Anti-gay, Lesbian bill: Ghana to lose $3.8billion world bank funding – Newstrends
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Anti-gay, Lesbian bill: Ghana to lose $3.8billion world bank funding

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Anti-gay, Lesbian bill: Ghana to lose $3.8billion world bank funding

The Ghanian government is posed to lose the total of $3.8 billion in World Bank funding over a recent Anti-LGBTQ bill passed by its parliament last week.

The finance ministry of Ghana has appealed to the president to withhold his signature from the contentious bill against LGBT rights, which was approved by parliament.

According to the BBC, the financial authorities in Ghana is suggesting that President Nana Akufo-Addo postpone the enactment of the bill until a Supreme Court decision verifies its compliance with the constitution.

Meanwhile, human rights organizations filed a legal challenge against the bill even before its approval by parliament, though it’s anticipated that the Supreme Court won’t hear the case for a while.

The US, UK and various human rights groups have already condemned the bill, which was backed by both of Ghana’s two main political parties.

On his part, Akufo-Addo is said to be engaging in consultations with important governmental departments and donors to gauge the effects of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values legislation.

According to the IMF, diversity and inclusion are values it embraces.

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“Our internal policies prohibit discrimination based on personal characteristics, including but not limited to gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Like institutions, diverse and inclusive economies flourish.

“We are watching recent developments in Ghana closely.

“We cannot comment on a bill that has not yet been signed into law and whose economic and financial implications we have yet to assess,” IMF told Bloomberg in response to the bill.

What you should know
Ghana heavily leans on the IMF for its financial well-being. In the aftermath of a debt default, it requested a $3 billion lifeline and is now involved in the process of rearranging its debt obligations.

On January 19, the IMF sanctioned the disbursement of an additional $600 million to Ghana as part of its three-year crisis intervention plan.

Meanwhile, officials warn that Ghana might forfeit around $850 million in aid this year with the recent bill, a loss expected to further strain the struggling economy, deplete foreign reserves, and impact the stability of the exchange rate.

Uganda adopted a similar policy the last year, imposing stricter penalties that include life imprisonment and even the death penalty. Following this, the nation was subjected to severe economic sanctions from diverse international groups.

The World Bank then stopped its financial support for Uganda in response to concerns over human rights, specifically regarding the country’s anti-homosexuality law.

The United States also removed Uganda from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade initiative started in 2000 aimed at enhancing economic ties between the U.S. and African nations.

Anti-gay, Lesbian bill: Ghana to lose $3.8billion world bank funding

Africa

Ghana President Akufo-Addo’s address disrupted as ADC collapses (Video)

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Ghana President Akufo-Addo’s address disrupted as ADC collapses (Video)

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s last State of the Nation address in Parliament on Friday was interrupted when his aide-de-camp (ADC) collapsed.

In a viral video, the ADC, identified by Ghana Web as Colonel Isaac Amponsah, fell midway into Mr Akufo-Addo’s address before the Ghana parliament

Before he collapsed, Mr Amposah showed discomfort but could not help himself from falling to the ground.

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The incident briefly interrupted the President’s address but he resumed his presentation after a few minutes, after the ADC was carried to a corner of the auditorium for medical attention.

The aide-de-camp of the Vice President, a police officer immediately took over to stand behind the president.

As at the thime of this report, the cause of Amponsah’s collapsed is yet to be ascertained.

Ghana President Akufo-Addo’s address disrupted as ADC collapses (Video)

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Panic as huge space object crashes into Kenyan village

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Panic as huge space object crashes into Kenyan village

A massive, fiery object fell from the sky into a remote village in Kenya on Monday afternoon, causing alarm among locals and prompting an immediate investigation by the Kenya Space Agency (KSA).

The KSA confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that the object was a fragment of a space object. The debris, described as a metallic ring, landed in the village of Mukuku in Makueni County. Measuring approximately 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) in diameter and weighing 500 kilograms (about 1,100 pounds), the object has been taken into custody by the agency.

“The Agency wishes to clarify that the object, a metallic ring measuring approximately 2.5 meters in diameter and weighing about 500 kg, is a fragment of a space object,” the KSA stated.

