A massive fire has ravaged two-story buildings housing multiple shops in Adum, the commercial center of Kumasi, causing widespread destruction and panic among traders.
The blaze broke out at the Blue Light arena near Hello FM around 6 a.m., rapidly spreading as firefighters worked to contain it. Shop owners, dealing in mobile phones, accessories, jewelry, and clothing, forced entry into their stores to salvage goods before the flames consumed them.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fire started from an electrical spark on a flickering utility pole, igniting the top floor of one of the buildings. Nana Ama Ataffuah Quainoo, Programmes Director at Hello FM, confirmed that staff were evacuated as a precaution. She also noted delays in the response from fire service personnel.
Several fire tenders arrived later but faced challenges in controlling the flames. Authorities are yet to assess the full extent of the damage as investigations continue.
Sudan’s military announced it has regained control of the Republican Palace in Khartoum, a significant symbolic and strategic victory against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The development, however, is unlikely to signal an end to the war, as the RSF continues to hold territory in western Darfur and other regions.
Videos circulating on social media showed soldiers inside the palace, citing Friday as the 21st day of Ramadan. A Sudanese military officer wearing a captain’s epaulettes confirmed in the footage that troops were inside the compound. The palace appeared partially destroyed, with soldiers walking over broken tiles and chanting “God is the greatest!” while armed with rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
Information Minister Khaled al-Aiser confirmed the recapture on social platform X, stating, “Today the flag is raised, the palace is back, and the journey continues until victory is complete.”
Located along the Nile River, the Republican Palace served as the seat of Sudan’s government before the war erupted and is prominently featured on the nation’s banknotes and postage stamps. Its fall marks a critical battlefield gain for Sudan’s military, which has made steady advances in recent months under army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan.
The RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has been largely pushed out of Khartoum following the conflict’s eruption in April 2023. Sporadic gunfire continued in the capital Friday, though it remained unclear if it was from ongoing clashes or celebratory firing.
Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdullah, a military spokesperson, stated that Sudanese forces were now holding the palace and surrounding key locations, including government ministry buildings and the Arab Market to the south. However, Khartoum International Airport, approximately 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the palace, remains under RSF control.
RSF-linked politician Suleiman Sandal acknowledged the military’s capture of the palace but dismissed it as part of history’s “ups and downs.” The RSF later claimed its fighters remained in the area and launched a drone attack that reportedly killed military personnel and journalists inside the palace.
As battles raged in Khartoum, the RSF claimed control of al-Maliha, a strategic desert city in North Darfur near the Chad and Libya borders. The Sudanese military confirmed fighting in the area but has not acknowledged losing control of the city. Al-Maliha sits about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of El Fasher, a military stronghold under frequent RSF attacks.
The conflict has escalated into what the United Nations calls the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. UNICEF condemned the looting of food aid at Al Bashir Hospital on the outskirts of Khartoum, warning that “commercial supplies and humanitarian aid have been blocked for more than three months due to ongoing conflict along key routes.” The resulting shortages of food, medicine, and essential goods have left thousands of civilians trapped amid the fighting.
Since the war began, more than 28,000 people have been killed, and millions have been displaced. Some families face starvation, resorting to eating grass as famine spreads across the country. Independent estimates suggest the actual death toll may be far higher.
The Republican Palace, a remnant of British colonial rule, played a central role in Sudan’s history, including the raising of the nation’s first independent flag in 1956. It served as the primary office for Sudan’s presidents and senior officials until the recent conflict.
Sudan has been in turmoil since the 2019 ousting of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir. A brief transition toward democracy ended in 2021 when Burhan and Dagalo staged a military coup. The RSF and Sudanese military turned against each other in April 2023, igniting a war that has devastated the nation.
Burhan’s forces, including allied militias, have made significant gains this year, recapturing a key refinery north of Khartoum before pushing into the capital itself. The intensifying conflict has led to increasing civilian casualties.
Al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide during the early 2000s Darfur conflict, once relied on the Janjaweed militia, the precursor to the RSF. The RSF and allied Arab militias have been accused by the UN and rights groups of committing fresh atrocities against ethnic African communities. Both warring factions have faced allegations of human rights violations, with the U.S. State Department designating the RSF’s actions as genocide before President Joe Biden left office.
Despite denials from both sides, the war continues to exact a devastating toll on Sudan’s civilian population, with no clear resolution in sight.
