WHITE HOUSE FIRES NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY CHIEF The Trump administration has fired Gen Timothy Haugh - the head of both the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command - the BBC's US partner CBS has reported. It is not clear why he was removed, but it comes after a meeting between President Donald Trump and far-right activist Laura Loomer on Wednesday. Ms Loomer reportedly urged Trump to fire specific employees whom she suspected lacked support for his agenda. She posted on X that Gen Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble, who US media reported was also let go, "have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired." Before their firings were reported, Trump told reporters he would get rid of any staff deemed to be disloyal. "We're always going to let go of people – people we don't like or people that take advantage of, or people that may have loyalties to someone else," he told reporters aboard Air Force One. Trump made the comments as reports emerged of the firings of at least three other officials at the White House National Security Council (NSC), following the reported meeting with Ms Loomer. The president did not confirm names. The National Security Agency (NSA) referred the BBC to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs for a comment on the firings. The White House previously told the BBC that the NSC "won't comment on personnel" matters. The top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees - Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence - disclosed Gen Haugh's firing to CBS. Himes said in a statement that he was "deeply disturbed" by the decision, CBS reported. "I have known General Haugh to be an honest and forthright leader who followed the law and put national security first — I fear those are precisely the qualities that could lead to his firing in this Administration," Himes said. Those fired from the NSC on Thursday included Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence; Thomas Boodry, a senior director for legislative affairs; and David Feith, a senior director overseeing technology and national security, CBS reported. It was not clear if Gen Haugh and Ms Noble's removals were connected to those at the NSC. The firings follow a major controversy involving the NSC last month when senior officials inadvertently added a journalist to a Signal messaging thread about military strikes in Yemen. Gen Haugh, who was not on the Signal chat, testified on Capitol Hill last week about the leak. The extent to which that controversy played a role in the firings is unclear. Trump has so far stood by top officials involved in the incident, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who took responsibility for the Atlantic magazine reporter being added to the Signal chat, and said it was an accident. According to CBS, a source familiar with the situation said the Signal incident "opened the door" to looking into staff members believed not to be sufficiently aligned with Trump, while Ms Loomer's visit sealed the fate for those who were terminated. The administration has been looking at outside meetings held by national security staff, reprimanding some for meeting people not believed to be aligned with the president, according to the source. Aboard Air Force One en route to Miami, Florida, on Thursday, Trump praised Ms Loomer and confirmed he had met with her, calling her a "great patriot" and a "very strong person". "She makes recommendations… sometimes I listen to those recommendations," he said. "I listen to everybody and then I make a decision." In a phone call with the BBC, Ms Loomer said it would be "inappropriate" to divulge details of her meeting with Trump on Wednesday. "It was a confidential meeting," she said. "It's a shame that there are still leakers at the White House who leaked this information." She texted a statement that said: "It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my research findings. "I will continue working hard to support his agenda, and I will continue reiterating the importance of STRONG VETTING, for the sake of protecting the President of the United States of America and our national security." Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who posted information in the chat, is now the subject of an internal review into his use of Signal and whether he complied with his department's policies, the Pentagon's office of the acting inspector general said on Thursday. Inspector general offices routinely conduct independent investigations and audits of federal agencies, and look into possible security breaches. Upon returning to the White House in January, Trump removed many of the government's inspectors general and has installed acting heads of the watchdogs at the defence, commerce, labour and health departments. 4th April,2025

