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Bridging Gap: Three bodies to host two-day Autism, Special Needs Conference in Accra 

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As part of efforts to bridge the gap between parents, professionals and caregivers in ensuring care for individuals with autism and special needs, a two-day conference is scheduled to take place in Accra to address the problem. 

Planned for Friday, November 24 to Saturday, November 25, Mission Paediatrics, Klicks Africa and HopeSetters are the organisers for the event.  

A statement issued by Kobbi Blaq, Public Relations and Communication Strategist for the three partners, and copied to the Ghana News Agency said. 

Themed: “Bridging the Gap Between Parents and Professionals,” the statement notes it would underscore the need for collaboration and mutual support in the journey of providing the best possible care and opportunities for individuals with autism and special needs. 

“…The Importance of Bridging the Gap is not just a slogan; it’s a rallying call for change. Autism and special needs are conditions that require a multifaceted approach, one that encompasses the expertise of medical professionals, educators, therapists and the invaluable insight and dedication of parents and caregivers,” it said. 

The statement said the crucial gathering will be a dynamic platform, fostering a deeper understanding of autism and special needs. 

Further, it added that the conference would delve into various facets of the theme and explore critical areas such as Early Intervention: The pivotal role that early intervention played in improving outcomes for individuals with autism and special needs; Collaborative Care: How parents and professionals could work hand in hand to develop and implement comprehensive care plans; Empowering Parents: Equipping parents with the knowledge and resources they need to become advocates for their children and Professional Expertise: Enhancing the skills and understanding of professionals to better serve individuals with autism and special needs. 

It therefore cited Dr Marilyn Marbell-Wilson, with an illustrious career in developmental paediatrics and recognised worldwide for her dedication to improving the lives of individuals with autism and special needs as one of the distinguished hosts. 

Others would be Mrs Mary Kuffour. A renowned advocate for special needs education, who has dedicated her life to the cause of inclusive education and empowering parents and Mrs Bridget Baaba Enchill, a result-oriented woman who has worked enormously in Ghana’s Autism sector and has also contributed to the development of children living with Autism, Autism Awareness, inclusion advocacy, training of parents, training of caregivers and training of volunteers. 

The statement called on parents, professionals, caregivers and stakeholders committed to making a difference in the lives of individuals with autism and special needs to partake in the transformative experience adding “Together, we will bridge the gap, enhance understanding, and create a brighter future for those who depend on our unwavering support,” it said.  

It urged all to be part of a community united by compassion, knowledge and the shared goal of improving lives. 

For more details and registration, the public is encouraged to visit https://shorturl.at/puOTW 

UNICEF donates to flood victims of Tongu Districts  

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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has presented relief items to flood victims of the North, Central and South Tongu Districts of the Volta region. 

The items comprised boxes of dignity kits, trampolines, digniloo (plastic/ movable toilets), toilet seats and vent pipes.  

The relief items were donated by Global Communities through UNICEF to the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) and were received by Mr Augustus Awity, the Chief Director of VRCC. 

It followed an appeal made by Volta Regional Health Office after touring the areas affected to assess the extent of damage. 

Madan Stella Kumedzro, Director, Regional Health Directorate, said after the visit with the team to the districts, they realised the implication of situation on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). 

She said the Office then wrote to UNICEF for support and was grateful the needed help was given. 

Madam Kumedzro said a team from UNICEF led by Mr Samuel Amoako-Mensa followed up to assess the situation at hand. 

Rawlings participates in the Hogbetsotso festival 

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Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings and two of her daughters, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings and Madam Amina Agyeman-Rawlings were in Anloga last Saturday to join the chiefs and people of Anlo to celebrate the annual Hogbetsotso festival. 

A statement issued by Mr Kobina Andoh Amoakwa, the Director of Communications of the Office of former President Jerry John Rawlings, copied to the Ghana News Agency said resplendent in colourful kente, the former First Lady joined President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs; Dr Archibald Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister and former Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, the Chairman of the occasion, to celebrate with the people of Anlo. 

