It is the first conviction against Assad, who fled from Damascus to the Russian capital, Moscow, with his family after his regime was overthrown in December 2024, ending his family’s five-decade grip on power.

Assad’s cousin and the former head of political security in southern Syria’s Deraa province, Atef Najib, was also sentenced to death. He appeared wearing a striped prison uniforminside a cage in the courtroom as the judge read out his sentence.

Deraa is widely seen as the birthplace of the uprising against Assad’s rule.

In March 2011, the detention and alleged torture of a group of teenagers accused of writing anti-government graffiti sparked protests in the city, which were met with a violent crackdown by security forces.

That response helped ignite nationwide demonstrations that escalated into civil war in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed.

Syria’s interim government began trying officials associated with the Assad regime, which ruled the country for more than 50 years, earlier this year.

Najib is one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial.

He was convicted of crimes including murder, “the intentional killing of children under 15” and “torture leading to death”.

The court also sentenced six former military and security officials in absentia to death, including Bashar al-Assad’s younger brother, Maher. He ran the army’s elite Fourth Division and also fled to Moscow when the regime fell.

The others convicted include former defence minister Fahd al-Freij.

Outside the courthouse after the ruling, hundreds of people of all ages gathered holding pictures of their loved ones who were killed by the regime.

Crowds were clapping and chanting, while cars drove by excitedly honking their horns.

A group of men passed out flags.

“The joy is indescribable,” one man told the BBC, hoisting up a photo of his late father. “God willing we will see Bashar al-Assad and all his aides hanging on the gallows.”

Another woman told the BBC everyone is feeling a mix of “victory and liberation.”

“The voices of the victims are finally heard. Justice has been achieved!” she exclaimed.

Nouha al-Masri, a prosecutor in the case, lost her brother during the March 2011 crackdown and massacre at al-Omari Square in Deraa.

“We have been waiting for 15 years to reclaim even a small part of our rights, for all those who have spilled our blood, committed crimes, violated our rights, killed, and tortured us,” Masri – now a member of the prosecution team, told the BBC.

“Our demand is that this not be the end of the trials… In the new Syria, there will be no impunity from this day forward.”

The partnership is expected to strengthen institutions, build professional capacity and improve the management and preservation of Ghana’s heritage sites.

The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, disclosed this during an engagement with a visiting delegation from the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.

Ms Gomashie said the collaboration presented an opportunity for both countries to deepen cultural exchanges and learn from each other’s strengths.

She noted that Ghana could draw lessons from Korea’s discipline, punctuality and work ethic, while Korea could benefit from Ghana’s rich cultural heritage and creative traditions.

The Minister expressed appreciation to the Korean government for its continued support and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to ensuring that the partnership produces sustainable benefits for the tourism, culture and creative arts sector.

She said the collaboration would also contribute to strengthening Ghanaian institutions and developing the skills of professionals within the sector.

The Korean delegation, led by Jinsung Jeon, thanked the Minister for the warm reception and reaffirmed its commitment to deepening the relationship between Ghana and South Korea.

The partnership is expected to provide a platform for increased cultural exchanges and cooperation while supporting efforts to preserve Ghana’s heritage and promote its tourism and creative industries.

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Brigadier Fowzi ​Mansouri was killed in the evening ⁠blast, the sources said, speaking on condition ​of anonymity.

They did not say who ​was responsible for the attack or provide further details on the device.

The killing highlights continuing security ​challenges in Libya, where rival administrations ​and armed groups have retained influence despite a ‌2020 ⁠ceasefire that halted major warfare.

Libya split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ​toppled longtime ​autocrat Muammar ⁠Gaddafi.

The Libyan National Army, led by military commander Khalifa Haftar, ​controls much of eastern and southern ​Libya.

⁠It is aligned with authorities based in Benghazi, while the internationally recognised Government of ⁠National ​Unity is based in ​the capital Tripoli and controls much of the west.

The audit, which covers operations at the embassy from 2017 to 2025, revealed disturbing details of financial and other schemes that embassy officials designed and generated millions of dollars outside approved charges.

The audit report, which is available to Pledge Against Corruption,  puts the total amount of illegal funds at $19.4 million, generated from 2019 to 2025, when the illicit transactions at the Embassy were uncovered and halted by the new administration.

Websites and firms linked to the embassy’s IT Officer, Fred Kwarteng, were used to charge applicants $29.75 for the return posting of their visa and passport applications, when the actual charge was around $10.1.

For instance, the report revealed the creation and use of the GhanaPV.Org website, which was used to mimic the Embassy’s official website and confuse unsuspecting applicants into believing they were dealing with official channels.

Read Also: Forensic audit reveals how Ghana’s Embassy in the U.S. extorted $19.3m from visa and passport applicants

 The Auditor-General’s report said: “The audit proved that Ghanapv.org, created in September 2020, replicated official Embassy branding by using Ghana’s Coat of Arms, the name ‘Embassy of Ghana,’ and official contact details. The website redirected applicants from the Embassy’s website to pay fees for postage and application support services. Applicants were charged $29.75 for return postage and additional support service fees through the platform. The site operated under many entities related to Mr Fred Kwarteng.”

According to the audit, Ghanapv.org operated under various companies linked to Fred Kwarteng, including Ghana Travel Consultancy (GTC), Secure Data Center LLC, Travel Ghana, Travel Global, Secure Document Management Center (SDMC) and MFG Technology.

The audit report continued: “The domain TravelGhana.net, originally developed between 2013 and 2014 and relaunched in January 2021, offered mailing and application support services for visa and passport applicants. The platform charged $29.75 for mailing services, $67 for passport support, and $76.78 for visa support services. The website used Ghana’s Coat of Arms and Embassy-like branding between 2021 and 2024, creating the appearance of official affiliation with the Embassy.”

The audit report, which cites Fred Kwarteng in other infractions, accuses senior embassy officials of complicity in his activities.

 It said: “Email correspondence and internal records show that the activities of Mr Fred Kwarteng were enabled through financial and consular channels involving senior Mission officers. Evidence indicates that the Chief Treasury Officer engaged in actions involving welfare account transactions, payment arrangements, and operational coordination with Mr Kwarteng’s associated entities.

“Correspondence also shows that the Minister (Consular) participated in and was copied on communications where private entities linked to Mr Kwarteng handled dispatch services and courier arrangements. These interactions occurred between 2020 and 2024 and involved redirecting applicants to Fred Kwarteng’s private platforms. The communications demonstrate sustained engagement between the officers and Mr Kwarteng’s activities within Mission operations,” The report said.

Citibank staff queries Embassy officials over suspicious account

Details of the operations contained in the appendix of the Auditor-General’s report show what appeared to have been a grand scheme to “create, loot and share,” with the active participation of senior embassy officials.

The audit report reveals that the Ghana Embassy in Washington, D.C., created a bank account through which funds from Fred Kwarteng’s activities were channelled and paid to embassy officials under the guise of “welfare benefits.”

Even before the then Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, ordered the closure of the account, Citibank, where the Welfare account was opened, had raised queries about the account.

On March 16, 2020, Janet Maku Koranteng, the Treasury Officer of Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C, wrote to Citibank about the opening of an account. In that letter, she said:

 “On behalf of the Ghana Embassy/Mission in Washington DC, this letter is to advise that, effective date April 1, 2020, you are requested to open a new account titled Embassy of Ghana Welfare Account.”

She listed the account signers as Mary Zori, First Secretary; Genevieve Edna Apaloo, Head of Chancery; and herself, Janet Maku Koranteng.

The first query from Citibank was an email from a Citibank staff member, Melissa Peredo, seeking clarification on whether the $80,000 intended to be withdrawn every quarter from the Welfare account as payment for staff welfare would be made in cash or by cheque.

On September 4, 2020, another Citibank staff member, Jay Varkey, sent an email to Janet Maku Koranteng, querying her about payments into the Ghana Embassy Welfare Account.

“A/c ending 9029, which was recently opened, is intended to make welfare benefit payments to Embassy staff. At the time of the account opening, you indicated that this account will [sic] be funded by contributions from the Embassy staff and also from contributions from the Embassy’s couriers.

“The only funding to this account so far was from Ghana Travel Consultancy LLC by way of three checks indicated below. Is this the Embassy Courier that you indicated?

 “Maybe I misunderstood this part, but could you please explain what Ghana Travel Consultancy does for you? Are they just a courier service or are they actually processing the consular service applications on your behalf? Also, why are they making these payments to the Embassy?

Ghana Travel Consultancy is one of the entities linked to Ghana Embassy’s IT Officer, Fred Kwarteng.

Following this email, Citibank’s Jay Varkey and the Ghana Embassy’s Janet Koranteng discussed the query on the phone. After the call, Jay Varkey sent the following email to Janet Koranteng to confirm the explanation Janet had given for the payments from Fred Kwarteng’s entity:

“Please confirm if this accurately summarises our conversation. The consular service applicants can choose a courier/ mailing service of their choice when they apply for passport/visa etc. They make separate payments to such courier/mailing service. These payments are not collected by the Embassy, and they do not pass through the Embassy accounts. Once the consular service process is completed, the Embassy will use the selected courier/mailing service to send back the documents to the applicants.

However, since Embassy staff is doing some of the administration work that the courier/mailing service should be doing (e.g. packaging, etc.), the courier/mailing service has agreements to reimburse the Embassy a portion of the charge that they have collected towards mailing. This will vary for different kinds of applications, but it’s generally in the range of $3 to $5 per application processed. The reimbursed money is credited to the Welfare account and is used for Welfare payments to the Embassy staff.

“Gana Travel Consultancy LLC is one of the courier/mailing service providers that is used. They will send reimbursements as described above to the Embassy on a monthly basis. Check 1010 is towards the reimbursements for the month of December 2019, check  1007 is towards the month of January 2020, and check 1008 is towards reimbursement for the month of February 2020.”

An appendix of the Auditor General’s report shows disbursements to staff made from the so-called welfare account.

In June 2021, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, visited the Ghana Embassy in Washington, DC, and ordered the closure of the welfare account used to distribute proceeds from illicit funds.

The account was closed as ordered by the Foreign Affairs Minister, but officials of the Ghana Embassy did not abandon their desire to continue with the scheme.

While communicating the closure of the account to Citibank in an email on August 31, 2021, Janet Koranteng asked if another account could be opened without officially involving the Embassy.

“Can the Welfare Committee open an account without the involvement of the management of the Embassy?” she asked.

In a response, Citibank’s Jay Varkey said, “Citi will not be able to open/maintain the welfare account separately (under non-embassy management) as long as the purpose of the account remains the same (for making welfare payments to embassy employees).”

The account was officially closed on October 10, 2021.

However, the illicit transactions that caused visa and passport applicants to pay far more than they were supposed to pay continued until 2025, when the cover on the Embassy’s underhand dealings was blown, necessitating the subsequent forensic audit.

Also read:

• Forensic audit reveals how Ghana Embassy in US allegedly extorted $19.3m from visa, passport…

• U.S. Embassy in Ghana announces temporary closure of consular unit

According to France 24, rescuers in western Colombia worked through the night and into Tuesday searching for survivors beneath the wreckage after the earthquake.

The disaster is said to have devastated parts of the country’s coffee-growing region on Monday. At least 164 people have been killed, and authorities are warning the number of casualties could still climb.

More than 1,900 people have died from the virus since that declaration on 15 May, making this the second-worst Ebola outbreak ever.

Infection rates are still high, adding to the concern that the authorities are struggling to get to grips with the spread of the disease.

The epicentre of this outbreak of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, is in the east of DR Congo where insecurity has hampered control efforts.

There is also no approved vaccine or any recognised therapeutic drugs, making treating Bundibugyo harder.

“We are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us,” WHO Africa director Dr Mohamed Janabi said at a news conference in the city of Bunia, which is at the heart of this outbreak.

He cited research showing that the virus started spreading in February and was initially misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid.

Janabi also said that, in part because of insecurity, health workers are only reaching about 30% of the cases with the rest dying at home.

Traditional burial practices – where mourners touch the deceased’s body – and a suspicion of health authorities in some communities have also made things difficult.

But there are now several dedicated treatment centres in the east of DR Congo and people are getting diagnosed much more quickly.

So far there have been 4,294 confirmed cases and 1,960 deaths, DR Congo’s health ministry has said.

The largest recorded outbreak was in West Africa between 2014 and 2016 when 11,325 people died.

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The suitcase was discovered by two men on the side of a road near the small village of Oallen, about 230km (143 miles) south-west of Sydney.

On Monday, police announced a murder investigation, sparking intense interest in the case but backtracked hours later, saying forensic testing had proved the contents were not human.

The contents in the suitcase were “mistaken for a human originally, so they are very realistic in terms of looking like human remains,” said Supt Linda Bradbury from the Hume Police District.

“But we’ve confirmed by other means that they are not.”

The doll was wearing clothing, had hair and a nose piercing,” police said, adding that “the item also had markings that resembled bruises and grazes”.

Supt Bradbury said forensic teams and investigators had attended the scene on Sunday and that all processes had been followed.

“The idea is to not disturb crime scenes as much as possible, to maintain the integrity of our investigation,” Bradbury said, adding she had “no regrets” about how the case was handled.

Hours earlier, Bradbury had told media that it has been “quite a shocking discovery” for the two men who found the suitcase.

“Unfortunately, they were on a weekend drive as a lot of people do over the weekend and stopped for a break,” she said.

She said the pair had made the “right decision” to report the find.

“They were affected yesterday and we will be in touch to let them know that it was not human remains,” Bradbury said.

Police have now closed their investigations.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s proclamation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 is aimed at supporting domestic chip and solar supply chains needed to compete with Beijing on artificial intelligence and energy.

“The plan of action in this proclamation will, among other things, help ensure the commercial viability of United States production ​of polysilicon and its derivatives that is necessary to meet United States economic and national security requirements,” the order said.

Polysilicon, an ultra-pure ​form of silicon, sits at the start of the semiconductor and solar manufacturing supply chains. Manufacturers turn silicon ⁠wafers into solar cells and then assemble those into panels used in solar projects.

