“First up, he’s claimed the longest cooking marathon (individual) after clocking in a time of 119 hours 57 minutes. That is more than 24 hours longer than the previous record held by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci.”
Africa
Nine child workers die in Egypt as bus plunges into the Nile
Nine child workers die in Egypt as bus plunges into the Nile
At least 10 female farm workers, nine of them children, died in Egypt on Tuesday when a minibus plunged off a river ferry and into the Nile northwest of Cairo, the health ministry said.
“The toll is at 10 and could rise,” ministry spokesman Hossam Abdelghaffar told AFP.
Reporting the accident, the state’s flagship Al-Ahram newspaper said the driver, who had released the handbrake, was arrested while trying to flee.
He had “a verbal argument” with one of the passengers before getting out of the bus, the paper said.
Two of the victims — all of whom worked on an “export-oriented fruit farm” — were 13 years old, according to a list published by Al-Ahram.
The rest were 16 and younger, except for one victim who was identified as a 40-year old woman.
The vehicle sank at the village of Abu Ghalib, some 50 kilometres (31 miles) northwest of the capital.
Villagers used small wooden boats to row out and help search-and-rescue workers look for survivors, as relatives waited anxiously on the banks of the narrow stretch of the Nile.
A crane was finally able to lift the minibus from the water, after rescuers and locals had swum out to extract victims from the windows of the submerged vehicle.
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Nine injured passengers — most of them also minors, according to al-Ahram’s list — were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, the health ministry said in a statement.
A search operation was “ongoing” into the evening for five more passengers who were unaccounted for, Al-Ahram said.
The ministry of social solidarity said it would provide financial compensation “to the families of the deceased and injured”.
After carrying out an initial investigation at the scene, the public prosecutor’s office ordered a technical inspection of the minibus to try to determine “the reasons it had plunged into the water”, Al-Ahram reported.
Commuter accidents are common in Egypt, especially in agricultural areas along the Nile and adjoining streams, where small, overloaded boats ferry farmers and workers back and forth.
At least 1.3 million children are engaged in some form of child labour in the Arab world’s most populous nation, official figures show.
Most do unpaid work on family farms, according to the International Labour Organization.
However, children are also frequently sent to work on large-scale export-oriented farms, according to rural sociologist Saker al-Nour, who has studied agricultural labour conditions extensively.
“These accidents happen repeatedly because girls are packed, in their own words, like sardines into these minibuses” to go and work in “terrible conditions”, he told AFP.
Nine child workers die in Egypt as bus plunges into the Nile
AFP
Africa
Ghanaian chef Smith arrested for forging Guinness World Record in cooking
Ghanaian chef Smith arrested for forging Guinness World Record in cooking
A Ghanaian chef, Ebenezer Smith, popularly known as Millennium Chef Smith, has been arrested and detained at the La Police Station for forging a Guinness World Record for marathon cooking.
Smith on Tuesday presented a certificate confirming himself as the new world record holder for the 820-hour 25-minute cook-a-thon, which started on February 1 and ended on March 6, 2024, to his fans at a press conference.
His cook-a-thon culminated in a star-studded event featuring performers such as Praye Tietia, Yaw Tog, Amerado, Kofi Jamar, and the Asakaa Boys.
During the briefing, which was held at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, the chef said, “Today is the day that I will forever remember. I am incredibly humbled and honoured to stand before you today as the Guinness World Record holder.”
Earlier, the Ghanaian chef wrote in a social media post, “It is with great pleasure and honour that we inform the general public and the media about Millennium Chef Smith’s press conference.
“He will be announcing his results from the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual. The event will take place at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at 2:00 pm. Thank you for your cooperation.”
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Confirming the invalidity of his certificate to BBC, the PR Executive for GWR, Alina Polianskaya, said, “No, this is not true at all. He does not hold the GWR title, and that is not our certificate.
“The current and true record holder is: The longest cooking marathon (individual) is 119hr 57 min 16 sec and was achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023,” he added.
Shortly after announcing his fake record and paraded his certificate, the police arrested him.
The Newstrends learned that Smith had gotten money from many of his sponsors to attempt a cook-a-thon that he did not properly file in for GWR and was arrested by a sponsor identified as the owner (name withheld) of the Amadia Shopping Mall who donated about 350,000 cedis to the course.
