Afribana Blog

South Africa express on Thursday that the BRICS summit will go ahead as decided, amid rumor that the summit may be moved to China to allow Russian president Vladimir Putin to attend. Brics Presidents/ Photo credit : Daily Maverick  South Africa will have the BRICS summit from August 22-24 in  Johannesburg. In fact on Tuesday. South Africa's foreign minister said there had been no confirmation of attendance from  Putin.  The leaders of China, Brazil and India are all expected to attend.  However, the west has attacked South Africa, saying that it neutral stance on the conflict in  Ukraine. Last month, the US ambassador to  South Africa  publicly accused the rainbow nation of loading arms or related technologies onto a Russian ship docked at Simon’s Town naval base. These accusations were denied by  President Cyril Ramaphosa,  who has since opened an investigation on the matter. The west has forgotten how they create disaster in some part ...

Former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo has been dismissed from the roll in the Ivory Coast by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), his party spoke in a statement on Friday. Former President Laurent Gbagbo. Photo Credit: The North Africa. "The appeal of His Excellency Laurent Gbagbo, president of the African Peoples' Party - Côte d'Ivoire (PPA-CI), has been dismissed," the statement said. Having been struck off the electoral roll, Mr. Gbagbo had lodged an appeal with the IEC on June 8. Mr. Laurent Gbagbo was acquitted by international justice of crimes against humanity committed during the 2010-2011 post-election crisis, but is still facing a 20-year prison sentence for the robbery of funds from Abidjan's central bank in 2011. The former president was convicted in 2018 leading to the loss of civic and political rights and his removal from the electoral roll. According to the press release, the former president "considers this rejection "on the ele...

President Julius Maada Bio has won a second term in office, receiving 56.17 per cent of ballots cast and narrowly clearing the threshold for avoiding a run-off in the country, electoral officials said yesterday.  Maada Bio the elected president of Sierra Leone   Main opposition candidate Sumara Kamara immediately dispute the results showing he had received 41.16 per cent of the vote in last Saturday's election.  "It is a sad day for our beloved country," Kamara tweeted after the announcement. "It is a frontal attack on our fledging democracy.  These results are not credible and I categorically reject the outcome so announced by the electoral commission." To win in the first round of voting and avoid a run-off, the top contender had to secure 55 per cent of the vote. Bio acknowledged his victory in a tweet Tuesday evening, saying he was "extremely humbled and immediately thankful for your overwhelming vote of confidence.  "This victory is for Sierra Leo...

On Sunday, Russia has released a support's message from China to its leadership efforts to stabilise the domestic situation after Saturday's aborted mutiny by paramilitary Wagner group of heavily armed mercenaries.  Vladimir Putin and  Yevgeny Prigozhin Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrei Rudenko, held talks in Beijing on "international" issues on Sunday following the most challenge to president Vladimir Putin's grip on power since Russia entered Ukraine in February, 2022.  "The Chinese side expressed support for the efforts of the leadership of the Russian Federation to stabilise the situation in the country in connection with the events of June 24, and confirmed its interest in strengthening the cohesion and further prosperity of Russia, " the Russian foreign ministry said.  China's Foreign ministry had simply said that Rudenko had exchanged views with China's Foreign minister, Qin Gang, on Sino-Russian relation as well as "intern...

 A British man who hacked high profile Twitter accounts as part of Bitcoin scam has been arrested in the US. Joseph O'connor, form liverpool, hijacked more than 130 accounts in July, 2020, including those of Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Elon Musk.  The 24 years old pleaded guilty to hacking charges last month. On friday, he was sentenced to five years for cybercrime, according to the united states Attorney's office in the southern district of New York.  The hacking was part of a major Bitcoin scam that generated tweets asking followers to send Bitcoin to an account, promising to double their money.  As a result of the fraud, an estimated 350 million Twitter users viewed suspicious tweets from official accounts of some of the platform's biggest users, including Apple, Uber, Kanye west and Bill Gate.  Thousands were duped into believing that a crypto giveaway was real. O'Connor, who went by the alias plug walk Joe, was extradited from Spain to the US in April and l...

President Joe Biden rolled out the white House red carpet for Indian prime Minister, Narendra Modi, yesterday as part of his effort to jump-start a stronger United States (US)-India relationship and counter China's global influence with with a series of defense and trade agreements.  Modi and Biden in USA Biden treated Modi to a colorful White House South Lawn arrival ceremony before some 7.000 people in the evening. The two leaders held a private, intimate dinner at the White House last Wednesday night. "The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India in the evening.  The two leaders held a private, intimate dinner at the White House last Wednesday night.  "The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the United states work and lead together and we are. "Biden said.  Modi said the visit honored the people people of his country and the entire "India diaspora".  "This grand...

