Wed. Oct 9th, 2024
Trending News: President Akufo-Addo calls for swift adjudication of galamsey casesBMW breaking the 8, JM ditching the 8, and the GH politics of ‘ways and means’GMA directs members to maintain full servicesSmall-scale miners announce protest against Organised LabourBawumia has disarmed NDC’s ethnocentric strategy- Kwabena AgyepongBawumia launches CitizenApp sytemMinerals Commission refutes understaffing claimEconomic turnaround driving companies back to Ghana- Finance MinisterBest is yet to come with CitizenApp – NITA DGGhana Health Service ready to contain Mpox outbreakDemocracy Hub Protesters file suit against IGP, AGNPP PCs urged to spend at least 4 days weekly in constituenciesNationwide strike not solution to galamsey crisis – Prof. NyarkoGhana commends Korea for its reliable partnershipKorea’s development assistance to Ghana surpasses $400 MillionGhana leads in promoting responsible business and workers’ welfareGhana reaches staff-level agreement for IMF fourth tranche of $360mBawumia’s govt will focus on job creation, economic growth – Oppong NkrumahGhanaians in Lebanon advised to return home as crisis intensifiesGovt committed to sustainable mining –Information MinisterInflation for September 2024 increases to 21.5%Presidency’s meeting with Organised Labour needless, bogus – GyampoThe 2024 conversation is still pink sheet and arithmetic, not ‘IT’$30m UAE grant for forest conservationBiden announces $8 billion in military aid for UkraineDerek Boateng slams GFA over stadium crisisKumasi Magistrate court invalidates more than 1,000 voter transfers to Manhyia South constituencyProvide factual evidence on “needless allegation” on DRIP equipment – KON to AblakwaECG appoints David Asamoah as acting MDGlobal Africans called to help bridge infrastructure deficitCorrected voter register will be re-exhibited online – EC tells NDCEC dismisses NDC demand for voters’ register auditLebanon ceasefire deal makes progress, France reports at UNTunisia presidential candidate Zammel sentenced to six months in prisonGhana deepens diplomatic relations with Madagascar, St. LuciaPutin proposes new rules for using nuclear weaponsNPP Council of Elders urges strict adherence to party constitutionTDC begins work on 832 housing unitsWar with Russia closer to end than we think – ZelenskyManhyia rejects Afia Pokua’s apologyNigerian music video budget can produce a Ghanaian film – CamidohMoesha Bodoung: Half of my body is paralysed nowFinance Ministry clarifies ongoing efforts to settle Trafigura arrearsNapo rallies Asanteman behind BawumiaFreight Forwarders, Customs agents protest excessive port charges in TemaGRA launches IT training centreOkyenhene pushes equal opportunities for all childrenPolice lauded over ‘Democracy Hub’ protestors’ handlingNAPO warns NDC against EC attacks‘Bawumia’s policies won’t harm mining sector’- Mireku DukerTop Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli strikeBernard Mornah, 10 others disqualified from presidential raceGospel artistes bid KODA farewellDisqualified presidential aspirants didn’t correct errors – ECBawumia picks No.1 spot, Mahama No.8 for NDC on ballot paperWe are collaborating with U.S. to extradite former MASLOC Boss – Deputy AGPolice outlines rules guidelines for NDC’s nationwide demonstration against ECGhana Link’s ICUMS Introduce Advanced Weighbridge System at Ports…Western leaders complicit in Africa’s corruption- OkyenheneNPP presents 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament as PC for Fomena‘Aquaculture for food and jobs’ initiative for MionSouth Sudan postpones long-delayed election by two yearsBoeing and union negotiators to resume talks next week amid strike, federal mediators sayUS and British citizens among 37 sentenced to death in DR Congo coup trialKamala Harris pledges to cut degree requirements for certain federal jobsGovernment sets up inter-ministerial committee to engage stakeholders on illegal miningGovernment will make public sector more resilient — President Akufo-AddoEC to announce qualified presidential