump for executive clemency for more than a year. In 2025, Brindley filed an emergency motion seeking Kelly’s transfer to home detention, alleging that prison officials had conspired with a terminally ill inmate to kill the singer in exchange for an early release.

In a statement at the time, Brindley said: “The only thing that can protect Mr Kelly behind the prison walls now is the fact that now the world is watching. And we will call on the courts and President Trump to help put an end to the corruption that now threatens Mr Kelly’s life.”

However, the emergency motion was later denied by the court.

Kelly has consistently denied the allegations against him, while his request for a presidential commutation remains under review.

The ability to switch programmes and transfer between universities and colleges will also be restricted. Until now, higher education institutions had the power to grant visa extensions.

The policy, which comes into effect in September, “combats rampant visa abuse, and strengthens national security through regular vetting”, the Department of Homeland Security said.

The Association of International Educators described the new rules as “misguided and unnecessary”.

Before now, foreign students on F-1 visas and J-1 exchange visas were admitted to the US under “duration of status”, which meant they could remain in the country for as long as it took to finish their degrees. The new rules will put a time limit on that stay.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said: “For decades, foreign students have been admitted into the US indefinitely, allowing thousands to abuse our immigration system by perpetually enrolling in courses to avoid having to leave the US.”

While most US undergraduate programmes are four years, graduate-level programmes, such as doctorates, typically take longer to complete.

Most international students are enrolled in graduate level courses, especially those in the science and technology fields.

Those courses typically require more time to complete and publish research. Funding shortfalls for research and personal circumstances can also often lengthen the study period.

Under the new rules, foreign students will also now have 30 days to pack up and leave after graduation or change to a different visa category – down from the previous 60-day grace period.

NAFSA: Association of International Educators, a non-profit that advises schools on foreign student enrollment, criticised the new rules.

Its chief executive, Fanta Aw, said the new policy “injects uncertainty, bureaucracy, and fear into a system that has long worked effectively. It is a solution in search of a problem.”

The new rules are part of a broader approach by the Trump administration to reduce the number of foreign students and restrict immigration to the US.

The administration has sought to cap the number of foreign students at some elite colleges and moved to revoke the visas of students who have been critical of US foreign policy.

Meanwhile, Trump on Wednesday praised Iran for freeing Dena Karari, a US detainee that he said had been “wrongfully detained” in December 2024.

“The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Karari’s attorney, Jared Genser, said she was on her way back to the US.

However, Iran’s judiciary on Thursday said that no US prisoner had been released or exchanged from its prisons, Iranian state media reported.

The development was announced by the the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Wisdom Yayra Koku Deku on X, formally Twitter. 

According to the Executive Secretary of NIA , Ghana’s Ambassador to Spain, Kalsoume Sinare Baffoe, officially handed over the first Ghana Card issued at the new registration centre to a Ghanaian applicant.

The NIA is urging Ghanaians residing in Spain who are yet to obtain a Ghana Card to begin the registration process by visiting the NIA’s online portal, where applicants will undergo an interview with officials in Accra before being scheduled to visit the registration centre for biometric capture and card issuance.

The opening of the centre forms part of the Authority’s efforts to expand access to the Ghana Card for Ghanaians living outside the country and strengthen national identity management.

The lecturer, who teaches Biology, was reportedly confronted after students claimed he had repeatedly made sexual advances towards the student.

According to reports, the student, with the support of some colleagues, allegedly set a trap for the lecturer. When she entered his office, she reportedly raised an alarm, prompting other students to rush to the scene.

Students who arrived allegedly found the lecturer in his underwear and attempted to gain access to the room. The lecturer reportedly locked the laboratory door as students gathered outside.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lindaikejiblog (@lindaikejiblogofficial)

A video circulating online showed students forcing their way into the room, after which the lecturer allegedly attempted to escape by climbing through a window.

The lecturer was later arrested and taken into custody as authorities began investigations into the allegations.

The incident has sparked concerns among students and members of the public over allegations of abuse of authority and inappropriate relationships between lecturers and students.

Authorities of the institution are yet to officially comment on the matter or provide details on the next steps in the investigation.

The country’s civil protection department said firefighters were still working to contain the blaze as of 06:50 local time (05:50 GMT) on Thursday.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the ages or identities of those who died or were injured in the incident.

The civil protection department said five people with special needs were rescued during the fire and moved to a safe location.

The cause of the blaze remains unclear, with authorities expected to begin investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Emergency teams continue to assess the extent of the damage and provide support to those affected.

Police confirmed that Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, the Gauteng province leader of March and March, was shot outside his home east of Johannesburg earlier this month and died several days later in hospital.

“It’s a retaliation,” March and March spokesperson Sandile Dube told the BBC, explaining how the movement believed he was targeted because of its campaign to get undocumented migrants to leave the country.

He said other leaders of March and March, which has been organising anti-migrant demonstrations across the country, had recently received warnings or death threats.

“This seems like an orchestrated hitman type of killing,” Dube told the BBC’s Newsday programme, urging the authorities to get to the bottom of the matter and the intimidation the organisation was facing.

Acting police chief Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane has announced a multidisciplinary team to investigate the shooting, which he said underscored the seriousness with which the service was treating the case.

“We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding this murder and to ensure accountability,” she said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Immigration – especially undocumented migration – has become a highly contentious  political issue in South Africa, with protesters accusing them of placing pressure on public services, as well as being involved in crime.

March and March had set an unofficial deadline of 30 June for all migrants without papers to leave the country. Protesters have promised to stage weekly marches until their demands are met.

The South African government has said more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated since it launched a “migration management” campaign five weeks ago.