It said the special guest for the occasion was the Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama II, who added more pomp and pageantry to the colourful event, arriving at the durbar grounds on a horse, accompanied by a delegation of chiefs, elders and warriors many of them also on horses.   

The statement said Nana Konadu and her daughters, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle and Madam Amina Agyeman-Rawlings, a lawyer, later paid homage to the Awoemefia, Togbi Sri III and chiefs of the Anlo Traditional Area. 

The statement said after the ceremony the former First Lady and her delegation were hosted by the Awoemefia at a reception at his residence.  

The statement said Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings took the opportunity to pay her respects to Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama. 

Israeli archaeologists assist in locating victims’ bodies after the Hamas attack

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In kibbutz Be’eri, Israeli archaeology crews are sorting through debris and ashes in a burnt-out building that was formerly roofed. A month after the devastating Hamas attack, they are searching for human remains in the hopes of identifying victims who are still unaccounted for.

According to Israeli counts, Be’eri is among the localities most severely affected by the Hamas terrorists that broke across the Israel-Gaza border on October 7, murdering almost 1,400 people and kidnapping over 240 others.

The kibbutz’s roadways are still lined with twisted, broken automobiles, and several of the buildings have been shot through or completely destroyed by fire. There are still children’s bikes strewn among broken glass, unexploded bombs, and rubble.

In Be’eri, like in the neighbouring villages Kfar Aza and Nir Oz, the gunmen shot at families taking refuge in their safe rooms and set houses alight. They also torched cars at a music festival where 260 died.

Rescue teams found burnt bodies in various locations, but with numerous people missing, the Israeli military two weeks ago called in archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) to assist with the meticulous, delicate search.

So far they have helped identify 10 victims, they say, leaving an estimated 25 people still unaccounted for.

“We went into the burnt houses,” said archaeologist Joe Uziel, “searching for even the most minute evidence that could help us identify individuals that were missing, be it personal belongings such as jewellery and such or the remains of bones which had been fractured by the heat.”

Aided by soldiers, the experts divided up the areas into searching zones just as they would have on an excavation, and began searching and sifting.

It has not been easy, said Uziel.

“It’s a mixed feeling of: do you want to find something or do you not want to find something. Because if you find something that means you’ve determined that someone is gone and at the same time, not finding someone means that they remain in this limbo of not knowing.”

“As difficult as this is,” he added, “it’s fulfilling to know that perhaps we can bring some help and some closure to these families who have lost so much.”

As the conflict worsens, Gaza’s health catastrophe for the chronically sick gets worse.

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For sixteen years, Tahreer Azzam, a nurse at Makassed Hospital in east Jerusalem, has been tending to the medical needs of young, critically sick Palestinian patients.

She now finds it difficult to locate them after the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out last month.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), some 100 patients from Gaza often receive care every day for complicated medical requirements including therapy for rare malignancies and open heart surgery at facilities like Azzam’s as well as in the occupied West Bank, Israel, and other nations.

That came to a halt after Oct. 7, when gunmen from the Islamist group Hamas broke through the Gaza border fence, killing nearly 1,400 people inside Israel and taking some 240 hostages. Israel imposed a complete siege on Gaza, bombarding the coastal enclave and launching a ground offensive. More than 10,000 Palestinians, including over 4,000 children, have been killed, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza.

Azzam and her colleagues have been trying to reach their patients ever since, including checking Facebook to see whether they are still alive.

“We saw a post announcing that one of our child patients had been killed in the strikes. He had been at the department only a week before. He was six years old,” she told Reuters in an interview. “I can’t forget his image.”

The WHO is pushing for the most vulnerable among the chronically ill to be allowed out for treatment. Other countries have offered to take in patients, including Egypt, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Before the war, around 20,000 patients per year sought permits from Israel to leave the Gaza Strip for healthcare, many of them requiring repeat trips across the border. Almost a third are children. Israel approved around 63% of these medical exit applications in 2022, according to the WHO. Gaza’s own healthcare facilities have been stretched under a 16-year Israeli-led blockade and repeated rounds of fighting.

“In previous wars, the crossing would close for a day or two, but then the patients were able to return. This is the first time there is such a comprehensive ban on movement and Gaza patients can’t make it out,” said Osama Qadoumi, the supervisor at Makassed Hospital.