candidates on September 17Ghana and Austria renew commitment to boost trade, investment relationsMahama vows to jail galamseyersGhana’s democratic evolution ushers in new dawn of development — President Akufo-AddoWe are committed to peaceful, fair elections – ECInformation Minister opens 3rd Media Capacity Enhancement ProgrammeNPP is in good shape to win December 7 Election — BawumiaLariba Abudu withdraws from Walewale NPP primaryMaame Dokono celebrates 80th birthday in grand style and launches a bookSelena Gomez joins Bloomberg’s billionaire list‘Young artistes have reduced quality of music’- Korede BelloWorld Athletics calls for better treatment for female African athletesEC rejects NDC’s request for forensic audit of voters registerBawumia, Mahama to file nomination forms tomorrowNPP presidential ticket capable of helping Ghana – Okatakyie Prof Amanfi VIIEmbrace peace, reject divisive rhetoric – BawumiaGovernment launches restructuring offer for $13bn of its bondsAsantehene honoured with Honorary Doctorate at University of Cape CoastNew cement price regulation law passedEC declines NDC’s request for live broadcast of meeting on voters registerOlympic athlete Cheptegei dies days after being set alight by ex-boyfriendEC won’t bloat voters register for any party’s advantage – Dr Bossman AsareFDA cautions public against consuming contaminated palm oil with Sudan dyeECG begins mass replacement of obsolete metersNewmont contributes GHC3.176bn in taxes to Ghana in first half of 2024Bawumia pledges to empower youth through massive investment in YEAKofi Agyepong urges gov’t to prioritise YEA-trained artisans for Agenda 111 projectsGroup petitions OSP to probe $245m expenditure for All African GamesAid struggles to reach survivors as Sudan dam collapse, floods wreak havocUN agencies concerned by Mpox spread in Congo’s refugee campsStarmer signals pain and ‘unpopular decisions’ to fix BritainGFA cuts sod for construction of 40-bed accommodation facility at PrampramMan Utd agree £42m deal to sign Ugarte from PSG
Wed. Oct 9th, 2024
Trending News: President Akufo-Addo calls for swift adjudication of galamsey casesBMW breaking the 8, JM ditching the 8, and the GH politics of ‘ways and means’GMA directs members to maintain full servicesSmall-scale miners announce protest against Organised LabourBawumia has disarmed NDC’s ethnocentric strategy- Kwabena AgyepongBawumia launches CitizenApp sytemMinerals Commission refutes understaffing claimEconomic turnaround driving companies back to Ghana- Finance MinisterBest is yet to come with CitizenApp – NITA DGGhana Health Service ready to contain Mpox outbreakDemocracy Hub Protesters file suit against IGP, AGNPP PCs urged to spend at least 4 days weekly in constituenciesNationwide strike not solution to galamsey crisis – Prof. NyarkoGhana commends Korea for its reliable partnershipKorea’s development assistance to Ghana surpasses $400 MillionGhana leads in promoting responsible business and workers’ welfareGhana reaches staff-level agreement for IMF fourth tranche of $360mBawumia’s govt will focus on job creation, economic growth – Oppong NkrumahGhanaians in Lebanon advised to return home as crisis intensifiesGovt committed to sustainable mining –Information MinisterInflation for September 2024 increases to 21.5%Presidency’s meeting with Organised Labour needless, bogus – GyampoThe 2024 conversation is still pink sheet and arithmetic, not ‘IT’$30m UAE grant for forest conservationBiden announces $8 billion in military aid for UkraineDerek Boateng slams GFA over stadium crisisKumasi Magistrate court invalidates more than 1,000 voter transfers to Manhyia South constituencyProvide factual evidence on “needless allegation” on DRIP equipment – KON to AblakwaECG appoints David Asamoah as acting MDGlobal Africans called to help bridge infrastructure deficitCorrected voter register will be re-exhibited online – EC tells NDCEC dismisses NDC demand for voters’ register auditLebanon ceasefire deal makes progress, France reports at UNTunisia presidential candidate Zammel sentenced to