Month: October 2024

A Turkish Airlines flight en route from Seattle to Istanbul was forced to make an emergency landing in New York after one of the pilots collapsed mid-flight, the airline confirmed on Wednesday.

The incident occurred shortly after the flight departed from Seattle on Tuesday evening. Despite immediate efforts to administer first aid, the 59-year-old pilot passed away before the plane could land, according to a statement from Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Ustun, shared on social media.

The Airbus A350, operating as flight TK204, was diverted to New York by the co-pilot and remaining flight crew. The pilot had been with the airline since 2007 and had recently passed a routine medical examination in March, which showed no health concerns.

281 Kenyan Mps voted on Tuesday night (Oct. 08) to impeach Rigathi Gachagua who had served as the country’s VP since the election of Willaim Ruto in 2022.

44 Kenyan MPs voted against his destitution and 1 MP abstained.

Scenes of jubilation could be seen after the proclamation of the results of the impeachment motion.

Gachagua was accused of supporting historic anti-government protests in June and of being involved in corruption and other irregularities, has defended himself during a televised address and in Parliament.

Article 145 2A of the Constitution provides that “If a motion under clause 1 is supported by at least 2/3 of the National Assembly, the speaker shall inform the speaker of the Senate within two days,” speaker Moses Wetang’ula said.

If the Senate also backs the motion, Gachagua would become the first deputy president to be impeached since the new constitution was adopted in 2010.

Chapter 9 of the Constitution provides that the Deputy President may be removed from office on three grouds :

• (a) on the ground of physical or mental incapacity to perform the functions of the office; or (b) on impeachment–
• (i) on the ground of a gross violation of a provision of this Constitution or any other law; (ii) where there are serious reasons to believe that the Deputy President has committed a crime under national or international law; or (iii) for gross misconduct.

Gachagua has defended his wealth acquisition on Monday (Oct. 07), saying some of the properties listed in the impeachment motion belonged to his late brother. He defended renovation expenditures for his official residence saying it was in a state of disrepair and needed to be “dignified.”

The fallout of Gachagua with President William Ruto was speculated upon for months. This move, and the support of most of the ruling party Mps, laid bare the dissension between the two men.

Zambia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with China to establish the country’s first cholera vaccine manufacturing facility.

The project, announced on Monday, aims to strengthen Zambia’s fight against cholera, a disease that has severely impacted public health and productivity.

The initial phase of the plant, costing $37 million, will be developed through a partnership between Zambia’s Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and China’s Jijia International Medical Technology Corporation. The facility is expected to produce around three million doses annually.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, speaking at the signing ceremony in Lusaka, emphasized the importance of the project in eradicating cholera in the country. He highlighted that Zambia could become a key manufacturing hub for Africa as the continent’s population continues to grow rapidly.

“This partnership sends a message that Zambia, Africa, and the world can collaborate effectively. We aim to make Zambia a center for manufacturing to serve larger markets,” Hichilema said.

The president also stressed that the project must avoid bureaucratic delays due to its critical, life-saving purpose. As part of the agreement, China will donate three million cholera vaccine doses to Zambia before production begins.

Zambia faced a severe cholera outbreak earlier this year, which claimed over 400 lives and infected more than 10,000 people. Cholera remains a persistent threat in the country, particularly during the rainy season, despite being a curable disease.

Performances spanned genres and generations during the American Music Awards 50th anniversary special which aired Sunday on CBS.

Green Day kicked off the show with their recent song, “Dilemma.” Jennifer Hudson performed a tribute to Whitney Houston while Mariah Carey celebrated her hit “We Belong Together.” Chaka Khan closed the night with “I’m Every Woman.”

The pre-recorded special focused on moments from years past and did not hand out awards.

On Sunday, stars like Jennifer Hudson, Brad Paisley, Chaka Khan, Nelly, Raye, Stray Kids and more delivered show-stopping performances that had the audience on their feet.

The milestone event opened with Gladys Knight, who dazzled in a black glittering ensemble as she sang her classic hit Midnight Train to Georgia, which won her a Grammy in 1973. The 80-year-old legend set the tone for a night of musical celebration.

Nearly 6,300 people have fled their homes in the aftermath of an attack in central Haiti by heavily armed gang members that killed at least 70 people, according to the U.N.’s migration agency.

Nearly 90% of the displaced are staying with relatives in host families, while 12% have found refuge in other sites including a school and parks, the International Organization for Migration said in a report last week.

The attack in Pont-Sondé happened in the early hours of Thursday morning, and many left on foot in the middle of the night taking only their children and other family members.

Bodies lay strewn on the streets of Pont-Sondé following the attack in the Artibonite region, many of them killed by a shot to the head, Bertide Harace, spokeswoman for the Commission for Dialogue, Reconciliation and Awareness to Save the Artibonite, told local media.

Those without shelter in the park of Saint Marc complain they are hungry and that food and water distribution is still deficient.

Every container with rice and beans and every bottle of water is heavily disputed.

Displaced women sat with their children and talked about overhearing gunfire and men breaking into houses and shooting at people.

On Friday, Prime Minister Gary Conille, visited Saint-Marc and vowed that the perpetrators would face the full force of the law in comments in Saint-Marc.

Gang violence across Artibonite, which produces much of Haiti’s food, has increased in recent years. Since that uptick, Thursday’s attack is one of the biggest massacres.

Similar ones have taken place in the capital of Port-au-Prince, 80% of which is controlled by gangs, and they typically are linked to turf wars, with gang members targeting civilians in areas controlled by rivals.

Many neighborhoods are not safe, and people affected by the violence have not been able to return home, even if their houses have not been destroyed.

More than 700,000 people — more than half of whom are children — are now internally displaced across Haiti, according to the International Organization for Migration in an Oct. 2 statement.

That was an increase of 22% since June.

Ethiopia’s two houses of parliament elected Taye Atske Selassie, the country’s top diplomat, president on Monday (Oct. 7).

Taye Atske Selassie was sworn in on the same day. He handed over the Constitution by the country’s outgoing president.

Taye succeeds the country’s first female president who was elected six years ago of the mainly ceremonial position as executive power is vested in the prime minister.

The AU Chairperson congratulated the departing FM on his election and further “reiterated the continued support of the African Union Commission to Ethiopia’s journey to deepen the country’s democracy and sustainable development.”

Taye is a seasoned diplomat, he notably served as Ethiopia’s Permanent ambassador to the United Nations in New York.

Zewde, who is being lauded for making history as Ethiopia’s first female president in 2018, resigned her job as the special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to the African Union to take up the role as president of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

There were reports of a rift between her and prime minister Abiy Ahmed.