American solar factories for the last decade have accused their Chinese rivals ​of dumping solar panels in the market, receiving unfair government subsidies and moving their manufacturing to other countries to dodge U.S. tariffs.

The United States has two ​polysilicon factories. Hemlock Semiconductor, which operates a plant in Michigan, is a joint venture between Corning and Japan’s Shin-Etsu Handotai. Munich-based Wacker Chemie runs a factory in Tennessee.

“Today’s decision encourages continued investment in U.S. capacity and supports long-term U.S. competitiveness,” a Corning spokesperson said.

Wacker said it was reviewing the actions to fully understand their impact.

“We appreciate ​the Administration’s continued engagement on the issue given the ramifications for semiconductor supply chain resilience, advanced computing infrastructure, and broader U.S. defense and security ​interests,” the company said in a statement.

Domestic semiconductor manufacturing depends on solar because the solar industry’s larger demand for polysilicon helps support production of the material required for ‌chips. The ⁠chip industry accounts for 2.4% of global polysilicon demand, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.

U.S. solar manufacturing has expanded since Congress created tax incentives in 2022. Much of that growth, however, has been concentrated in panel assembly, leaving manufacturers dependent on imported wafers and cells, which require longer investment timelines.

Companies with U.S. solar factories, including T1 Energy, First Solar and Qcells, the U.S. solar arm of South Korea’s Hanwha, applauded Trump’s move.

“This is a decisive win for advanced American ​manufacturing and investment in domestic energy ​supply chains,” Dan Barcelo, CEO of ⁠T1 Energy, said in a statement. In addition to its Texas solar panel plant, T1 is investing $510 million in a cell factory.

The trade protections will take effect on December 4, the White House said.

Tim Brightbill, a trade ​attorney with Wiley Rein who has brought several trade cases against Chinese solar companies, warned that the ​delayed implementation could lead ⁠to a surge of imports in the coming months.

Companies that buy solar panels have argued that the delay is needed to adjust supply contracts to higher prices.

According to a White House document, the president set minimum import prices of $21 per kilogram for polysilicon, $100 per kilogram for polysilicon ingots and wafers, $0.22 per watt ⁠for solar ​cells and $0.38 per watt for solar modules, or panels.

The proclamation also authorises the Commerce Department ​to create an incentive program for companies that invest in factories to produce polysilicon or derivative products.

The administration’s plan to pursue a hybrid system combining a minimum import price with tariffs was ​first reported by Reuters.

He explained that he is also rich even though he is not a billionaire like Rihanna and doesn’t feel entitled to her success or money.

Speaking in a recent episode of the Jason CC Show, the rapper noted that he is proud of Rihanna and nothing can make him insecure in the relationship. 

“My woman [Rihanna] got billions, I got multi-millions. Her success isn’t mine. I am proud of my woman. No one can make me insecure because she is richer than I am. It just doesn’t make sense,” he stated. 

Rocky and Rihanna began dating around 2020 and share three children together: sons RZA (born May 2022) and Riot (born August 2023), and daughter Rocki Irish Mayers (born September 2025).

The decision follows concerns raised by the leadership of the scholarship beneficiaries, who have described the exercise as discriminatory and unnecessary.

The exercise is intended to reaffirm the students’ commitment to return to Ghana after completing their studies in the UK.

In a statement issued on Friday, August 7, the student leadership questioned the need for the oath-taking, arguing that beneficiaries had already signed bonds committing them to return to Ghana after completing their programmes.

However, in a Facebook post, Madam Benson defended the planned exercise, citing provisions in the scholarship bonds signed by the students.

She said the bond, issued by former GSA Registrar Kingsley Agyemang, required beneficiaries to comply with requirements set by the Authority, including participating in surveys and evaluations.

She also cited a provision requiring beneficiaries to return to Ghana within two months of completing their studies.

According to the High Commissioner, the agreement further states that beneficiaries who fail to meet their obligations could be held liable for the scholarship funds they received and required to repay the state.

Madam Benson also criticised demands from the students regarding outstanding tuition fees and stipends.

She said the beneficiaries were seeking timelines for the settlement of those obligations, full payment before returning to Ghana and guaranteed reintegration into the Ghanaian job market.

She questioned why such concerns were not raised while Mr Agyemang was still heading the GSA, noting that the students received their scholarships between 2020 and 2025.

The High Commissioner also rejected claims that the oath-taking requirement was being imposed retrospectively, insisting that the exercise falls within the GSA’s mandate.

“The Ghana High Commission, acting on behalf of the GSA, shall go ahead with the planned verification and oath-taking,” she stated.

Madam Benson further dismissed the students’ demand for guaranteed reintegration into the labour market, arguing that no such commitment was contained in the scholarship bond.

“In the bond they signed, I see no obligation by Government to reintegrate them into society,” she said.

She maintained that the GSA had the authority to take measures it considered necessary under the terms of the scholarship agreement.

According to her, the exercise is being conducted in the interest of taxpayers and to ensure that beneficiaries honour the obligations attached to their scholarships.

“We have our reasons for this exercise, and it is in the interest of the taxpayers for us to ensure that we do the right thing even though a huge mess was previously created,” she added.

The High Commissioner also warned that the government would not be pressured into cancelling the exercise, stressing that beneficiaries who had received public funds could not compel the state to abandon measures intended to enforce the terms of the scholarship agreement.

She urged the students to take note of the government’s position as preparations for the verification and oath-taking exercise continue.

Read the bond beneficiaries signed below:

Also read:

• Ghana’s UK High Commissioner alleges NPP gov’t mismanaged scholarship funds

• Ghanaian students in UK allege assault by High Commission officials during protest

Brent crude futures rose 91 cents or 1.09%, to $84.46 a barrel by 0056 GMT, while U.S. West ​Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 61 cents, or 0.78% to $78.79 a barrel.

Both ​benchmarks had fallen more than 7% last week on hopes that ⁠Iran and Oman were close to reaching a deal that would result ​in a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which carried a fifth of ​the world’s oil before the war.

While Iran said on Sunday that a deal with Oman was in its “final stages”, it reiterated that the waterway would only reopen once Washington met other ​conditions, including U.S. compensation to Iran for its widespread attacks.

“Traders have been conditioned ​by the on-again, off-again nature of the negotiations and are waiting for tangible evidence, such ‌as ⁠verified tanker movements or formal agreements, before further unwinding the risk premium,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.

Iran and the U.S. are not engaged in talks and Tehran will not start them as long as Washington ​breaches an interim deal ​signed in June, ⁠Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday.

In a further threat to supply, a Saudi oil plant was attacked ​over the weekend.

The Iran-aligned Houthis said they had hit Saudi ​Aramco’s (2222.SE), opens new tab Jazan refinery ⁠on Sunday, two days after the kingdom signed a defence pact with Sunni Muslim allies Turkey and Pakistan in response to growing regional instability from the U.S.-Israeli war ⁠on ​Shi’ite Iran.

Separately, the United Arab Emirates’ ADNOC said on ​Friday that 15 of its vessels had been attacked transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning ​of the conflict.

Simon Levy killed Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, in March 2025 and 39-year-old Sheryl Wilkins five months later.

The 40-year-old man also raped a third woman in January 2025, before the murders, in the same Tottenham car park where Wilkins was later found dead.

During his trial at the Old Bailey, jurors heard Levy had a string of convictions for attacking women dating back to July 2018, including one carried out against a prison officer in 2022.

The court heard how Levy, from Tottenham, targeted the three vulnerable women, all of whom carried out street sex work in order to fund drug addictions.

He declined to give evidence during his trial but pleaded not guilty to the two murders, as well as two counts of rape, grievous bodily harm with intent, and non-fatal suffocation against the surviving woman.

The jury, which was given a majority direction in the trial, found him guilty of all charges after 13 hours of deliberation.

Members of the victims’ families wept as the verdicts were returned while the defendant, who had a pointed beard and was wearing sunglasses, gave no reaction.

In court, judge Mark Lucraft KC adjourned sentencing until Wednesday 12 August and remanded Levy into custody.

‘Devastating harm’

The Met, British Transport Police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have all admitted failings in how they dealt with Levy, who was on bail as his attacks on women escalated to double murder.

London’s Victims’ Commissioner, Andrea Simon, said she was “appalled by the litany of failures to manage a prolific offender like Levy”.

She told BBC News: “I’m keen now to see how we can uncover every key moment when there was an opportunity to assess the harm Levy posed to women by every justice agency involved, not just the police, and every critical opportunity there was to intervene.”

Crime and Policing Minister, Sarah Jones, said: “The fact that Levy was able to inflict such devastating harm after being freed by police and the courts is deeply concerning.

“It raises serious questions that require urgent answers.”

She said that failures must be identified so they are not repeated.

Helena Croft, the chief executive officer of StreetlightUK charity, said this case “demonstrated the need to treat women involved in the sex industry as women at risk of serious violence”.

She said there were “missed opportunities around listening to frontline services, information sharing, and making full use of specialist organisations that had established relationships with the women most at risk”.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed to the BBC that it believed Wilkins’ death could have been avoided had there not been multiple points of failure in the handling of Levy.

The Met failed to treat Valencia-Trujillo’s death as a murder, despite arresting Levy soon afterwards and finding his DNA on her body, until after Levy killed again.

In February, Levy was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 women on London’s Tubes and trains, as well as a female prison officer in HMP Brixton, with details of that trial now reportable for the first time.

‘Deeply disturbing’

Speaking after the verdicts were given, Det Ch Insp Neil John from the Met said: “Simon Levy is a dangerous and predatory offender.

“His crimes were calculated, cruel and deeply disturbing. Throughout the trial, he has shown complete disregard for the victims and victim-survivor, despite being fully aware of the lasting and devastating impact of his actions.”

He described the investigation as “complex and challenging” but said “my team and I have been steadfast in our professionalism and dedication”.

Standing alongside Wilkins’ two sisters and Valencia-Trujillo’s daughter, he asked for any other victim-survivors of Levy to come forward.

Valencia-Trujillo’s children said she was a “big character” who was “full of life” and was said to be a “much-loved” member of the community with a love of salsa dancing.

Wilkins’ family said she was a much-loved woman who is missed every day by those who knew her.

The Met said since the launch of the investigation, detectives had exhausted numerous lines of enquiry – including working with coroners – to identify whether Levy was responsible for any similar, unsolved incidents, including deaths.

Police have said while they are yet to find anything new on Levy, they emphasised they had significantly strengthened their training and response to violence against women and girls, along with their specialist victim support services.

Two Met officers are under investigation by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) for their decision in August 2024 to downgrade Levy from a high-risk sex offender to a medium-risk.

A police constable had been served with a gross misconduct notice and a detective sergeant with a misconduct notice.

The IOPC said it would be investigating how Levy was managed from his first conviction in September 2021 up to his arrest in September 2025.

“We are examining whether action could or should have been taken to prevent his reoffending, and if all officers involved in his management followed policies, procedures, and training.”

The IOPC stressed that the notices indicated the officers’ actions were under investigation and did not mean disciplinary proceedings would follow.

The investigation will also consider whether any lessons can be learned or changes introduced at an individual, force-wide or national level.

The British Transport Police (BTP) said that two of its officers have been moved to other roles due to their “incompetence” in handling the case.

BTP Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle said: “It is clear that opportunities to expedite the investigation were missed and we have amended our procedures to address these issues to ensure that repeat offenders are dealt with expeditiously, and that linked offences are prioritised more effectively.”

Lisa Ramsarran, chief crown prosecutor for the CPS, said: “Our actions fell short of the standards that victims, families and the public are entitled to expect.

“In particular, there were points where we could and should have taken a more robust approach to representations about bail, based on the information available.

“We cannot know what decisions the courts would have made had different or stronger representations been advanced. But we recognise our responsibility and we are sorry for the shortcomings we have identified.”

‘Significant pressure’

Ramsarran said the cases had been handled against a backdrop of significant pressure on the criminal justice system, including busy court lists, late or incomplete information, and the need for agencies to make decisions quickly.

While that did not lessen responsibility for the failings, she said it was important to understand the circumstances in which they had occurred.

She said measures were being introduced to strengthen training, improve oversight of cases and enhance the handling of bail and risk assessments in serious sexual offence investigations.

Levy had attacked the three women while on bail for sex assaults on trains in London, and went on to carry out further assaults on public transport.

Ramsarran explained how Levy was convicted in February of sexually assaulting 10 women on London’s Tubes and trains.

She added: “Nothing can undo the harm caused, but we hope these convictions provide some measure of justice.”

Tube assaults conviction

Earlier this year, Levy, 40, was found guilty by a jury at Inner London Crown Court of groping 10 women on the Tube and an 11th while in prison.

Details of this trial can now be reported after his conviction at the Old Bailey.

The offences took place between April 2022 at the prison, followed by the Tube assaults between 24 October 2023 and May 2025.

He had already been convicted of sexually assaulting two women in 2018, which was why he was in prison in 2022.

The sex offender had lost sight in one eye in an attack in May 2024 and played on this, claiming that his partial sight made him unsteady on his feet and all contact was accidental on these crowded trains.

Levy’s tactic was to tie a jumper or hoodie around his waist, strap his arm down, and then back towards his victim with his hand fully or partially covered so he could grope them.

One of the Tube assault victims told the court: “It wasn’t long before I learned that my attacker was already known to the police for sexual violence and is a convicted sex offender.

“You could not begin to understand the horror I felt at hearing this.

“How could a male who does this so often and so brazenly be allowed to repeat his attacks?

“Knowing this made me feel even more unsafe, the possibility that I could encounter Simon Levy again made me fearful and the idea that he would harm more women and that there would be many more victims was unthinkable.”

During the sentencing hearing in June for the Tube attacks, Judge Michael Evans told Levy : “You were on the Tube for one purpose only, to sexually assault women.”

Levy was convicted of 11 counts of indecent assault, including grabbing the prison guard in 2022, and given an extended sentence consisting of a six-year jail term plus a three-year period on licence.

The three content creators who work with online communications platform Feenal Digital were handed custodial sentences following their prosecution over TikTok posts considered offensive to the president.

