JAISHANKAR HAILS Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said on Monday that India and China need to advance practical cooperation and respect mutual concerns to ensure stable development of bilateral ties, according to state news agency Xinhua. Han made the remarks during a meeting with India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Beijing. The Indian minister is attending a regional security meeting under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tianjin in northern China on July 15 and holding bilateral meetings on the sidelines. What did Jaishankar say during his Beijing visit? In his opening remarks during the meeting with Vice President Han, Jaishankar commended the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and China and said the "continued normalization of our ties can produce mutually beneficial outcomes." He called for "an open exchange of views and perspectives between India and China" in an international situation that is becoming increasingly complex. Show additional content? This content is part of the text you are currently reading. The provider X / Twitter provides this content and may collect your usage data directly when you click “Show content”. Always show content from X / Twitter. In a post on X, Jaishankar said he conveyed India's support for China's SCO leadership and noted improvements in bilateral relations. The foreign minister said he expressed confidence that discussions during his "visit will maintain that positive trajectory." Beijing has positioned the 10-member SCO as a counterbalance to Western alliances and continues to promote deeper collaboration among member states in areas such as security, trade, and science. New Delhi also participates in the "Quad" group alongside the United States, Japan and Australia. 14th July,2025

UKRAINE AGAIN? US President Donald Trump has said Patriot missile defense systems will be sent to Ukraine to support its efforts to repel Russia. Coming just weeks after arms shipments were paused by the Trump administration, the arrangement will, according to the US president, see the EU pay the US for the weapons systems that it sends onto Ukraine. There is, as yet, no confirmation on the number of Patriot units that will be sent, or on any other US arms that may be dispatched. However, Germany has agreed to foot the bill for at least two Patriot batteries. "We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military and they're going to pay us 100 percent for them," Trump said. The announcement came as US special envoy to the Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, arrived in Ukraine's capital Kyiv for a week of talks with local officials. The US supplied Patriots to Ukraine under former US President Joe Biden's administration. Infographic showing that Patriot missile systems can defend against aircraft, crusie missiles, larger drones and short-range ballistic missiles Infographic showing that Patriot missile systems can defend against aircraft, crusie missiles, larger drones and short-range ballistic missiles 14th July,2025

BROAD PROBE LAUNCHED Ramaphosa placed Mchunu on a leave of absence with immediate effect and appointed an acting police minister. His position will be filled by Professor Firoz Cachalia Professor of Law at the University of the Witwatersrand, who is not a member of the National Assembly. He is expected to assume the post at the end of July. Show additional content? This content is part of the text you are currently reading. The provider X / Twitter provides this content and may collect your usage data directly when you click “Show content”. Always show content from X / Twitter. Meanwhile, Ramaphosa said the commission, headed by the country's deputy chief justice, will investigate claims that criminal groups have infiltrated the police, intelligence services and other parts of the justice system. "The commission will investigate the role of current or former senior officials in certain institutions who may have aided or abetted the alleged criminal activity; failed to act on credible intelligence or internal warnings; or benefited financially or politically from a syndicate's operations," he said. "It is critical that these matters be attended to with the necessary urgency and thoroughness," Ramaphosa added. Critics say Ramaphosa's inquiry falls short Reactions to Ramaphosa's announcement were more muted than the president might have anticipated. "Massive moment was missed," Ian Cameron from the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in Ramaphosa's governing coalition, and also chair of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police, wrote on social media. "Parliament and SAPS leadership cannot wait for yet another long, expensive process while trust in policing collapses further," he added. The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said the arrangement allows the minister to continue drawing a full salary, "while he consolidates power and undermines whistleblowers from behind the scenes." The party also criticized Ramaphosa's track record, saying previous inquiries he appointed into various matters have yielded little tangible outcome. 14th July,2025