 Heavy clashes broke out between rival military factions in several parts of Sudan's capital yesterday as 72-hour ceasefire that saw several reports of violations expired, witnesses said.  Sudanese conflict Shortly before the truce ended at 6 a.m., (o4oo GMT) fighting was reported in all three of the cities that make up the wider capital around the confluence of the Nile: Khartoum, Bahri and omdurman.  Sudan's army and paramilitary Rapid support forces (RSF) have been battling each other for more than two months, wreaking destruction on the capital, trigging widespread violence in the western region of Darfur and causing more than 2.5 million people to flee their homes.  Attacks by militias linked to the RSF in the western city of El Geneina have been described by local and foreign observers as ethnic cleansing.  Witnesses said army aircraft carried out air strikes in Bahri and RSF responded with anti-aircraft fire. Smoke could be seen rising from industrial are...

Ghanaian actress Yvon Nelson presented her book, 'I am not Yvonne Nelson', on Sunday, June 18, 2023, at the Peduase Lodge in Accra, Ghana.  Yvonne Nelson & Sarkozy  She spoke of her a personal experience from her past including her intimate relationship with the Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie "Obidi Pompidi". In her book, actress Yvonne revealed that she had an affair in 2010, with the most awarded Ghanaian rapper “Sarkodie” whose real name is “Michael Owusu Addo”, which resulted in a pregnancy. She recounts the heartbreaking decision to have an abortion because the rapper did not accept responsibility. According to her, the rapper claimed he had a girlfriend. “I took a pregnancy test to confirm what becomes the obvious conclusion for a sexually active young woman who was missing her monthly flow. According to the actress, “Sarkodie was a promising musician, with the potential to become one of the greatest artists in the world. “At the time, however, the future seemed u...

A presidential aspirant of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has declared his vision for Ghana: to see the country leverage technology, data, and systems for inclusive economic growth.   Dr Mahamudu Bawumia-Vice President  The Vice-president is seeking to lead the NPP as flag bearer in the 2024 elections. Addressing party headquarters last Friday, the Vice-president intimated that he had worked hard in both private and public life to attain the current position he occupied.  Vision  Though Dr. Bawumia served in various capacities under the former president John Agyekum Kufour, including being the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana and subsequently Vice-president, he has his own vision for the country.  He said: "I also have my own vision for Ghana. I believe that it is time to move Ghana to the next level by building on the foundations we have put in place so far." He continued: "Together with you I want to see a Ghana where we lev...

 US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, held "candid" talks with china's foreign Minister in Beijing at the start of two days of meetings with Chinese officials, the US State Department has said. US secretary of state Antony Blinken (left )  and china's foreign Minister Qin Gang . Photo credit: BBC   Mr. Blinken emphasised the need for diplomacy and keeping "open channels of communication" US officials added.  The trip, the first by a US diplomat to china in almost five years, comes months after an earlier Blinken visit was postponed when a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew in US airspace.  US officials say the main goal of the talks is to stabilize a relationship that has become extremely tense.  China's foreign Minister Qin Gang told Mr. Blinken that Beijing was committed to building a stable, predictable and constructive relationship with the US, state media said.  US officials said he had agreed to a visit to Washington at the talks.  Mr...

  Residents and police were still searching for dozens of people who were on the overcrowded boat that capsized early Monday on the Niger River in the Pategi district of Kwara state, which is 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Ilorin, the state capital, according to police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi. (Image d'illustration) Le 21 octobre 2022, en pleine inondations, des habitants se déplacent en bateau dans la région d'Ahoada, au Nigeria. — © PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP He said 100 people had been rescued so far. Most of those who drowned were relatives from several villages who attended the wedding together and partied late into the night, according to Abdul Gana Lukpada, a local chief. They arrived at the ceremony on motorcycles but had to leave on the locally made boat after a downpour flooded the road, he said. “The boat was overloaded and close to 300 persons were in it. While they were coming, the boat hit a big log inside the water and split into two,”  said Lukpada. The wedding w...