six months in prisonGhana deepens diplomatic relations with Madagascar, St. LuciaPutin proposes new rules for using nuclear weaponsNPP Council of Elders urges strict adherence to party constitutionTDC begins work on 832 housing unitsWar with Russia closer to end than we think – ZelenskyManhyia rejects Afia Pokua’s apologyNigerian music video budget can produce a Ghanaian film – CamidohMoesha Bodoung: Half of my body is paralysed nowFinance Ministry clarifies ongoing efforts to settle Trafigura arrearsNapo rallies Asanteman behind BawumiaFreight Forwarders, Customs agents protest excessive port charges in TemaGRA launches IT training centreOkyenhene pushes equal opportunities for all childrenPolice lauded over ‘Democracy Hub’ protestors’ handlingNAPO warns NDC against EC attacks‘Bawumia’s policies won’t harm mining sector’- Mireku DukerTop Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli strikeBernard Mornah, 10 others disqualified from presidential raceGospel artistes bid KODA farewellDisqualified presidential aspirants didn’t correct errors – ECBawumia picks No.1 spot, Mahama No.8 for NDC on ballot paperWe are collaborating with U.S. to extradite former MASLOC Boss – Deputy AGPolice outlines rules guidelines for NDC’s nationwide demonstration against ECGhana Link’s ICUMS Introduce Advanced Weighbridge System at Ports…Western leaders complicit in Africa’s corruption- OkyenheneNPP presents 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament as PC for Fomena‘Aquaculture for food and jobs’ initiative for MionSouth Sudan postpones long-delayed election by two yearsBoeing and union negotiators to resume talks next week amid strike, federal mediators sayUS and British citizens among 37 sentenced to death in DR Congo coup trialKamala Harris pledges to cut degree requirements for certain federal jobsGovernment sets up inter-ministerial committee to engage stakeholders on illegal miningGovernment will make public sector more resilient — President Akufo-AddoEC to announce qualified presidential candidates on September 17Ghana and Austria renew commitment to boost trade, investment relationsMahama vows to jail galamseyersGhana’s democratic evolution ushers in new dawn of development — President Akufo-AddoWe are committed to peaceful, fair elections – ECInformation Minister opens 3rd Media Capacity Enhancement ProgrammeNPP is in good shape to win December 7 Election — BawumiaLariba Abudu withdraws from Walewale NPP primaryMaame Dokono celebrates 80th birthday in grand style and launches a bookSelena Gomez joins Bloomberg’s billionaire list‘Young artistes have reduced quality of music’- Korede BelloWorld Athletics calls for better treatment for female African athletesEC rejects NDC’s request for forensic audit of voters registerBawumia, Mahama to file nomination forms tomorrowNPP presidential ticket capable of helping Ghana – Okatakyie Prof Amanfi VIIEmbrace peace, reject divisive rhetoric – BawumiaGovernment launches restructuring offer for $13bn of its bondsAsantehene honoured with Honorary Doctorate at University of Cape CoastNew cement price regulation law passedEC declines NDC’s request for live broadcast of meeting on voters registerOlympic athlete Cheptegei dies days after being set alight by ex-boyfriendEC won’t bloat voters register for any party’s advantage – Dr Bossman AsareFDA cautions public against consuming contaminated palm oil with Sudan dyeECG begins mass replacement of obsolete metersNewmont contributes GHC3.176bn in taxes to Ghana in first half of 2024Bawumia pledges to empower youth through massive investment in YEAKofi Agyepong urges gov’t to prioritise YEA-trained artisans for Agenda 111 projectsGroup petitions OSP to probe $245m expenditure for All African GamesAid struggles to reach survivors as Sudan dam collapse, floods wreak havocUN agencies concerned by Mpox spread in Congo’s refugee campsStarmer signals pain and ‘unpopular decisions’ to fix BritainGFA cuts sod for construction of 40-bed accommodation facility at PrampramMan Utd agree £42m deal to sign Ugarte from PSG

