News
US military accuses Russia of deploying fighter jets to Libya
The US military accused Russia of deploying fighter aircraft to Libya “repainted to camouflage” their origin in support of mercenaries fighting for eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces.
The allegation came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov yesterday told a Haftar ally that Moscow backed an immediate ceasefire and political talks that would culminate in united governing authorities.
The United States’ fighter jet accusation against Russia raises concerns of a new escalation in the nine-year-long conflict, despite Lavrov’s call for a truce.
“Russian military aircraft are likely to provide close air support and offensive fire,” the US Africa Command said in a statement.
The fighting in Libya has drawn in regional and global powers with what the United Nations described as a huge influx of weapons and fighters in repeated violation of a 2011 arms embargo.
Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt support Haftar’s eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), which launched an offensive a year ago to seize the capital, Tripoli.
However, in recent weeks the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) has, with extensive Turkish military backing, pushed Haftar back from his foothold in southern Tripoli and other parts of the northwest.
The US statement said the aircraft arrived in Libya “recently” from an airbase in Russia after briefly stopping in Syria, where they were repainted to conceal their Russian origin.
Russia has long denied any involvement in Libya’s conflict. There was no immediate response from the Russian defence ministry.
Hundreds of Russian military contractors in Libya were reportedly evacuated into central Libya during the past few days after retreating from fighting on the capital’s front lines.
US Army General Stephen Townsend described the Russian planes as “fourth-generation jet fighters”.
“Russia is clearly trying to tip the scales in its favour in Libya,” he said. “Just like I saw them doing in Syria, they are expanding their military footprint in Africa using government-supported mercenary groups like Wagner,” he added, referencing the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group, which the UN said last month had 1,200 fighters in Libya.
AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
The New Juaben South Municipal Cultural Officer, Ms Richill Aniwaa Appiah, has called on parents to make a conscious effort to teach their children Ghanaian languages at home to preserve the country’s culture and improve pupils’ performance in local language subjects.
According to her, many parents now communicate with their children mainly in English, a trend that is making it difficult for many pupils to understand, speak and write their mother tongue.
She noted that recent assessments show many children are struggling in local language lessons, while some even feel shy speaking their native language.
She described the situation as worrying and stressed the need for parents to encourage their children to speak their local languages.
Ms Appiah made the call at this year’s Nyansapo Afahye organised by the Centre for National Culture (CNC) in Koforidua.
The festival, held on the theme: ‘Promoting Our Culture Through Our Mother Tongue,’ brought together pupils from seven schools in the municipality to compete in proverb recitation, Adinkra symbol identification, idiomatic expressions and old-time songs.
At the end of the competition, Brentford International Academy emerged winners, with Freeman Methodist ‘A’ Basic School placing second, while Nana Kwaku Boateng “B” Basic School came third.
Ms Appiah stressed that language is an important part of a people’s identity and helps define Ghanaians as a nation.
She urged parents and communities to encourage children to speak their local languages regularly to ensure that Ghana’s rich cultural heritage is preserved.
She added that teaching children proverbs, idiomatic expressions and old-time songs would help them appreciate the beauty and value of their mother tongue.
According to her, such efforts would equip the younger generation with the knowledge and confidence to speak their local languages and inspire them to pass on the language and culture to future generations.
In a speech read on behalf of the Chief Executive of the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly, Mr Ransford Tetteh, assured the Centre for National Culture of the Assembly’s commitment to partnering with the Centre to promote Ghanaian languages and preserve the nation’s cultural heritage.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Citi FM and Channel One TV have unveiled an enhanced version of their Literacy Challenge, aimed at promoting critical thinking, digital literacy and academic excellence among basic school pupils across the country.
Launching the 2026 edition of the competition in Accra last Wednesday, Head of Programmes Production at Channel One TV, Ms Apiokor Seyiram Ashong- Abbey, said the initiative had evolved significantly since its introduction in 2008 as an essay-writing competition known as ‘The Write Away Contest.’
She explained that while the programme initially focused on writing and communication skills, changing educational and technological trends had made it necessary to broaden the concept of literacy.
“Literacy today is no longer limited to reading and writing. It also includes digital literacy, critical thinking and the ability to apply knowledge to solve problems,” she stated.
According to Ms Ashong-Abbey, the competition currently has three stages: an essay competition, an aptitude test and a live quiz contest.
Participants will first submit essays on a selected topic, after which the best entries will be shortlisted. A minimum of six students will be selected from each of the 16 regions to ensure broader national representation.
The shortlisted students will then sit for an aptitude test comprising 100 application-based questions designed to assess reasoning and problem-solving abilities. The top contestants from each region will advance to a team-based quiz competition.
Ms Ashong-Abbey said the competition achieved a major milestone in 2025 when it recorded strong participation from all 16 regions of Ghana.
The winning regional team will receive GH¢15,000, trophies, medals, certificates and laptop computers. In addition, the overall most outstanding student will receive an extra GH¢5,000.
Also speaking at the event, educationist Anis Haffar underscored the importance of critical thinking in an era increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence (AI).
He noted that while technology had transformed access to information, it could not replace human values, creativity and independent reasoning.
“Critical thinking is one skill that AI cannot do for us. We must teach our children to think for themselves and become responsible citizens,” he said.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
