Troops attacked villages on the edge of Sambisa Forest where Boko Haram fighters have their hideouts.

The jihadists are reported to have abandoned their positions, rushing into a river swollen by heavy rain.

Local militias who fight alongside government troops said they pulled more than 100 bodies from the water and buried them nearby.

Tens of thousands have been killed and about two million displaced by the Islamist insurgency which began in 2009.

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Under the 24-month transition agreement struck in July with the West Africa regional bloc, Ecowas, the military rulers pledged to hold elections that will return the country to civilian rule.

Lt-Col Damiba on Monday visited President Alassane Ouattara of neighbouring Ivory Coast, a diplomatic foray that came on the heels of a visit to Mali on Saturday.

The three countries are battling a bloody campaign by Islamist groups in the Sahel that has worsened the security situation.

Lt-Col Damiba and President Ouattara discussed the future of Burkina Faso and the security situation in the region.

During the meeting the two leaders praised efforts against jihadist groups and the collaboration between the two countries in the exchange of intelligence.

The Ivorian president said he was encouraged by the ongoing reconciliation efforts in Burkina Faso.

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The young men pretended to be jihadists so as to steal from locals, the authorities said.

One of the men was identified and seized by the local population and is currently under police detention, said Vicente Chicote, the provincial police commander.

He said it was not the first time young people in the area had posed as jihadists with an intention to steal within the communities.

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The only Western leader to appear in person was the Dutch host, Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

The Senegalese President Macky Sall said he felt bitter that the world’s main polluters had failed to offer funds to help Africa adapt to global warming.

The Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi said the continent contributed the least to climate change but suffered its worst consequences.

The Horn of Africa is enduring its worst drought in four decades and several countries are on the brink of famine.

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Mr Trump is being investigated for allegedly taking documents with him when he left the White House.

But the “special master” is an independent lawyer who decides if any of the records are covered by attorney-client or executive privilege.

The move is seen as a blow to prosecutors and a win for Mr Trump.

The former president had asked for the special master to be appointed, while prosecutors had strongly opposed it – and the appointment is likely to slow down the justice department’s ongoing criminal investigation.

That is because the judge has banned the government from reviewing or using the seized materials for its investigation until the special master’s independent review has been completed.

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Department of Justice officials previously said that documents stored at former President Donald Trump’s Florida home were likely to have been concealed as part of an effort to obstruct an FBI investigation.

The authorities say these documents should have been handed over to the National Archives – which US presidents are legally obliged to do upon leaving office.

Mr Trump, meanwhile, denies any kind of wrongdoing, arguing that as president he had declassified all the documents, and that they were kept securely at his Mar-a-Lago home.

The Department of Justice resisted Mr Trump’s request saying that any presidential records seized in the FBI’s 8 August search of Mar-A-Lago “belong to the United States, not to the former president”.

It is not clear how long the special master’s review will take.

Mr Trump’s lawyers have argued some of the documents are covered by attorney-client privilege – a part of US law that allows people to keep conversations with their lawyers private.

His legal team have also claimed “executive privilege” over the documents, which allows presidents to keep certain communications under wraps.

However, some legal experts argue that these moves are merely a tactic to delay proceedings – since the documents have already been looked at.

Before the decision was handed down, law professor and US constitutional law expert Aziz Huq told the BBC the demand for a special master was simply “throwing sand in the gears”.

“It’s unclear why a special master is required. A special master is usually used before the government sees the underlying material, and here the government has seen them,” the former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said.

Former federal prosecutor and former deputy attorney general for New York, E Danya Perry, said: “What really strikes me here is it’s too late… you can’t unscramble the egg or put the genie back in the bottle. These documents have been reviewed.”

A court in Urmia found Zahra Seddiqi Hamedani, 31, and Elham Choubdar, 24, guilty of “corruption on Earth”.

The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported that they were accused of promoting homosexuality, promoting Christianity and communicating with media opposed to the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s judiciary later confirmed the sentences, but said they were connected to human trafficking and not activism.

“Contrary to the news published in cyberspace and the rumours that have been spread, these two individuals have been accused of deceiving women and young girls and trafficking them to one of the countries of the region,” the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan reported.

Amnesty International previously described her as a “gender non-conforming human rights defender” who it said had been detained “solely in connection with her real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity as well as her social media posts and statements in defence of [LGBT] rights”.

It reported that she was arrested in October 2021 by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) while attempting to cross into Turkey to seek asylum.

It cited her as saying that she was forcibly disappeared for 53 days, during which an IRGC agent allegedly subjected her to “intense interrogations accompanied by verbal abuse” and “threatened to execute or otherwise harm her and take away the custody of her two young children”.

This January, Seddiqi Hamedani was brought before a prosecutor in Urmia, the largest city in West Azerbaijan, and told that she was accused of “spreading corruption on Earth”, including through promoting homosexuality, communicating with hostile media and promoting Christianity, according to Amnesty.

The group said the first two accusations stemmed from her public defence of LGBT rights on social media and her appearance in a May 2021 BBC documentary about abuses that LGBT people were suffering in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, where she had been living.

Under Iranian law, same-sex sexual conduct is a criminal offence, with punishments ranging from flogging to the death penalty.

The accusation of promoting Christianity was for wearing a cross necklace and attending a house church in Iran several years ago, Amnesty added.

Citizens who are not recognised as Christians, Zoroastrians, or Jews may not engage in public religious expression in Iran.

Before she attempted to leave Iran, Seddiqi Hamedani recorded a video in which she said: “I want you to know how much pressure we LGBT people endure. We risk our lives for our emotions, but we will find our true selves… I hope the day will come when we can all live in freedom in our country.”

“I am journeying toward freedom now… If I don’t make it, I will have given my life for this cause.”

Hengaw provided no details about Elham Choubdar other than saying that she was from Urmia.

The Germany-based Iranian Lesbian and Transgender Network (6-Rang) also confirmed the death sentences for the two activists and called on foreign government to put pressure on Iran to release them.

“This is the first time that a woman has been sentenced to death in Iran for her sexual orientation,” spokeswoman Shadi Amin told AFP news agency.

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According to declassified intelligence obtained by the New York Times, Russia has bought millions of artillery shells and rockets from Pyongyang.

A US official said Russia would be forced to buy additional North Korean weaponry as the war dragged on.

Last week, Moscow reportedly received its first order of new Iranian drones.

Iran and North Korea, both the targets of significant Western sanctions, have sought to deepen ties with Russia since President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February.

Kim Jong-un’s regime has blamed the US for the conflict and accused the West of pursuing a “hegemonic policy” that justified Russia’s use of force.

Last month, North Korea recognised the independence of Russia’s two proxy statelets in eastern Ukraine – the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics – and vowed to deepen its “comradely friendship” with Moscow. Russia’s Vladimir Putin said the two countries would expand their “comprehensive and constructive bilateral relations”, according to Pyongyang state media.

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The exact size and scale of the new weapons deliveries revealed by the report remain unclear.

But a US official told the Associated Press that turning to North Korea for support demonstrated that “the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions”.

Broad economic sanctions have done little to damage Russia’s income from energy exports, according to Finnish think tank the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. It estimates Russia has made €158bn (£136bn) from surging fossil fuel prices during the six-month invasion, with EU imports accounting for more than half of that.

However, US and EU believes that Moscow’s ability to resupply its military has been impaired.

Last week, officials in the Biden administration told US media that the first shipments of Iranian made drones had also been delivered to Russia.

US intelligence officers believe that Russian operators have travelled to Iran to receive training on the Mohajer-6 and Shahed series weapons.

But they told reporters recently that many of the drones had been beset by mechanical and technical problems since delivery.

Iran has officially denied delivering weapons to either side of the conflict, but in July US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tehran was planning to supply Moscow with potentially hundreds of drones for its war in Ukraine, some with combat capabilities.

On Tuesday, UK defence officials said in a daily update that Russia was struggling to maintain its supply of battlefield drones in the face of significant “combat losses”.

“It is likely that Russia is struggling to maintain stocks of UAVs, exacerbated by component shortages resulting from international sanctions,” the update said.

“The limited availability of reconnaissance UAVs is likely degrading commanders’ tactical situational awareness and increasingly hampering Russian operations,” officials added.