“The longer we wait, the worse some patients will get. Many people will die merely because they have no access to treatment.”

CHRONIC CONDITIONS

The concern is not just about the most complex cases. There are 350,000 patients with chronic conditions in Gaza, including cancer and diabetes, as well as 50,000 pregnant women, according to data from United Nations organizations.

Previously, the majority could get medical care in Gaza, but now the U.N. says the territory’s fragile health system is close to collapse, battered by airstrikes, a surge in the number of trauma patients, and rapidly diminishing supplies of medicines and fuel. A trickle of aid has been allowed in, while about 80 patients were allowed out.

“We always talk about trauma and rightly so,” said Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative for Gaza and the West Bank, in a press conference last month. “But we have to think about the 350,000 patients.”

Some needs are particularly acute. About 1,000 patients in Gaza need kidney dialysis to stay alive, but 80% of the machines are in local hospitals under evacuation orders, the WHO said. Gaza’s only cancer hospital is no longer functioning. Israel’s military has told civilians to evacuate northern Gaza, where some of the hospitals are located, as it pursues a campaign to dismantle Hamas. The army says Hamas hides its command centers under hospitals. Hamas denies this.

While the fighting rages, some 400 patients and their companions who left Gaza for treatment before the war have been stranded in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, the WHO said. Many struggle to contact their relatives, with scant cellular service and electricity in Gaza.

“I haven’t been able to tell them how the surgery went,” said Um Taha al-Farrah, who brought her 6-year-old granddaughter Hala to Makassed Hospital on Oct. 5 for her third spinal surgery at the unit. Hala’s mother was denied a permit to accompany her to hospital.

When Hala’s father rings, they manage to speak for a minute or two before the line drops out.

“They ask ‘How is Hala?’ I say ‘Thank God’, and that’s it,” said Um Taha.

Hala misses her parents, and her home. She holds up a drawing of an ice cream, a rabbit and a little girl. “I love mom and dad,” reads a speech bubble by the figure’s mouth.

“I don’t know who is left of my family. I’m sure they are not telling me everything,” said Um Taha.

Ukrainian forces are rebuffing Russian assaults on the front lines.

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The Ukrainian military declared on Tuesday that its forces had repulsed Russian attacks in widely dispersed areas of the conflict and were ready for a new effort to seize the strategically important eastern town of Avdiivka.

After failing in its attempt to march on Kyiv in the early stages of the war, Russia is now fighting a plodding battle in eastern sections of the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line. Only modest success has been made by Ukraine in its counteroffensive, which was initiated in the country’s east and south in June.

In its evening report, the General Staff of Ukraine stated that its troops had repulsed 15 attacks in the northeast near Kupiansk and 18 attacks in the south near Maryinka, where fighting has been ongoing for several months.

Nine attacks were repelled in and near Avdiivka, where Moscow launched the latest of several drives in mid-October.

Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiivka’s military administration, said several days of rain had for the moment ruled out any new Russian advance – what he described as the “third wave”.

“We’ve had nearly a week of heavy rain,” he told the public broadcaster Suspilne. “The terrain is too difficult and equipment cannot move.”

Barabash said Russian troops had been targeting the town’s vast coking plant with artillery for the past week.

The last 16 workers keeping the plant operating had finally been evacuated, he said and only two doctors and four nurses remained in what was a town of 32,000 before Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

“These are our city’s angels,” he told the television.

Avdiivka has become a hallmark of Ukrainian resistance – and is seen as a gateway if Ukraine is to retake main areas in the east, including the town of Donetsk, 20 km away.

Occupied briefly when Russian-backed separatists seized large areas of eastern Ukraine in 2014, the town was retaken by Ukrainian forces who subsequently erected substantial fortifications around it.

Russian accounts of the fighting said Moscow’s troops had launched strikes on Ukrainian men and equipment in villages near the eastern town of Bakhmut, seized by Russian forces last May.

Reuters could not independently confirm battlefield accounts made by either side.