According to their lawyer, the posts were intended as comedy and did not warrant criminal charges. He argued that the content creators should not have faced prosecution over satirical expressions shared online.

Mandoumbe Diop received the longest sentence of three months in prison without suspension. Diop, who has more than half a million followers on TikTok, is known for videos that often attract tens of thousands of views.

Two other influencers, Magueye Diaw and Moustapha Ndiaye were each sentenced to two months in prison without parole.

Reuters reports that Diaw and Ndiaye were also fined 500,000 CFA francs (about US$800) each.

The three men are associated with Feenal Digital, a platform that describes itself as producing content promoting government and private-sector activities. The platform has, however, been linked by critics to content that is favourable to the political movement of former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, leader of the PASTEF party.

The case comes at a politically sensitive time in Senegal, following tensions between President Faye and his former ally Sonko, who recently moved to establish his own political party.

The convictions have drawn criticism from free speech advocates, who argue that criminalising online commentary, especially satire, could threaten Senegal’s reputation as one of West Africa’s strongest democracies.

Authorities have yet to issue a detailed public response to the criticism, while Feenal Digital and government representatives have not immediately commented on the ruling.

During a farewell meeting, the Vice President, on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, the Government and people of Ghana, expressed gratitude to Ambassador Madeira for her dedicated service and efforts to deepen cooperation between the two countries during her tenure.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang praised the ambassador for advancing bilateral ties across several sectors and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to sustaining the strong relationship with Brazil.

Ambassador Madeira, in turn, reflected on Ghana’s progress and commended the Mahama administration’s efforts to strengthen the country’s economy.

She described Ghana as an important strategic partner for Brazil and expressed optimism about expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

The meeting focused on enhancing collaboration in agriculture and agribusiness, energy, security and defence, trade and social development.

The Vice President highlighted opportunities for increased partnership in the energy sector, particularly through collaboration with Brazil’s state-owned oil company, Petrobras, as Ghana seeks to expand its energy capacity and attract investment.

She noted that the relationship between Ghana and Brazil extends beyond diplomatic engagement, pointing to the deep historical and cultural ties forged through centuries of interaction across the Atlantic.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang also acknowledged Brazil’s support for Ghana on several international initiatives, including cooperation on the United Nations resolution on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, and programmes promoting women’s empowerment and social development.

She further commended Ambassador Madeira for broadening diplomatic engagement through partnerships with institutions such as the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ga Traditional Council and initiatives aimed at improving food security and social welfare.

The Vice President wished the outgoing ambassador success in her future diplomatic assignments and expressed confidence that Ghana would continue to strengthen its relationship with Brazil under her successor.

She said the meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to deepening cooperation and building partnerships that deliver lasting benefits for the people of Ghana and Brazil.

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Inside, police say, a 14-year-old boy had opened fire.

“I was standing in front of the teacher when she was shot,” a shaken seventh grader tells the BBC, near the gates of Debsirin School in Nonthaburi. “She was talking to me when [the gunman] showed up.”

Still in her uniform, with her mother by her side, she explains how the shooter stalked from room to room.

Authorities say he killed five teachers and injured more than 30 people – including fellow pupils – before turning the weapon on himself. Earlier, he had gunned down his grandparents.

“I had to climb over the school fence to escape with other friends,” the girl, who the BBC is not naming, continues.

Her mother says the girl thought she might die. “[She said] ‘I thought I’d never see you again’.”

One 18-year-old student told Reuters he initially thought firecrackers were going off.

“I didn’t think it was a gun at first,” he said. “There were many shots: bang bang bang. Then it went quiet. Then it started again.”

Metres from the school gates, paramedics loaded the wounded into ambulances and rushed them to hospital, as milling crowds hugged and cried.

Rescue worker Kiatikhun Verapongpradith rushed to the scene after hearing children as young as 12 had been hurt.

“I saw students who had been shot, some in the arm, some in the back, some in the chest. So I rushed to help get them to the hospital first,” the 47-year-old rescue worker told Reuters news agency.

One grieving teacher told the BBC his friend was among the dead.

“She was my age. We went to this school together as students. Then we both became teachers at this school,” the 31-year-old, who declined to give his name, said.

It is early days in the investigation and police haven’t said anything about a motive.

They believe the 9mm handgun the shooter used belonged to his grandfather. Forensic officers found the gunman’s shots to be “quite accurate”, with several hitting “vital spots” on victims’ bodies.

Others are filling some of the gaps. A teacher at the school has said the shooter was a good student – not aggressive and with good grades – and education authorities have described him as an avid gamer.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said study pressures may have played a role.

“We learned that his grandmother was a teacher and she might have been strict with him. From what the police gathered from his close friend, they knew he was quite stressed about it.”

It is clear authorities will have many questions to answer in the coming days – many of them about what change this crime must trigger.

Renewed calls for gun control reform

This is Thailand’s deadliest mass shooting in years – and the second at a school this year.

In February, a head teacher and a female student were shot by an 18-year-old gunman during a school siege in southern Thailand.

Four years ago, a 34-year-old in the eastern Nong Bua Lamphu province killed 37 people, most of them preschoolers, in a shooting and stabbing at a nursery.

These crimes have resurfaced questions about gun control in the country.

“This shouldn’t have happened,” the boyfriend of one of the killed teachers told reporters, clearly distressed and trying to hold back tears.

More than seven million people are believed to own guns in the country, one of the highest rates of ownership in the world. Of those, more than one million are unlicensed owners.

While there are restrictions on gun licences in Thailand, people can still acquire the weapons – legally or illegally – with relative ease.

There is a thriving black market, aided by Thailand’s porous land borders with four other nations. Problems with corruption and loose regulation in the police and military have seen weapons end up in the wrong hands.

Prime Minister Anutin said he had tightened regulations when he was interior minister three years ago – suspending new gun permits.

But gun crime remains rife, with deaths from gunshots among the highest in the region. And some in the community are calling for greater action.

“An act of violence in an educational institution, which should be one of the safest places in our society, serves as a stark reminder for Thai society to seriously and systematically review gun control measures,” Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People’s Party – an opposition party – wrote in a Facebook post.

The student killed his grandparents and five teachers before taking his own life, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters. The attacker still had “more than 30 bullets left” when he turned the gun on himself, the PM added.

Nine of the injured people remain in a critical condition, authorities added.

The school in Nonthaburi province is a local branch of the renowned Debsirin School, which in Thailand is widely associated with educational prestige.

Police were deployed to the scene during the active shooting.

National police chief police general Kittiratt Phanphet told reporters that forensic officers had found the gunman’s shots were quite accurate, with several hitting the vital spots on the body.

The PM said the attack was “well prepared” with “clear steps and clear goals”.

The attacker has not been publicly named.

Authorities earlier warned people to stay away from the area and for those in trapped in the building to hide and wait for rescuers. At one point police warned in a social media post that the shooter was in the school’s computer room.

The Debsirin School, founded in Bangkok in 1885, is one of Thailand’s top secondary schools with branches across the country. It counts many prominent Thai figures as its alumni, from diplomats and athletes to several prime ministers.

A seventh-grade student, who fled the building, told the BBC that she was in class when she saw the gunman walking from room to room.

When he reached her classroom, he shot the teacher standing near the entrance, she said. She added that she couldn’t see anything else after that.

Another student told Reuters that he had thought the sound of gunshots were firecrackers going off, or someone banging an object.

“There were many shots: bang bang bang. Then it went quiet. Then it started again.”

The 9mm handgun used by the shooter belonged to his grandfather, a former teacher, police said.

Students and school staff were seen fleeing from the scene, and those waiting outside the Debsirin school looked visibly distraught.

0:59Students shelter in classroom as gunshots heard

In a post on social media, the school later shared a call for blood donations.

Other schools in the vicinity suspended classes so students could return home early.

PM Charnvirakul expressed condolences for the victims of the school shooting. He said the tragedy “shouldn’t have happened”, adding “this is why the government do not allow [citizens] to possess firearms”.

“I don’t just feel sorry for the victims but I feel sorry that this happened. How can this happen in our country,” he said.

Thailand has strict gun laws, which punishes the illegal possession of arms with up to 10 years in jail. But enforcement of these laws has been an issue.

The country has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in South East Asia. It is estimated that about 40% of these guns are illegal.

The president said he was signing two executive actions on immigration, including one limiting the number of people eligible for U.S. citizenship after being born in the United States.

The written executive order released later Thursday was narrower in scope than the previous one shot down by the Supreme Court and appeared to focus on restricting automatic citizenship to specific categories of people, including children born to adults with connections to foreign embassies or organisations as well as anyone considered an “alien enemy” of the United States.

It also aimed to restrict birthright citizenship to anyone whose parents “engaged in fraudulent activity to obtain citizenship.”

A second order seeks to curb what Trump called “birth tourism” by increasing restrictions on visitors to the U.S. who want to obtain visas to give birth while in the country.

Trump said he thought his latest actions would be constitutional.

“I thought we were going to win it at the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, we had a bad decision, a very unfair decision. Our country suffers because of it, and we’re ending it a different way,” Trump said.

In June, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s previous efforts to declare that children born to people in the U.S. illegally or temporarily aren’t American citizens, and upheld a broad conception of birthright citizenship.

On Trump’s first day in office of his second term, he signed an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, which allows anyone born in the United States to automatically become an American citizen.

Trump’s administration was immediately sued by opponents who said the executive order went against the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, which makes anyone born in the country a citizen, with very limited exceptions.

The executive order was blocked by several lower courts and never took effect.

In June, the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s order by a 6-3 vote. But the vote was too close for many immigration advocates and legal observers who felt the legal question of birthright citizenship was a long-settled issue.

The suspects were arrested following investigations by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.

According to the Police, the incident came to light on August 3, 2026, after a vigilant resident spotted two men transporting a casket on an unregistered motorcycle under the cover of darkness.

The suspicious movement prompted an intervention, leading to a chase. While one of the suspects, managed to escape, the other was apprehended at the scene and handed over to the Police.

During interrogation, the culprit allegedly confessed that he and his accomplice dug up a freshly buried grave, removed the corpse and stole the casket with the intention of selling it.

Police recovered both the stolen casket and the motorcycle used in transporting it.

Further investigations led to the arrest of the cemetery manager, who allegedly admitted to conspiring with the grave diggers in carrying out the act.

Police say efforts are underway to arrest the fugitive suspect as investigations continue.

Majority-owned by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, the refinery emerged as a big winner ‌from the Iran war by selling jet fuel across Africa and to western Europe as countries battled shortages.

Dangote now plans to raise funds to expand the capacity of the 650,000-barrel-per-day Lagos-based refinery and replicate its success with a similar facility in Kenya.

His ambition is to reduce Africa’s dependence on expensive, imported fuels and even turn the continent into an exporter.

The planned IPO, whose proposed timeline is fairly tight according to the source, has attracted interest across the continent. Stock exchanges in South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, ​Ghana and Rwanda have held a series of meetings with the refinery’s advisers in recent months to take part in the deal.

Kenya’s capital markets could raise as much as $500 million of the Dangote ​IPO target, the source said, adding that there is “tremendous” appetite for the issue among local investors such as pension funds.

A second source with direct knowledge of ⁠the deal said Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE, which has submitted its IPO application to Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission, is expected to receive approval in the coming weeks and be able to publish a prospectus ​in September.

The first source said the IPO’s target was $5 billion but cautioned that the final figure would depend on what the Nigerian regulator approved, as the primary listing will be on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

That target ​would account for just over 4% of Nigeria’s main All Share Index, whose total capitalisation stood at $116 billion on Tuesday.

$40 BILLION VALUATION LOOKS AMBITIOUS

The source did not have information on how big a stake would be offered to the public or the potential valuation. However, a $2.5 billion private placement for a 6% stake in the refinery last month gave the business a valuation of around $40 billion, the second source with knowledge of that deal said.

Such a valuation looks ambitious based on the value ​of other stand-alone oil refiners. Turkey’s Tupras, which has the same capacity as Dangote across four refineries, has a market value of just $12 billion.

HF Sinclair listed in New York, has a capacity of 678,000 bpd ​and a market capitalisation of $16 billion.

Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is confidential.

Dangote did not respond to a request for comment.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange has a minimum free float of 20% on its main board. However ‌, there have ⁠been exceptions to that rule. The free float for Dangote Cement, another business in Dangote’s industrial empire, is just over 12.7%.

The first source said that other capital markets on the continent that want a slice of the deal will have to craft “structured solutions” for their investors, such as global depositary receipts, or exchange-traded instruments, which mirror the actual shares to be listed on the Nigerian exchange, including the right to accrue future dividends.

A cross-listing, or dual listing, of the shares in other regional markets is not planned at this stage, the source said. The Dangote refinery, which cost around $20 billion, started operations in 2024 before attaining full capacity earlier this ​year. Nigeria’s state oil firm NNPC has a stake ​of just over 7% in it.

Aliko Dangote, 69, ⁠said in April the refinery was aiming to raise its output to 1.4 million barrels per day.

WEALTHIEST MAN IN AFRICA

With an estimated net worth of between $31 billion and $35 billion, Dangote owns a conglomerate that includes production of cement, sugar and salt, and car and truck assembly plants in more than a dozen African countries.

He ​is keen for the IPO to be a pan-African venture, the source said, in line with his vision of helping the continent find local solutions for ​its development challenges.

The source said ⁠the aim was to enable capital markets across the continent to participate in “an African champion”.

Details of whether regional capital markets will get pre-allocations, and the possibility of underwriting, or whether they will be allowed to participate in an open offer whose allocations will be determined later based on the strength of the overall demand for the whole offering, will be worked out at a later date, the source said.

Dangote often boasts of being one of the few ⁠African billionaires who ​have kept their vast wealth at home in Nigeria instead of stashing it in offshore accounts.

He is also planning to start ​the construction of a refinery along the Kenyan coast together with East African governments, but the source did not know if some of the cash to be raised from the IPO could be deployed towards that project.

Dangote will offer investors the option of being paid ​in naira or dollars, the first source said.

