Newly sworn-in Ghanaian President John Mahama made a hilarious gaffe in his inauguration speech when he referred to Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the “President of Ghana.”

In his address to dignitaries, Mahama said, “Your Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Ghana.”

John Mahama was sworn in as President of Ghana, with world leaders present, including President Tinubu, to grace the occasion. The swearing-in, which took place at Independence Square, Accra on Tuesday, sealed his return as President of the West African nation for the second time, having first led Ghana from 2012 to 2017.

During the event, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang was also sworn in as Ghana’s first woman vice president. She took the oath of office administered by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo of Ghana.

In winning the election in December, Mahama had polled 6.3 million votes, 50% of the total, beating his nearest challenger, Mahamudu Bawumia of the ruling New Patriotic Party, by 1.7 million votes. “The people of Ghana have spoken. The people have voted for change at this time, and we respect it with all humility,” Bawumia said while conceding defeat.

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John Dramani Mahama has officially been sworn in as the 6th President of Ghana’s Fourth Republic in a grand ceremony held at the Independence Square on January 7, 2025.

The historic event marked Mahama’s return to the presidency after a previous term ended in 2017, making him the first leader in Ghana’s history to reclaim the presidency after a re-election loss.

His swearing-in follows a decisive victory in the 2024 general elections.

In his inaugural speech, President Mahama pledged to uphold the trust of the Ghanaian people and steer the nation toward economic recovery, unity, and inclusive development.

He also emphasized a renewed commitment to good governance, transparency, and addressing the pressing needs of Ghanaians.

The ceremony was attended by 21 heads of state, former leaders, and dignitaries, including Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, and Liberia’s George Weah.

Former Ghanaian leaders John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings were also present, alongside immediate former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and his wife, Samira Bawumia.

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Donald Trump capped a historic political comeback on Monday as Congress certified his election victory, in a remarkable turn from four years ago, when a mob he had summoned to Washington ransacked the US Capitol.

The president-elect spent much of his campaign facing prosecution over the 2021 insurrection, when his supporters — fueled by his false claims of voter fraud — rioted to halt the certification of his defeat to Joe Biden.

But Trump, 78, was voted back into office in November and Monday’s ceremony went much more smoothly, even with a major winter storm blanketing the capital and much of the country in snow.

“Donald J Trump of the state of Florida, has received 312 votes. Kamala D Harris of the state of California has received 226 votes,” Harris herself declared to assembled lawmakers after the counting was complete.

Harris — who oversaw the certification as part of her vice-presidential duties — said the official count “shall be deemed a sufficient declaration” for Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance to take their oaths of office on January 20.

The ceremony marked the final blow to efforts to have the Republican leader face justice over the riot, the culmination of a multi-pronged alleged criminal conspiracy that prosecutors said Trump led — before they dropped all charges upon his election.

Trump has vowed to pardon an unspecified number of the rioters — around 900 of whom have admitted federal charges from trespassing and vandalism to assaulting police — describing them as “hostages.”

In a Washington Post op-ed, Biden slammed Trump’s allies for downplaying the violence of 2021 and urged Americans to be “proud that our democracy withstood this assault.”

“We cannot accept a repeat of what occurred four years ago,” he said. “An unrelenting effort has been underway to rewrite — even erase — the history of that day.”

Indiana conservative Mike Pence had Harris’s job — certifying his own defeat alongside Trump — in 2021 when, in a desperate bid to cling to power, the then-president demanded that he reject Biden’s victory.

Lawmakers in both parties have occasionally used the certification process to challenge elections, but more than half of House Republicans rejected the results in 2021.

– ‘Emotional trauma’ –
No Democratic leaders followed the Republican example this time around and there were no objections to certifying Trump’s victory — a process that took barely half an hour.

The former reality TV star was impeached for inciting the 2021 insurrection after delivering a raucous speech outside the White House early in the day, demanding that supporters march on the Capitol and “fight like hell.”

Thousands attacked the citadel of American democracy — battering police with metal bars and flag poles, smashing windows, sending lawmakers running in fear and chanting “Hang Mike Pence!”

Four people died — two from heart attacks, one from a potential overdose, and a rioter fatally shot by police as she tried to force her way into the House chamber. Four police officers committed suicide subsequently.