Vicky Bowman and Htein Lin, a former political prisoner, were charged with breaching immigration laws.

The couple were arrested last week in their home in Yangon.

The case is likely to be about wider political concerns than immigration offences, for which foreigners are rarely prosecuted in Myanmar.

Ms Bowman, a fluent Burmese speaker, is a well-known member of Myanmar’s small international community.

She first served in what was then called Burma in 1990 as a junior diplomat and returned as ambassador from 2002-2006. She now runs the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB), based in Yangon, which said it was “shocked” by the sentences.

In its statement, it added that Ms Bowman had “dedicated many years of her life to strengthening social and economic development in Myanmar”.

“We hope it will be possible for her to be reunited with her family in the UK soon,” it said.

Ms Bowman and her husband were detained when they returned to the city from a home they have in Shan State. Military authorities charged them both with failing to register her as living at a different address.

Htein Lin is a prominent artist and former political prisoner who was a member of the All Burma Student’s Democratic Front, an armed resistance group which was formed after the popular student-led uprisings against the military junta in 1988.

The couple got married and moved to London before returning to Yangon in 2013.

The pair’s arrest came as the UK recently announced sanctions against the military authorities in Myanmar – coinciding with the fifth anniversary of its deadly crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in the country. The onslaught in 2017 left more than 6,000 people dead, and displaced hundreds of thousands in just the first few months, with most of them fleeing across the border into Bangladesh.

Earlier on Friday, a military-run court in Myanmar also sentenced former leader Aung San Suu Kyi to a further three years in jail on election fraud charges.

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Myanmar’s military regime has been accused of widespread violations of human rights.

Early in August, generals extended their emergency rule until 2023, with the country riven by internal fighting.

The junta seized power last year after overthrowing Aung Sung Suu Kyi’s democratically-elected government.

After last year’s coup Ms Bowman chose to stay in Myanmar, and appears to have been careful to avoid any public comment which might provoke the military government.

Her conviction is widely assumed to be driven by something other than a minor breach of immigration rules.

Many foreigners have overstayed visas, often by many months, or changed addresses without notifying the authorities, but prosecutions for such offences are almost unheard of in Myanmar. Usually a small fine will settle the matter.

But as perhaps the best-known British national still living in Myanmar after the coup, Ms Bowman is likely seen by the junta as a suitable target for retaliation against the British government.

The UK has taken a hard line against the military rule, and the current UK ambassador was expelled from the country.

It’s also possible the junta feared her work led her to sensitive information or detailed knowledge about the opaque workings of shady military-linked companies.

Ms Bowman has also been critical of some of the measures taken by the junta which have affected the economy; she has spoken at numerous seminars on Myanmar since the coup, though generally she has been careful to avoid any open criticism of the military government.

Her husband may also be a factor in their arrest. Htein Lin was a prominent member of the so-called 88 generation of dissidents who spent six years in prison in the early 1990s, though in recent years he has kept a lower political profile and been better known as an artist.

All of the cases centre around a private medical clinic in northwestern Tucuman province.

Authorities say they have ruled out Covid and common types of flu but are continuing other infection checks.

Tests on the local water supply and air conditioners are also being done in the hunt for the cause.

The third victim was a 70-year-old woman who had been admitted to the clinic for a surgical procedure.

Doctors believe she may have been “patient zero” for the respiratory illness. The others who have fallen ill with the lung condition were medical staff at the centre.

Their close contacts are under follow-up but none have developed symptoms to date.

The mystery disease claimed its first victim among workers at the clinic on Monday and a second two days later. Both, like the 70-year-old woman, had other underlying health conditions.

The first six patients started showing symptoms between August 18 and 23.

Tucuman health minister Luis Medina Ruiz said on Wednesday the patients were struck with “a severe respiratory condition with bilateral pneumonia…very similar to Covid”.

Symptoms included a high fever, body aches and difficulty breathing.

Hector Sale, president of the Tucuman provincial medical college, told local reporters: “We are not dealing with a disease that causes person-to-person transmission” as no cases have been identified among close contacts of any of the patients.

The Pan American Health Organization is monitoring the situation along with the Argentina health authorities.

Prof Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, told the BBC that at this stage, it was “pretty much impossible” to say what the impact might be.

“These things happen from time to time. Often they just fizzle out, but not always.

“Sometimes they cause a substantial local outbreak or something even bigger.”

He said experts should have more answers within days thanks to the rapid speed that checks and tests can give results.

Prof Beate Kampmann from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said: “It is too early to comment on whether this represents a threat to a wider population or remains restricted to the institution, or whether it might be caused by a new pathogen or one we already know about.”

Prof Sir Peter Horby from Oxford University said there were echoes of how the Covid outbreak began with infections in healthcare workers involving severe pneumonia.

But he added: “People shouldn’t be overly alarmed. There are other potential explanations.

“At the moment I’m not overly concerned but I’ll be watching it like a Hawk.”

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Mujib Rahman Ansari died alongside his brother, members of his security detail and civilians gathered for prayers in a suspected suicide blast, officials say.

It is not yet clear who is behind the attack, which the Taliban denounced as “sinister” and “cowardly”.

The killing is the latest in a string of assassinations of prominent pro-Taliban figures in the country.

According to police, Ansari was arriving at Gazargah mosque to lead Friday noon prayers when a suicide bomber kissed the cleric’s hand and detonated an explosive device.

Unverified images on social media appear to show a number of bloodied corpses lying amid a scene of devastation outside the mosque compound in the western Afghan city.

Local officials say at least 23 people were wounded in the attack, but local reports suggest the total casualty figure could be significantly higher.

“Unfortunately, the country’s popular religious scholar Mawlawi Mujib Rahman Ansari has been martyred in a cowardly attack during the Friday prayers in Herat,” a Taliban spokesman tweeted.

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The cleric was well-known in Afghanistan for his support of the Taliban’s rule.

Speaking earlier this summer at a religious gathering in Kabul, he called for those who committed “the smallest act against our Islamic government” to be beheaded.

According to AFP news agency, he said “this [Taliban] flag has not been raised easily, and it will not be lowered easily.”

No-one has claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack, but the militant Islamic State (IS) group has previously issued videos threatening the pro-Taliban cleric.

The security situation in the country, which had improved after the end of fighting following the Taliban takeover, is seen to be deteriorating.

Ansari is the fourth Muslim cleric close to the Taliban to have been killed in less than two months.

Several of those attacks were claimed by IS, including a suicide bomb explosion last month in the capital Kabul which killed prominent pro-Taliban religious leader Sheikh Rahimullah Haqqani.

Days later 21 people were killed in an explosion at a Kabul mosque.

Despite both being Sunni Islamist groups, IS considers itself to be a bitter rival of the Taliban and regularly challenges its rule over Afghanistan using violence.

According to KUSA television station, the authorities have arrested and charged three people in connection with the sad event that happened on Thursday evening.

The report said a 21-year-old man Emiliano Vargas, along with two unidentified juveniles, were charged with the incident, which “could be an accident.”

According to a radio station, KRDO, one of the underage suspects was fiddling with a gun and tossed it to another minor, who “caught the gun and did not know how to hold the gun and fired it.”

KRDO reported one of the suspects said that “it could be an accident,” though she confirmed that the gun was pointed and fired at the Salazaar.

Both juvenile suspects face reckless manslaughter charges for their role in the matter.

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Vargas, the owner of the gun was not present during the incident but was also charged with permitting or providing a minor with a firearm, as the gun was conveniently available by one of the suspects.

The report revealed that one of the suspects and Vargas had dated and lived together.

A search of the suspects’ phones and social media accounts reportedly showed them wielding the gun in question, suggesting that it was not the first time the teenagers accessed the firearm.

While the authorities have resolved to get justice for the deceased, her family have also talked to journalists about their grief.

“It’s hard. It’s hard to put into words,” the victim’s father William Salazar told KUSA.

“She could go into a store and come out with 20 new friends. She was just that type of person. She loved people, and people loved her,” Aaliyah’s grandfather, Gary Salazar, recalled.

He said this in an interview with Roselyn Felli on Prime Morning, Thursday.

According to him, mentally-ill people attack when they perceive danger to their lives, saying that they are harmless.