Category World

World
Biden announces $8 billion in military aid for Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden announced more than $8 billion in military assistance for Ukraine on Thursday to help Kyiv repel Russian invaders, using a visit by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to make a major commitment.

The aid includes the first shipment of a precision-guided glide bomb called the Joint Standoff Weapon, with a range of up to 81 miles (130 km). The medium-range missile gives Ukraine a major upgrade to the weapons it is using to strike Russian forces, allowing the Ukrainians to do it at safer distances.

The bomb, capable of striking targets with high accuracy, is to be dropped from fighter jets. Biden will not announce that Washington would let Ukraine use U.S. missiles to hit targets deeper in Russia, a U.S. official said.

“We’re making clear that we stand with Ukraine now and in the future,” Biden told reporters ahead of a bilateral meeting with Zelenskiy in the Oval Office. He said the U.S. would continue to help Ukraine strengthen its position on the battlefield, and that he had directed the Pentagon to allocate all remaining security funding by the end of his term in January.

Zelenskiy thanked Biden for his support and said it was important to secure Ukraine’s future in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Zelenskiy has long sought NATO membership, but the allies have stopped short of taking that step.

The bulk of the new aid, $5.5 billion, is to be allocated before Monday’s end of the U.S. fiscal year, when the funding authority is set to expire. Another $2.4 billion is under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allows the administration to buy weapons for Ukraine from companies rather than pull them from U.S. stocks.

This will provide Ukraine with additional air defense, unmanned aerial systems and air-to-ground munitions, as well as strengthen Ukraine’s defense industrial base and support its maintenance and sustainment requirements, Biden said.

Under his plan, the president said, the Defense Department will refurbish and provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense battery and more Patriot missiles.

Biden ordered the Pentagon to expand training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, including by supporting the training of an additional 18 pilots next year.

Zelenskiy thanked Biden and the U.S. Congress for the new military aid package, saying Ukraine would use it “in the most efficient and transparent manner”.

“I am grateful to the United States for providing the items that are most critical to protecting our people,” Zelenskiy said on X, mentioning the Patriot battery, drones and long-range missiles.

Source: reuters.com

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World
Lebanon ceasefire deal makes progress, France reports at UN

France said on Wednesday that efforts would continue in coming hours to clinch a deal on a proposal for a 21-day ceasefire in the Lebanon conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.

“We have made important progress in the last few hours and we will continue our efforts in the coming hours,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told reporters outside a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

Barrot, who was due to travel to Lebanon later this week, earlier told the 15-member council: “We are counting on both parties to accept it without delay, in order to protect civilian populations and allow for diplomatic negotiations to begin.”

Israel widened its airstrikes in Lebanon on Wednesday and at least 72 people were killed, according to a Reuters compilation of Lebanese health ministry statements. The ministry earlier said at least 223 were wounded.

Israel’s military chief said a ground assault was possible, raising fears the conflict could spark a wider Middle East war.

The U.S. was working with other countries to avert an escalation of hostilities, enable displaced people in Lebanon and Israel to return home and allow for discussions on a broader diplomatic solution, Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood told the council.

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters before the meeting that Israel would welcome a ceasefire and preferred a diplomatic solution. He then told the Security Council that Iran was the nexus of violence in the region and peace required dismantling the threat.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told reporters before the council meeting that his country supported Hezbollah and would not remain indifferent if the conflict in Lebanon spiraled.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on the Security Council to put pressure on Israel for “an immediate ceasefire on all fronts.” Asked if a ceasefire can be reached soon, he told Reuters: “Hopefully, yes.”

World leaders voiced concern the conflict – running in parallel to Israel’s war in Gaza against Palestinian Hamas militants also backed by Iran – was escalating rapidly as the death toll rose in Lebanon and thousands fled their homes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to arrive in New York on Thursday and address the U.N. General Assembly on Friday.