President John Dramani Mahama made the declaration while addressing a special sitting of Jamaica’s Parliament on Tuesday as part of his State Visit to the Caribbean nation.

He commended the Jamaican government and people for advancing the global campaign for reparatory justice and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to supporting efforts aimed at addressing the historical consequences of the transatlantic slave trade.

Jamaica announced in June that government officials would travel to the United Kingdom in September to formally present a petition to King Charles III, who serves as Jamaica’s Head of State.

The petition is expected to seek legal guidance on Jamaica’s claim for reparations from Britain over its role in the transatlantic slave trade and slavery.

President Mahama also disclosed plans to champion a continental initiative that will make it easier for people of African descent in the diaspora to return to Africa, settle and access residency or citizenship opportunities when he assumes the Chairmanship of the African Union (AU).

He said the initiative would form part of broader efforts to strengthen ties between Africa and the diaspora and address the historical separation caused by slavery and colonialism.

The proposed “right of return” framework is based on the principle that people of African descent whose ancestors were forcibly taken from Africa through the transatlantic slave trade should have pathways to return, establish residence and potentially acquire citizenship in African countries.

President Mahama is expected to use Ghana’s historical role in the transatlantic slave trade and its position as a key destination for diaspora engagement to advance discussions on reparatory justice and stronger Africa-diaspora relations at the continental level.

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According to President Mahama, expanding the AfCFTA framework to accommodate Caribbean nations will strengthen economic relations between Africa and the Caribbean while creating new opportunities for trade, investment and economic cooperation.

He made the remarks during a joint press conference with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness as part of his official visit to Jamaica.

President Mahama said while increasing trade volumes between Africa and the Caribbean would require deliberate efforts, investment in infrastructure and logistics, as well as the expansion of the trade area, would be critical to achieving that goal.

“With regards to trade, we don’t kid ourselves that you snap your fingers and suddenly our trade volumes will go up. We need to work at it. And that is why I said one way of working at it is to put in the infrastructure and the logistics. But the second is to expand the trade area.

“And that is why I said as chair of the AU, I am going to push for the inclusion of the Caribbean into the African Continental Free Trade Area.”

The President explained that the AfCFTA is designed to facilitate trade among participating countries through the harmonisation of product standards and certification processes.

He noted that once a product meets the required standards and is approved by the relevant national standards authority, it can be registered for export to other markets within the trade area.

“The way the African Continental Free Trade Area works is that we harmonise our standards. And once you get approval from your standards authority that your product is of the standard that you can export, then they put you on a register.

“And if you go on, you can see which commodities qualify. They can be electrical cables. They can be transformers. They can be iron and steel products. They can be processed food products.

“I mean, there are so many pharmaceutical products. And so once you go in there and you decide to trade, you go on the platform. It will get you in touch with the producer in whichever country.”

President Mahama said the proposed closer economic integration between Africa and the Caribbean could provide a platform for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic to explore new markets, partnerships and investment opportunities.

He stressed that strengthening trade links would build on the longstanding historical and cultural connections between Africa and the Caribbean while creating practical economic benefits for businesses and citizens in both regions.

Front-month Brent futures rose $1.12, or 1.3%, to $84.89 a barrel by 0355 GMT after dropping 7% in the previous session to a three-week low.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up ​77 cents, or 1%, at $81.11 after falling more than 5% in the previous session to stand at its ​lowest in nearly a week.

Prices dropped after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was ⁠holding off on new attacks on Iran pending ongoing talks to end their war and settle claims over control of the key ​Strait of Hormuz.

The strategic waterway, which connects Gulf oil producers to global markets, was a channel for about a fifth of ​global shipments of crude oil and natural gas before the conflict.

However, on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei rejected Trump’s claim, saying no negotiations with the U.S. were taking place and no meetings were scheduled.

“The scale of the sell-off seems fairly overdone, given that there’s still considerable uncertainty. ​We’ve been in this situation multiple times before, only to see things unravel,” ING analysts said in a note.

“And with Iran ​denying that any talks are underway and Trump issuing warnings if no deal materialises, the backdrop clearly leaves ample room for a renewed ‌escalation.”

The Hormuz ⁠dispute is a central sticking-point in talks. Washington says the memorandum of understanding agreed in June required Iran to open the waterway, while Tehran says the text explicitly preserved its authority.

Analysts at Barclays said crude oil and refined product net exports through the strait averaged 4.2 million barrels per day in the week ended July 31, versus 3.2 million the previous week.

In the ​Red Sea, six Saudi-flagged supertankers changed course ​in the Gulf of ⁠Aden recently for southern Africa, while two tankers laden with Saudi oil crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, shipping data showed on Monday.

Shipping traffic at the key Gulf waterways of Bab el-Mandeb and ​the Strait of Hormuz held largely unchanged at the start of the week.

Hormuz remains dangerous for ​vessels. On Tuesday, ⁠the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency flagged an incident 20 nautical miles (37 km) northeast of Oman’s Al Khasab, after a cargo vessel broadcast over VHF channel 16 that it had been hit by an unknown projectile.

“While the fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis ⁠has not ​completely halted energy flows, it has forced longer voyage times, higher insurance ​costs and occasional diversions,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.

“With the Strait of Hormuz, it keeps a dual-chokepoint risk in the market that prevents ​oil from fully unwinding its geopolitical premium.”

The meeting, held in Kingston, focused on expanding Ghana–Jamaica relations through enhanced collaboration in trade and investment, education, tourism, culture, agriculture and other areas of mutual interest.

President Mahama and his delegation were formally received at King’s House by Jamaica’s Governor-General, Sir Patrick Allen, and Lady Allen, where the Ghanaian leader was accorded a ceremonial welcome and inspected a Guard of Honour.

He later paid a courtesy call on the Governor-General before proceeding to the Office of the Prime Minister for talks with Dr Holness.

The two leaders held a private meeting before leading their respective delegations in formal bilateral discussions aimed at identifying new opportunities to strengthen economic and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.

According to the Presidency, the discussions also reaffirmed the shared commitment of Ghana and Jamaica to deepening Africa–Caribbean partnerships and promoting closer collaboration on regional and global issues.

The talks further explored ways to boost trade and investment, expand educational and cultural exchanges, enhance tourism, and increase cooperation in agriculture.

The day’s engagements concluded with a joint media briefing at the Executive Building, where President Mahama and Prime Minister Holness highlighted the outcomes of their discussions and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the longstanding historical and diplomatic ties between Ghana and Jamaica.

President Mahama’s visit forms part of efforts to deepen Ghana’s engagement with Caribbean nations, promote South-South cooperation, and strengthen economic, cultural and political relations between Africa and the Caribbean.

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Christopher Phillips, 60, was arrested after the body of Sylvia Phillips, 89, was found by officers in February at Poplar Crescent, Porthcawl, Bridgend county.

She had died in March 2023.

Phillips had told doctors he “did not want to let her go” and “wanted more time” after her death.

Sylvia Phillips was discovered wrapped in a leopard print silk blanket, with yellow and pink roses placed on her body, as well as a birthday card signed from him and the family dog Tina.

“To Mum, from Christopher and Tina,” the card read.

Phillips admitted three offences including failing to lawfully and decently bury his mother and continuing to claim her pension and benefits including housing benefits and winter fuel allowances.

Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard Phillips had been adopted by Sylvia Phillips at the age of two, was “exceptionally close” to her and was her sole carer.

The day after she died on 8 March 2023 her son held her in his arms and told her he would look after her, the court was told.

Two days after her death, Phillips bought a chest freezer from AO.com, placing it in the dining room of the semi-detached home. She remained there until her body was discovered by police who carried out a welfare check requested by her GP.

The court was told that the local medical practice had made repeated attempts to contact her but were denied access by her son.

When police went to the house, Phillips said his mother had moved to London and did not want to undergo medical tests.

The court heard officers became suspicious, with Phillips seen trembling and fidgeting. He ran upstairs and later could be heard telling a girlfriend on the phone that the “police are going to arrest me, you’ve got the will”.

Officers who opened the freezer found that the 89-year-old was completely frozen and it was some time before a post-mortem was able to be carried out. The pathologist has been unable to ascertain a cause of death, but there were not thought to be suspicious circumstances.

The court heard Phillips moved downstairs to sleep next to his mother’s body. At times he would open the freezer and hold her hand.

Sylvia Phillips had 26 appointments with her local GP practice in 2021, and six in 2022, after which there was no further contact.

The court heard she was last seen in A&E on 24 September 2022 and her local GP made a house call on 26 September but her son continued to pick up her prescriptions.

Sylvia Phillips was invited to a review by the practice, but her son said she would not come to the surgery and she did not need the blood tests.

Christopher Phillips received a total of £78,190.92 in state pension, pensions credit, attendance allowance, winter fuel payments, cost-of-living payments and housing benefit payments, which would have ceased had the death been reported.

He had been her primary carer since 2008, and the court heard he had resigned from his job in late 2022 when her health declined further. The pair were described as “somewhat isolated”.

Ruth Smith, defending, said Phillips had told police: “I basically didn’t want to let her go.”

She added: “He described talking to her as if she was still alive… Sitting next to her, talking to her about television programmes, Coronation Street, the horse racing, just as they always did,” she said, adding that he was a “vulnerable individual”.

Phillips sobbed in the dock as Smith said her client was “extremely close to his mother” and was in “extreme grief” following her death.

She said he showed a “lack of acceptance” about her passing and “had almost created a false narrative that she was still alive”.

Sentencing Phillips, Judge Lloyd-Clarke said he had “deliberately concealed” his mother’s death and “took steps to give the impression that she was still alive”.

“You continued to collect her prescription and lied to medical professionals and eventually the police,” Lloyd-Clarke added.

“Rather than notify the authorities and make arrangements for her lawful burial, you purchased a chest freezer on March 10th and concealed her body within it,” she said.

Lloyd-Clarke added that a timescale for confiscation proceedings would follow.

The incident is said to have occurred on the morning of Sunday, August 2, as worshippers gathered for church amid rainfall.

According to eyewitnesses in a video circulating online, panic erupted when at least seven heavily armed men stormed the church and forcibly whisked away some members of the congregation, including a seminarian.

Residents said some worshippers who were on their way to the church encountered people fleeing the premises, who informed them that the attackers had already abducted several victims.

Locals claimed they attempted to pursue the kidnappers into the surrounding area but were unable to confront them because the assailants were heavily armed while residents had no weapons.

They appealed to the government to strengthen security in the area, saying communities are increasingly vulnerable to attacks and lack the means to defend themselves.

The residents also expressed frustration that even local vigilante groups are not adequately equipped to respond to such incidents.

According to them, one of the abducted victims had recently returned to the community to bury his father before the attack occurred.

Authorities are yet to officially confirm the number of people abducted or provide further details on efforts to rescue the victims.

The attack is the second major Russian aerial assault in two days, with the Kremlin apparently seeking to expose Kyiv’s shortages of key defense systems as it struggles to make advances along the vast front line.

At least nine people were killed and 30 wounded in the latest attack on Ukraine, including four children, with strikes targeting the capital Kyiv and surrounding regions, according to the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Only one of the 27 ballistic missiles launched by Russia was shot down.

The Ukrainian president has often appealed to Western nations to provide much-needed air defense systems to protect Ukraine’s cities and critical infrastructure from aerial attacks. The country is facing a shortage of US-made interceptors for Patriots – the only defense system that can bring down certain advanced ballistic missiles.

Yet the situation has become more desperate in recent weeks, with massive Russian assaults claiming the lives of civilians. Earlier this week, Ukrainian authorities said a ballistic missile slammed into a house in the rural village of Radushne, in the Dnipro Region, killing at least six family members, including four children.

In the aftermath of the overnight strikes on Saturday, Zelensky wrote on Telegram, “We lack missiles for the Patriot systems. And it is precisely this shortage of anti-ballistic interceptors that only encourages Russia to carry out such deadly strikes.”

On Friday, Trump said he was hesitant to allow Ukraine to build its own Patriot missile interceptors, an idea he first announced on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Turkey last month.

“We’re talking about it, but it’s a hard thing to give away that kind of technology,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David. “We have to be very careful.” He voiced particular concerns about the risk that Ukraine could someday use the Patriot missile interceptors against the US, even though he acknowledged that it’s unlikely to happen.

The deliberations mark a turnaround from earlier this month, when Trump suggested during the NATO summit that he would aid Ukraine’s fight against Russia by permitting them to build the Patriot systems.

Patriots needed ‘here and now’

A CNN team on the ground heard at least three waves of explosions in the capital overnight.

“People are trapped in a five-story residential building due to falling rocket debris in the Solomyanske district,” Klitschko wrote on Telegram. He said a fire had broken out in the courtyard of a residential building and that emergency services are headed to the scene.

A police officer was among those killed in the strikes in Kyiv. Yehor Terekhin, 22, and his patrol partner were helping people at the site of some shelling when a second strike hit the same location, according to a police statement. Terekhin sustained fatal injuries.

“While saving others, he gave the most precious thing he had – his own life,” a statement from Kyiv’s Patrol Police department said. “He will forever be 22.”

While Kyiv took the brunt of the Russian assault, the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv and Poltava were also targeted, according to Zelensky.

“Eighteen buildings, a school, the Lithuanian embassy and infrastructure facilities were damaged,” he added.

Russia’s powerful ballistic missiles are incredibly difficult for Ukraine to intercept because they travel at extremely high speeds. Some of the most advanced missiles can only be shot down using the US-made Patriot defense systems.

“It is crucial that our partners understand that these systems are not needed sitting in warehouses for hypothetical scenarios, but here and now,” Zelensky said on Saturday.

“Every anti-ballistic missile package saves the lives of our people. And every night that we lack them results in casualties.”

Overall, at least 14 civilians have been killed and 87 injured across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, data from local authorities shows.

Meanwhile, Russia intercepted and destroyed 274 Ukrainian drones targeting its territory overnight, including over the Moscow region, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The boy is accused of murdering 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen last October. The girl was found fatally stabbed multiple times in a toilet at their secondary school on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur.