“When you see someone who is mentally ill, the person is not necessarily going to attack you. Most of the time, they will attack when they perceive danger or a form of threat. And so if you see them and you’re nice to them, they’ll also be nice to you,” he said.

Recently, some mentally challenged people have invaded major streets of Accra, Takoradi, and Cape Coast, threatening the lives of people, leading to the killing of a motor rider at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange in Accra.

The World Health Organisation estimates that close to 3 million Ghanaians live with mental disability, out of which 600,000 of the conditions are severe, with only three facilities to cater for these cases.

Also, one out of four people within the total population of Ghana needs mental health care, but there are not enough facilities to accommodate the affected people.

Speaking on the show, Dr. Azusong explained that people find it difficult to open up about their conditions due to the fear of stigma and neglect from other people and society.

… every workplace you go to, a lot of people have mental health issues. But most of these go under cover. We push them under the sheet and we say it’s just you, or it’s family or drugs. Because of that, it is difficult for people to come out and say I don’t feel well. I need to go and see a psychiatrist,” he explained.

In addition, he stated that not only the mentally ill persons found on the streets have severe conditions, but other people within society and the workplace are severely affected, saying it is difficult to detect.

He revealed that District Assemblies are responsible for capturing and reporting mentally-ill people on the streets to the psychiatric hospitals. He said the assemblies are given finances for the performance of such duties.

Using the mentally-challenged woman who killed a pedestrian at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange as an example, Dr Azusong urged families to report such cases of relatives suffering from mental illness early instead of waiting until it becomes worse.

“The leaders, building on their productive call in April and the US-South Africa Strategic Dialogue in August, will discuss opportunities to deepen our cooperation on trade and investment, infrastructure, climate and energy, and health,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

It added that the presidents would also reaffirm the partnerships between their two countries and “discuss our work together to address regional and global challenges”.

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When police arrived at Hassan Iquioussen’s home in Lorches, in northern France, he wasn’t there.

The interior ministry ordered Mr Iquioussen’s expulsion in July over what it called his “especially virulent and anti-Semitic speeches”.

But French cultural, academic and human rights figures claim the case is further evidence of anti-Islamic sentiment in France.

They’ve launched a petition calling on President Emmanuel Macron to stop his deportation.

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Lawyers representing the electoral commission and President-elect William Ruto challenged the petition by presidential candidate Raila Odinga and six others seeking to overturn the results of the 9 August election.

The legal teams urged the court to dismiss pleas made by Mr Odinga and others saying they lacked merit because they had not tabled evidence to support their claims.

They challenged the petitioners to provide proof to demonstrate that the results transmission system was compromised.

The court was told that the allegations made about the dispute between the commissioners and the chairperson were merely sensational and do not warrant a nullification of the election outcome.

They accused petitioners of engineering a constitutional crisis to achieve their political objectives.

Lawyers will respond to questions and clarifications sought by the seven-judge bench on Friday.

The judges will then write the judgement over the weekend and deliver the ruling on Monday.

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The five-day programme which started on Thursday, September 1, 2022, will end on Monday, September 5, 2022.

The Divisional Head for Corporate Communication and Experience for GT bank Ghana, Agnes Owusu-Afram, indicated that the programme is organised to sensitise the public on autism and how to care for people with autism.

“Autism is one subject that is not spoken about enough in our society but it is a serious condition that people are facing.

“This programme, therefore, is to help clear the misconceptions surrounding autism, and to offer guardians the best consultation on how best to cater for their autistic wards,” she added.

According to her, GT bank is embarking on this project as part of its contribution towards the development of the country at large.

“Guaranty Trust Bank came up with this initiative as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility,” Madam Agnes noted.

“This is our way of making a difference in society,” she added.

GT Bank is, therefore, calling on all people who are living with autism and guardians to participate in this free consultation programme.

The programme, which started in Nigeria and later to Ghana, is held annually for autistic patients. Patients get to meet specialised doctors from various countries to interact with and guide them on how to go about autism and to care for such people.

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The official languages will be rotated annually over the next 10 years.

This is the fourth time South Africa will be changing the design of its coins – the last one being in 1989.

The cabinet in a statement explained how the new design will look like for each denomination.

“The word ‘South Africa’ will be inserted on the one side of the coins and printed in all the official languages. Three languages will be used in the R5 coin; two languages R2; 50c, 20c and 10c coins and the R1 will be in one language,” the cabinet statement read in part.

The new coins will begin circulating from next year and no sample design has been generated yet.

South Africa has 11 official languages: Zulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Setswana, English, Sesotho, Xitsonga, Siswati, Tshivenda and Ndebele.

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A health union official said a gynaecologist, an anaesthetist and a nurse were being questioned over potential negligence.

Senegalese media say the heavily pregnant woman died after losing a lot of blood.

Her baby died as a result of injuries sustained during the operation.

The Senegalese Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (ASGO) defended the medical team and criticised the arrests as “wrongful”.

In a statement quoted by the AFP news agency, it said the team had taken “the appropriate decision” for the woman and her baby.

Last year President Macky Sall described Senegal’s health system as obsolete and ordered a national review of neonatal services.

It followed a national outcry over the death of a woman in labour – in a case in which three Senegalese midwives who were involved were found guilty of not assisting someone in danger.

In an interview on Badwam Ahosepe on Adom TV, he questioned the scheme people who question his gift use to identify jokers.

“I want to know the standard people who think I am joking use in measuring if someone is being serious or a joker,” Naasei the story singer quizzed.

“What makes them think their way of worship is pleasing to God but mine is not pleasing to God?” he said.

According to him, he has heard a lot of such statements from people but decided to give a deaf ear to them.

“I have been hearing it myself but I don’t pay attention to them because I know where my focus is, after all I was not called by humans,” Naasei noted.

“I don’t care because God did not sit with anyone when he called me, so what makes them think they understand the calling more than I do?” he added.

The singer added that he has no time for such people, saying “I was called alone, so they should go ahead with it, but for me, I am moving forward.”

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According to him, Ghanaians are throwing away their culture for alternatives from the West due to lack of understanding of traditional medicine, discrimination, high turnover and declining interest in healing as a profession.

Speaking to climax this year’s yam festival at Damanko at Nkwanta North, Mr Wajah advised Africans to cherish, uphold traditional values and make them reflect in their way of life.

He was concerned about the situation where many Ghanaians adore foreign cultures and despise anything associated with traditional issues.

The traditional healer further urged the government to clamp down on fake practitioners who are always on TV and radio station deceiving the public to reduce the human-killing for money rituals.

According to him, the country is presently facing a myriad of complex challenges that could only be overcomed when the youth stay away from these fake pastors and spiritualists.

However, some of the traditional healers at Damanko also appealed to government to support them to enhance good health and safety among Ghanaians.

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President of the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs, Pimampim Yaw Kabrese V, made the request when a delegation of ‘Nananom’ paid a courtesy call on the President at the Jubilee House.

President Akufo-Addo, in response to the request, noted that his briefing from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, indicated that the Police have not suspended all police operations at Nkoranza, but charge office services.

The President gave an assurance that efforts will be made to restore full police operations at Nkoranza.

However, he added that the chiefs and elders of Nkoranza must do everything possible to address issues of the youth taking the law into their own hands and attacking police facilities.

The chiefs, on the other hand, solicited for government’s support for the region’s commercial rice production agenda as well as completion of road projects.

According to Pimampim Yaw Kabrese V, the strategy of the Bono East region supports the President’s vision to modernise agriculture to improve productivity, increase the income of farmers and provide jobs for the youth. 

Responding to this request, President Akufo-Addo indicated the Minister for Agriculture, Afriyie Osei Akoto, has been talking to him about the rice farming in the region and that efforts will be made to support it.

He added that whatever resources needed to support the efforts in the Bono East Region aimed at increasing rice production will be offered by his administration.

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The situation, which is caused by inequitable distribution of Senior Specialists, is even worse in five regions that are without a single Senior Specialists in the very limited health facilities there.

The situation puts healthcare seekers in those regions in a dire situation as the absence of the Specialist puts them in a precarious situation when the need for those Specialists arises.