A massive fire at a substation near Heathrow Airport forced Britain’s busiest airport to shut down on Friday, leaving passengers stranded worldwide and triggering widespread flight disruptions. The fire, which erupted late Thursday night, knocked out power and backup systems, causing a shutdown that aviation experts compared to the 2010 Icelandic volcanic ash cloud crisis.
Flames and thick black smoke engulfed the substation around 11 p.m. (2300 GMT), cutting power to Heathrow, Europe’s busiest and the world’s fifth-busiest airport. The fire brigade said 25,000 liters of cooling oil in the transformer had ignited. By early morning, firefighters had contained the blaze using white foam. Energy Minister Ed Miliband ruled out foul play as a cause.
Heathrow had been scheduled to handle 1,351 flights and 291,000 passengers on Friday. The sudden closure forced inbound flights to divert to alternative airports across Britain and Europe, while some long-haul flights returned to their departure points.
Stranded travelers scrambled for alternate routes. “When we first came here, it was exciting and hopeful,” said Beau Mahr, 21, from Iowa, U.S. “Now that we have to wait, it’s kind of stressful.”
Industry analysts warned of extensive global disruptions as aircraft and crew were displaced, requiring airlines to reorganize operations. Some passengers arriving in Europe faced potential confinement in transit lounges due to visa restrictions.
Hotel prices near Heathrow skyrocketed, with rooms listed at £500 ($646), nearly five times the usual rates. The airport advised travelers not to come to Heathrow and to contact their airlines for updates. “We apologize for the inconvenience,” Heathrow said in a statement, confirming closure until at least midnight Friday.
Aviation executives and electrical engineers raised concerns about how a single fire could incapacitate such critical infrastructure. Social media images showed the airport in near darkness overnight.
Power supply specialists described the fire as rare but noted that the entire substation had to be shut down for safety. “We can be fairly confident they will restore power by tomorrow,” said Nicholas Rigby, a commercial engineer at NRG Management Consultancy.
Miliband acknowledged the fire had disabled backup systems, and engineers were working to activate an additional emergency power source. “We will investigate why this happened and what lessons can be learned for infrastructure resilience,” he said.
At least 37 flights from airlines including British Airways, jetBlue, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Air India, Delta Air, Qantas, and Virgin Atlantic were either diverted or forced to return to their points of origin, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
British Airways, the largest operator at Heathrow, had 341 scheduled flights on Friday. Parent company IAG saw its stock price drop, while EasyJet and Ryanair deployed larger aircraft and extra flights to manage the passenger backlog.
“This is going to disrupt airlines worldwide,” said Ian Petchenik, spokesman for FlightRadar24.
Qantas diverted its Perth-to-Paris flight, while United Airlines rerouted a New York flight to Shannon, Ireland. Another United Airlines flight from San Francisco was redirected to Washington, D.C., instead of London. Some flights from the U.S. turned back mid-air to their departure airports.
Heathrow and other major London airports have faced previous disruptions, including an automated gate failure and an air traffic control meltdown in 2023. A Heathrow spokesperson said there was no timeline for power restoration and warned of “significant disruptions” in the coming days.
Meanwhile, power outages extended beyond the airport, affecting homes and businesses across parts of London.
At least 91 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Thursday after Israel resumed bombing and ground operations, according to the enclave’s health ministry.
Following two months of relative peace, residents fled their homes as Israel effectively abandoned the ceasefire, launching an extensive air and ground campaign. Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets in residential areas, ordering evacuations from Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun in the north, the Shejaia district in Gaza City, and towns on the outskirts of Khan Younis in the south.
“War is back, displacement and death are back. Will we survive this round?” said Samed Sami, 29, who fled Shejaia with his family to seek shelter in a camp on open ground.
A day after sending tanks into central Gaza, the Israeli military confirmed it had also begun ground operations in the north along the coastal route in Beit Lahiya. Palestinian militant group Hamas, which had not retaliated during the first 48 hours of renewed Israeli assaults, announced its fighters fired rockets into Israel. The Israeli military reported that sirens were triggered in central areas of the country as projectiles were launched from Gaza.
Palestinian medics reported that Israeli strikes targeted several residential buildings in northern and southern Gaza. The renewed offensive follows failed negotiations to extend the ceasefire, with Israel launching an extensive bombing campaign on Tuesday before deploying ground forces the following day.
On Thursday, the Israeli military said its forces had been engaged for the past 24 hours in an operation to expand a buffer zone between northern and southern Gaza, known as the Netzarim corridor. Israel ordered civilians to avoid the Salahuddin road, the enclave’s main north-south route, directing them to coastal areas instead.