Every attempt to contact the LA Police for a comment proved abortive. Their number was unreachable, and the mail was not delivered to the address provided on their website.
Irish chef Alan Fisher is the record holder for the longest cooking hours, having clocked in 119 hours and 57 minutes.
His feat is 24 hours more than the previous record held by Nigeria’s Hilda Baci.
“Alan Fisher (Ireland), an owner and chef of a restaurant in Japan, has broken two cooking-related Guinness World Records titles.
Africa
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels capture crucial town in DR Congo
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels capture crucial town in DR Congo
M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, have taken control of a significant town in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s tumultuous eastern region, a local official reported on Saturday.
“Kanyabayonga has been under M23 control since Friday evening,” stated the official, who wished to remain anonymous.
Kanyabayonga is strategically located on the northern front of the conflict in North Kivu province. This region has been plagued by violence since 2021, when the M23 (March 23 Movement) reignited its insurgency.
The town serves as a gateway to major commercial hubs, Butembo and Beni, in the north.
Kanyabayonga, which houses over 60,000 residents, has also become a refuge for thousands of people who have fled their homes due to the rebel advance.
Situated in Lubero territory, Kanyabayonga is the fourth territory in North Kivu that the M23 has infiltrated, following Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, and Masisi.
“The people in Kanyabayonga, especially those who had relocated from Rutshuru to Lubero, have no place left to go. It’s a situation of complete despair, and the population is exhausted,” the official added.
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A resident mentioned that during a meeting led by M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma on Saturday, the rebels encouraged residents to stay in Kanyabayonga, promising peace.
“They claim they will reach Kinshasa. How long can we keep running?” the resident asked, expressing skepticism about the rebels’ promises.
Colonel Alain Kiwewa, the military administrator of Lubero territory, observed an influx of displaced individuals from Miriki, Kirumba, and Luofu heading north. “This situation is deeply concerning,” he stated.
Local sources reported escalating clashes between Congolese forces and the M23 around Kanyabayonga on Friday, with fighting also heard in nearby towns.
“A night filled with gunfire,” described a youth leader from Kayna, located 17 kilometers (10 miles) north of Kanyabayonga. He noted that people fleeing from Kanyabayonga “spent the night under the stars,” overwhelmed with fear.
In Kirumba, 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Kanyabayonga, the population is gripped by panic, a civil society leader disclosed on condition of anonymity. “We can’t move. We have no idea where to go,” he said.
The United Nations Joint Human Rights Office, in its monthly report, highlighted that the clashes are causing significant civilian displacement. “Humanitarian organizations providing aid to the displaced have halted their operations due to security concerns,” the report stated.
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels capture crucial town in DR Congo
(AFP)
Africa
Kenya’s President Ruto withdraws finance bill after deadly protests
Kenya’s President Ruto withdraws finance bill after deadly protests
Kenyan President William Ruto said Wednesday that a bill containing contentious tax hikes would “be withdrawn”, dramatically reversing course after more than 20 people died and parliament was ransacked by protesters opposed to the legislation.
But he warned that the withdrawal of the finance bill would mean a significant shortfall in funding for development programmes designed to help farmers and schoolteachers, among others, as the East African nation struggles to lower its foreign debt burden.
“I concede and therefore I will not sign the 2024 finance bill and it shall subsequently be withdrawn,” Ruto told a press briefing, adding: “The people have spoken.”
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Ruto’s administration has been taken by surprise by the intensity of opposition to its tax hikes, with protests breaking out across the country last week.
The largely peaceful rallies turned violent on Tuesday when lawmakers passed the legislation and police fired live rounds into crowds that ransacked the partly ablaze parliament complex.
The state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said it had recorded 22 deaths and 300 injured victims, adding that they would launch an investigation.
Frustration over the rising cost of living spiralled last week as lawmakers began debating the bill containing the tax hikes.
Ruto’s cash-strapped government said the increases were needed to service the country’s massive debt of some 10 trillion shillings ($78 billion), equal to roughly 70 per cent of Kenya’s GDP.
Kenya’s President Ruto withdraws finance bill after deadly protests
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