The Medical and Dental Council currently has over ten thousand registered Medical and Dental practitioners and the Greater Accra and Asante regions alone have 83% of the total number.

Absence of the registered Senior Specialists in eight out of the sixteen regions of the country, run counter to the universally accepted Sustainable Development goal 3 which is targeted at good health ‘’to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’’

Speaking at at the Medical Training and Practice Conference of the Medical and Dental Council, Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council, Dr Divine Ndonbi Banyubala, made the urgent call to the government.

In his emotional address, Dr Banyubala said
“Worryingly, half of our 16 regions in particular Ahafo, Oti, North East, Upper East, Western, Upper West, Western North, and Savannah regions have not registered a single Specialist.”

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According to him, he has no partner currently but he is in search of one.

“I am a virgin, I haven’t had sex before nor gone out with any lady,” he said.

“I want someone to come and marry me because women can also marry men now,” he added.

Naasei told Adom TV’s presenter, Sister Sandy, that any woman interested in him can contact him although he is searching for one.

“I am looking for mine but if the lady also comes, it is a good thing,” he noted.

The singer disclosed this in an interview on Adom TV’s morning show, Badwam Ahosepe with host Sister Sandy.

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The exercise began last week and targets more than 10,000 members of the force fighting against the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) rebels.

So far, 6,200 Ugandan soldiers have been vaccinated.

The Ugandan army’s director of public health, Dr Francis Xavier Bakehena says the response from the troops has been good because they are aware of the threat Ebola poses.

The exercise will also cover soldiers manning border points with the DR Congo.

The World Health Organization has provided 12,000 vaccines from Merck. An additional 10,000 from Johnson and Johnson will also be available in weeks.

Front-line workers like health workers, customs and immigration officials will be vaccinated in the second phase of the exercise.

DR Congo confirmed a case of Ebola in Beni district, North Kivu province two weeks ago, six weeks after an outbreak was confirmed in Equateur province.

No imported case has been reported in Uganda so far but authorities have since stepped up surveillance and put 21 districts that border the DR Congo on high alert.

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Mr Odinga’s lawyers made their submissions during Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing of their request to nullify Mr Ruto’s victory, citing gross mismanagement of the election.

They told the court that the transmission system for the results forms was compromised by unauthorised access by known and unknown persons.

This led to manipulation of vote information during the transmission between polling stations and the national tallying centre.

They further argued that voters in Mr Odinga’s support bases were disenfranchised because of technology hitches on voting day and postponement of elections.

Mr Ruto’s legal team will offer its rebuttal later on Wednesday. The other five petitioners will also argue their case later.

Meanwhile, a recount of votes from 15 of the 46,000 polling stations is underway outside the courthouse as ordered by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

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A terrorism court convicted Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani of “using the internet to tear the social fabric” and “violating public order by using social media”, rights group Dawn reported.

Little is known about her other than that she criticised Saudi leaders.

Another woman was jailed for 34 years over her Twitter activity on 9 August.

Abdullah Alaoudh, director of research for the Gulf region at Dawn, told the BBC’s Newshour programme that the group had learnt of Qahtani’s case only after being passed court documents by a judicial source, and that it was continuing to investigate.

“Nothing in her court documents pertains to any violence or criminal activity,” he said.

“The charges against her are really broad. They are using the counter-terrorism law and the anti-cybercrime law… that can criminalise any posting that is even remotely critical of the government,” he added.

Several other female activists have reportedly been detained in relation to social media posts since last year. Mr Alaoudh said he feared that they could also be handed lengthy prison sentences.

“The Saudi government is sending a strong signal to the West that it does not care about human rights.”

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Mr Alaoudh warned that it was “impossible not to connect the dots” between US President Joe Biden’s controversial meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed in Jeddah last month and “the uptick in the repressive attacks”.

Mr Biden had previously vowed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over its human rights record.

ALQST, a UK-based rights group, also expressed grave concern about Qahtani’s sentence, which it said was “based on [her] tweets”.

“As feared, we are witnessing an alarming deterioration of the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia,” it added.

The Saudi Prisoners of Conscience account also tweeted that it had confirmation of the sentence, but there was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.

Earlier in August, Salma al-Shehab, a Saudi PhD student at Leeds University, was jailed for 34 years.

She was arrested while on holiday in Saudi Araba in January 2021, and was found guilty of “providing succour to those seeking to disrupt public order” and “publishing false and tendentious rumours”.

Before leaving England, the 34-year-old mother of two had called for reforms and the release of prominent activists and intellectuals imprisoned under a crackdown on dissent overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Shehab’s prison term was believed to be the longest ever handed to a peaceful activist in the country until Qahtani’s was reported.

Always a man of the times; we were served a virtual sermon, which was part 3 of his ongoing series on Living in the Spirit.

Like the savvy teacher that he is, Pastor Otabil had a whiteboard pulled out, marker in hand, highlighting important notes; quoting scriptures, and steadily feeding our minds with new dynamics and dimensions of the word we have never been exposed to.

He may have been physically absent, and profoundly missed; but his teaching lacked none of the tenacity, clarity of thought, or transformational knowledge characteristic of a Pastor Otabil sermon.

When Pastor Otabil is delivering the word; the congregation, big or small, old or young; are like students in a lecture hall; notepads (electronic and paperback) pulled out, ears listening; eyes gazing and pens scribbling. 

In that brief period, there’s so much to learn, observe and absorb from the word of the Lord that it is wise not to miss a thing. 

No matter how learned or successful you may be; there’s always something new to learn from a Pastor Otabil sermon.

Growing up, like most kids in my generation; going to church on Sunday was a must; it was so well enforced by my father that it felt more like a chore. 

I grew up Catholic, per my father’s denomination and my education. I learned a lot from the doctrines of the Catholic Church, especially in the Seminary when my father thought I would become a priest. A lot of my life has been shaped by the doctrines of the Catholic Church.

However, the highlight of Sunday evenings in our home, even for my dad, was catching Pastor Otabil on ‘Living Word’ on TV3. I always looked forward to it. For some reason, during that time, whiles ironing my uniform for school, eyes on my clothes but ears on the television; there was always something new to learn; even for a wiry young teenager yet to find himself in any way, shape, or form.

The kitchen sink realities served through the gospel by Pastor Otabil always resonated with my young self.  Suffice it to say, my favourite preacher has always been Pastor Otabil.

Somehow, I looked less to him as a preacher; and more as a man who served much-needed nuggets of wisdom, on ‘Life and Living it well.’ His teachings have guided my life from then till now.

I still fondly remember my first encounter with the statement; “the only real estate [wealth that survives after you] is real estate.” 

This statement was made by Pastor Mensa Otabil at one of the Albert and Comfort Ocran-led Springboard seminars. It has since influenced many of my financial decisions. I was 19 years old when I attended that seminar. I am now 33. Not surprisingly, even today, whenever I think of Pastor Otabil, the first thought that comes to mind is, ‘real estate is the only real estate.’

Like everyone, I have had many topsy turvy seasons in my life. Some have brought me closer to God and some further away from Him. 

Through every season though, pastor’s sermons have always served as a soothing reminder to tap into the grace of God to course correct. 

His teaching on the wisdom of King Solomon; expounds on the Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon’s palace. His observations thereof; and how he captured each detail of her experience in the palace.

These experiences culminate in the Queen’s overwhelming respect and adulation not only for Solomon but especially, for the God of Solomon, ‘Who has delighted in him and placed him on the throne of Israel.’ (1 Kings 10:9 – paraphrased]. He juxtaposes this with how Christians should aspire to attain the wisdom to achieve exponential growth in every area of their lives.  

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Simple as it may sound; this teaching was awe-inspiring and life-defining for me. I always strived for excellence, or so I thought; until I watched that sermon. It opened my mind to the realisation that excellence is a prerequisite for true service to God and not an option based on how successful you want to be in life. 

The believer’s excellence, competence, honour, integrity, value, and contribution in all endeavours serve to glorify and exalt the name of God. It is this quality of the believer that exhibits the greatness of God for the world to see.

We are, after all, created in the image and likeness of God. Thus, we are living examples of all that is great about our God. A lack of wisdom and excellence displayed by a believer is therefore a blight on the greatness of God. 