Donald Trump Photo credit: CNN Ex US president Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 charges against him.  He is gone back to his luxury golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey after the trial hearing.  Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman told former president Donald Trump and his co-defendant, Walt Nauta, not to discuss the affaires between themselves.  The judge also said he recognized the two worked together, but any conversations about the case must be go through their lawyers.  Nauta is known as Trump's "Body-man" and closely works with the former president on a daily basis. He is believed to be assuming both roles today, as a co-defendant in the case, and as Trump's personal valet.  Nauta's also considered as  a former president's handy man. Donald Trump has left the court on 13 June 2023,  with no travel conditions set for his bail.  persecutors told Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman they did not believe that the Ex-president will "flight r...

Nicola Sturgeon photo credit: Belfast news letter Nicola Sturgeon, former first minister of Scotland, has been detained in connection with the continuing investigation about the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party. A 52- years old woman was taken into custody as a suspect and she was interrogated by investigators, confirmed by police.  It follows the arrest, her husband, former-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell ,  has been released, in April. Ms Sturgeon's spokeswoman has confirmed that the former prime minister Nicola had attended a police interview by arrangement on Sunday.  The ex-SNP leader, who was taken down in march, has been then arrested and questioned by detectives who have been investigating two years ago about what happened to more than 600,000 pounds of donations given to the party by independence activists.   Loick Mfumu Loubassa Mossipy

   chef Hilda Bassey Photo credit: BBC A  Nigerian chef Hilda Effiong Bassey , known as Hilda Baci, has been confirmed as the new world record holder for the longest cooking marathon, Said by the Guinness World Record (GWR) committee Tuesday.  the confirmation of the record is confirmed nearly a month after the GWR reviewed footage from the cooking marathon, which lasted four days.   “I can now announce that with a time of 93 hours and 11 minutes, Hilda Baci is the new holder for the Guiness world Records title of the longest cooking marathon,” an adjudicator simply identified as Mark, said in a  video  posted on the official Twitter handle of the Guiness World Records Tuesday. he 26-year-old cooked in a makeshift kitchen for four days, starting on Thursday, May 11, and finishing on Monday, May 15, producing almost 100 pots of food, GWR  said on its website. “When I found out, I cried, prayed and screamed,” Bassey told CNN after learning of her re...

Adama Barrow president of Gambia, Photo credit: Ze-Africanews Gambian president, who was re-elected in 2021, Adama Barrow, does not planning to leave the sit, he prefers to run for a third-term at the next election in 2026. Contrary to other African countries, The Gambia does not have presidential limits and the two Adama Barrow's predecessors both served more than two decades in power. During a meeting in the North of Gambia, president Barrow said " Those waiting for him to step down have to wait for a while.  The Gambian head of state revealed there were people telling Gambians that he wanted to relinquish so that they will take over the leadership of the country. He added that he is not going to satisfy them. The president came to  power in accord that he would lead only for three years and then leave. But he did not fulfill his word.  The new constitution made in 2019 included a two-term limit, unfortunately it has not succeeded by parliament. To conclude, personally ...

Fight in Soudan Heavy gun sound and artillery fire erupted across Sudan's capital, Khartoum, on Sunday soon after the end of a 24-hour ceasefire that had maintaining a brief lull of eight weeks of fight between both warlords military.  witnesses said the fighting between both army and the paramilitary Rapid Support (RSF) was come of the heaviest for weeks, and included ground battles in the densely populated neighborhood of Haj youssef in Bahri, one of three adjoing cities, along with Khartoum and Omdurman, that make up the capital around the confluence of the river of the River Nile.  In fact after the truce expiring at 6 a.m (0400 GMT), witnesses said clashes and artillery fire resumed in the north of Omdurman.  They also reported clashes in southern and central Khartoum, in Shambat, along the Nile in Bahri up to the strategic Halfiya bridge, which crosses to Omdurman.  "The ceasefire made us relax a bit, but the war and fear are returning today, " said Musad Saleh...

  Central Bank Governor of  Nigeria Godwin Emefiela Nigeria suspended central bank governor, Godwin Emefiela, has  been detained and is being held in custody for investigative reasons, the police's Department of state services (DSS) said last Saturday.  The country's new president, Bola Tinubu, suspended Emefiela with immediate effect last Friday, a measure the government said was linked to an ongoing probe of the governor's office and planned reforms in the financial sector.  Emefiela 's suspension had been expected after he drew sharp criticism, during the run-up to February presidential vote, from Tinubu's camp.  Allies of Tinubu accused the governor of trying to sabotage their election campaign when his plan to swap old naira bank notes caused severe cash shortages and trigged public anger.  "The Department of state services (DSS) hereby confirms that Mr. Godwin Emefiela, the the suspended governor of the central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is now in it...