Source: reuters.com

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World
Tunisia presidential candidate Zammel sentenced to six months in prison

A Tunisian court sentenced presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel to six months in prison on Wednesday on charges of falsifying documents, his lawyer told Reuters, the second prison sentence against him in a week, days before the presidential election.

The verdict highlights rising tensions ahead of the election, amid opposition and civil society groups’ fears of a rigged election aimed at keeping President Kais Saied in power.

Zammel was sentenced to 20 months in prison last week on charges of falsifying popular endorsements.

“It is another unjust ruling and a farce that clearly aims to weaken him in the election race, but we will defend his right to the last minute”, Abdessattar Massoudi told Reuters.

Zammel was among only three admitted candidates competing for the position of President alongside incumbent Saied and Zouhair Magzhaoui.

Political tensions in the North African country have risen ahead of the Oct. 6 election since an electoral commission named by Saied disqualified three prominent candidates this month amid protests by opposition and civil society groups.

Source: Reuters

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World
Putin proposes new rules for using nuclear weapons

Vladimir Putin says Russia would consider an attack from a non-nuclear state that was backed by a nuclear-armed one to be a “joint attack”, in what could be construed as a threat to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine.

In key remarks on Wednesday night, the Russian president said his government was considering changing the rules and preconditions around which Russia would use its nuclear arsenal.

Ukraine is a non-nuclear state that receives military support from the US and other nuclear-armed countries.

His comments come as Kyiv seeks approval to use long-range Western missiles against military sites in Russia.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has travelled to the US this week and is due to meet US President Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday, where Kyiv’s request is expected to be top of the agenda.

Ukraine has pushed into Russian territory this year and wants to target bases inside Russia which it says are sending missiles into Ukraine.

Responding to Putin’s remarks, Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said Russia “no longer has anything other than nuclear blackmail to intimidate the world”.

Putin has threatened the use of nuclear weapons before. Ukraine has criticised it as “nuclear sabre-rattling” to deter its allies from providing further support.

Russian ally China has also called for calm, with reports President Xi Jinping has warned Putin against using nuclear arms.

But on Wednesday, after a meeting with his Security Council, Putin announced the proposed radical expansion.

A new nuclear doctrine would “clearly set the conditions for Russia to transition to using nuclear weapons,” he warned – and said such scenarios included conventional missile strikes against Moscow.

He said that Russia would consider such a “possibility” of using nuclear weapons if it detected the start of a massive launch of missiles, aircraft and drones into its territory, which presented a “critical threat” to the country’s sovereignty.

He added: “It is proposed that aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation.”

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World
War with Russia closer to end than we think – Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the war with Russia could end sooner than some people think.

“I think that we are closer to peace than we think,” he told US broadcaster ABC News.

He added that Ukraine could push Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict, but only if Kyiv was coming from a “strong position” – once again calling on his Western allies to strengthen the Ukrainian army.

The Ukrainian president is in the US this week to speak at the United Nations General Assembly and to present what he has called a “victory plan” to his Western allies, including US President Joe Biden.

In a statement ahead of the visit, Zelensky said the plan included further weapons donations, diplomatic efforts to force Russia to agree to peace, and holding Moscow accountable for its full-scale invasion in 2022.

In his interview with ABC News, Zelensky said his victory plan was not about negotiating with Russia, but rather it was “a bridge to a diplomatic way out, to stop the war”.

On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was being cautious about media reports of a Ukrainian plan and added that the conflict would only end when Russia’s aims were achieved.

Zelensky has for some time been asking Western countries to allow Ukraine to ease restrictions on the use of long-range missiles which could be used to strike deep into Russia. He is expected to do so again this week as he visits the US.

On Sunday, Biden said he had not yet decided whether to give Ukraine the green light. Zelensky said the US would need to lead the decision: “Everybody’s looking up to [Biden], and we need this to defend ourselves,” he told ABC.