Pastor Otabil is certainly a man who has mastered excellence, The reader does not require a study into his life to recognise the excellence of God in his ways. 

Need I mention the high standards set by his church ICGC, the unique organisational structure of the church, the Central University, and the phenomenal Greater Works conference, which, in my view, is probably the most well-organised event in this country so far this year.

Let’s talk about his various publications; of which I personally single out Buy the Future: Learning to Negotiate for a Future Better Than Your Present. A book that is a tremendous guide to life, growing up, and living it well; and which should be studied in schools across the country. 

In his closing monologue at a conference in Nigeria, Pastor Otabil said that Africa’s leaders [both business and political] should learn from and appreciate the continent’s religious leaders, who have been successful in building organisations that have grown consistently over time. I believe, it is imperative for the young people of today to do so as well. 

Admittedly, religious leaders like Pastor Otabil have a unique advantage; and that is the Grace of God, but heavy is the head that wears the crown.

It takes a vessel who is willing to learn and improve on a daily basis [over decades], and who is ready to lead the flock with grace. Leaders of the church are required to weather the storms of the spirit and the ones society throws at them; and still display exemplary leadership that proffers wisdom, discipline, people management, and selflessness to build a system that will benefit the children of God.

Pastor Otabil is a true example of such leadership. Whether you are Christian or not; there’s a lot to admire, study, and honour about his life.

At 63 years young, there’s still so much more to give; and as a nation, we must celebrate him as a national treasure. As a church, members of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) must count themselves privileged to be able to drink every day from the well of God’s wisdom. As a man, I thank God for his life and all that God has used him to do for me.

Happy birthday pastor Mensa Anamua Otabil. 

In an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, the Minister indicated how essential the parent engagement policy will be when implemented, saying “I think when we do that it will help all of us.”

According to him, implementing the policy will help improve transparency among parents and teachers.

“GES has written letters to the various schools and I think it will be necessary we implement a parent engagement policy so that every parent and school will know the dos and don’ts,” he said.

Dr Adutwum said it will be best if parents are not obligated to pay a fixed amount as a PTA levy.

“I wish there won’t be a fixed amount to be paid by a parent, rather, parents will pay any amount they can afford,” he noted.

“For a fixed levy to be paid by parents, the decision should come from the Ministry and its stakeholders because we now run TVET services as well and should be well detailed,” he added.

The Minister, however, mentioned that there would be an engagement with parents and all stakeholders to develop a policy that will guide the payment of monies in schools.

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The splattered tomatoes caused seven cars to crash and closed much of the Interstate 80 highway on Monday.

Three people had minor injuries and a fourth is in hospital with a broken leg, California Highway Patrol said.

During tomato season, lorry drivers use the major motorway to transport the fruit across the state.

An initial collision caused the tomato truck to swerve into the central divide of the motorway, spilling fist-sized tomatoes across a 200ft section of the motorway, according to reports.

This left a sea of red sauce about “two feet deep”, said Highway Patrol Officer Jason Tyhurst.

Cars drove over the squelching tomatoes, creating a dangerous slurry of tomato juice, oil and dirt.

“These tomato skins, man, once they hit the asphalt it’s like walking on ice,” said Mr Tyhurst, speaking to the New York Times.

Clean-up crews allowed the road to reopen several hours later.

The Golden State produces more than 90% of the country’s processed tomatoes and almost half of global processed tomatoes, according to the California Tomato Growers Association.

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The purchases are to accrue from a new arrangement that allows the central bank to pay cedis for foreign exchange (forex) that have been repatriated by the exporters.

Already, the bank purchased US$20 million from one mining firm last week in a positive start to the new programme that seeks to bolster BoG’s reserves in the midst of rising demand and a depreciating cedi that is attributable to weak buffers.

The Director of the Research Department of the bank, Dr Philip Abradu-Otoo, told the Graphic Business on August 27 that BoG also received commitments worth more than US$120 million from other mining companies in the programme’s first week.

He said the purchase and the pledges brightened the bank’s optimism that the programme would successfully bolster the central bank’s reserve position.

The central bank needs a swell of hard currencies to fund imports and meet foreign debt repayment and amortisation obligations after limited inflows stretched the reserves to a record low, further exposing the cedi to one of its worst year-to-date depreciations since 2015.

Net reserves fell by more than half to US$3.58 billion in June this year from US$7.94 billion the same period last year.

It followed a dry-up in flows from the traditional Eurobonds although demand continued to soar.

To help shore up the reserves and contain the cedi depreciation, BoG announced on August 17 after its emergency Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting that it would purchase all forex arising from the voluntary repatriation of export proceeds from mining and oil and gas companies.

“This will strengthen the central bank’s forex auctions,” the bank said.

BoG data show that gold exports fetch an average of US$3.5 billion annually, of which the companies voluntarily repatriate about 75 per cent.

Data from the Ghana Chamber of Mines (GCM), however, shows that mineral exports bring in an average of US$5 billion per annum, of which gold is the lead earner.

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The state governor, Babagana Zulum, launched the initiative in Monguno town where victims of the conflict have been staying in camps after being displaced from their communities.

Some 7,000 children were registered to primary and junior secondary schools in the first phase of the programme on Sunday and Monday, his spokesman told the BBC.

The authorities say many of the beneficiaries are children orphaned by the violence. They say the project is targeting more than 20,000 children across the state.

The insurgency, which began in 2009, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions of others in north-eastern Nigeria and several neighbouring countries.

It forced many children to abandon schools and others could not be enrolled at all. Learning institutions have also been destroyed.

The authorities however say they are making efforts to ensure children are back to class by building new schools and sponsoring their education.

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Many industry players were expecting Don Tsegah to be plain with Tinny, when the latter appeared for an interview on Hitz FM, after he had insulted Stonebwoy for paying his debt.

But a lot of them were left disappointed after Don Tsegah rather apologised to Tinny for breaking a story that the musician felt uncomfortable with.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Adom Entertainment Hall, Don Tsegah said people perceived him to be a pretender for not responding to Tinny, but he has disagreed.

“There are lot of people who had different views with some thinking I was a hypocrite for not being able to talk when I met him on the show,” Don Tsegah noted.

“I couldn’t talk on the show but there were so many reasons why I had to take that course of action,” he added.

Mr Tsegah indicated it would have been an awful situation if he had responded to Tinny.

“Considering the posture he came into the studio with, it would have been messy if I had retaliated to whatever he said and that is why I had to take that course of action,” he said.

“I exhibited that action for a good reason,” he added.

Watch the video below:

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Mr Ambani, who heads the telecoms-to-retail group Reliance Industries, says the high-speed network will be introduced first in major cities, including New Delhi and Mumbai.

He said it will then be expanded to the rest of India by December 2023.

The company is also working with Google to develop a budget 5G smartphone.

Speaking on Monday at Reliance’s annual general meeting, Mr Ambani said that once the firm’s 5G network is fully operational it would be the biggest in the world.

The service will be rolled out through Reliance’s subsidiary Jio – which is India’s largest mobile carrier.

Mr Ambani also said that Reliance was working with US technology giant Google to develop an “ultra-affordable” 5G smartphone, without giving further details on its price or planned launch date.

The cheapest 5G-ready smartphones in India currently cost around $150.

The announcements came as the battle for domination in India’s digital future is heating up.

Earlier this month, the Indian government concluded a record $19bn auction for airwaves, including 5G airwaves, where Jio emerged as the top buyer.

It also drew bids from other major players Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel – and a fourth new entrant, Adani Data Networks.

The fifth generation of high-speed mobile internet – or 5G – supports emerging technologies such as driverless cars and artificial intelligence.

It seen to be central to India’s plans to transform the country into a $1tn digital economy.

In May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 5G would “not only accelerate internet speed but also boost development and employment.”

During the wide-ranging address to investors, Mr Ambani also laid out a succession plan for his business empire.

The 65-year-old confirmed that his daughter Isha would head Reliance’s retail ventures, while his youngest son Anant would join its new energy business.

His eldest son Akash was appointed as the chairman of Jio in June this year.

With an estimated net worth of $91.9bn, Mr Ambani is the eleventh richest person in the world and the second richest person in Asia, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

His late father Dhirubhai Ambani founded a textiles manufacturer that would eventually become Reliance Industries.