South Africa demands the creation of humanitarian corridors in Gaza and a complete cessation of hostilities.

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In her speech to the National Assembly on Tuesday, November 7, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation demanded a truce in the Gaza conflict.

Only a day had passed since Pretoria had called off its diplomatic delegation to Israel.

On November 7, it was also one month since Hamas terrorists launched the bloodiest attack on Israel in its history, storming across the Gaza border and murdering 1,400 people, primarily civilians, and capturing 239 more, according to Israeli officials.

The Israeli operation launched in response to the attack has so far killed over 10,000 people in Gaza, 40% of these victims being children.

“This cannot be tolerated; this brutality should not be accepted. We must call for a ceasefire now as honourable members of the house of South Africa,” South African minister Naledi Pandor said.

During her address to members of Parliament on Israel’s war with Hamas, the official also rebutted accusations of alleged bias in favour of Hamas: “It is untrue that South Africa has not criticized Hamas or its breach of international human rights law.,” Pandor said.

“[…] the president stated very clearly, in concert with the Secretary General of the United Nations, that the killing of civilians and the taking of hostage is a violation of international human rights law. We must be accurate in all our contributions.”

Calls for accountability

“As an occupying power, Israel can use tools applicable to the rule of law, including policing powers, to deal with criminal actions in the area it occupies. An occupying state cannot exercise control over territory it occupies, and simultaneously attack that territory on the claim that it is foreign and poses an exogenous national security threat,” Pandor said.

The minister also called for the International Criminal Court to hold Israel accountable for violations of international criminal law as it pursues its ground offensive and airstrikes on Gaza.

“The murder of children, of women and the aged by Israel is an act that should have resulted in the International Criminal Court issuing an immediate arrest warrant for key decision makers including Mr Netanyahu, who is responsible for violations of international criminal law.”

Naledi Pandor’s call echoes those of Algeria’s President or the Prime Minister of the Palestinian authority.

On Monday, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take action to hold Israel accountable for the crimes it is committing against Palestinians in Gaza. On that same day, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials over the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. 

On October 31st, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) filed a complaint for war crimes committed against Palestinian journalists in Gaza – the third such complaint since 2018 – and against an Israeli journalist, killed and wounded in the course of their work. The NGO said the reporters were “the victims of attacks amounting – at the very least – to war crimes justifying an investigation by the prosecutor” of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Prosecutor Khan, who was on a mission to the region in late October said he had intensified his efforts to get into Gaza and Israel to meet with victims’ families but had so far been unsuccessful.

The families of nine Israeli victims of last month’s Hamas attacks also lodged a complaint at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for suspected war crimes.

ICC court of last resort

“Reform of global governance”

“As South Africans, we need to raise our voices and call for the following concrete actions to end the suffering. One, an immediate comprehensive ceasefire. Two, The opening of humanitarian corridors so that aid and other basic services reach all in need. Three, all parties to exercise restraint and to desist from fuelling this patently unjust war and human suffering,” she said.

South Africa’s top diplomat also urged for a “reform of the system of global governance” that would “provide protection for the most vulnerable”.

“We support a two-state solution. This means we believe Israel has the right to exist as a state alongside a state of Palestine. This has been the long-standing view of the African National Congress before anyone expressed the view on Palestine,” she added.

Israel like Russia or the United States is not a member of the ICC. It refused to cooperate with the court in 2021 over war crimes investigation into the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Chelsea great John Terry viciously attacked James Maddison and Tottenham for their 4-1 derby loss following a ‘eyes closed’ jibe

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After Chelsea defeated Tottenham 4-1 in the Premier League on Monday, Chelsea icon John Terry couldn’t help but make a few jabs.

In a thrilling match on Monday between Tottenham and Chelsea that saw five goals disallowed and two red cards, the Blues defeated the Spurs nine men 4-1 in the end. After the game, an old adversary put further agony on the north Londoners, compounding the already difficult night for Spurs and Maddison, who left the game early due to injury.

