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The Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Birmingham Chapter Mr. Prince Kwadwo Osei, has praised the leadership of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) for selecting Berekum Holy Family Hospital in the Bono Region as one of the facilities offering free dialysis sessions under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). In a statement issued from his base in Birmingham, Mr. Osei lauded the initiative ledChief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), led by Dr. DaCosta Aboagye, describing it as both strategic and timely. He highlighted the significance of the decision, emphasizing that it would alleviate the burden on patients with renal issues in the Bono Region who previously had to travel to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in the Ashanti Region for treatment. “The proximity of Berekum to Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital, makes this choice an excellent one, as it will serve patients not only within Bono but also in parts of the Ahafo and Northern Regions,” he noted. Mr. Osei, affectionately known as One-in-Town, acknowledged that when Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia announced the free dialysis policy under the NHIS, many dismissed it as mere campaign rhetoric. However, he pointed out that its successful implementation on December 1, 2024, demonstrates the government’s commitment to delivering on its promises. He further credited Dr. Bawumia’s leadership and vision, stating, “Social intervention policies like this are among the reasons why Dr. Bawumia stands out as the best choice for Ghana. His track record as the most performing Vice President in Ghana’s political history, coupled with his unblemished integrity, makes him the ideal candidate for the December 7, 2024, general elections.” Mr. Osei also confirmed that free dialysis sessions commenced smoothly at the Berekum Holy Family Hospital, with officials from the NHIA’s national office present to oversee the rollout. “This marks a significant milestone and the icing on the cake,” he remarked. He expressed optimism that such policies would continue to enhance healthcare accessibility and improve the lives of Ghanaians across the country.
JERUSALEM — The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants began early Wednesday as a region on edge wondered whether it will hold. The ceasefire announced Tuesday is a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting sparked by the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Israel said it will attack if Hezbollah breaks the ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border. An international panel led by the United States will monitor compliance. The ceasefire began at 4 a.m. Wednesday, a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut since the start of the conflict that in recent weeks turned into all-out war. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities. Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. The ceasefire does not address the devastating war in Gaza , where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected. Israel's security Cabinet approved the U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire agreement after Netanyahu presented it, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt . President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. In this screen grab image from video provide by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a televised statement Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Jerusalem, Israel. Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” The ceasefire deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” A police bomb squad officer inspects the site where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024. Netanyahu’s office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire and described it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people. Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state," he said, referring to Israel's demand for freedom of action. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Rescuers and residents search for victims Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in Beirut, Lebanon. Even as ceasefire efforts gained momentum in recent days, Israel continued to strike what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon while the militants fired rockets, missiles and drones across the border. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in central Beirut — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously were not targeted. Residents fled. Traffic was gridlocked, with mattresses tied to some cars. Dozens of people, some wearing pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed overhead. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers will not evacuate. The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah is required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have exchanged barrages ever since. Israel escalated its bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. Israeli security officers and army soldiers inspect the site Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024, where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut and Federman from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Trump threatens 100% tariff on the BRIC bloc of nations if they act to undermine US dollar
Special Counsel Jack Smith is winding down both federal criminal cases he brought against President-elect Donald Trump before they go to trial. Smith, on Monday, filed a motion to dismiss the election interference case against Trump in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, marking a major victory for the president-elect: After careful consideration, the Department has determined that OLC’s prior opinions concerning the Constitution’s prohibition on federal indictment and prosecution of a sitting President apply to this situation and that as a result this prosecution must be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated. Moreover, Smith then filed a motion in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to dismiss an appeal in the documents case, which “will leave in place the district court’s order dismissing the indictment without prejudice as to him.” Smith cites the reasoning laid out in his motion to dismiss the election interference case: For the reasons set forth in United States v. Trump, No. 23-cr-57, ECF No. 281 (D.D.C.) (filed Nov. 25, 2024) (moving to dismiss criminal prosecution as to defendant Trump in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia), the United States of America moves, pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 42 and Eleventh Circuit Rule 42-1, to dismiss the appeal in this case as to defendant Trump. Taken together, the moves mark the end of the federal prosecutions against the president-elect, leaving two remaining cases at the state level in Georgia and New York. Steven Cheung, the incoming White House communications director, touted the enormous legal victories in a statement shared with Breitbart News on Monday, shortly after Smith’s filings. “The American People re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again. Today’s decision by the DOJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump, and is a major victory for the rule of law,” Cheung said. “The American People and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country,” he added. Breitbart News senior legal contributor Ken Klukowski also underscored the gravity of Smith’s actions. “This is a huge victory for President Trump and the rule of law,” said Klukowski, who filed briefs supporting President Trump on behalf of former U.S. Attorneys General Ed Meese and Michael Mukasey and also Citizens United. “Jack Smith’s appointment as Special Counsel was unconstitutional from the outset, and Smith’s surrender here is long overdue.” The decisions by Smith and the DOJ will also have an impact in the New York business records case against Trump. Judge Juan Merchan has granted Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove a December 2 deadline to file a motion to dismiss the case. Blanche and Bove noted in a letter to Merchan last week that they would address the positions the DOJ takes in the federal cases in their filing. The cases are the United States v. Trump , No. 23-cr-257, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the United States v. Trump , No. 24-12311-J, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.Rain caused an interruption in the much-anticipated third test between Australia and India, right after lunch on day one in Brisbane. Australia, having been put in to bat by India captain Rohit Sharma, were 28 for no loss when the weather disrupted play. The five-test series is currently tied at 1-1, with India claiming victory in the first match in Perth, while Australia bounced back with a win in the second game in Adelaide. The teams are now fiercely contesting the pivotal third match. The inclement weather adds another layer of drama to an already intense series, as both teams aim to gain the upper hand. Fans eagerly await the resumption of play to see how the match will unfold following the rain delay. (With inputs from agencies.)