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Preliminary analysis suggests the object could be a separation ring from a rocket, according to the agency. It noted that such space debris typically burns up in the atmosphere or falls into the ocean.

This incident highlights the increasing congestion of Earth’s orbit, with satellites and other objects creating challenges for managing space debris.

Julius Rotich, Mbooni Sub County Police Commander, told the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation that the object was still hot when officers arrived. Residents were kept at a safe distance until the debris cooled.

The broadcaster aired footage of the object, showing it entangled in trees and surrounded by police tape, as curious villagers looked on.

The KSA is continuing its investigation to determine the origin of the debris. While the agency suggests this is an isolated incident, it underscores the growing risks associated with falling space objects.

 

Panic as huge space object crashes into Kenyan village

CNN

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Niger’s president faces fire at home over attack on Nigeria

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General Abdourahamane Tiani

Niger’s president faces fire at home over attack on Nigeria

Niger’s President Abdourahmane Tchiani is facing a backlash of criticism from his fellow countrymen following his recent allegation of a conspiracy by Nigeria against his country.

Tchiani in a Christmas Day interview claimed, among other things, that Nigeria had provided a base for French soldiers near Lake Chad had established training camps for terrorists in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states, all aimed at destabilising Niger.

The Federal Government has dismissed the allegations as baseless, with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, being the latest government official to debunk the claims.

Many Nigerien citizens reacting on social media to Tchiani’s claims against Nigeria say there is no credibility whatsoever in the allegations.

Some of them are of the view that the Nigerien leader was only looking for an excuse to hang his failure in office on after 17months of ousting his predecessor, Mohamed Bazoum, in a palace coup.

One Nigerien critic even alleged that loyalists of the Niamey military regime are under instruction to spread falsehood that France in collaboration with Nigeria and other neighbouring countries plans to invade Niger.

A Nigerien commentator, Maidalili Namu, spoke of alleged frustration of the Tchiani regime to stabilise the country as they promised to do after deposing Bazoum.

Namu claimed on Muduba Mugani podcast that the country is being ruined by those he branded 16 generals.

“You have been in power for 17 months, confined to the villa and fed with false information that clouds your judgment,” PR Nigeria quoted Namu as saying of Tchiani in a video recording.

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Namu also accused the Nigerien strongman of fostering animosity both regionally and internationally, sowing seeds of discord with Niger’s neighbors and other nations.

He said: “When it was announced that you would address the nation at 8 pm on December 25, 2024, in Hausa, Zabarma and French, the prevailing rumour was that your speech would lack originality, filled only with the usual condemnation of France, ECOWAS, Nigeria and others as our adversaries.

 “Some even wagered that they would give goats or cash if you didn’t mention France in your address.

“Nigeriens are fed up with your repetitive statements that yield no progress.

“What is most frustrating is that you vindicated their predictions. Some even began to tally how many times you mentioned France, Nigeria and ECOWAS, suggesting they are conspiring to destabilise Niger.

“You have accused numerous countries, both within and outside Africa, of undermining Niger, leading some to question your mental fitness for leadership.

“Your diplomatic failures are evident. You have insulted numerous leaders from various countries, implicating at least 20 nations in a conspiracy against Niger, many of whom we have no direct relations with.

“The real issues affecting Nigeriens—economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, fuel scarcity and the rising cost of living—were overlooked.

 “Instead, we heard the same old narrative of external threats and unfounded claims of terrorist camps supervised by the French.

“You asserted that camps have been established for training terrorists in Burkina Faso and Niger—concluding that by the end of 2024, at least 400 terrorists will be trained under French supervision.

“If you possess accurate information about these camps, why do you not coordinate efforts to dismantle them instead of using this information merely as a talking point?

“You must recognise that none of the leaders you’ve insulted have retaliated; you have disparaged leaders from countries like Tanzania, Mauritania, Chad and others. If your assertions hold any truth, how can we possibly survive more than 24 hours amidst the threats you mention?

Niger’s president faces fire at home over attack on Nigeria

THE NATION

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