Zelensky will speak at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday and is also due to meet US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

The president of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, told the New York Times that Ukraine would have to be “realistic” about its prospects of recovering the areas in the east of the country which Russia has managed to gain over the last 31 months of war.

He added that the most likely outcome of the war was that a part of Ukrainian territory would remain under Russian occupation for a number of years.

A defeat of either Ukraine or Russia “will simply not happen”, Pavel told the Times, adding that the end of the conflict would be “somewhere in between”.

Zelensky’s US trip comes as Ukraine continues to come under sustained attack by Russia.

An incursion by Ukrainian troops into Russia’s Kursk region in August failed to ease the pressure put by Moscow on eastern Ukraine.

Several regions continue to see daily casualties and widespread damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. There are concerns Russia could seize more key towns in the east of the country.

In a daytime attack on Tuesday, Russia hit a high-rise apartment block in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv.

At least three people died and 15 were injured in the attack, which local authorities said was carried out with glide bombs.

On Monday night, an attack on the eastern Ukrainian town of Poltava damaged infrastructure, while in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia one person died and six others were wounded following “massive air strikes”.

Russian troops have made serious advances in the east and are closing in on Vuhledar – a city on the southern part of the Donbas front line that the Russians have been trying to seize since the beginning of their full-scale invasion.

Source: BBC

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World
Top Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli strike

A top Hezbollah military commander was killed in an Israeli air strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday, in a major escalation that has added to fears of an all-out war.

Hezbollah confirmed Ibrahim Aqil’s death after Israel said he was one of several senior Hezbollah figures killed in the strike.

Earlier, Lebanese officials said at least 14 people were killed and dozens injured in the strike that hit the densely populated Dahieh area, a stronghold of the Iran-backed group in the city’s southern suburbs.

There were chaotic scenes as emergency teams rushed to the site of the attack, rescuing the wounded and searching for people believed to be trapped under the rubble. At least one residential building collapsed and others were heavily damaged.

Streets were closed by Hezbollah members, some looking incredulous as the attack represented another humiliating blow in a week which saw pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to the group explode.

Dozens were killed and thousands wounded in those attacks, widely believed to be orchestrated by Israel.

Friday’s strike was the first to hit Beirut since July, when Hezbollah’s military chief Fuad Shukr was killed.

In a statement, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari said Aqil, a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces, was killed alongside senior operatives in the group’s operations staff and other Radwan commanders.

Hagari said they “were gathered underground under a residential building in the heart of the Dahiyah neighbourhood [in southern Beirut], hiding among Lebanese civilians, using them as human shields”.

The IDF spokesman added that the individuals killed were “planning Hezbollah’s ‘Conquer the Galilee’ attack plan, in which Hezbollah intended to infiltrate Israeli communities and murder innocent civilians”.

The plan was first reported by the Israeli military in 2018, when the IDF said it was blocking tunnels dug by Hezbollah to penetrate Israeli territory and kidnap and murder civilians.

Source: BBC

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World
South Sudan postpones long-delayed election by two years

South Sudan’s government has decided to postpone a long-delayed national election until December 2026, the presidency said on Friday, underscoring the challenges facing the country’s fragile peace process.

“The presidency, under the chairmanship of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, has announced an extension of the country’s transitional period by two years as well as postponing elections, which were initially scheduled for December 2024 to December 22nd, 2026,” Kiir’s office said on Facebook.

South Sudan has been formally at peace since a 2018 deal ended a five-year conflict responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, but violence between rival communities flares frequently.

Until Friday’s announcement, it was planning to choose leaders to succeed the current transitional government, which includes Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, whose respective forces battled each other during the civil war.

“There is a need for additional time to complete essential tasks before the polls,” Kiir’s office said.

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Boeing and union negotiators to resume talks next week amid strike, federal mediators say

Boeing and union negotiators will return to the bargaining table early next week, U.S. federal mediators said on Friday, as the two sides try to end a strike threatening the airplane maker’s turnaround.