FRENCH MAN A man who escaped from a French prison last week was recaptured early Monday morning, according to France's public prosecutor. The man broke out of prison by hiding in a bag carried out by a fellow inmate released last week. The 20-year-old escaped from Lyon-Corbas prison in southeast France and was recaptured after an extensive investigation. Guards pictured on duty at the Lyon-Corbas prison in Corbas on February 4Guards pictured on duty at the Lyon-Corbas prison in Corbas on February 4 The matter came to light about 24 hours after the incidentImage: JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK/AFP How did the inmate escape? According to French television channel BFMTV, the escapee was arrested at around 6 a.m. local time (0400 UTC/GMT), as he left a cellar in Sathonay-Camp, a commune on the outskirts of Lyon, in southern France. The prosecutor's office said in the that statement his accomplice had not been found or arrested yet, noting that nobody had been injured during the operation this morning. Local media reported that the escapee was serving at least two prison sentences and was under investigation for organized crime. According to Le Parisien newspaper, the man who was set to be released asked prison staff for a trolley to carry bags out of the prison to his car. The inmate, according to the report, escaped in a large laundry bag that was among the belongings carried out. How common are prison breaks in France? Sebastien Cauwel, the director of France's prison administration, told BFMTV last week that the escape was extremely rare. "This is an extremely rare event that we have never experienced in this administration and which clearly reveals a whole series of serious dysfunctions," he said Saturday. Cauwel said he launched an internal investigation as soon as he was aware of the situation, which came to light 24 hours after the man escaped. "This facility has an occupancy rate of 170%. This clearly makes working conditions more difficult for our staff," Cauwel noted. "What this incident reveals is rather an accumulation of material errors, possibly faults, which the investigation will bring to light," he said. 14th July,2025

NPP 2025 The New Patriotic Party, through its Chairman of the National Planning Committee for the 2025 National Delegates Conference, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has indicated the party’s preparedness towards their conference on Saturday, July 19, 2025. The party has rolled out their guidelines for the conference as follows: Date & Venue 1. Saturday, 19th July 2025 – University of Ghana Sports Stadium. Delegates will arrive, and officials with valid accreditation badges/passes will be granted entry. Any person found without valid accreditation shall be removed from the conference grounds by the security operatives. 2. Restricted Movement – Delegates must stay within assigned zones to avoid disruptions. Any form of disruptions from any person at the conference grounds shall be dealt with severely by the security operatives. Health & Safety 1. Covid-19 Protocols: The Health & Safety committee shall supervise the full compliance of all covid-19 protocols. 2. Medical Setup: 10 Medical Stands would be set up, 3 outside and 7 inside the stadium with 50 volunteer Medical Staff to support. The committee has also established an Emergency Support with UG Medical centre with 10 medical staff stationed at UGMC. The Health and Safety Committee has also contacted National Ambulance Service for support as well. Logistics 1. Accommodation, transportation & feeding arrangements have all been finalized. The Party would, on Monday 14th July, brief the Regional Party on all the detailed arrangements regarding accommodation, transportation, and the feeding arrangements. Security 1. The Party’s internal security operatives will work in close coordination with State Security agencies to maintain law and order throughout the conference period. 2. Security officers shall be deployed to delegate hostels, cooking points, and resting areas to ensure safety and prevent unauthorized access. 3. The inner perimeter of the stadium is declared a restricted zone, accessible only to those assigned specific duties within that area. 4. Leading party stalwarts will be granted limited accreditations for their accompanying staffers. 5. State security personnel (Ghana Police Service) will man all designated entry points and ensure strict enforcement of accreditation procedures in accordance with established rules of engagement. 6. Each of the sixteen (16) regions will be assigned a designated gate of entry to facilitate orderly movement and effective security screening. 7. Any person arrested for misconduct, breach of security protocols, or disturbance shall be dealt with in accordance with the law, including possible prosecution. 8. All non-delegates are strongly advised to stay home and follow the conference proceedings via television or other media platforms. No special access will be granted to non-delegates if they are not invited. Prohibited Campaign Materials There shall be no billboards, banners, posters, flyers, T-shirts, or souvenirs with aspirant branding allowed at the venue or within Accra. The grounds and operations team has set up dedicated compliance teams to monitor and enforce these guidelines. All such prohibited campaign materials shall be removed and destroyed by the team. A complete ban has been placed on all forms of campaign activities. This ban applies before, during, and after the conference within the entire precincts of the conference grounds. Media Coverage Guidelines 1. Accreditation –The communication and media committee has established accreditation forms via Google Form. Accreditation badges would be available for pickup on Friday, 18th July at 12:00 p.m. 2. Media Village – The committee would set up a centralized area for setup and dignitary access. 3. Broadcast Feed – The committee would provide a clean audio/video feed provided, plus English and Twi studios for commentary. 4. There would be an outstation access satellite connectivity available for media outside Accra. 5. Setup Deadline – Media setups must be completed 12 hours before the conference starts. 6. Support Desk – Monitoring & Evaluation Office at the venue will handle media concerns. 14th July,2025