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has vowed to investigate the House committee that probed the riot and found that Trump had instigated it after the failure of a host of other schemes to overturn an election he knew he had lost.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement the Justice Department had over the last four years charged more than 1,500 people suspected of involvement in the “unprecedented attack on a cornerstone of our system of government.”

The certification — which launches a two-week countdown towards Trump’s January 20 inauguration — was designated for the first time as a national security special event, with 500 National Guard personnel on standby.

But the federal government and Washington public schools were closed Monday with up to a foot (30 centimeters) of snow expected.

“Four years ago today, our nation watched in horror as a terrorist mob stormed the Capitol grounds and desecrated our temple of Democracy in a violent attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power,” Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who was House speaker at the time of the rebellion, said in a statement.

“The January 6th insurrection shook our Republic to its core — and left behind physical scars and emotional trauma on members of our congressional community and our country that endure to this day.”

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Incoming United States President Donald Trump on Monday called on Canada to merge with the United States of America.

This comes following the resignation of Justin Trudeau as Canadian Prime Minister.

WITHIN NIGERIA reports that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on Monday, announced his resignation after nearly nine years in office, citing internal party pressures and his declining popularity as factors in his decision.

Trudeau, in a press conference, stated that he would remain in office until the Liberal Party selects a new leader.

He also announced that parliament would be suspended until March 24.

“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” Trudeau said.

Reacting to the resignation in a post on social media, Trump said if Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no tariffs, adding that taxes would go way down and they would be totally secure from the threat of Russian and Chinese ships that are constantly surrounding them.

“Together, what a great nation it would be,” he added.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation after nearly nine years in office, citing internal party pressures and his declining popularity as factors in his decision.

In a press conference on Monday, Trudeau stated he would remain in office until the Liberal Party selects a new leader. He also announced that parliament would be prorogued, or suspended, until March 24.

“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau’s resignation comes as his personal unpopularity began to weigh heavily on the Liberal Party’s prospects ahead of federal elections later this year.

His tenure has been marked by a mix of progressive policy wins and controversies, with recent polling showing dwindling public support for his leadership.

The Liberal Party will now focus on selecting a new leader capable of reinvigorating the party and presenting a strong alternative in the upcoming elections. The prorogation of parliament until March will provide time for this leadership transition.

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The Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church in the Wenchi West District of the Mid-West Ghana Conference, Bono Region, celebrated 20 young girls over the weekend for preserving their virginity. The girls, aged 13 to 16, received undisclosed financial support during a special Thanksgiving service.

As reported by GhanaWeb, the ceremony was led by the Young Adventist Women Ministries and aimed to promote moral integrity, rooted in Christian and cultural values.

The Coordinator of the Young Adventist Women Ministries, Mrs. Nana Amponsah Poku, highlighted the initiative’s focus on nurturing the holistic development of young women.

She emphasized the importance of self-confidence and wise decision-making, urging the girls to maintain their purity and remain cautious in choosing friends in the coming year.

“God created you uniquely beautiful and you must not allow anybody to lure and break your virginity until you marry”, she urged the girls and asked them to be cautious about the friends they picked in 2025.

“The ancient Bragoro or Dipo rite was very essential in preserving girls’ virginity and controlling teenage pregnancies inimical to the growth and development of young girls and women”, she stated.

Associate Pastor Andrews Dua Bour Kyereh praised the honorees for their discipline and purity. He encouraged them to prioritize education and faith, urging other young girls in the church and community to follow their example.

Pastor Kyereh also called on parents to take an active role in guiding their children toward virtuous living and instilling strong moral values.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is likely to announce his resignation this week as he faces mounting dissent within his Liberal Party, newspaper The Globe and Mail reported Sunday.

Citing three anonymous sources knowledgeable of internal party matters, the Globe said Trudeau’s announcement could come as early as Monday.

The announcement would likely come before a national Liberal Party caucus on Wednesday, according to the Globe’s sources.

It remained unclear if Trudeau would remain in an interim capacity while the party sought new leadership, the Globe reported.

Trudeau’s popularity has waned in recent months, with his government narrowly surviving a series of no-confidence votes and critics calling for his resignation.

He has vowed to stay on to guide the Liberals to elections scheduled for October 2025, but has faced further pressure from US incoming president, Donald Trump, who has threatened a 25-percent tariff on Canadian goods.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland quit in December after disagreeing with Trudeau over how to respond to Trump’s apparent plan, in the first open dissent against the prime minister within his cabinet.