The resumption of airstrikes on Tuesday resulted in the deaths of more than 400 Palestinians, marking one of the deadliest days of the war. Israeli strikes have also killed key Hamas figures, including the head of the de facto Gaza government, the chief of security services, his aide, and the deputy head of the Hamas-run justice ministry.
Hamas condemned the Israeli ground operation and incursion into the Netzarim corridor as a “new and dangerous violation” of the ceasefire agreement. The group reaffirmed its commitment to the truce and urged mediators to intervene.
A temporary ceasefire phase ended earlier this month. Hamas has sought to transition to a second phase, which would require Israel to negotiate a formal end to hostilities, withdraw troops, and exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Israel has rejected a long-term truce, instead opting to resume military operations to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages.
The ceasefire had allowed families like Huda Junaid’s to return to the ruins of their destroyed homes, but renewed fighting forced them to flee once more. “We don’t want war, we don’t want death. Enough, we are fed up,” she said. “There are no longer children in Gaza. All of our children are dead, all of our relatives are dead.”
Palestinians attempting to use the Salahuddin road reported that Israeli troops opened fire on civilian vehicles advancing toward Netzarim. The fate of those inside the cars remains unknown.
A taxi driver, speaking anonymously, described bulldozers escorted by tanks moving west from Israeli positions near the border fence east of the Salahuddin road.
Hamas officials said mediators had intensified efforts to broker a ceasefire extension, though no breakthrough had been reached. While some residents noted a lack of visible Hamas military activity, a member of an allied militant group stated that fighters had been placed on high alert, awaiting further instructions. Commanders also ordered fighters to refrain from using mobile phones.
The war began in October 2023 when Hamas launched an attack on Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Since then, more than 49,000 Palestinians have been killed, Gaza’s health ministry reports, with much of the enclave reduced to rubble.
An American citizen who was abducted over two years ago while traveling as a tourist in Afghanistan has been released by the Taliban in a deal brokered with the help of Qatari negotiators, the U.S. State Department confirmed Thursday.
George Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, is the third American detainee freed by the Taliban since January. He was taken by the Taliban’s intelligence services in December 2022 and later designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained the following year.
In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Glezmann was en route to the United States to reunite with his wife, Aleksandra, and praised Qatar for its steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts that he credited for securing the release.
Rubio called Glezmann’s release a positive and constructive step while emphasizing that other Americans remain detained in Afghanistan. He reiterated that President Trump will continue working to secure the freedom of all Americans unjustly held abroad.
Glezmann was being escorted to the United States through Doha, Qatar’s capital, by Adam Boehler, a key figure in hostage negotiations for the Trump administration. The Taliban disclosed earlier Thursday that Boehler had held discussions with a delegation, including Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, regarding hostage issues.
The release of Glezmann, who is in his mid-60s, aligns with the Taliban’s effort to portray an ongoing normalization of diplomatic relations with the United States following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Despite this, most countries still do not officially recognize Taliban rule.
His release follows a separate prisoner exchange in January, negotiated in the final days of the Biden administration. That deal, also mediated by Qatari officials, secured the freedom of Ryan Corbett and William McKenty in exchange for Khan Mohammed, a detainee convicted under U.S. narco-terrorism laws and serving two life sentences.
Unlike that exchange, Glezmann’s release did not involve any U.S. prisoner swap, according to an official familiar with the negotiations. The gesture was reportedly made as a goodwill move by the Taliban.
Prior to leaving office, President Joe Biden considered an earlier proposal involving Glezmann’s release in exchange for Muhammad Rahim, one of the few remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. However, Biden declined the trade unless the Taliban also released Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who disappeared in 2022.
The FBI and Habibi’s family believe he was detained by Taliban forces, though the Taliban has denied holding him. On Thursday, Habibi’s family insisted that overwhelming evidence proves he was arrested after his home was raided by Taliban security personnel.
Ahmad Habibi, Mahmood’s brother, said in a statement that the Trump administration must remain firm in demanding his brother’s release as a condition for diplomatic progress.
He said there is every reason to believe that Mahmood is alive and in Taliban custody, despite their repeated denials. He described his brother as an innocent man who has been separated from his wife, young daughter, and elderly parents for 953 days.
With several Americans still in Taliban custody, the latest release fuels speculation about future U.S. hostage negotiations and broader diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan’s ruling regime.