It is now India’s largest conglomerate by market value, with businesses including petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecoms and retail.

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The award winning artiste expressed great excitement considering how far he has come in the industry.

“It is a great feeling to stage this concert in the UK as I celebrate 10 years of doing music, I want to urge my fans to come out in their numbers to support me,” he said.

Bisa appreciated his fans for their support saying “I appreciate my fans who played a vital role in my success story as a musician. The November concert will be remembered dearly.”

The Odo Carpenter hit maker further indicated that the concert will be held in the UK and Ghana respectively.

“I will organize another concert in Ghana after that of the UK to celebrate my success,” Bisa noted.

The UK concert is scheduled to come off in London, Indigo at The O2, on November 18, 2022.

This, he stated in an interview with Graphic Showbiz.

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Controllers struggled to get an engine on the 100m-tall vehicle cooled down to its correct operating temperature.

They had previously worried about what appeared to be a crack high up on the rocket but eventually determined it was merely frost build-up.

The SLS is the biggest rocket ever developed by Nasa. It will be used to send astronauts back to the Moon.

The maiden flight, part of Nasa’s Artemis programme, is just a demonstration with no-one onboard. But ever more complex missions are planned for the future that will see people live on the lunar surface for weeks at a time.

The scrub will have disappointed the hundreds of thousands of spectators who had gathered on local beaches and causeways to see the most powerful rocket in 50 years fly skyward.

But Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson, himself a one-time astronaut, said the cautious approach was the right one.

“We don’t launch until it’s right,” he stressed. “And I think it’s just illustrative that this is a very complicated machine, a very complicated system. And all those things have to work. And you don’t want to light the candle until it’s ready to go.”

Nasa has the option to try again on Friday, if the engine issue can be resolved by then.

Worryingly, this particular power unit also played up during a recent countdown rehearsal.

If controllers have to roll the rocket back to Kennedy’s assembly building to swap out the engine, it will introduce several weeks’ delay.

Nasa also has to be mindful of the weather. Conditions here in Florida are very dynamic at this time of year. Electrical storms frequently pass over the spaceport. It’s best to try to launch in the morning. It’s generally calmer. But the opportunity this Friday and on Monday next are afternoon launch windows.

The launch of #Artemis I is no longer happening today as teams work through an issue with an engine bleed. Teams will continue to gather data, and we will keep you posted on the timing of the next launch attempt. https://t.co/tQ0lp6Ruhv pic.twitter.com/u6Uiim2mom

— NASA (@NASA) August 29, 2022

When it eventually lifts off, the rocket’s job will be to propel a test capsule, called Orion, far from the Earth.

This spacecraft will loop around the Moon on a big arc before returning home to a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean six weeks later.

Orion will be uncrewed for the first mission, but – assuming all the hardware works as it should – astronauts will climb aboard for a future series of missions, starting in 2024.

The current mission’s chief objective actually comes right at the end of the 42-day flight.

Engineers are most concerned to see that Orion’s heatshield will cope with the extreme temperatures it will encounter on re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere.

Orion will be coming in very fast – at 38,000km/h (24,000mph), or 32 times the speed of sound.

“Even the reinforced carbon-carbon that protected the shuttle was only good for around 3,000F (1,600C),” said Mike Hawes, the Orion programme manager at aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

“Now, we’re coming in at more than 4,000F (2,200C). We’ve gone back to the Apollo ablative material called Avcoat. It’s in blocks with a gap filler, and testing that is a high priority.”

The European Space Agency has provided the service module for Orion. This is the rear section that pushes the capsule through space. It’s an in-kind contribution that Europe hopes will lead to its nationals being included in future journeys to the surface of the Moon.

While we hoped to see the launch of Artemis I today, the attempt provided valuable data as we test the most powerful rocket in history. Our commitment to the Artemis Program remains firm, and we will return to the moon.

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) August 29, 2022

Several missions are being planned – currently it’s up to Artemis IX.

By that stage there should be habitats and roving vehicles on the Moon for astronauts to use.

But ultimately, Artemis is seen as a proving ground to get people to Mars.

“The timetable for that was set by President Obama. He said 2033,” recalled Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson.

“Each successive administration has supported the programme and the realistic timeframe that I’m now informed is the late 2030s, maybe 2040.”

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The measure is meant to, among other things, ensure the safety of passengers and crew, as well as their comfort while en route to and from Ghana.

Consequently, the GCAA will soon issue a new directive to stop airlines from importing or flying commercial aircraft that are 20 years and above in the country.

When the directive is issued, Ghana will join a growing list of countries, such as Nigeria, Uganda, Thailand, Bolivia, Malaysia, Mongolia and Turkey, that have imposed age ceilings for commercial aircraft.

The Director-General of the GCAA, Charles Kraikue, who made this known in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Friday, said the authority was currently in discussions with relevant stakeholders on the new directive that sought to impose an aircraft age restrictions regime.

“Following persistent complaints from passengers, we will soon bring out a new directive that will stop airlines from using overage aircraft in the country’s airspace.

“Under the new regime, the proposed ceiling for commercial aircraft to be deployed to Accra is 20 years. This is part of a bundle of measures designed to ensure that aircraft on the Accra route are fit for purpose,” he said.

Mr Kraikue observed that although age limit had little, sometimes no direct, impact on the airworthiness of an aircraft, recent persistent complaints had made it necessary for the authority to impose age restrictions on commercial carriers to ensure that passengers got the best when flying to and from Ghana.

“If the proper maintenance procedures are followed, chronological age is not a limitation, but the directive has become necessary due to recent periodic complaints and dissatisfaction from passengers,” he said.

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SLS is the most powerful vehicle ever developed by NASA, and will be the foundation of its Artemis project which aims to put people back on the lunar surface after a 50-year absence.

The rocket is timed to go up from the Kennedy Space Centre at 08:33 local time (12:33 GMT; 13:33 BST) on Monday.

Its job will be to propel a test capsule, called Orion, far from Earth.

This spacecraft will loop around the Moon on a big arc before returning home to a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean in six weeks’ time.

Orion is uncrewed for this demonstration but assuming all the hardware works as it should, astronauts will climb aboard for a future series of ever more complex missions, starting in 2024.

“Everything we’re doing with this Artemis I flight, we’re looking at through the lens of what can we prove out and what can we demonstrate that will buy down risk for the Artemis II crewed mission,” explained Nasa astronaut Randy Bresnik.

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The US space agency has several opportunities over the next week to fly SLS-Orion, but it will want to take the option immediately in front of it.

The weather here in Florida is very dynamic at this time of year, with frequent electrical storms passing over the spaceport.

Indeed, the pad’s lightning towers have been struck several times in recent days.

Early morning is when conditions are usually at their calmest, which makes Monday a great day to fly.

“Basically, the beginning of the launch window, or just after 08:30 in the morning, has an 80% chance of favourable weather,” said meteorologist Melody Lovin.

However, if technical issues push the launch to the back of the allotted two-hour window, the probability drops to 60%, because of the likely encroachment of showers. The rocket is not permitted to lift off in the rain.

The new rules are aimed to force car makers to accelerate the introduction to the market of cleaner vehicles.

It comes after Governor Gavin Newsom set a target in 2020 to speed up the shift away from fossil fuels.

The move is important as California is the most populous state in the US and one of the world’s biggest economies.

Under the rules, issued by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), 35% of new vehicles sold in the state must be electric, hybrid or hydrogen-powered by 2026.

The regulations would apply to 68% of vehicle sales by 2030, and 100% by 2035.

CARB chair Laine Randolph said the move was “a historic moment for California, for our partner states and for the world as we set forth a path toward a zero emission future”.

The announcement is the latest move by California as it continues to move faster than the US federal government to tighten emission rules.

With more than 39m residents, California is the biggest US state by population. If it was a standalone country it would be the fifth-largest economy in the world by gross domestic product, putting it ahead of the United Kingdom.

Joseph Mendelson, senior counsel at electric carmaker Tesla, said CARB’s plan was “both achievable and paves the way for California to lead in electrifying the light duty sector”.

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However, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation – which represents carmakers including General Motors, Volkswagen and Toyota – said more needed to be done to boost demand for electric vehicles (EVs).