Xenophobia has long been an issue in South Africa, which is Africa’s wealthiest nation and has long attracted migrants searching for better economic opportunities.

It has sometimes led to violence – and this current round of demonstrations has seen violence, intimidation and looting.

On Tuesday, five people were arrested in Limpopo province for allegedly impersonating immigration officers and unlawfully demanding foreign nationals leave the country.

The police said the incident involved a Nigerian national – who was legally in South Africa – being intimidated and forced to close his business by the suspects.

Gallo Images via Getty Images

“The law applies equally to everyone; no individual or group has the authority to conduct immigration inspections, verify legal status, or remove people from communities” – Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane, Acting Police Commissioner.

Lt Gen Dimpane issued a “stern warning” to those who “continue to intimidate, harass and perpetrate violence against foreign nationals”.

“The law applies equally to everyone,” she said.

“No individual or group has the authority to conduct immigration inspections, verify legal status, or remove people from communities.”

When questioned on how some foreign nationals had been treated by anti-migrant protesters, Dube said March and March rejected “any form of violence – we reject any form of anti-law”.

There are more than three million documented foreign nationals in South Africa, according to official figures, which does not account for those in the country illegally.

Several countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda, have been organising flights or buses for their citizens to return home in recent weeks.

On Wednesday, the last flight organised by the Nigerian government under its voluntary repatriation scheme landed in Lagos carrying 306 passengers. More than 1,200 Nigerians have now returned under the programme.

A report of a vessel in distress came in at 15:37 local time (22:37 GMT), San Francisco Fire Department chief Dean Crispen said.

A marine unit first on the scene witnessed a man in the water “in severe distress” and initiated CPR, Crispen said. He was declared deceased when brought to shore.

He said 20 adults, mostly family members, were on the three-deck pontoon boat, a 50ft (15m) cabin cruiser called Volare, and they were “engaging in some kind of memorial service”.

Authorities said a search and rescue operation by the San Francisco Fire Department and the US Coast Guard would continue throughout the evening.

Three people on the boat were injured and taken to a local hospital, where they were in a stable condition, Crispen told a news conference.

The man who died was 79-year-old Clifford Joseph Boisa, said the San Francisco medical examiner’s office.

Boisa was a resident of Sutter County, which is around a two-hour drive north-west of San Francisco.

The other 13 members on the boat returned safely to shore and were not injured.

The fire department chief said the initial alert had indicated a vessel was on fire.

But he said later there was no evidence of a blaze when the fire service arrived at the scene, with witnesses reporting rough seas and a vessel that began to take on water and was turned over in the bay.

Longshoreman Justin Marceline, who, alongside fisherman Mike Montoya, helped rescue people from the vessel, according to Reuters, said it was “complete chaos when we showed up”.

“Every time we had to grab a person, each one of them, either they were exhausted, or they were frantic and were flailing,” Marceline said.

The Rastafarian community had argued that the ban on smoking cannabis infringed on their rights to freedom of religion and belief guaranteed under the constitution.

In a landmark judgement, Justice Bahati Mwamuye said the community had failed to prove drug laws violated their constitutional rights, but acknowledged the need for a broader national debate on cannabis.

There has been a continued push to legalise cannabis in Kenya, with advocates arguing that its regulated cultivation and trade could create jobs, boost tax revenue and support industrial and medicinal uses.

Under Kenya’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, possession of cannabis remains a criminal offence.

A person convicted of possessing cannabis solely for personal use is liable to up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to $800 (£600).

Cultivating cannabis carries a penalty of a fine of $1,900 or three times the market value of the plants, whichever is greater, and/or up to 20 years in jail.

More severe penalties apply to trafficking and other drug-related offences.

In their petition, the Rastafari Society of Kenya had argued that cannabis was a sacred sacrament in their faith and sought permission for followers to grow, possess and use it privately during worship without fear of arrest.

It maintained it was not asking for the wholesale legalisation of cannabis, but a limited exemption for religious purposes in private homes and designated places of worship.

In their submission, the Rastafarians argued that smoking cannabis was part of their religious doctrine which must be respected and upheld.

But the state opposed their plea, arguing that creating a religious exemption would undermine the enforcement of Kenya’s anti-drug laws and could create loopholes for illegal cannabis trafficking.

Justice Mwamuye also found that the evidence presented on the centrality of cannabis to the Rastafari faith was inconsistent and insufficient to establish that its use was an essential element of the religion.

He upheld the constitutionality of the drug laws prohibiting the cultivation, possession and use of cannabis, dealing a major blow to the Rastafarians’ six-year legal battle.

The judge noted that any exemption permitting the use of cannabis for religious purposes would require a sound constitutional and legal foundation.

“We ought to have frank conversations on cannabis and which directions we should take,” Justice Mwamuye said.

“This is not a question for the Rastafarian community only. It is a national question that cuts across the entire spectrum of our society,” he added.

The community’s lawyer Danstan Omari said they would appeal against the court ruling.

“Kenya cannot be the only country that is harassing the Rastafarian people. We are determined to reverse that [court’s ruling] and bring back the dignity and respect of the Rastafarians in Kenya,” he said.

The judgment comes seven years after another High Court ruling recognised Rastafarianism as a protected religion in Kenya, finding that a school’s decision to expel a student over her dreadlocks violated her constitutional rights.

The number of Rastafarians in Kenya is unknown, but the movement is thought to be growing, especially among young people.

Their tradition of wearing dreadlocks also resonates with Kenya’s anti-colonial history as many of the Mau Mau fighters who resisted British rule in the 1950s wore their hair long and matted as a symbol of defiance.