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One Direction singer Liam Payne dead after falling from Buenos Aires hotel balcony
Liam Payne, who shot to global fame with boy band One Direction, was found dead after he fell from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, triggering an outpouring of tributes from fans.
As news emerged of the 31-year-old English singer’s death, fans of one of the world’s biggest-selling boy bands gathered outside the hotel in the Argentinian capital’s leafy Palermo neighbourhood to sing his songs and celebrate his life.
Police said in a statement they had been called to the CasaSur hotel after being notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol”.
When they arrived, the hotel manager reported he had heard a loud noise from the inner courtyard and the police found that a man had fallen from the balcony of his room, the statement said.
In audio obtained from the Buenos Aires security ministry, a worker can be heard asking for police help.
“When he is conscious he is destroying the entire room and we need you to send someone,” the worker said, adding that the guest’s life was at risk because the room had a balcony.
One Direction found global success after Simon Cowell brought together Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson on Britain’s X Factor talent show in 2010.
They went on to sell 70 million records, with six top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100, including “What Makes You Beautiful”, “Story of My Life” and “Live While We’re Young”. Payne’s co-writing credits included “Story of My Life” and “Night Changes”.
The band announced an “indefinite hiatus” in 2016, leaving its members to pursue solo careers. Payne’s last single was “Teardrop”, released in March this year.
Payne’s family said they were “heartbroken”.
“Liam will live forever in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” they said in a statement.
While details surrounding his death remained unclear, Payne had spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health and using alcohol to cope with the pressures of fame.
“Doing a show to however many thousands of people, then being stuck by yourself in a country where you can’t go out anywhere – what else are you going to do? The minibar is always there,” he told the Guardian newspaper in 2019.
Source: Reuters.com
Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
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A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
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