SOUTH KOREA’S PRESIDENT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM POWER South Korea's president has been removed from office after the Constitutional Court voted unanimously to uphold his impeachment. Yoon Suk Yeol was suspended from duty in December after being impeached by parliament, following his failed attempt to impose martial law. The ruling on Friday was met with tears of joy and sadness among Yoon's critics and supporters, who had gathered in various parts of Seoul to watch the verdict live. A snap election to vote for Yoon's replacement must be held by 3 June. What next for South Korea? After months of anxiously waiting, South Koreans have some badly needed closure. The country can now start to repair and move forward, the first step being to elect a new leader. But the crisis Yoon has unleashed is far from over. Although his military takeover only lasted six hours, the political fallout has only intensified with each month that has passed. The night of 3 December, when Yoon ordered troops to storm parliament, changed something in South Korea's psyche. It reawakened the ghosts of the country's violent, dictatorial past, showing people that martial law was not, as most had assumed, consigned to history. Many are still upset by what happened that night, and afraid that the threat of martial law could be brandished again by future zealous politicians. Today's verdict therefore came as a relief to most, who cheered on the streets of Seoul as the verdict was read out. It is a victory for South Korea's democracy, that for a while looked as if it was on dangerous ground. The constitutional court was damning in its criticism of Yoon's authoritarian power grab, as all eight judges voted to remove him from office. In upholding his impeachment, Moon Hyung-bae, acting president of the eight-men bench, said Yoon's short-lived military takeover was not justified, and that he had "[gone] against the people he was supposed to protect". He added that the implementation of martial law "damaged people's basic political rights" and "violated the principles of the rule of law and democracy". Already, there are serious calls to change South Korea's constitution – to strengthen its institutions and limit the powers of the president - to guard against this happening again. However, it will take a particularly patriotic future president to sign off on reducing their own authority. South Korea more polarised than ever As Yoon leaves office, he leaves behind not just a shaken country, but a divided one. In the aftermath of that shocking December night, South Koreans were mostly united in their disgust for the president and what he had attempted to do. But Yoon showed no remorse. He dug in, fought his trial at every step, and continued to dangle the same unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that he used to justify his military takeover. He claimed that the country and his political opposition had been infiltrated by North Korean and Chinese spies, and that these "anti-state forces" had rigged past elections. Gradually more and more people believed him. Through his belligerence, Yoon has turned himself into a political martyr for many – the victim of an establishment that has been overrun by "communists". His conspiracy theories have firmly taken root, and far-right extremism is flourishing. Thousands protest every week in the centre of Seoul. They were on the streets on Friday, and will be there again Saturday, claiming the country's politicians and judges are corrupt and elections are rigged. And these are not fringe views. More than a third of people now say they do not trust the Constitutional Court while delivered Yoon's verdict; more than a quarter do not trust the voting system. Within this climate of distrust, South Korea must head to the polls. Yoon's successor needs to be chosen in the next 60 days. These days are sure to be fraught and even more divisive. Many may not to accept the result that comes. Yet South Korea urgently needs a new leader who can advocate for the country as whole, having been without one for months. It quickly needs to figure out how to deal with President Trump, having started on the backfoot. His 25% tariffs on cars and steel have dealt Seoul, and its ailing economy, an early a blow, but many believe worse is coming; that it is only time until Mr Trump turns his gaze to the Korean peninsula, and when he does he will try to force South Korea to pay more for its defence and cut a deal with Seoul's arch enemy, Kim Jong Un. Yoon's legal team has accused the court of politicising the ruling. "The whole process of this trial itself was not lawful and unfair," said one of his lawyers, Yoon Gap-geun. "I feel regrettable that this completely is a political decision," he said. But politicians are calling for unity, asking everyone to accept this verdict, so South Korea can at least start to move on. Yoon's political party, the PPP, has conceded, but Yoon himself has not. In a statement he apologised to his supporters for his "shortcomings" without mentioning the ruling. "I am truly sorry and regretful that I could not live up to your expectations," he said. "It has been a great honor to serve the Republic of Korea. I am deeply grateful to all of you who supported and encouraged me, despite my many shortcomings," he said. He cannot appeal, as the decision was made by South Korea's top court. But, having repeatedly vowed to fight to the end, he could still refuse to go quietly. 4th April,2025

CHINA HAS RETALIATED WITH EXTRA TARIFF China is on the first row of the list Trump is holding as he announces the sweeping tariffs earlier this week As we've been reporting, China has just hit back with a 34% tariff on US goods. But why 34%? US President Donald Trump has imposed import tariffs on China totalling 54%, but that figure didn’t come all at once. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports to 20%. Then earlier this week, Washington brought in a new set of "reciprocal" tariffs for countries around the world – and the rate for China is 34%. It means China's retaliatory tariff matches the one Trump introduced earlier this week. 4th April,2025

SHARES IN EUROPE'S BIGGEST COMPANIES NOSEDIVE Shares in some of Europe's biggest companies have nosedived in response to China's 34% tariff on US goods. The Milanstock market has fallen 7%, with banking and insurance shares well down: financial group Unipol has plummeted 13%, Unicredit and Bper are down 11%, and Intesa and Banca Popolare di Sondrio have both lost 10% of their value. The DAX in Germany lost hundreds of points in a matter of minutes as banking shares and industrials tumbled. Deutsche Bank was down over 10%, while Daimler, Mercedes-Benz and MTU Aero Engines have slipped by between 5% and 7.5%. In France, banking groups Société Générale and BNP Paribas were down 10.8% and 8.6% respectively while car group Stellantis lost 8.5% of its value and steel firm ArcelorMittal was down 10%. In Amsterdam Dutch insurer Aegon and banking group ING are both down by more than 9%. 4th April,2025