GHANA POLICE ARRESTS IMPOSTERS The Ghana Police Service has arrested several individuals dressed in brown uniforms and posing as security personnel near the Awoshie DVLA polling station in the Ablekuma North Constituency. Reports gathered by Peacefmonline.com revealed the arrested persons were unable to identify who they were or which security agency they were working for, hence, their subsequent arrest by the Odorkor Police. Investigations are currently underway. The suspects were found stationed near the entrance of the polling center. Their inability to provide valid identification raised suspicions among officers deployed to ensure security at the ongoing parliamentary election re-run. Speaking to the Media, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ga West and Dean of MMDCEs in the Greater Accra Region, John Desmond Nii Sowah Nai, confirmed the arrests and indicated that the police suspect the individuals may not be genuine members of any recognised state security agency. There is relative calm at the 19 polling stations as constituents troop in to cast their votes. 14th July,2025

CAUTION TO THE NDC As a concerned citizen and observer of Ghana’s political landscape, I wish to issue a strong personal admonition to members, communicators, and sympathizers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC): do not allow yourselves to be drawn into the unfolding saga involving the suspended Chief Justice. The latest calls by Majority Leader Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin for the Attorney-General and the President to publicly respond to the claims made by the suspended Chief Justice are not borne out of a genuine quest for transparency. Rather, they are strategic diversions—part of a trap to drag opposition voices, especially the NDC, into a fight that was neither started nor shaped by them. Let it be stated clearly: This is not the NDC’s war. It is a power struggle within the architecture of a government that has systematically weakened independent institutions. The Judiciary, the Executive, and their appendages must answer for their own contradictions. I urge the NDC and its communicators to: Resist all bait to comment prematurely or emotionally on the matter. Avoid legitimizing a failing system by appearing to take sides in this internal wrangling. Redirect national focus to the core issues of economic hardship, widespread corruption, unemployment, and democratic decline. Maintain strategic silence and focus on preparing for governance, not on providing commentary that may be twisted for propaganda. At this stage, any attempt to meddle in or sensationalize this matter will not serve the cause of accountability. It will only offer the opposition the opportunity to nurture and grow public frustration. Let them clean up their own mess. Let the system they manipulated now deal with its own crisis. The NDC must stay focused, disciplined, and alert. 14th July,2025

GH?1 FUEL LEVY TAKES EFFECT JULY 16 The government’s proposed GH¢1.00 per litre fuel levy is set to take effect on Wednesday, July 16, after a brief postponement to allow for further consultations. The levy, aimed at restoring stability in the country’s power sector, has faced strong opposition from the minority in Parliament as well as key stakeholders in the transport and oil industries. However, the Coalition of Commercial Transport Operators is calling for the suspension of the policy, describing it as a “reckless and retrogressive” tax imposed without adequate stakeholder engagement. The Coalition—which represents over 90% of commercial transport providers nationwide—warns that if the levy is implemented as planned, commuters should expect a nationwide 30% increase in transport fares starting July 16. Speaking to Citi News, Charles Danso, Chairman of the Ghana Committed Drivers Association, said the levy is unsustainable and would drive many operators out of business. “This is not just a GH¢1 tax. We are already paying a 17.2% tax component on electricity, which includes drivers. Now the government wants to impose another levy on fuel—it’s unbearable,” he said. “If the government refuses to listen to us, we will have no option but to pass the cost onto commuters by increasing fares by 30%.” 14th July,2025