The U.S. Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service late on Friday said it was convening the parties with a federal mediator after speaking to both sides, less than a day after union members voted by a huge majority to reject Boeing’s contract offer and went on strike.

“The parties will resume meetings early next week,” it said in a statement.

More than 30,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) who produce Boeing’s top-selling 737 MAX and other jets in the Seattle and Portland areas voted on their first full contract in 16 years, with 94.6% rejecting Boeing’s offer and 96% favoring a strike. Workers vowed to fight for a better pay offer than the company had made.

Shortly after midnight on the West Coast, striking workers started to gather outside Boeing factories in the Seattle area.

Chief Financial Officer Brian West said Boeing wants to get back to the negotiating table, saying the walkout will make it harder for the plane maker to meet the production target for the 737 MAX jet and stabilize its supply chain. The union was also eager to return to the table as quickly as possible.

“This is about fighting for our future,” said Jon Holden, who headed negotiations for Boeing’s largest union before announcing the strike vote result on Thursday.

Boeing declined to comment on the mediator’s comments and the union was not immediately available for comment.

Workers have been protesting all week in Boeing factories in the Seattle area that assemble Boeing’s MAX, 777 and 767 jets. On Friday evening, members in the union hall cheered and chanted “Strike! Strike! Strike!”

Boeing’s stock fell 3.7% on Friday. It has tumbled almost 40% so far this year, slashing the company’s market value by roughly $58 billion. Boeing’s corporate bonds also lost value, with spreads between their yields and comparable U.S. Treasuries widening sharply.

A long strike could further damage Boeing’s finances, already groaning due to a $60 billion debt pile. The planemaker needs to generate sufficient cash flow to meet payments on the debt. A strike also would weigh on airlines that fly Boeing jets and suppliers that manufacture parts.

Moody’s put the planemaker’s rating on review, while Fitch said a prolonged strike could increase the risk of a downgrade. On Thursday, S&P Global Ratings said an extended strike could hurt Boeing’s overall rating, which is one notch above junk status. A downgrade could increase Boeing’s cost to issue debt.

Boeing said it had offered workers everything it could and now must reach a deal to end the strike while planning for investments needed to replace its best-selling single-aisle models. CFO West said the company would be “laser-like focused on action to conserve cash,” adding the strike will “jeopardize our recovery.”

New CEO Kelly Ortberg was brought in just weeks ago to restore faith in the planemaker after a door panel blew off a 737 MAX jet mid-air last January. He offered a contract including a pay rise of 25% over four years, far lower than the 40% workers had demanded. Union leaders recommended approval of the contract, but angry members voted overwhelmingly to strike and fight for the original 40% wage increase demand and an annual bonus.

Source: Reuters

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US and British citizens among 37 sentenced to death in DR Congo coup trial

Thirty-seven people – including three Americans, a Briton, a Belgian and a Canadian national – have been sentenced to death over an attempt to overthrow the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The men were accused of leading an attack on both the presidential palace and the home of an ally of President Félix Tshisekedi in May.

Christian Malanga, a US national of Congolese origin, the suspected leader of the plot, was killed during the attack, along with five others.

In total 51 people were tried in a military court, with hearings broadcast on national TV and radio.

Malanga’s son Marcel, one of the US citizens sentenced to death, previously told the court that his father had threatened to kill him unless he took part.

His friend Tyler Thompson, was also given the death penalty. The pair, aged in their 20s, had played football together in Utah.

His stepmother Miranda Thompson in June told the BBC the family had “zero idea” how he had ended up in DR Congo.

“We were in complete shock as to what was happening, and the unknown. Everything we were learning was what we were getting off Google,” she said.

The third American, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, had business interests with Christian Malanga.

Also sentenced to death was Jean-Jacques Wondo, a dual Congolese and Belgian citizen.