Taliban releases American hostage, U.S. hostage negotiations, Trump administration foreign policy, Qatar diplomatic efforts, U.S.-Afghanistan relations, Taliban prisoner exchanges, Afghanistan hostage crisis, American detainees abroad.
The Taliban has released an American citizen abducted over two years ago in Afghanistan following diplomatic efforts involving Qatar and the Trump administration. The move raises questions about U.S. negotiations for other detained Americans.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Thursday directing the closure of the Department of Education, fulfilling a key campaign promise, according to a White House summary reviewed by Reuters.
Even before its signing, the order faced legal opposition from a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general, who filed a lawsuit aiming to prevent the department’s dismantling and block the layoffs of nearly half of its workforce, announced last week.
The NAACP, a prominent civil rights organization, condemned the expected order as unconstitutional.
“This is a dark day for millions of American children who rely on federal funding for quality education, including those in low-income and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement.
Trump and his adviser, billionaire Elon Musk, have sought to eliminate several government agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, without congressional approval. However, dissolving the Department of Education would mark Trump’s first attempt to shut down a cabinet-level department.
Trump cannot unilaterally close the Department of Education without congressional approval, a challenge that may prove difficult. Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, but legislation to eliminate a cabinet-level agency requires 60 votes, meaning at least seven Democratic votes would be necessary.
Senate Democrats have indicated no willingness to support dismantling the department.
“Trump and Musk are taking a wrecking ball to the Department of Education and firing half its staff,” said Democratic Senator Patty Murray, vowing to fight what she called their “slash-and-burn campaign.”
The executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the states while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of essential programs.”
According to the White House summary, the order mandates that any remaining department funds must not support “DEI or gender ideology” initiatives.
Trump has long advocated for abolishing the department, calling it “a big con job.” Though he previously proposed its closure during his first term, Congress did not act. Last month, he reiterated his desire to shut down the department immediately but acknowledged the necessity of congressional approval and cooperation from teachers’ unions.
“The federal government’s control of education has failed students, parents, and teachers,” the White House stated. The department, established in 1979, has spent over $3 trillion without significantly improving student achievement based on standardized test scores.
Before its creation, education oversight fell under the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare from 1953 to 1979.
Education Secretary McMahon defended the move, stating that the department does not directly educate students, hire teachers, or establish curricula.
Critics argue that closing the department could jeopardize billions in federal funding for public schools and tuition assistance for college students. The agency oversees aid for K-12 schools, including funding for special education teachers, arts programs, and infrastructure improvements. It also manages $1.6 trillion in student loans serving millions of borrowers.
Attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston last week, arguing that the layoffs and agency closure would violate statutory obligations.
The department recently announced plans to reduce its workforce by over 1,300 employees, bringing staff numbers down to 2,183 from 4,133 at the beginning of Trump’s presidency. Additional staff reductions were made through buyouts and probationary dismissals as part of Trump’s broader effort to downsize the federal government.
The lawsuit contends that the layoffs would cripple the agency’s ability to perform its legally mandated functions, including civil rights enforcement, effectively bypassing congressional authority in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
The legal filing asserts that McMahon “is not permitted to eliminate or disrupt functions required by statute, nor can she transfer the department’s responsibilities to another agency outside of its statutory authorization.”
The battle over the Department of Education’s future now moves to the courts, setting the stage for a legal and political showdown over one of the most controversial policy moves of Trump’s presidency.
A Ukrainian drone strike targeted a key Russian strategic bomber airfield on Thursday, igniting a massive explosion and fire approximately 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the war’s front lines, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials.
Verified footage showed a large blast radiating from the airfield, damaging nearby cottages. Russia’s defense ministry reported that air defenses had intercepted 132 Ukrainian drones across multiple Russian regions. Additional video evidence displayed a thick plume of smoke rising into the early morning sky, with flames engulfing the area.
The airbase in Engels, a Soviet-era military facility, houses Russia’s Tupolev Tu-160 nuclear-capable heavy strategic bombers, commonly referred to as “White Swans.”
Saratov Governor Roman Busargin confirmed a Ukrainian drone attack in Engels, stating it had set an airfield ablaze and prompted evacuations of nearby residents. While he did not specifically name the Engels airbase, it remains the primary military facility in the vicinity.
Ukraine’s defense ministry claimed responsibility for striking the airfield, leading to secondary explosions due to stored ammunition. Kyiv asserted that Russia had been utilizing the Engels base for launching attacks on Ukrainian territory.