“What we’ve said to CARB and others is that getting more EVs on the road must go hand-in-hand with other policies that together will ultimately determine the success of this transition,” the alliance’s president and chief executive John Bozzella said.

The new rules still have be approved by the US government before they can take effect.

However, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers trade association called on President Biden and the Environmental Protection Agency to “reject California’s request for a Clean Air Act waiver to proceed with this unlawful ban.”

“Sure,” I replied.

I didn’t give the invite too much credence besides thinking that I’d add to my reservoir of blind date small talk — like how while hiking in Canada I once spotted a rare grizzly bear or that I was hired by a Jewish singles group for a summer job because I was “good at flirting” or how I once ended up on a Mardi Gras float in New Orleans throwing beaded necklaces to the crowd.

But the minute I took my seat in the auditorium among the throngs of jaded Manhattanites in their 20s and 30s, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.

The hypnotist said he wanted us to focus on a question about what was holding us back in our lives.

He asked for a volunteer so that he could demonstrate the healing power of a past life regression.

My hand shot up like a Bravo Housewife who had just had water thrown on her freshly-styled hair.

“I want to find out why I pick emotionally unavailable men who aren’t worthy of me and why the thought of being in love makes me feel suffocated,” I said. He motioned me to come on stage and sit on a chair.

“OK. Relax your body and close your eyes. We’re going to go back in time,” the hypnotist told me in a soothing timbre.

“Counting 10, 9, 8, 7, you’re floating freely through time and space, and you’re now going to land in the lifetime from which you will find the answer you’ve been seeking. When you’re ready to land in 5, 4, 3, 2 1, you’ll look down and see shoes. Please describe them to me.”

I strained to see through the thick fog in my mind.

“I think I see clogs,” I said. “But they aren’t the clogs of today. They look different, sturdier.”

“Do you know where you are and the year?”

Into my faded vision came grainy scenes reminiscent of an ancient movie reel from a documentary. “Yes, I’m in Massachusetts. But not the Massachusetts of today. It’s from Pilgrim times.”

“Wonderful,” he said. Now look up from your clogs and tell me what you see.”

“I see a man,” I said. “I mean, I’m a man. My name is Jonah. I’m thirty years old, in the military. I’m in love with my brother’s wife and I can’t tell her, and I definitely can’t tell him.”

“Are you married?” he asked me.

“I was, but I lost my wife a few years ago to scarlet fever. She was eight months pregnant with our son. I’ve never gotten over it.”

I couldn’t believe what I was saying but those words felt real to me, as did Jonah.

“Now you’re going to move forward in time to the last day of Jonah’s life. What are you feeling?”

“I’m an old man. I never told my sister-in-law that I was in love with her. I’m trying to tell her now, but I can only whisper. She doesn’t want to hear it. I feel pressure on my chest. I’m dying of heart disease. I can’t breathe. Please,” I begged the hypnotist, gasping, “take me back to Estelle.”

“Estelle, you’re going back to your present self in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6. You’ll remember the lessons you’ve learned in 5, 4, 3, and 2, and will release the pain from your past life in 1. Now, open your eyes.”

As I slowly opened my tear-drenched eyes, I touched the streaks of mascara running down my cheeks; my nose felt stuffy and swollen, and my legs were crossed akimbo, masculine-style, with my right knee jutting out.

The audience was rapt; the lighting was too bright. Many women had their mouths open in a frozen, astonished O.  I felt like I had become the star attraction of a metaphysical circus carnival.

“Why is this relevant to your life now, Estelle?” the hypnotist asked.

“I’ve been afraid to let myself fall in love because I lost everything in that life, so I’ve chosen emotionally unavailable men to ‘fix.’ Jonah, in that past life, was too scared to show his feelings, so he had to shut down his heart to survive.”

“You’ll now let your heart be open to love. It’s safe for you to love and be loved in this lifetime,” he instructed.

After, I tried to hold on to my memory of Jonah, but eventually, the fragments of his life receded from my mind, like salt sliding through a sieve.

And I started choosing better men, who were my equals. A while later, I met my husband. Though he was born on the other side of the world, he felt familiar, was available to love and be loved, and didn’t need any fixing.

And I was finally ready to be vulnerable because I knew that this time I wouldn’t lose myself by giving away my heart.

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The man, whose name was not known, had lived in total isolation for the past 26 years.

He was known as ‘Man of the Hole’ because he dug deep holes, some of which he used to trap animals while others appear to be hiding spaces.

His body was found on 23 August in a hammock outside his straw hut. There were no signs of violence.

The man was the last of an indigenous group whose other remaining six members were killed in 1995. The group lived in the Tanaru indigenous area in the state of Rondônia, which borders Bolivia.

The majority of his tribe were thought to have been killed as early as the 1970s by ranchers wanting to expand their land.

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The ‘Man of the Hole’ is thought to have been about 60 years old and to have died of natural causes.

There were no signs of any incursions in his territory and nothing in his hut had been disturbed, officials said, but police will still carry out a post-mortem investigation.

Under Brazil’s constitution, indigenous people have a right to their traditional land, so those wanting to seize it have been known to kill them.

The “Man of the Hole” had been monitored for his own safety by agents from Brazil’s Indigenous Affairs Agency (Funai) since 1996.

In 2018, members of Funai managed to film the man during a chance encounter in the jungle. In the footage, he can be seen hacking at a tree with something resembling an axe.

There had been no sighting of him since but Funai agents did come across his huts, which were built from straw, and the deep holes he dug.

Some of them had sharpened spikes at the bottom and are thought to be traps for hunting animals, while others are believed to be hiding spaces he used when outsiders approached.

Evidence found at his huts and campsites suggests he planted maize and manioc and fruits such as papaya and bananas.

There are about 240 indigenous tribes in Brazil, with many under threat as illegal miners, loggers and farmers encroach onto their territory, warns Survival International, a pressure group fighting for the rights of indigenous people.

The 57-year-old man, identified as Joseph Kagiso Ndlovu, ran a 90km (56-mile) ultra-marathon to propose to a woman named Prudence.

He was pictured holding a banner asking the woman to marry him, as he approaches the finish line of the the Comrades Marathon on Sunday.

“Prudence will you marry me? Run 90k for you,” read the banner.

Local media and online users have been having a field day talking about the lengths to which the man had to go to woo his lover.

The things you see at the #ComradesMarathon2022 finish line:

?? A marriage proposal
? A selfie
? Some funky purple hair
? Someone doing pushups after running 90kms

? Stream #TheUltimateHumanRace live: https://t.co/0BMWdeEYT3 pic.twitter.com/e3omMHuXdp

— SuperSport ? (@SuperSportTV) August 28, 2022

Mr Ndlovu told the BBC on Monday that Prudence Dick, who was at the race to support him, said yes to his proposal.

He said they have been dating since the beginning of this year and plan to get married sometime next year.

He added that this was the seventh time he was taking part in the marathon and that she was the main motivation for his participation this time especially after a two-year break.

Earlier, it was not clear she had accepted the proposal and some people online had been egging her on to accept the proposal.

Ooh Prudence! Just marry Joseph Ndlovu. What a great proposal. #ComradesMarathon2022 pic.twitter.com/30DBcs4zn1

— Nyafa (@Nyafam) August 28, 2022

“As a country, we deserve the answer to the proposal. Cameraman please seek out Prudence. We are invested now,” another tweet said.

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Reports on Sunday suggested a 50% boost being discussed.

The development comes soon after President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Algiers.

Gas makes up a fifth of France’s energy needs, with Algeria covering just over 8% of that.

Algeria is Europe’s biggest gas supplier after Russia and Norway.

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He had been participating in the Vermont Overland race on Saturday where he reportedly suffered a fatal crash, according to a statement by his team.

The 33-year-old was competing alongside his fellow Kenyan cyclists John Kariuki, Nancy Akinyi and Uganda’s Jordan Schleck.

“Heart-breaking. My thoughts are with Sule’s friends and family,” Kenyan-born British cyclist Chris Froome posted on Twitter.

Rachel Ruto, the wife of Kenya’s president-elect William Ruto, described Kangangi’s death as a loss of “a friend and a mentor” to East Africa’s cycling community.

