News
Millions evacuated ahead of super cyclone
India and Bangladesh are evacuating millions of people from coastal areas ahead of a super cyclone which is approaching from the Bay of Bengal.
Cyclone Amphan is expected to make landfall in an area near the border of the two countries later on Wednesday.
More than 20 relief teams have already been deployed, and several more are on standby, Indian officials say.
The coronavirus outbreak is making it harder for officials in both countries to evacuate people in these regions.
Amphan is expected to hit the coast with winds gusting up to 185km/h (115mph), forecasters say.
Officials in Bangladesh fear it will be the most powerful storm since Cyclone Sidr killed about 3,500 people in 2007. Most died as a result of sea water surging in.
While the storm’s current wind speed is likely to reduce slightly before it makes landfall, India’s weather department is predicting the surge of water caused could be as high as 10-16 feet (more than 3-5 metres).
The cyclone comes as tens of thousands of migrant workers flee cities for their villages during India’s lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.
West Bengal and Orissa (Odisha) are among the Indian states that are seeing a larger number of them return.
Orissa has now cancelled trains which were due to arrive with thousands of migrants between May18 and 20.
And some district officials have barred entry into their areas and requested the state government to accommodate the migrants – many of whom are walking home – elsewhere until the storm passes.
The evacuation is expected to continue into Wednesday morning. Bangladesh’s disaster management minister has told the BBC that they plan to evacuate about two million people to safety.
Extra shelters have been prepared to allow for social distancing. Masks are also being distributed.
State officials in India are also struggling to find shelters for evacuees. In Orissa, for instance, 250 of the more than 800 existing shelters are being used as coronavirus quarantine centres.
So both states have asked for schools and other buildings in the areas likely to be hit by the super cyclone to be turned into temporary shelters – they need more than the usual numbers in order to house people while enforcing social distancing norms.
Around 50,000 people have been evacuated from areas near the Sunderban islands in India. -BBC
The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate resignation or dismissal of the Attorney General, accusing him of incompetence over the release of GH¢350 million from the Contingency Fund for flood relief.
Addressing the media today in Parliament, the Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei alleged that the release of the money breached legal procedures because there were ongoing garnishee proceedings involving the Contingency Fund.
According to her, the Attorney General directed the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to allow the funds to be released despite the pending court process.
“The Attorney General’s letter speaks for itself. It directed the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to give effect to the release of funds from the Contingency Fund notwithstanding the pending garnishee proceedings. Yet the Ministry of Finance subsequently announced that the GH¢350 million had been released,” she stated.
Mrs. Appiagyei argued that the Attorney General’s actions showed incompetence and undermined due legal process.
She said the Minority believes the Attorney General should either resign or be dismissed over the matter.
The Minority maintains that public funds must be managed in accordance with the law and has called for accountability over the release of the money.
By: Jacob Aggrey
U.S. Central Command forces have begun a series of powerful strikes against targets in Iran following attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the international waterway with civilian crews.
According to U.S. officials, the operation is intended to impose heavy costs on Iran for targeting and attacking commercial shipping in a critical global trade route.
The U.S. military described Iran’s actions as “unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
Officials said the attacks on the civilian-crewed vessels posed a direct threat to freedom of navigation and the safety of international shipping.
The strikes mark an escalation in U.S. military action in the region aimed at deterring further aggression against commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
U.S. Central Command has not provided details on the specific targets or extent of damage from the strikes. Further updates are expected as the operation continues.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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