The boy, who was 14 at the time, has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could spend decades in prison.

Police previously said they suspected social media could have influenced the boy.

Police also confirmed a note was found on him at the time of his arrest. Reports about the note’s alleged content have fueled the wider discussion about the role of social media.

Under Malaysian law, the boy cannot be publicly identified as he is still a minor.

His young age also means he will not face the death penalty if found guilty.

However, he could still face 30 to 40 years in jail, and he could also be flogged. The age of criminal responsibility in Malaysia is 10 years old.

The case has profoundly shocked the country and triggered a nationwide conversation about the negative effects of social media on children, particularly exposure to the manosphere and incel culture.

Some have compared the case to the Netflix series Adolescence, which explores similar themes involving teenage boys, online radicalisation and violence.

Last year Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was asked about the case as well as other recent cases of violence in schools.

He was quoted by local media as saying that “almost all of these issues stem from the use of mobile phones and social media”, and vowed to look into stricter measures.

Authorities have since put in place new rules which they say will protect children and reduce their exposure to harmful online content.

Since June, Malaysia has banned all children under the age of 16 from having accounts on major social media platforms.

According to Spanish authorities, about 50,000 people had crossed into Ceuta by land and sea from Thursday in an unprecedented surge at one of the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. More than 48,000 of them returned to Morocco within 48 hours, Spain said.

Reuters video on Saturday showed Spanish soldiers and police patrolling a mostly ​empty Tarajal beach shrouded in fog.

EU CALLS EMERGENCY MEETING

Civil Guard police started laying the new barrier at 7:50 a.m. (0550 GMT) on the Tarajal breakwater, one ​of the main points used by people trying to enter the tiny Spanish territory, the government said in a statement.

The ⁠pneumatic barrier, alongside a line of anchored naval buoys, is designed to stand 30 to 70 centimetres (12 to 28 inches) above water and extend as much as ​one metre below the surface, it added, while a channel between the barriers will allow Civil Guard vessels to patrol the area.

The mass crossing prompted alarm across the ​European Union, and 22 member states wrote a letter asking for coordinated action to protect external borders and other measures.

Ireland, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said it had called an emergency video conference meeting of the bloc’s interior ministers to discuss the crisis on Tuesday.

Spain’s centre-left Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez criticised Italy’s decision on Friday to suspend passport-free Schengentravel arrangements with Madrid for one month.

“In the ​current international context, the EU cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction,” Sanchez wrote in a letter to the EU Commission and European Council ​presidents.

DEATH TOLL RISES

At least 67 bodies have been recovered on the Spanish side of the frontier, officials said, after some migrants drowned and others were crushed while trying to climb the breakwater ‌and border ⁠fence.

Many were driven to migrate by economic hardship and encouraged by social media rumours.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska blamed people-smuggling networks for exploiting vulnerable migrants and spreading misleading interpretations of a recent Spanish Supreme  Court ruling that migrants intercepted at sea cannot be summarily returned in the absence of a physical barrier.

Speaking from Ceuta, Grande-Marlaska told reporters Spain had largely restored order within 24 hours, but warned that the crisis was not yet formally over and that reinforced police and military deployments would remain ​as long as needed, though overnight crossings ​had fallen to about zero.

“Morocco isn’t ⁠any threat to Ceuta or the rest of Spain — it’s a fully reliable partner,” he said, adding there had been no intelligence indicating a mass entry was imminent.

The AUGC union for Spain’s Civil Guard said it was asking for a reinforcement ​of at least 200 officers, and warned that more work was needed to stop people swimming round the new inflatable ​barrier.

Madrid said the people ⁠who entered Ceuta irregularly could not travel onwards to mainland Spain or elsewhere in the Schengen zone.

In a statement, the foreign ministry added that travellers leaving Ceuta by sea or air undergo police identity checks, representing a second layer of control after the land border with Morocco.

In contrast to most of Europe, Spain has adopted a more open ⁠stance on ​migrants, introducing a programme to grant residency to more than half a million undocumented people.

But it has ​rejected suggestions that the regularisation scheme had encouraged the rush into Ceuta, saying applicants must prove residence in Spain before January 1, 2026, and five continuous months of residence when applying.

Europe has been ravaged by wildfires this summer after a period of record-breaking heatwaves and little rain – conditions that scientists say have been ‌exacerbated by climate change.

Destructive blazes in France and Spain showed signs of easing over the weekend, but several wildfires have broken out in Greece after a period of relative calm there.

Two helicopters collided during a firefighting operation in the area of Psatha in the Attica region, west of Athens, Greece’s fire service said in a statement.

Footage posted on the Forecast Weather Greece Facebook page appeared to show two helicopters closing to cross paths at low altitude, before the main rotor of the lower ​helicopter struck the underside of the one flying above it and crashed in flames. The second helicopter then dumped its load of water and flew away. Reuters has not verified the ​authenticity of the footage.

The crew of one helicopter had been located and were safe, with ambulances on the way to pick them up, government officials said. ⁠As for the second crew, the helicopter had been located, and a search-and-rescue operation was underway, officials said.

‘FORCE OF NATURE’

Gale-force winds that had fuelled a fire around Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth 60 ​km (40 miles) northwest of Athens subsided, but flames crossed a mountain to the south and reached the settlement of Veniza and a military firing range, igniting unexploded ordnance. Firefighters focused their efforts on preventing fire from ​advancing towards the coastal town of Megara, which has a population of around 30,000.

“There are moments when the force of nature and the intensity of weather conditions exceed all human planning and every operational capability,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in his regular Sunday message.

Greek authorities issued emergency alerts for evacuations for a number of settlements in western Attica, including an industrial estate near Megara.

In the village of Agios Konstantinos, residents were doing their best to halt the spread of the ​blaze.

“The fire has been burning since last night, it is certain that they cannot have forces everywhere. We as residents are doing everything we can,” said Tasos Tzempelikos, 61, who along with his son ​was pouring water on the fire.

Greek daily Protothema reported that a major effort was under way to prevent the fire from Veniza from reaching the nearby coastal town of Megara. It said more than 10,000 hectares of land had ‌likely been ⁠destroyed by the fire so far.

Overnight, several settlements on the Ionian island of Kefalonia were evacuated after a fire broke out in the Pastra area in the south.

FIRES IN FRANCE AND SPAIN MOSTLY UNDER CONTROL

In France, wildfires in the Gironde and Var departments showed signs of easing. Authorities reported only minor flare-ups in the southwestern Gironde area and said the blaze in the southeastern Var department had not spread overnight.

In Monfort-Sur-Argents, in the region of Var, Georges Blanc, who fled from the fire, returned home and was busy putting out hot embers to prevent a flare-up, while firefighters watered the wider area.

“With the combined efforts of the two ​Canadairs (firefighting planes) and the firefighters, I think you could ​say all the houses were saved … And now, ⁠well, I’m coming back to check, because since I saw the flames, I thought the houses wouldn’t have survived,” he told Reuters.

In central Spain, wildfires that ripped through tens of thousands of hectares over the past week were mostly under control, though firefighters were dealing with reignitions in some areas.

In the western province ​of Caceres, a forest blaze erupted on Saturday, prompting the evacuation of around 800 people. Those residents were allowed to return on Sunday but remained ​confined to their homes as ⁠the fire was still active.

HUNGARY NUCLEAR PLANT FORCED TO SHUT

Other European countries are struggling with drought and receding water levels in major rivers, including the Rhine and the Danube, which recorded its lowest-ever water levels in Hungary, Serbia and Romania.

Hungary faces a critical five days, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Sunday, as the drying out of the Danube forced the country’s sole nuclear power plant to shut for the first time in more than four ⁠decades, with a ​new heatwave looming.

Falls in water levels amid a lack of rain have also disrupted shipping and tourism, opens new tab in Hungary and triggered water-use ​restrictions in more than 100 cities and villages.

Danube levels in Serbia fell to their lowest since 1985, cutting the daily output of the country’s biggest hydropower plant to only 20%, the energy minister said on Sunday.

The event, themed #JP2026, became one of the biggest celebrity weddings of the year, attracting widespread attention on social media, with gifts beginning to pour in even before the couple exchanged their vows.

Businessman and socialite Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, had earlier pledged ₦10 million towards the wedding.

American entrepreneur Gregory Pizarro Jr., a longtime supporter of Peller, also travelled to Lagos and surprised the groom with a cash gift of $20,000 during a meeting at his hotel ahead of the ceremony.

The couple also received a plot of land in Abuja valued at ₦150 million from Lawrence Emmanuel, Chief Executive Officer of Promiseland Estate.

The biggest surprise came during the wedding reception when real estate entrepreneur King Ochacho, on behalf of his family, announced the gift of a fully furnished luxury mansion in Abuja’s upscale Life Camp district, reportedly worth ₦400 million.

In keeping with their reputation as digital content creators, Peller and Jarvis livestreamed the ceremony across multiple online platforms, including Twitch and YouTube, allowing thousands of supporters around the world to follow the celebration in real time.

Peller and Jarvis have built a massive online following through their livestreams, collaborative content and public appearances. Their wedding has since become one of the most talked-about celebrity events of the year across social media platforms.

Officials say almost all whose who reached the enclave on 30 July have returned, while Spain’s interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Saturday that the death toll had risen to 67.

It comes after Italy temporarily suspended the EU’s border-free Schengen arrangement with Spain, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the scenes “shocking”.

Finland and Denmark backed Italy’s move, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš urged a temporary suspension of Spain’s Schengen membership.

In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he had “serious concern” about some European governments.

He said the Spanish government had fully restored control over the border and prevented any “unauthorised onward movement towards continental Europe” in less than 48 hours.

While most had showed “support and solidarity”, Sanchez said other European governments had chosen to attack Spain, “driven by prejudice, fake  news, ignorance, or  political interest”, and pointed out that Ceuta was not part of the Schengen area.

“The European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction,” he said.

There were chaotic scenes on Thursday in Ceuta as border controls in the North African enclave apparently broke down.

On Saturday morning, Spanish MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar told the BBC that the situation was “beginning to get under control” and the migrants were “returning peacefully”.

But while the situation on the ground is easing, political and diplomatic fallout is rippling through Madrid and other capitals.

On Thursday, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on social media that such “uncontrolled immigration” was a threat to national security, before suspending the Schengen zone agreement with Spain for a month.

The Schengen Area is a system of open borders spanning 29 European countries that have abolished controls at their common borders.

Spain responded by summoning the Italian ambassador to Madrid, while its foreign minister said he expected “European solidarity and not partisan demagoguery”.

Finland’s Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said she had started preparations for restoring internal border checks “if the need arises”. She also urged “all European countries” to support Meloni’s move.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also urged the EU to “consider all options, including a suspension of Schengen co-operation”.

France has tightened checks on its border with Spain and said it would increase its police presence by Saturday.

Portuguese PM Luis Montenegro said he was considering reinforcing border checks.

Von der Leyen said the images from Ceuta were “unacceptable”. “We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules,” she said on social media.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he “supports Spain’s intention not to allow illegal migrants onto the European continent”, and demanded that Morocco “take back illegal migrants immediately”.

In the US, the state department said the incident was a direct result of Spain’s migration policies. President Donald Trump called the situation a “catastrophe” and said “it looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people”.

Spain has defended its handling of the migrant surge. Madrid has sent troops, more police, drones, divers and boats to Ceuta. The country has also deployed its armed forces to bolster security in another Spanish enclave, Melilla, where hundreds of crossings were also reported.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has visited Ceuta after the migrant influx, said he would consider reinforcing the border with Morocco, and that Moroccan authorities were co-operating.

He blamed trafficking gangs for the migrant surge, calling the incident a “violation of Spain’s territorial integrity”.

“Trafficking mafias took a self-serving interpretation of a Supreme  Court ruling” which “spread like wildfire”, he said.

EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner said, after a phone call with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, that “not a single person has crossed to mainland EU”.

In June, Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that migrants stopped at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla could not be summarily returned to Morocco without due process.

While the surge of migrants this year is extraordinary, Ceuta has long been a focal point for migrants attempting to reach Europe. During the summer months, there is often a big push to reach Ceuta, typically organised over social media.

In 2021, about 8,000 people entered Ceuta over a matter of days, exacerbating Spain’s diplomatic tensions with Morocco.

Morocco, which has been suffering from a high unemployment rate, witnessed several Gen Z anti-government protests last year, with young people demanding better opportunities and improvements to public services.

Together with Melilla, Ceuta forms the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. Migrants can enter the enclave by swimming several kilometres.

Spain has a relatively friendly approach to immigration. In April, the government approved plans to give legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants, allowing them to be formally integrated into the workforce.

At that time, the right-wing Italian prime minister had already criticised Sánchez, saying the policy would “affect its neighbours”.

In June the European Parliament approved tougher migration rules that grant authorities broader powers to return irregular arrivals.

The wreath-laying ceremony, held on Thursday, July 30, was attended by members of the Rawlings family, government officials and military officers.

President Oligui Nguema, who arrived in Ghana on Tuesday for an official visit, described the late Ghanaian leader as a patriot whose dedication to Africa’s development continues to inspire the people of Gabon.

In a statement read on his behalf, the Gabonese leader praised President Rawlings for his unwavering commitment to sovereignty, justice and progress across the continent.

He noted that Rawlings’ speeches and writings had contributed significantly to Gabon’s political transition, which he said has become an example of transparency, peace and credibility.

“His speeches and writings have notably contributed to the success story of Gabon’s transition, which is now quoted as an example in the world. We are now able to be transparent, peaceful and credible. I would like to hail the contributions of this great man to a strong and united Africa,” the statement said.

The ceremony was attended by National Security Advisor Prosper Bani, Deputy Minister for Defence Brogya Genfi and the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General William Agyapong.

Delivering the vote of thanks, Executive Director of the J.J. Rawlings Foundation, Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings, expressed the family’s appreciation to President Oligui Nguema for the gesture and thanked the Government of Ghana for its continued support in preserving the legacy of the late former President.