Kangangi won the men’s edition of the first gravel race held in East Africa at the iconic Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya.

He also represented Kenya at the Tour du Rwanda contest, Commonwealth Games and All Africa games.

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The desert country has faced a food crisis for years because of extended dry spells.

The head of the national meteorology institute, Katiellou Gaptia Lawan, told AFP news agency: “We had to do something about this drought.”

The “induced rain” technology involves using an aircraft to spray chemicals into clouds.

The intervention is targeting areas where people farm.

Some parts of the country have experienced flooding further adding to the food crisis.

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“I have many relatives there. I want to send them money. I cannot send them money,” he said in a press conference.

“I don’t know even who is dead or who is alive,” he continued.

Since the war began in 2020, the region has been cut off from the outside world, with no phone or internet.

Ethiopia’s government has been accused of imposing an aid blockade on the region which impeded crucial deliveries – something it blamed on the fighting.

Tens of thousands of civilians have died and millions are in urgent need of food aid. The World Food Programme says that almost half of Tigray’s 5.5m population are in “severe” need of food.

It is not the first time Dr Tedros has spoken about the war. In 2020 he denied an Ethiopian general’s accusations that he had helped procure weapons for the Tigray rebels.

“There have been reports suggesting I am taking sides in this situation. This is not true,” he tweeted at the time.

“My heart breaks for my home, Ethiopia, and I call on all parties to work for peace and to ensure the safety of civilians and access for health and humanitarian assistance,” he continued.

Fighting resumed this week after months of calm following the humanitarian truce agreed in March between Tigrayan forces and the Ethiopian government.

A spokesperson for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Getachew Reda, told the BBC’s Newsday programme that heavy fighting was still going on and that the people of Tigray were suffering.

The TPLF blames the Ethiopian army for the outbreak of fighting, while Ethiopia blames the TPLF.

“We have people who are starving because of the siege imposed on us by the authorities in Addis Ababa and their partners in crime. We have people who desperately need humanitarian aid, Mr Getachew said.

“It would be foolhardy for us to start a war when in actual fact our people are in need of humanitarian aid.”

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The government has not responded to BBC requests for comment.

Residents of Kobo, a city approximately 15 miles (25 km) away from some of the reported fighting areas told the BBC what they saw amid the fresh outbreak of violence.

“We are hearing sounds of heavy weaponry. It can still be heard. The war has already been escalated. An additional defence force is also entering the area,” one woman said.

“The community is confused and some are fleeing to the nearby city. But most of them are alongside the federal defence force and the Amhara special force to face what is coming,” a man said.

The Tigray war broke out in Ethiopia’s northernmost region in November 2020 – later spreading south to the Amhara and Afar regions.

Thousands were killed, over two million people fled their homes and some 700,000 people were left living in “famine-like conditions,” US officials said.

At a joint news conference with his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Mr Macron announced that a joint Franco-Algerian commission of historians would be set up to study archives on French colonial rule in Algeria.

This would include the bitter eight-year war that led to Algerian independence 60 years ago.

Relations between the two countries have been fraught for decades.

During his three-day trip, Mr Macron is also keen to secure access to Algeria’s huge stocks of untapped oil and gas, as Europe faces shortages because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Flavin filed a petition “for dissolution of marriage and other relief” from the Rocky actor, 76, on Friday at a court in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Stallone and Flavin, 54, married in 1997, though their relationship originally began in 1988 at a restaurant in Beverly Hills, California.

They share three daughters: Scarlet, 20, Sistine, 24, and Sophia, 25. Stallone is also a father to son Seargeoh from his previous marriage to Sasha Czack. His oldest son Sage, whom he shares with Czack, died in 2012.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Stallone said, “I love my family. We are amicably and privately addressing these personal issues.”

Flavin told PEOPLE, “I’m sad to announce that after 25 years of marriage I have filed for divorce from my husband Sylvester Stallone. While we will no longer be married, I will always cherish the more than 30-year relationship that we shared, and I know we are both committed to our beautiful daughters. I ask for privacy for our family as we amicably move forward.”

Closer Weekly was the first to report the divorce filing news.

News of the pair’s split comes three months after they celebrated their silver wedding anniversary, marking the milestone occasion with respective Instagram tributes to each other.

“Happy 25th anniversary to my amazing wife,” Stallone captioned a photo carousel of the pair. “There is not enough words to describe what this incredibly selfless dedicated, patient, woman has meant to our lives and I only wish they could be another 25! Thank you sweetheart!”

Flavin wrote alongside her own snapshot collection, “Happy 25th wedding anniversary to us! Thank you for always keeping me laughing, loving and protecting our beautiful family!”

She concluded, “Our marriage keeps getting better every year! I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together! Flavin’s post has since been deleted.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone)

On Aug. 10, Flavin posted a snapshot that showed her sharing a hug with the duo’s three daughters, writing in the caption, “These girls are my priority, nothing else matters. The 4 of us forever #truth #family #forever.”

“You are our rock, cheerleader, and most incredible mom,” Sophia wrote in a comment. “We are so lucky to have you love you so much.”

“Strongest woman I know added Sistine, while Scarlet left a single heart emoji.

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A post shared by Jennifer Flavin Stallone (@jenniferflavinstallone)

Stallone was recently snapped with a tattoo of his onscreen Rocky dog Butkus covering one of Flavin’s face he previously had on his arm, as seen in photos obtained by the Daily Mail, igniting rumors of a breakup.

James Simbachawene, the son of George Simbachawene, was fined for the offences of reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving an uninsured vehicle..

He was fined a total of 250,000 Tanzanian shillings ($107, £90).

The 24-year-old was arrested after a video of the incident in Dar es Salaam, Kinondoni area, went viral.

His father had asked the authorities to take full legal action against him, adding that he was “a grown man now”.

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The saloon car was stopped before it entered a private school in Athi River, on the fringes of the city, after police gave chase when the boy accelerated after being flagged down.

His younger sister was found seated at the back also in school uniform.

Kenyan law prohibits those under 18 years of age from driving.

The boy was reportedly speeding on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, one of the busiest in the country.

The father was arrested following the incident on Wednesday, but the two children were later taken to school in a police vehicle, the Daily Nation newspaper reports.

“This action, which is not only irresponsible but also contravenes traffic laws, exposed the minor and other road users to grave danger,” police tweeted, saying the father would be taken to court.

“The suspect further acted against the Children Act that vests statutory parental responsibility on the protection of children from harm and danger.”

The Deputy Minister was speaking at the first face-to-face meet-up networking event, organized by the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (GI-KACE) on August 25. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Knowledge Series brought together students, innovators, financial services users, enthusiastic stakeholders and industry practitioners in Accra today. The networking forum seeks to provide a platform to support the community-building efforts of the AI ecosystem in Ghana.

“Financial Inclusion using AI is a very good thing because it is part of the SDGs. It is actually seven out of the 17 goals that government and other institutions are working on using AI to solve problems and getting our Sustainable Development Goals is a big thing to the Ministry,” Hon. Ama Pomaa said.

The Director General for GI-KACE, Dr Collins Yeboah-Afari, emphasized that AI is critical for the world’s development as a country, stating that, AI has made life easier in our financial transactions, adding that “We should consider and target barriers that make access to financial knowledge and services limited or unavailable.”

The CEO for JidiTrust, an informal digital business school, Delamazior Nyanyo, during her presentation indicated that, globally, there are 1.7 billion people who lack access to financial knowledge and services. She entreated that more people especially girls should get into ICT and focus on AI to help use its services to their full potential and make sound financial decisions.

Also, the Business Development Manager for Bankingly, Solomon Koomson, suggested that; in helping financial inclusion, we need to make data-driven decisions.

“AI is the future and the success of ‘FinClusion’ depends on it. Let’s adopt AI aggressively in all ‘FinClusion’ activities. In credit scoring, AI helps credit decision makers to achieve faster and more accurate risk assessment,” he noted.

The event focuses on exploring how AI is impacting financial services and inclusion since is the leading innovation programme targeted at achieving developmental goals.

The AI Knowledge Series was organized in partnership with the Institute of ICT Professionals GH, AI Association Ghana, Runmila AI Institute, GIZ, DTC and Fair Forward.