Human Rights Watch previously described him as a prominent researcher on regional politics and security, and suggested the evidence connecting him to the coup attempt was thin.

The AFP news agency reports that the Briton and Canadian nationals were of Congolese origin.

The court heard the British national, Youssouf Ezangi, had helped recruit some of the others who took part.

Of the 51 tried, 14 people were acquitted and freed, with the court finding they had no connection to the attack.

Those convicted have five days to appeal against their sentences.

Death sentences have not been carried out in DR Congo for roughly two decades – convicts who receive the penalty serve life imprisonment instead.

The government lifted this moratorium in March this year, citing the need to remove “traitors” from the nation’s dysfunctional army. However, no death penalties have been carried out since.

The attempted coup began in the capital, Kinshasa, in the early hours of 19 May. Armed men first attacked parliamentary speaker Vital Kamerhe’s home in Kinshasa then headed to the president’s official residence.

Witnesses say a group of about 20 assailants in army uniform attacked the palace and an exchange of gunfire followed.

An army spokesman later announced on national TV that security forces had stopped “an attempted coup d’etat”.

Local media reports said the assailants were members of the New Zaire Movement linked to Malanga, an exiled DR Congolese politician.

Malanga was shot dead in the attack after resisting arrest, said army spokesperson Brig Gen Sylavin Ekenge.

President Tshisekedi was re-elected for a second term in disputed elections last year in December. He won about 78% of the vote.

DR Congo is a country with vast mineral wealth and a huge population. Despite this, life is difficult for many people, with conflict, corruption and poor governance persisting.

Much of the country’s natural resources lie in the east where violence still rages despite Mr Tshisekedi’s attempts to deal with the situation by imposing a state of siege, ceasefire deals and bringing in troops from neighbouring countries.

Source: BBC

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Kamala Harris pledges to cut degree requirements for certain federal jobs

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday she will cut college degree requirements for certain federal jobs if elected president after the Nov. 5 elections in which she faces Republican former President Donald Trump.

The Democratic presidential candidate said the U.S. should recognize the value of paths to success beyond a college degree, like apprenticeships and technical programs.

“As president, I will get rid of the unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs to increase jobs for folks without a four-year degree,” Harris said in her speech.

A degree does not necessarily indicate a person’s skills, Harris said. She added: “And I will challenge the private sector to do the same.”

Both Harris and Trump have been trying to appeal to voters with economic pledges. Harris has said she will aim to pass a middle class tax cut. Trump has advocated for cutting taxes on overtime pay. Both have supported eliminating taxes on tips.

Harris’ speech in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, also faced some interruption from protesters opposing U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis. It followed a deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Palestinian Hamas militants.

Demonstrators in the U.S. have for months demanded an end to the war and restrictions on shipments of weapons to Israel.

Harris reiterated her support for a ceasefire and hostage rescue deal.

“Now is the time to get a hostage deal and ceasefire,” Harris said when interrupted. “I respect your voice, but right now, I am speaking,” she added.

Harris is in a tight race with Trump. Observers have said that if Muslim and Arab Americans, who overwhelmingly voted for the Democrats in the last presidential election, withhold their vote, it may hurt Harris’ chances.

Source: Reuters

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President Akufo-Addo calls for swift adjudication of galamsey cases

President Akufo-Addo calls for swift adjudication of galamsey cases
Opinion

BMW breaking the 8, JM ditching the 8, and the GH politics of ‘ways and means’

BMW breaking the 8, JM ditching the 8, and the GH politics of ‘ways and means’
News

GMA directs members to maintain full services

GMA directs members to maintain full services
News

Small-scale miners announce protest against Organised Labour

Small-scale miners announce protest against Organised Labour
Politics

Bawumia has disarmed NDC’s ethnocentric strategy- Kwabena Agyepong

Bawumia has disarmed NDC’s ethnocentric strategy- Kwabena Agyepong
News

Bawumia launches CitizenApp sytem

Bawumia launches CitizenApp sytem