She described the wreath-laying as a powerful symbol of the longstanding friendship between Ghana and Gabon, rooted in the Pan-African ideals championed by President Rawlings and other African leaders of his generation.

“This solemn gesture is a moving affirmation of the enduring camaraderie between the peoples of Ghana and Gabon—a friendship nurtured by President Jerry John Rawlings and the leaders of his generation, founded on mutual respect, Pan-African solidarity, and a shared vision for the progress of our continent,” she said.

Ms. Agyeman-Rawlings added that the occasion served as a reminder of the responsibility inherited by the current generation of leaders to preserve and strengthen the bonds established by their predecessors.

“May this wreath stand as a symbol that the baton of brotherhood has been passed to the present generation of leaders in Ghana and Gabon, who will continue to deepen the ties between our two nations for the benefit of our peoples,” she stated.

Members of the Rawlings family present at the ceremony included the family head, Colonel (Rtd) Joshua Agbotui, Amina Agyeman-Rawlings, Kimathi Agyeman-Rawlings, Fritz Baffour, General Benjamin Kusi and Nana Kobi Agyeman-Prempeh.

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Dame Sarah Mullally was speaking on a visit to Cape Coast Castle in Ghana where enslaved Africans were held before being trafficked to the Americas.

She said touring the castle made her reflect on the crimes committed by the institution she leads.

“We played a part in the transatlantic slave trade. That is clear. Part of the Christian belief in repentance is about action, so we are putting in place action to support those communities that feel the legacy of the slave trade,” she added.

Dame Sarah Mullally from behind. She is wearing pink robes and hair short blonde hair. She is facing a large brown wooden door which has a small golden plaque on it with the words ‘door of return’ engraved.

The archbishop said she was ‘deeply moved’ by what she saw on her visit to Ghana
This is Dame Sarah’s first pastoral visit to Africa since being installed as head of the Church of England at a ceremony in Canterbury Cathedral in March.

Reparative justice has been one of the themes running through the Ghana leg of this trip.

At Cape Coast Castle, which came under British control in the 1660s, Dame Sarah was shown dungeons where slaves were held, and the so-called “door of no return” through which they were forced on to ships.

The archbishop said: “You can’t help but be deeply moved by the horrific conditions that people were kept in and the way that they were treated.

“It completely throws you off balance and brings home the evil that was transatlantic slavery.”

Above the dungeons sits a chapel, which she said was a “stark illustration of the way the church was involved in the slave trade”.

The Church of England has previously apologised for its associations with the slave trade.

Its missionary arm ran slave-farmed plantations in the Caribbean to fund the spread of Anglicanism, individual members of clergy were slave owners, and the Church received large donations from slave traders.

Three years ago it was decided the Church would set up the fund for reparative justice work, after an audit of its historical endowment fund also reported large investments made in a company that trafficked slaves.

The aim is for the fund to be spent on “a programme of investment, research and engagement” in communities damaged by the enslavement of African people during the transatlantic slave trade.

But there has since been vocal opposition to the fund. Some have questioned the historical accuracy of reports into the level of the Church’s complicity, while others have raised legal concerns about it and ideological objections.

Ghana has been spearheading a global campaign for institutions and nations across the world that benefitted from the slave trade to pay reparations.

The country’s foreign minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has praised Dame Sarah.

“What the Archbishop of Canterbury is doing in Ghana on her current visit will begin to send the right signals. And those who are either revisionists or who are obstructionists within the Church of England are going to start thinking twice,” he said

“The Christian religion which they brought to Ghana and Africa teaches us that without admission of sins, there can be no salvation. There can be no going to heaven.”

Three Mexicans and seven Nigerians were paraded in handcuffs, as Justice Musa Kakaki inspected the chemicals and equipment they were accused of using to produce the harmful illegal synthetic drug, methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, crystal meth or, locally, ice.

A bitter, pungent smell filled the air of the makeshift laboratory, thanks to a large drum of the liquid form of the drug that was crystallising. Another potent odour came from open vats of a dark, viscous liquid, described as “crude”, or unprocessed, methamphetamine.

Other products were scattered around the unfinished building, including propane gas cylinders and bags of caustic soda.

This temporary move of the federal high court to a location two hours from Lagos was an unusual step for Nigeria’s judicial system, but the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it was necessary to understand the scale of the operation.

When the suspects were arrested in May, the agency described it as the country’s largest-ever meth bust. It said it discovered more than two tonnes of the drug worth some $360m (£270m).

The NDLEA at the time announced it had “dealt another crippling blow” and dismantled “a highly sophisticated, multi-million-dollar Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine production syndicate”.

The following month, agents found another meth laboratory hidden in a forest in neighbouring Oyo State.

That time they arrested five suspects, including one Mexican “methamphetamine expert”.

The raids underline a broader trend of Africa’s, and particularly West Africa’s, growing role in the global synthetic drugs ⁠trade and the shift by criminal cartels to use the continent, not just as a trafficking hub, but also as a production base.

Mexican specialists in manufacturing methamphetamine, often described as “cooks”, are increasingly being found working alongside locals in laboratories in Europe and Africa, according to law-enforcement agencies.

Meth production has become increasingly sophisticated over the last few decades.

“They perfected it, to the point now it is the highest purity, the highest potency version of meth,” James Griego, who leads counter-narcotics operations for US-Africa Command (Africom), told the BBC.

Africom, which oversees US military operations on the continent, has provided several national anti-drug organisations with intelligence to assist with their raids.

“Anybody who is looking to consume methamphetamine, understands that the Mexican meth is the best in the world, for that purpose,” Griego added.

The first time the NDLEA announced it had discovered a Mexican-linked methamphetamine lab was in 2016, when it described it as a “super lab”.

These laboratories, where Mexicans have been working, have since been uncovered in Kenya, Mozambique and in South Africa.

Since 2023 “we’ve seen…14 Mexican-operated labs in total [being raided]. We saw the one in 2023 [in Mozambique], we saw six more in 2024, we saw two in 2025 and we’ve seen five this year,” Griego said.

“This last year when I talk about the five labs, four of the five are in Nigeria,” he added.

Intelligence from Africom and the US Drug Enforcement Administration have linked some of the laboratories to Mexico’s two biggest drug cartels: the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Giving testimony to the US Congress in May, Africom commander Gen Dagvin Anderson alleged that militant groups and narco-traffickers have been working together.

“African-based terror groups are financed to an increasing degree by drug cartels, expanding those terror groups’ reach and lethality,” he told lawmakers.

Unlike plant-based drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, which can only be grown and processed in certain places, a synthetic drug like meth can be produced anywhere with the right chemicals and expertise, making it easier for organised crime groups to quickly scale up production.

Known for its fast and long-lasting effects, methamphetamine delivers a euphoric high, but deeply unpleasant side effects. There is a serious risk of cardiovascular problems, malnourishment through poor diet and, if injecting, blood-borne diseases.

Withdrawal from the drug is also very hard as it often includes feelings of anxiety, severe depression, fatigue and intense cravings.

As methamphetamine traffickers establish new distribution networks, beyond its historical routes, more people are being exposed to the drug.

West Africa poses numerous attractive benefits to Mexican syndicates, starting with swathes of forested land which makes well for secluded production sites.

“The population is also an attraction for them, especially the huge youth population because with that you get cheap labour and a market for local consumption,” NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi told the BBC.

There are fears among authorities that methamphetamine consumption will grow in Nigeria, where a 2018 survey found that 14.4% of the adult population had used an illicit drug – more than twice the global average as estimated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The use of the drug has spread across the continent, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

In East Africa, it has become widely available in countries like Kenya and Tanzania, and also in southern Africa, like in South Africa where it is known as “tik”.

Drug syndicates are as interested in international drug markets, as they are in the growing local market, and Africa’s location makes it easier to reach Asia and Europe.

Producing drugs in West Africa gives traffickers access to Atlantic shipping routes. Combined with the region’s porous borders and weaker regulation of chemical imports, this helps them cut costs to lucrative consumer markets.

In Europe, the UNODC reported a 47% increase in methamphetamine use between 2014 and 2024. In east and south-east Asia seizures of the drug by authorities reached a record high in 2024.

“It’s a shortening [of] their [supply] line into Asia and a shortening of their pathway into Europe,” said Griego.

Since returning to office in 2025, US President Donald Trump has intensified efforts against Latin American drug cartels and their operations.

“These cartels are feeling the pressure from other parts of the world,” said Babafemi, “and so [they] are looking at West Africa as a corporate production hub.”

Some experts believe tighter scrutiny of traditional trafficking routes from Latin America may be one factor driving cartels to diversify their operations.

“That has at least been a part of the calculus of why Mexican cartels have escalated their operations in Africa. That to say though, it is only part of the story,” said Griego.

“Sinaloa and New Jalisco have always been global organisations. They have operated [in Africa] since the 1990s.”

But a recent rise in the number of raids on illicit methamphetamine laboratories in Africa could indicate that the cartels are becoming more entrenched on the continent.

What is clear is that the trade is no longer just transiting through the continent but finding new manufacturing sites and markets.

With measures such as the court hearing at the laboratory, increased surveillance and intelligence use, the Nigerian authorities are adamant they can rise to the challenge.

“It’s definitely a concern but it helps us stay vigilant and be proactive. This is why we are able to get them before they’re able to move out into our communities and into the international market,” NDLEA spokesperson Babafemi said.

“We’ve been able to prove that Nigeria won’t be a safe haven for them.”

At the end of the 2027 academic year, the expansive boarding school campus near Johannesburg is to be handed over to local education authorities as per the original agreement, her statement says.

Students enrolled at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) who will not have graduated when it closes will be offered full scholarships elsewhere.

More than 1,000 girls have graduated from the school aimed at those from under-privileged backgrounds and inspired after Winfrey met anti-apartheid icon and former South African President Nelson Mandela in 2002.

Since opening its doors, the elite school – built at a cost of $40m (£20m) and located in the village of Henley-on-Klip south of Johannesburg – has not been without scandal, sparking rumours about the reason for its closure.

But a PR consultant working for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation denied online speculation it was closing because of mismanagement

The foundation said Winfrey intended to continue with her education project by funding in a scholarship programme for academically talented girls from communities across the country to go to leading schools.

“The dream was never simply to build a school,” Winfrey, 72, explained in a statement.

“It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women. That mission doesn’t end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education.

“I’m excited that this next chapter will allow us to reach even more young women across South Africa and continue the promise that began more than 20 years ago.”

It is not known what the OWLAG campus will be used for once it is returned to the local authorities, but Gauteng province’s education department says it is “committed to preserving and advancing the academy’s legacy”.

“We will ensure that this exceptional institution continues to serve the people of Gauteng while honouring the vision upon which it was established,” it said.

When the school opened in 2007, some commentators criticised its lavish campus – it reportedly had two theatres, a yoga studio and a beauty salon.

They questioned whether the money spent on it could have been better used to help more students around the country.

Then months after OWLAG opened, some students accused a former staff member of abuse. She was later cleared on all charges.

There are currently 281 students enrolled at the school.

According to the US star’s Oprah Daily website, many of the school’s graduates have become doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, executives and entrepreneurs.

It quotes Andronica Klaas, a graduate of 2012 and now a senior engineering lead at tech giant Meta, as saying: “Every corner of the campus was filled with so much love and care and detail.

“OWLAG convinced me that preparation, character and purpose mattered more than where I came from.”

The unidentified object caused a 10m-wide (33ft) crater a short distance from the village of Tarnawa Kolonia, about 100km (62 miles) from the border with Ukraine, during a Russian attack on the city of Lviv.

“All the indications are that it was a Russian Kh-101 ballistic missile, but we want to be 100% certain about the type of missile and who launched it,” Tusk said during a specially convened meeting in nearby Lublin.

Ukraine’s acting Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said earlier on Thursday that a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile had “crossed into Poland as part of Russia’s massive strike against Ukraine, violating Nato airspace”.

Tusk said he was in contact with fellow European leaders before heading to the scene of Thursday’s incident.

There were no reports of casualties in Thursday’s incident, he said, but it was being treated as serious. There was no immediate threat as it had not landed in a built-up area, Tusk added: “We were prepared to shoot it down if had continued its flight.”

A number of Russian drones and one unarmed Russian missile have landed in Poland since Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine began in February 2022.

Two Polish farmers were killed by a missile that landed just over the border from Ukraine in November 2022, but that was believed to have been a Ukrainian air defence missile responding to a Russian attack.

Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said about 20 objects were seen close to Polish airspace overnight and pyrotechnical analysis was being carried out to determine the identity of the object that fell near Tarnawa Kolonia.

Poland’s military detected the object at about 03:40 on Thursday (01:40 GMT) and sent an F-16 fighter jet to intercept it before it disappeared minutes later from radar systems. A military helicopter was then sent to search the area.

Air raid sirens blared in Lublin and Krasnystaw further to the south-east because of the Russian airstrikes that killed eight people in neighbouring Ukraine. Residents in Tarnawa Kolonia reported hearing a loud bang at about 04:00 and police found the crash site about an hour later.

The Polish leader had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Lublin the previous evening as Zelensky was returning from talks with US President Donald Trump.

She is desperately searching for somewhere to live after Israel moved yellow concrete blocks that mark out where it controls in the Gaza Strip.

Families living in al-Tuffah in northern Gaza woke on Monday to find the blocks had been moved westwards into the centre of Salah al-Din road, a key north-south route through Gaza.

Nearby, an Israeli flag was flying on top of an earth barrier around 3m (10ft) tall.

The al-Shawish family home was destroyed during the war. On Sunday, they had to flee again after the Israeli military called to warn of an attack on a nearby building. Their only shelter was a tent, which was torn apart by the strike.

“We are going to die here,” Mohammed al-Shawish said. “Death is better than humiliation. No-one is standing with us.”

Under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas last October, Israel agreed to withdraw its forces from across Gaza to a designated demarcation – the Yellow Line.

The deal was meant to leave Israel in temporary control of the area behind the Yellow Line – equating to 53% of Gaza’s territory. However, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) controlled more than 60%. In May, he said publicly that his “directive” was to move to 70%.