AIRMED PLANE STAYED IN GHANA FOR 5 DAYS Confirmed reports reaching Peacefmonline indicate that AirMed Flight N823AM landed in Ghana and stayed at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) for five days before departing for Gran Canaria, Spain. This revelation comes following concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament regarding the aircraft’s activities in Ghana. Background The former Deputy Minister of Education and current Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, called for full transparency from National Security regarding two flights that landed in Ghana in early March and departed for Gran Canaria, a Spanish island, on March 25. The flights, an air ambulance and a private jet, according to him, touched down on Ghana’s soil for days before their departure. The Minority were utterly concerned with the purpose of the aircraft in Ghana. “We have provided the registration numbers and the details of these two aircraft. We have even provided information regarding when they landed on the tarmac and when they departed”, Mr. Fordjour, on behalf of the Minority, said at a press conference on Tuesday, April 1. He called for accountability saying “it is crucial that we uphold the principle of transparency in every matter of governance”. Confirmation Of Report Checks on FlightRadar24, a trusted flight tracking platform, confirm that AirMed N823AM was originally scheduled to depart Gran Canaria on March 20, 2025, at 3:55 AM, and arrive in Accra at 8:08 AM. It was delayed and eventually departed at 4:59 AM, landing in Accra at 9:03 AM. The aircraft stayed in Ghana for five days before departing Kotoka International Airport on March 25, 2025, at 1:01 AM, and landing in Gran Canaria at 5:12 AM. These checks were disclosed in a publication by Joy News on Tuesday, April 2. Suspected Narcotics According to the Minority’s account, AirMed flight N823AM which is an air ambulance didn’t transport patients but allegedly carried cargo suspected to contain cocaine and US dollars for money laundering purposes. “There is no evidence of any medical referral or patient on board. Rather, our intelligence suggests that the aircraft was used to smuggle illicit cargo”, the Minority averred. They earnestly demanded that “in our collective quest to combat drug trafficking and money laundering, transparency must be upheld”, therefore urged the “National Security to provide details of the cargo brought into and taken out of the country by these two aircraft”. 4th April,2025

ECG CONTAINERS ARE TOO BIG TO BE DESCRIBED AS MISSING A former Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama, has stated that the alleged missing containers at the Tema Port may have been misplaced, adding that containers are too big to be described as missing. In an exclusive interview on TV3's Ghana Tonight on Wednesday, April 3, 2025, the former Managing Director expressed his displeasure over the committee set up by the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, to probe into the alleged missing containers at the Tema Port. According to Mr. Dubik Mahama, the committee showed a lack of respect for him for blatantly ignoring him but had his name captured in the official report. Mr. Dubik Mahama added that, if the committee had invited him for a meeting, there were so many inconsistencies captured in the report that would have been avoided. Dubik Mahama’s statement comes in the wake of mounting concerns and public outrage over the alarming loss of 1,357 containers, which were meant for ECG’s operations. The minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, set up an investigative committee to look into the matter, and the findings have raised serious questions about the handling of the containers at the Tema Port. According to the committee’s report, out of a total of 2,491 containers that were expected to be cleared and distributed by ECG, 1,357 containers have been declared missing. The report further revealed that the missing containers, which reportedly contained vital equipment for ECG’s operations, were believed to have been left at the port for an extended period without being cleared, and now their disappearance has sparked a major scandal. "Containers are too big a thing to declare as missing. They are not missing; they are possibly misplaced, or we just need to take our time and find it at other terminals within the port," he said. “The containers were never in the custody of the ECG. If they were in ECG’s custody, then you can hold ECG responsible, but this is the case that they were still under the port authorities, and so I am all for whatever investigations there will be, and I am ready to sit with whoever to give my side of the story.” 4th April,2025

GRA DIRECTS CHARGING ENTITIES TO RECONFIGURE SYSTEMS The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has officially announced the abolition of the controversial 1% Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy). In a statement issued on April 2, 2025, the GRA confirmed that the President had assented to the Electronic Transfer Levy Act, 2022 (Act 1075) and the Electronic Transfer Levy (Amendment) Act, 2022 (Act 1089), effectively abolishing the 1% levy on electronic transfers. This change takes effect immediately. “We wish to inform you that the President of the Republic of Ghana has assented to the Electronic Transfer Levy Act, 2022 (Act 1075) and the Electronic Transfer Levy (Amendment) Act, 2022 (Act 1089) bill, which abolishes the 1% E-Levy. This is expected to take effect from today, 2nd April 2025,” a letter from the Domestic Tax Revenue Division of the GRA to charging entities read. As part of the implementation process, all charging entities have been instructed to reconfigure their systems to ensure that no charges are applied to transactions moving forward. “The GRA Electronic Transfer Levy Management and Assurance System (ELMAS) will automatically return a ‘no charge’ on all transactions posted to it by entities from midnight,” the directive continued. Entities that continue to apply the levy or fail to refund customers who were incorrectly charged will face legal consequences, with sanctions being enforced according to the law. 4th April,2025

WE DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE VICE P RESIDENT. Former Deputy Managing Director of National Investment Bank (NIB), Alfred George Thompson, has admonished the government to disclose the medical condition of Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang. The vice president reportedly took ill on Friday, March 28, and was rushed to the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC). Her condition, “based on expert medical opinion,” demands that “she will be seeking further care abroad.” This was contained in a press statement issued by the spokesperson for President John Dramani Mahama and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, on Sunday, March 30. Commenting on the matter during Peace FM’s Wednesday edition of “Kokrokoo” morning show, Alfred George Thompson insisted that Her Excellency Naana Opoku-Agyemang’s health status should be made public, arguing Ghanaians need to know to avoid repetition of past events. “Everybody needs to know, especially when you are being paid with taxpayer’s money. I don’t care if…in the past, it wasn’t done, but we will ask questions,” he told host Akwasi Aboagye. Mr. Thompson sought details, asking, “What really happened on Friday for her to have been rushed to UGMC? What kind of disease is she suffering from?” “We have seen this play out before; that’s why we are asking questions,” he concluded. 4th April,2025