Local officials reported that ten people sustained injuries in the strike. Some residents were alarmed to discover remnants of Ukrainian drones scattered in their gardens. The Shot Telegram channel suggested Ukraine deployed PD-2 and Liutyi drones in the assault.
Engels district head Maxim Leonov announced a local state of emergency but provided limited details. Independent verification of events at the airfield remained unconfirmed.
Ukraine has previously targeted the Engels airbase, with documented attacks dating back to December 2022. In January, Ukraine claimed responsibility for striking an oil depot serving the base, igniting a fire that burned for five days.
A Ukrainian security source at the time stated that a drone strike had hit a storage facility containing guided bombs and missiles at Engels.
Bianca Censori has reemerged with a new set of provocative images shared by her husband, Kanye West, after a period away from the public eye. The Australian model and architect appeared completely nude in several Polaroid photos before posing in thigh-high boots in a now-deleted social media post by West.
Censori, 30, who recently stepped back from the spotlight, has resurfaced over the past week, first by resharing suggestive photos from a previous shoot and now through the latest series posted by West.
In one of the images, Censori is seen lounging nude on the floor, exuding confidence. Another captures her standing with her back to the camera, wearing only black thigh-high boots. Additional snaps feature her in heels and a thong bodysuit while striking various poses.
These images follow her recent return to social media, where she posted a never-before-seen photo of herself in a sheer vest and thong, crediting West for the shot. The post came despite the couple not being publicly seen together in weeks.
Rumors of a split have circulated, with reports suggesting West has been staying at the Four Seasons hotel in Los Angeles while Censori remains in their $35 million Beverly Hills home. Sources have described their relationship as tumultuous, citing past controversies surrounding West’s public remarks.
Despite ongoing speculation, their representative, Milo Yiannopoulos, has denied divorce rumors, leaving fans uncertain about the couple’s current status.
A gas tanker explosion at Karu Bridge along the Abuja-Nyanya-Keffi highway, near the federal capital of Nigeria, on Wednesday evening has left multiple vehicles destroyed and raised fears of significant casualties.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as the fire spread rapidly, consuming several vehicles and trapping occupants inside. The explosion also triggered severe gridlock along the busy highway.
“The incident happened so fast. Several vehicles were burnt,” said Fatima Diamond, a witness at the scene. “I personally counted five, but I heard it affected over 20 vehicles. I had to escape with the help of a motorcycle.”
Counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama cited accounts from other witnesses who described the fire engulfing vehicles as people scrambled to safety.
Emergency responders, including firefighters and medical teams, arrived to contain the blaze and assist victims. A survivor recounted, “I saw the tanker coming at high speed, swerving dangerously before it crashed. Within seconds, there was an explosion, and fire spread everywhere.”
Authorities have yet to confirm the number of casualties as rescue operations continue.
Nicholas Prosper, 19, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 49 years for the murders of his mother and two siblings in Luton. Prosper pleaded guilty to killing Juliana Falcon, 48, Kyle Prosper, 16, and Giselle Prosper, 13, whose bodies were found in their home in September last year.
Nicholas Prosper, 19
During sentencing at Luton Crown Court, the judge described the murders as “chilling” and said the words “heartless and brutal” were inadequate to capture the suffering of the victims.
Prosper had been planning a mass shooting at his former primary school, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, with the intention of becoming “the world’s most famous school shooter of the 21st century,” according to police. Authorities believe he murdered his family after his mother discovered a shotgun he had illegally obtained with a fake certificate and confronted him.
His plot was foiled when officers spotted him in the street shortly after the killings and arrested him. A loaded shotgun and more than 30 cartridges were later recovered from nearby bushes.
During the trial, prosecutors described Prosper’s actions as “cold, deliberate, and without sympathy or emotion.” The judge, Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb, noted that he had drawn inspiration from previous U.S. school massacres, including those at Sandy Hook in 2012 and Virginia Tech in 2007.
Nicholas Prosper killed his family
Prosper admitted to a prison nurse that he wished he had killed more people and showed no remorse. When asked by a psychiatrist whether he would attempt another massacre if released, he reportedly responded, “Well, that’s their job to stop me getting the weapons.”
While the court acknowledged that Prosper had autism spectrum disorder, the judge determined it was not the primary factor behind his crimes.
A statement from the victims’ family, read outside the court, emphasized that their deaths had prevented further tragedy. “For now, we would ask people to remember Juliana, Kyle, and Giselle for the people they were,” the statement said, describing them as loving, kind, and full of potential.