Hamas accuses Israel of violating the October ceasefire agreement by moving the Yellow Line westwards. A senior Israeli government official said Israel rejected Hamas’s claims outright. The BBC was told: “IDF deployments and security lines are operational measures taken to protect Israeli citizens and prevent Hamas from rebuilding its terror army. Israel will continue to act against any ceasefire violations.”

The Israeli military initially marked the Yellow Line with concrete blocks, before moving some markers further into Gaza. But Israel has now constructed a network of barriers, having started soon after the ceasefire. The barriers now stretch more than 42km (26 miles) and cover 85% of Israel’s Yellow Line, with the longest section already 13.8km (8.5 miles).

Experts have told the BBC that the earthworks suggest Israel is planning for a long occupation of the strip. In some areas the earth barrier effectively moves the de facto “border” – the Yellow Line – deeper into Gaza, further increasing the deadly no-go zone for Gazans.

One section of the embankment near the al-Mawasi camp is more than 1.5km beyond where the Yellow Line was originally mapped. Another section in Khan Younis is positioned more than 500m over it.

0:46Huge earth berm and trench near al-Mawasi, southern Gaza

The IDF says it is working to “clearly and visually mark the location of the Yellow Line on the ground” to “reduce friction”. It has previously rejected “all claims that the Yellow Line has been moved or its crossing by IDF troops”.

Other incidents of displacement have been reported in Gaza in recent months as the army has moved yellow blocks further into the territory into areas where Palestinians have been living during the ceasefire.

On 18 July, dozens of families hurriedly piled motorcycles with mattresses and any belongings they could manage as they fled the Zeitoun area, east of Gaza City. The IDF had issued an order to leave, and Gazans said they assumed this was a sign that the Yellow Line was being moved again. Some simply left empty-handed in their hurry to evacuate.

Locals described shooting from Israeli military vehicles, quadcopter drones and artillery shelling.

“The war is not over. That’s a big lie. Every day there are strikes, displacement and evictions,” declared Ismail Kashko. He said his family feared being hit by Israeli fire as troops approached: “We are living in tents, not in houses. There’s no concrete to protect us.”

According to the UN’s humanitarian office, OCHA, some 30 families lost their tents in Zeitoun and had to be helped with basic supplies. Satellite imagery shows scores of temporary shelters disappearing from the area in July.

Residents of Zeitoun say that to the east, they have seen Israeli bulldozers and heavy machinery where the army has been building a new base and earth banks.

The Israeli military told the BBC their “defensive posture” includes “a security zone, a physical barrier, intelligence capabilities, technological means, and operational activity by IDF troops”.

It said: “These measures are intended to prevent infiltrations and hostile activity, and to protect both the troops and surrounding communities. For operational security reasons, we will not provide further details regarding the components of the deployment, the route of the barrier, or its extent.”

To the east of the central city of Deir al-Balah, families living on farmland told the BBC they were given two days’ notice by the Israeli military before the area was razed. Satellite images show tank tracks and destroyed structures in the area, with an olive grove more than 500m beyond the Yellow Line apparently torn down. Verified video shows three yellow blocks recently placed there, the furthest of which is more than 300m from the Yellow Line mapped after the ceasefire.

Further to the south, near al-Mawasi, Palestinians say other blocks to mark the Yellow Line have moved closer to their camps. They describe daily movements of Israeli tanks, recurrent gunfire and the construction of tall sand embankments.

The founder of intelligence analysis firm MAIAR, Tony Reeves, analysed satellite images and estimated that one section of the embankments in Gaza was up to 7m tall.

Verified videos and satellite images show land and roads have been churned up and some buildings flattened to make way for the earth barriers, while Israel has continued its demolition campaign across Gaza since the ceasefire.

In June, days before beginning construction of the barrier near the southernmost city of Rafah, Israeli troops destroyed structures and rows of greenhouses in its path, satellite images show. ​​In nearby Khan Younis, IDF drone footage showed a controlled demolition of a cluster of buildings beyond the Yellow Line. By July a barrier had been constructed nearby and many more buildings were destroyed.

In July alone, satellite imagery shows scores more buildings had been destroyed beyond the Yellow Line in Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, Zeitoun, and in the northern towns of Jabalia and Beit Lahia.

The military has also built dozens of bases, outposts and staging areas behind the barrier along the Yellow Line. Fourteen new positions have been established since the October ceasefire, including two currently under construction, while a further seven set up before the ceasefire have been paved or extended.

The IDF did not directly respond when asked about demolition activity beyond the Yellow Line. “IDF troops under the Southern Command are deployed in the area of the Yellow Line in accordance with the ceasefire agreement,” it said.

Retired Israeli brigadier general Assaf Orion, a senior researcher at Israel’s Institute of National Security Studies (INSS), said the construction of barriers and bases suggests “the IDF is preparing for a long stay along the Yellow Line, as little (if any) progress has been made in disarming Hamas”.

Dr Andreas Krieg, a security expert from King’s College London, said the BBC’s findings indicate that “Israel is turning the Yellow Line from a temporary withdrawal boundary into a de facto internal border”.

People in Gaza say the Yellow Line is already having a devastating effect, squeezing the population of more than two million into an ever-smaller space amid dire humanitarian conditions. “The Yellow Line keeps moving day by day,” said Abu Kamel Hamami who is displaced in Gaza City.

“We’re constantly moving from one street to another. Everywhere is overcrowded with people, tents and displacement camps.”

The oil giant’s profits for the April-to-June period reached $9.84bn (£7.37bn) – up from $4.26bn at the same point last year.=

The price of oil has soared since the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran due to major disruption to global supplies of oil and liquid natural gas (LNG) through the Strait of Hormuz.

Shell chief executive Wael Sawan said the company’s “operational performance enabled very strong results during another quarter of severe disruption in global energy markets”.

Together with its profits of $6.92bn for the first three months of the year it means Shell has seen a 70% surge in first-half earnings.

Shell and other energy giants such as BP and Norway’s Equinor have seen bumper profits this year, partly down to trading on oil price swings.

Before the conflict began, the price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, was around $73 a barrel.

Since then, it has peaked above $120 but also fallen back below $100 as speculation has swirled over when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen.

These big movements in the oil price can widen the gap between buying and selling prices which typically enables traders to make bigger profits.

Brent futures fell $1.29, or 1.42%, to $89.45 a ‌barrel as of 0110 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 56 cents, or 0.66%, to $83.90 a barrel.

Brent settled up 7.91% in the previous session and WTI up 6.56% in one of the sharpest spikes of the Iran war, reversing ​a 5% plunge on Tuesday after a pause in hostilities in the five-month conflict.

Thirty-nine commodity ​ships passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait into the Red Sea on Tuesday, the highest ⁠number since July 19, with only a few transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, preliminary shipping data ​showed.

“While overall volumes are reduced, oil continues to leak out of the region through multiple channels, and additional ​workarounds are being explored. The longer this situation persists, the more these alternative routes and methods will erode Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said in a note.

The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most ​important oil shipping route, through which around a fifth of global oil and gas flows previously passed. ​It has been largely blocked since the start of the U.S.-Iran war in February despite efforts to reach a diplomatic ‌breakthrough ⁠on the passage of ships through the strait.

Iran has ruled out an Omani proposed for regional joint management of the strait, a senior Iran official said on Wednesday.

U.S.-Saudi strikes hit Iran-backed paramilitary forces in Iraq on Wednesday, the first time that Saudi had publicly joined U.S. air strikes, in retaliation for drone attacks on Saudi ​oil targets launched from Iraq.

That ​marked the resumption of ⁠U.S. strikes in the Middle East, since President Donald Trump over the weekend called off a bombing campaign amid dwindling munitions.

Iran also said that it had ​fired on U.S. bases in Jordan and struck three tankers that were transiting ​the Strait of ⁠Hormuz through what it said was an unauthorised route.

Sources said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia was seeking to build a coalition to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks.

The Iran-backed group in Yemen said on July 20 that ⁠it ​would impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red ​Sea, expanding attacks on tankers and opening another new front in the Iran War in a push to also disrupt shipping in ​the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the second most important oil shipping channel.

Asked about OpenAI’s tools being responsible for improperly breaching the private technology of other companies, Trump said: “We’re looking at AI, we’re looking at controls, we’re also making sure that we lead.”

It marks a change of tone for his administration, which has taken a more hands-off approach to the technology.

Trump’s comments come after an escalation of not only the apparent hacking capabilities of popular AI tools, but White House threats aimed at competing Chinese tech.

Trump added that while some kind of control around AI tools was on the table, such a move would have to be done carefully.

“We don’t want to restrict them where all of the sudden we come in second to China,” he said.

“China has virtually no [AI] controls. It’s freewheeling a little bit,” Trump added.

The White House has been contacted for additional comment. The BBC has also contacted the Chinese embassy in Washington for comment.

In the last week, OpenAI has taken responsibility for at least two hacking incidents involving its AI tools acting outside of what they were designed and directed to do.

During a trip to Washington on Wednesday, OpenAI’s chief executive Sam Altman was asked by a reporter if there were more systems that had been breached by the company’s tools.

“I mean, there could be yeah”, Altman said.

The US government intervened when Anthropic, OpenAI’s main American rival, decided to release to the public a model that it had previously said was too much of a risk to be made widely available.

Meanwhile, in an internal White House memo from April, Trump’s senior tech advisor Michael Kratsios accused China’s AI firms of “industrial-scale” theft of US AI technology. He did so again last week, claiming that the popular Kimi 3 AI model from China’s Moonshot AI was developed by stealing information from Anthropic.

The Chinese government has consistently rejected such accusations.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also warned that Chinese AI firms could face sanctions for such activity. And the Federal Communications Commission this week banned the importation of new foreign-made humanoid robots.

Most AI models being developed in China are open source, meaning they are built and then made freely available online for anyone with the proper computer equipment to download and use.

Recently, executives from most major US tech companies have signed onto public statements of support for open-source models.

The agreements were signed on Tuesday, July 28, following bilateral talks between President John Dramani Mahama and his Gabonese counterpart, President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, at the Jubilee House in Accra.

The meeting, which followed a private tête-à-tête between the two leaders, focused on expanding cooperation across key sectors and reinforcing the longstanding relationship between the two West African nations.

President Mahama and President Oligui Nguema expressed satisfaction with the cordial relations that have existed between Ghana and Gabon over the years and pledged to translate their strong political ties into tangible economic partnerships.

The two leaders agreed to strengthen collaboration in trade, investment and private sector development while taking advantage of opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to boost intra-African trade and regional integration.

They also identified several priority areas for cooperation, including mining and mineral value addition, oil and gas, energy, agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, forestry and climate action, maritime affairs, education, digital transformation, health, tourism, as well as defence and security.

To facilitate the implementation of these initiatives, the Presidents directed the relevant ministries and state institutions in both countries to develop practical frameworks for collaboration.

The bilateral meeting concluded with the signing of two agreements. The first was a Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations between the Government of Ghana and the Government of the Gabonese Republic, while the second focused on cooperation in diplomatic training between Ghana’s Foreign Service Institute and Gabon’s Institute of Diplomatic Studies.

The two governments said the agreements are expected to strengthen institutional partnerships, enhance diplomatic cooperation and create new opportunities for collaboration across strategic sectors.

As part of his official visit, President Oligui Nguema also planted a commemorative tree in the Jubilee House gardens to symbolise the growing friendship and cooperation between Ghana and Gabon.

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The move applies to advanced robots – including humanoid and four-legged machines. Many of them are made in China, which is competing with the US to develop robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also banned imports of power inverters – devices used in data centres and solar panels – which it said could also pose a risk to the US economy.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said Beijing has long opposed the US’ “politicising” of trade issues and sanctions based on “groundless pretexts”.

FCC chairman Brendan Carr said the agency was doing its part “to secure America’s critical supply chains”.

The FCC has added the items to its Covered List – a register of goods and services that are deemed a risk to US national security.

The ban applies to new foreign-produced advanced robotic devices and power inverters and does not prevent the sale or import of any existing models that had been previously authorised by the FCC.

The FCC cited concerns that the use of foreign-made inverters could allow overseas firms to turn them off, steal data, facilitate remote access and surveillance by “foreign government actors, or be otherwise exploited through a cyberattack”.

It added that the use of robots made outside the US could allow “malign actors to surveil Americans, enhance the capabilities of foreign intelligence services, or to remotely commandeer the robots”.

The Chinese embassy in Washington also said Beijing will “take all necessary measures” in response to any moves that harm its interests, urging all countries to work together to develop AI “for the positive and for good”.

It called on the US to “abandon its hegemonic mindset, and stop smearing Chinese companies and threatening them with sanctions”.

The BBC has contacted major Chinese robot manufacturers Unitree, UBTech and AgiBot for comment.

China’s exports have come under intense scrutiny by the US as the Trump administration attempts to address trade imbalances with the world’s second largest economy.

Despite being the world’s biggest exporter of electric vehicles, China has been effectively shut out of the American market by a steep tariff.

Washington has also blocked the sale of cutting-edge US semiconductors to China in a bid to protect national security, slow Beijing’s military modernisation and maintain America’s lead in AI.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also warned that Chinese AI firms could face sanctions over allegations that they have stolen American intellectual property.

In response the Chinese government has said its country’s development of AI was “the result of its own dedication and effort as well as international cooperation”.

The US will be keen to avoid a repeat of the squeeze on supply chains that was triggered last year when China tightened export controls on rare earths – critical for electronics.

Chinese technology firms have rapidly developed humanoid robots to be used in settings including factories and homes.

Companies have also been quick to market their machines to businesses and the public ahead of US humanoid robot rivals like Elon Musk’s Tesla and Boston Dynamics.

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The purchase, valued at $60-70 million, is one of Tehran’s largest-known efforts to strengthen its short-range air ‌defences since the outbreak of its war with the U.S. and Israel, which exposed gaps in Iran’s ability to protect military sites and strategic infrastructure.

The contract covers the purchase of between 300 and 400 man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), including Chinese-made QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, the sources said.