Later that month, Trudeau announced a major shakeup to his cabinet — changing one-third of his team in a bid to settle the political turmoil.

In November, he traveled to Florida to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in a bid to head off a trade war.

But since then the president-elect has also landed humiliating blows against Trudeau on social media, repeatedly calling him “governor” of Canada and declaring that the United States’ northern neighbor becoming the 51st US state is a “great idea.”

Trudeau swept to power in 2015, with a mop of dark curly hair and confident swagger, and led the Liberals to two more ballot box victories in 2019 and 2021.

But he now trails his main rival, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, by 20 points in public opinion polls.

Coming late to politics after working as a snowboard instructor, bartender, bouncer and teacher, Trudeau was first elected in 2008 to the House of Commons to represent a working-class Montreal neighborhood.

In his first two terms as prime minister, he brought in Senate reforms, signed a new trade deal with the United States and introduced a carbon tax to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The married father of three also legalized cannabis, held a public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and passed legislation permitting medically assisted suicide.

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Hospitals in China are struggling to cope with a mysterious virus outbreak reminiscent of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Videos circulating on social media show overcrowded medical facilities, with patients in masks and long lines of parents waiting at pediatric wards holding their sick children.

Although no official statement has been made, reports suggest the outbreak may be linked to human metapneumovirus (HMPV). This lesser-known virus typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms but has led to heightened concerns.

The outbreak comes shortly after the Chinese Centre for Disease Control warned of rising cases of flu-like illnesses. In late December, a report noted that 7.2% of outpatient visits in northern provinces were related to such illnesses.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is also experiencing a significant flu outbreak, which hospitalized over 5,000 patients by the end of December.

The National Health Service (NHS) reported an average of 4,469 daily flu-related hospitalizations in the week leading up to December 29, a 3.5-fold increase compared to the same period in 2023.

On Christmas Day, 4,102 flu patients were hospitalized, rising to 5,074 by December 29—a sharp jump from the 1,190 hospitalizations recorded on November 29.

Adding to the pressure, hospitals are managing high numbers of norovirus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) cases. Critical care units saw an average of 211 flu patients daily, with RSV and norovirus cases significantly higher than last year.

In response, hospitals discharged a record 15,094 patients on Christmas Eve, a 40% increase compared to the previous week.

Julian Redhead, the National Clinical Director for urgent and emergency care, noted that the NHS continues to face immense pressure from flu, COVID-19, RSV, and other illnesses.

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A Japanese woman, Tomiko Itooka, globally recognised as world’s oldest person, has died, aged 116.

Ashiya, the city where she lived, announced her death on Saturday.

The southern city’s mayor, Ryosuke Takashima, in a statement said Itooka, who had four children and five grandchildren died on December 29 at a nursing home where she resided since 2019.

The deceased was born on May 23, 1908, in the commercial hub of Osaka, near Ashiya, four months before the Ford Model T was launched in the United States.

She was recognised as the oldest person in the world after the August 2024 death of Spain’s Maria Branyas Morera at age 117.

“Ms Itooka gave us courage and hope through her long life. We thank her for it,” Ashiya’s mayor said in the statement.

The statement added that Itooka, who was one of three siblings, lived through world wars and pandemics as well as technological breakthroughs.

According to the mayor’s statement, in Itooka’s older age, she enjoyed bananas and Calpis, a milky soft drink popular in Japan.

Women typically enjoy longevity in Japan, but the country is facing a worsening demographic crisis as its expanding elderly population leads to soaring medical and welfare costs, with a shrinking labour force to pay for it.

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South Korean investigators have suspended their effort to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after a prolonged standoff with presidential security personnel.

The Corruption Investigation Office, tasked with executing the arrest warrant, announced the suspension on Friday at 1:30 pm (0430 GMT).

Investigators had arrived at the presidential residence earlier that day, aiming to detain Yoon, but were denied entry by security aides.

An official from the agency explained the decision, citing concerns for safety and the escalating confrontation. “The continued resistance made executing the warrant practically impossible. For the safety of our personnel, we suspended the operation,” the official stated.

“We determined that executing the detention warrant would be practically impossible due to the continued confrontation and suspended the execution out of concern for the safety of on-site personnel caused by the resistance,” an official from the agency said.

“We plan to decide on the next steps following a review.”

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