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Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi confirmed dead after helicopter crash

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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is confirmed dead after rescuers found a helicopter carrying him and other officials that had crashed in the mountainous northwest of Iran the day before.

He was 63 years old.

Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian; Governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati, Tabriz’s Friday prayer Imam Mohammad Ali Alehashem as well as a pilot, co-pilot, crew chief, head of security and another bodyguard, were all on board, according to Iranian media. All nine passengers on board have been declared dead.

President Raisi, the foreign minister and all the passengers in the helicopter, were killed in the crash,’ a senior Iranian official told Reuters.

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State TV gave no immediate cause for the crash in Iran´s East Azerbaijan province.

Footage released by the IRNA early Monday showed what the agency described as the crash site across a steep valley in a green mountain range. Soldiers speaking in the local Azeri language said: ‘There it is, we found it.’

An Iranian official said search teams who located the wreckage found ‘no sign of life’.

Mohammad Mokhber, 68, Iran’s first vice president, would assume the role of interim president upon Raisi’s death. Mokhber already had begun receiving calls from officials and foreign governments in Raisi´s absence, state media said.

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It was also reported that the nation’s government held an ‘urgent meeting’ Monday, with Raisi’s usual chair left vacant and covered in a black sash in his memory.

Rescue teams fought blizzards and difficult terrain through the night to reach the wreckage in East Azerbaijan province in the early hours of Monday.

Early Monday morning, Turkish authorities released what they described as drone footage showing what appeared to be a fire in the wilderness that they ‘suspected to be the wreckage of the helicopter.’

The coordinates listed in the footage put the fire some 12 miles south of the Azerbaijan-Iranian border on the side of a steep mountain.

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State media claimed that allied Russia sent a 50-man specialist mountain rescue unit to assist the search.

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed it in a Telegram post.

Approximately 73 teams, plus detector dogs, were involved, per Iran’s Red Crescent.

Source:Dailymail.com

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Justin Kodua Frimpong files nomination to seek re-election as NPP General Secretary

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General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.

He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.

Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.

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“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.

He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.

“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.

His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.

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The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.

The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

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UGMC disputes Michael Blackson’s claims over late mother’s treatment

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The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.

In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.

The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.

According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.

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UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.

The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.

It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.

UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.

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The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.

The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.

Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.

By: Jacob Aggrey

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