The deal was signed with Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, a Hong Kong-based company that the sources said was acting as an intermediary between the Iranian ​side and the Chinese supplier.

IRAN NEEDS TO REARM AFTER MONTHS OF WAR

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Iran’s foreign ministry ​did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

China’s Foreign Ministry said: “The relevant reports are completely groundless. China has consistently played a role ⁠in promoting peace and ending the conflict.”

Beijing-based Zhong Qing Bao Shang Group, the parent company of Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, did not immediately respond to an email request for comment ​on Tuesday.

Iran needs to rearm after months of fighting in which the U.S. and Israel have struck facilities linked to its missile, drone and air-defence programmes, and Tehran responded with barrages of ​ballistic missiles and drones.

The conflict has highlighted the challenge of defending fixed military and strategic sites against advanced aircraft and precision-guided weapons.

Washington abruptly suspended two weeks of bombardment on Saturday, but President Donald Trump said strikes would resume if negotiations failed to end the five-month-old conflict, which has in theory been in a state of ceasefire since April.

The delivery of hundreds of MANPADS would significantly expand Iran’s inventory of short-range ​air-defence weapons and underscore how military ties with China are deepening.

The sources cautioned that, although the agreement had been signed, delivery schedules, quantities and other implementation details could still change.

Under a ​plan agreed by the parties, deliveries will initially be by air from Urumqi in western China, then transiting through Pakistan to Iran, according to the sources, who did not clarify whether the transfers would take ‌place by ⁠air or by road.

Pakistan’s military public relations wing ISPR said: “Speculations of Pakistan being involved in supply of Air Defence weapons to Iran from China are absolutely concocted and false.” A spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

CHINA AND IRAN EXPLORE LAND ROUTES FOR DELIVERY, SOURCES SAY

While Iran has invested heavily in the past two decades in missiles, drones and radar, military experts say portable air-defence systems are important because they can be dispersed quickly, operated by small teams and relocated frequently, making them less vulnerable than fixed air-defence ​batteries.

A European security source said authorities in his ​country were aware of several contracts under ⁠discussion involving the possible sale of QW-series MANPADS to Iran, including QW-12, QW-18 and QW-19 systems.

A second security source, in the Middle East, said Iran had been seeking to purchase QW-12 and QW-18 missiles, but they were unaware that a deal had already been concluded.

The QW-12 ​and FN-16 are shoulder-fired, infrared-guided surface-to-air missile systems designed to engage low-flying aircraft, helicopters and drones. Their mobility allows them to be ​deployed rapidly around military installations, ⁠energy infrastructure and other sensitive sites.

Defence analysts regard the QW-12 as less capable than newer QW variants, including the QW-18 and QW-19, but say the systems can still provide an effective layer of short-range protection against drones and low-flying targets.

Two Western intelligence sources and an Iranian official said Tehran had also explored the use of overland routes to move Chinese military supplies and dual-use components ⁠more discreetly and ​reduce the risk of disruption.

The procurement highlights the Islamic Republic’s continuing reliance on a combination of domestic weapons ​production and foreign suppliers despite years of sanctions and restrictions on defence-related imports.

Reuters previously reported that Iran was close to securing a separate agreement with China to acquire anti-ship cruise missiles, according to people familiar with those negotiations. Reuters ​could not determine whether the agreement went through.

On Tuesday, the US Senate voted 51 to 47 to install Clayton, replacing the acting DNI Bill Pulte. Pulte was Trump’s original pick but faced backlash for being a housing official with no national intelligence experience.

Clayton had been serving as US attorney for the Southern District of New York, overseeing several prominent cases including the drug trafficking case against former Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro.

“Jay is outstanding in every way, and will do a spectacular job as Director!” Trump posted afterwards on Truth Social.

Clayton, who is also a former securities regulator and federal prosecutor, succeeds Tulsi Gabbard, who left her job last month and was replaced temporarily by Pulte.

Pulte’s initial appointment in early June raised alarm for both parties, as the Trump loyalist used his other role as federal housing regulator to refer several of the president’s political opponents for possible prosecution and oversaw staffing cuts.

Shortly before the vote for Clayton’s appointment passed, Pulte posted about the cuts on X, writing that “we are, this morning, executing a 5th and near final round of terminations, an approximately 30% staff reduction from weeks ago”.

Shortly after the alarm in June over Pulte, Trump announced Clayton as his replacement nominee. Senators sought to move quickly with his confirmation.

However Clayton’s first scheduled appearance before the Senate intelligence committee on 17 June was called off by Trump, who blamed lawmakers for allowing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) to lapse.

Initially, Democrats welcomed Clayton as a more conventional nominee than Pulte, though their opinion seemed to change during his confirmation hearing earlier this month.

Clayton was repeatedly asked whether former Democratic president Joe Biden won the 2020 election, to which he replied by saying that Biden had been “certified” as the winner. “I’m not an election denier,” Clayton told senators.

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice-Chair Mark Warner, a Democrat, said afterwards that he “came away from [Clayton’s] confirmation hearing with serious reservations about whether he would be willing to stand up to political pressure”.

“I sincerely hope he proves those concerns unfounded, because the Intelligence Community deserves steadier leadership than it has received in recent months,” Warner said in his statement.

Clayton’s confirmation could help revive congressional negotiations on Section 702 of Fisa. This legislation allows the US government to collect communications involving foreigners abroad without an individual warrant, and Trump has been pushing for its long-term renewal.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, said on Monday: “I hope [Clayton’s appointment] will encourage my colleagues to stop blocking reauthorisation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act”.

The FSB – Russia’s domestic security service – said Telegram had been used “to prepare and co-ordinate acts of sabotage and terror” inside Russia and had failed to remove channels, chats and bots used by Ukraine.

An international arrest warrant has been issued for the Russian-born Durov, who lives abroad.

Shortly after the charge was announced, Telegram’s account on X posted an image showing Durov holding up his middle finger. He has previously accused Russian authorities of “fabricating new pretexts to restrict Russians’ access to Telegram”.

Telegram is popular in Russia and is used by tens of millions of people, although authorities have been restricting access as part of a wider crackdown on internet freedom. The app is also popular in Ukraine.

Multi-billionaire Durov, 41, has lived outside of Russia for many years and holds French and United Arab Emirates (UAE) passports.

It is unclear whether other countries or authorities would comply with an arrest warrant issued by Russia.

Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on the platform. He had previously founded popular Russian social media company VKontakte – dubbed the “Facebook of Russia”.

Telegram is used by around 950 million people worldwide and has previously positioned itself as an app focussed on its users’ privacy, rather than the normal policies prioritised by other global social media companies.

The platform has previously faced criticism of its app moderation, but has denied having insufficient practices.

Durov was arrested and placed under formal investigation in France in 2024 over allegations of failure to properly moderate the app to reduce criminality. He was allowed to go home months later, with the investigation continuing.

Many others were said to be in “cardiopulmonary arrest” – a term often used in preliminary reports in Japan before a death is officially confirmed.

In searing heat, rescue crews are digging through the rubble at a paper factory and a shopping mall in Kumamoto prefecture, looking for trapped survivors. The mall suffered an explosion in the hour after the quake struck.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned it was “truly a race against time” to rescue those trapped. Thousands are in evacuation centres and many are without power.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is urging residents to be alert for the possibility of strong aftershocks, public broadcaster NHK reported.

“For the next week or so, especially the next two to three days, we would like people to watch out for potential earthquakes with a maximum seismic intensity of 7,” a JMA official said.

Tuesday’s quake hit the Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT).

One of the worst-hit buildings was the Aeon Mall in Kashima, where a portion of the second floor collapsed.

Footage of the shopping centre showed white smoke rising as people ran into the car park. Large parts of the centre’s exterior were blown off, exposing the steel beams underneath.

Three people remain unaccounted for as rescuers search the rubble.

Aeon Mall president Akio Yoshida confirmed three people were killed in the mall explosion. Some 2,700 people were employed at the mall, officials said.

Yoshida said four people were taken to hospital from the mall, adding that one person had been rescued from a bathroom and another person was in cardiopulmonary arrest.

“We sincerely apologise for this incident,” Yoshida said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Other areas affected include a factory in Yatsushiro City where two people were found to have no signs of life and nine others were unaccounted for, NHK reported.

“Although more than 20 hours have passed since the earthquake, there are those still in need of help,” Takaichi said on Wednesday.

More than 4,600 personnel were deployed to help with rescue efforts, Takaichi added.

Officials advised rescuers and quake survivors to take precautions against heatstroke in the clean-up work as temperatures hit about 35C (95F).

Defence Minister Shinjirō Koizumi said in a post on X that about 300 air conditioning units would be flown to Kumamoto and distributed in the worst-hit areas.

The JMA measured the earthquake magnitude at 7.1 and the US Geological Survey later placed it at 6.8. Quake magnitude figures are often updated as seismologists obtain and analyse new data.

The quake’s shallow epicentre – with a depth of 10 km (six miles) – was about 20km south of Kumamoto city.

Footage aired by NHK showed cracked roads and bridges and several buildings on fire. Train services were suspended and electricity cut off for thousands of homes.

Residents in Kumamoto prefecture awoke on Wednesday to the aftermath of the quake, with images showing debris on the streets and collapsed buildings, including the worship hall of the 19th Century Yatshushiro Shrine.

One resident, Hiroko Ogata, 75, told the BBC she was at the restaurant she runs in Yatsushiro City when the earthquake hit.

“All of a sudden there was a big jolt, and I was surprised and scared… I have lived here for 75 years, but I have never experienced such a big quake. I thought I would die.”

American tourist Chantel Mohar was also in Kumamoto with her family when the earthquake struck.

While travelling in the tourist bus, everyone’s phones went off with earthquake alerts.

“There was just a lot of rocking and confusion,” she told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

Derrick Van Yeboah, 41, also known as “Van” and a leader of the criminal syndicate, was sentenced on July 28, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian. He had previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on March 5, 2026.

“Romance scammers do not simply steal money—they weaponise trust,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, who announced the sentencing. “Van Yeboah and his co-conspirators exploited trust, loneliness, and legitimate business relationships to steal more than $100 million. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of these calculated frauds and our commitment to pursuing international criminal organisations that target Americans”.

According to  court documents, Van Yeboah was a member of a criminal organisation primarily based in Ghana that used two primary methods to defraud victims: romance scams, where operatives built false emotional relationships online before requesting money, and business email compromise schemes, in which fraudsters impersonated company executives to trick businesses into wiring funds.

Many of the conspiracy’s victims were vulnerable older men and women who were tricked into believing they were in online romantic relationships with fake identities assumed by members of the conspiracy. The group stole and laundered more than $100 million from dozens of victims, with fraud proceeds laundered to West Africa.

Van Yeboah was personally held responsible for more than $10 million he stole through his own romance scams. For example, in 2019 and 2020, he assumed fake identities to engage in romance scams with an Ohio woman and a Delaware woman, inducing them to transfer approximately $4.2 million to accounts belonging to the conspiracy. 

Similarly, in 2024, he claimed to a North Carolina man that he needed funds for a parent’s funeral and to recover gold and diamonds from Italy, inducing him to transfer approximately $123,000.

In addition to the 85-month prison term, Van Yeboah was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $10,149,429.17 in forfeiture.

Van Yeboah was extradited from Ghana to the United States on August 7, 2025, following coordinated efforts between the U.S. Department of Justice and several Ghanaian agencies, including the Office of the Attorney-General, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service–INTERPOL unit, the Cyber Security Authority, and the National Intelligence Bureau. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.

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In a public travel advisory, U.S. authorities stressed that the requirement applies to all American citizens, including children who also hold citizenship in another country.

The advisory cautioned that dual-national U.S. citizens are not permitted to use a foreign passport to apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). It noted that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security routinely denies or cancels ESTA applications submitted by American dual nationals.

The U.S. also urged its citizens and nationals living abroad to ensure they travel with a valid U.S. passport whenever they plan to visit the country.

It encouraged travellers whose passports have expired or are close to expiring to renew them before embarking on their journey.

Additionally, the advisory reminded travellers that passports should generally remain valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry into a foreign country to help avoid travel disruptions.

Brent futures increased by $3.30, or 3.9%, to $87.39 a barrel by 0300 ​GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $3.05, or 3.8%, to $82.31 ​a barrel.

“Renewed strength comes after the U.S. said it intercepted a ⁠surprise attack on U.S. troops,” ING analysts said in a note.

“Saudi Arabia ​intercepted drones from Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, which were targeting Saudi energy infrastructure,” ​they said, adding that U.S. and Saudi forces launched strikes on weapon sites across eastern Iraq.

The latest developments dampen expectations for a swift de-escalation in the Persian Gulf, they said.

The ​U.S. military said it intercepted ballistic missiles launched by Iran towards U.S. forces ​in the Middle East in what Washington called “an attempted surprise attack” by Tehran.

Iran’s elite Revolutionary ‌Guards ⁠later said they fired several ballistic missiles at a U.S. air base and a U.S. Central Command centre in Jordan.

Saudi Arabia also said its armed forces, in coordination with U.S. Central Command, carried out “targeted strikes” against Iran-backed groups in Iraq ​it blamed for drone ​attacks on the ⁠kingdom’s oil facilities.

U.S. crude inventories fell by about 3.3 million barrels in the week ended July 24, market sources said ​on Tuesday, citing data from the American Petroleum Institute.

Official ​inventory data ⁠from the Energy Information Administration is due later on Wednesday.

Further supporting prices, OPEC+ is likely to halt oil output increases for three months starting in October, sources told ⁠Reuters, ​after the producer group completes the scheduled return ​of barrels following voluntary cuts.

He was received at the Accra International Airport with a guard of honour mounted by the Ghana Armed Forces.

During the visit, President Nguema is expected to hold bilateral talks with President John Dramani Mahama at the Presidency.

The discussions will focus on enhancing trade, regional security, economic cooperation and continental unity.

Ahead of the talks, the Gabonese leader visited the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, where he paid tribute to Ghana’s founding President and pan-African icon, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

Below are some photos

Photo credit : Presidency