“When Chelsea beat Spurs 4-1 on a school night and the tequila comes out, and you end up dancing and singing on the bar,” wrote a triumphant Terry on social media with a video showing how how he’d been celebrating with wife Toni.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Maddison couldn’t help but reply to the Chelsea legend and leapt to the defence of his side, who started strongly and scored the opening goal after just six minutes: “Jesus, you have your eyes closed when it was 11 vs 11 (in the) first 15 (minutes) JT?” However, his reply only encouraged Terry further. “Don’t worry mate you will get used to it,” he added in an apparent nod to Chelsea’s superior record against Spurs in the Premier League.

Maddison TerryInstagram

WHAT NEXT? Tottenham are back in action on Saturday in the Premier League against Wolves. Chelsea, meanwhile, will face Manchester City on Sunday at Stamford Bridge

Kylian Mbappe attacks AC Milan supporters for how they treated Gianluigi Donnarumma after mocking chants and counterfeit currency were thrown at PSG’s goalie during their Champions League loss.

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Kylian Mbappe chastised AC Milan supporters for how they treated Gianluigi Donnarumma, the PSG custodian, after insults and fictitious currency were thrown at him.

Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss marked Donnarumma’s return to the San Siro with Paris Saint-Germain. The Italian custodian joined the French team on a free transfer in 2021 after his contract with the Rossoneri expired. His transfer to PSG caused a great deal of controversy, and he reportedly makes £10 million ($12 million) a year in Paris currently, according to reports. During the Champions League match, Donnarumma faced hostility from Milan supporters who said he left his childhood club to pursue more money. The extremes even hurled counterfeit money featuring Donnarumma’s image, dubbing him ‘Dollar-umma’. Mbappe voiced his dissatisfaction at not being able to protect his PSG teammate, believing that the vitriol being directed towards him was excessive.

“There was a lot of noise and they gave Gigio quite a difficult reception. I think it was a bit too much, but there you go, that’s football nowadays,” he told TeleLombardia in the mixed zone.

“The fans do what they want, we can’t know what they feel inside. We protected Gigio as much as we could, and we feel sorry for him this evening.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Milan picked up the three points in front of a raucous crowd at San Siro, thanks to goals from Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud. PSG’s Milan Skriniar had opened the scoring but Milan’s hunger to win made the difference in the end. Their victory threw open the qualification race in Group F, with Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United also still in contention for the top two spots.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

Donnarumma Milan PSGGettyKylian Mbappe PSG 2023-24Getty Images

WHAT NEXT? PSG will return to action against Reims on Saturday in Ligue 1 away from home, while Milan will make a trip to Leece in Serie A.

Kylian Mbappe expressed his disappointment at PSG’s loss in Milan, but he refrained from addressing the subject of whether the team can win the Champions League this year.

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After losing to AC Milan, Kylian Mbappe acknowledged that Paris Saint-Germain “failed in a few things” and sidestepped a question on their prospects of qualifying for the Champions League.

The Serie A powerhouses defeated the Parisians 2-1 on Tuesday night, handing them their second Champions League away loss of the year. Following Milan Skriniar’s goal to put them up, Stefano Pioli’s team responded with goals from Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao to take the three points. Mbappe, who hadn’t addressed the media since June, was unafraid to acknowledge that PSG trailed Milan in the standings.

“It is a defeat, a second defeat away from home, it is never easy to lose, we are disappointed. We failed in quite a few things and we will try to respond at home against Newcastle,” the forward told reporters after the match.

When pressed on the reasons for PSG’s struggles away from home, he replied: “I don’t know, I don’t know (regarding the difficulties away from home). We are disappointed, we tried to put all the ingredients on our side to win, but it didn’t happen like that.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: PSG are yet to win the Champions League and their obsession with the European trophy is well documented. Club president Nasser Al-Kheliafi strung together an enviable forward line comprising of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Mbappe to realise the unfulfilled dream of becoming European champions but his efforts failed to reap dividends in the two years that the trio played together.

Mbappe was asked if he thinks that the current PSG side, which includes summer reinforcements such as Goncalo Ramos, Ousmane Dembele, Marco Asensio and Skriniar, can still achieve Champions League glory in 2023-24, but the 2018 World Cup winner refused to answer the question and redirected the focus to their next game against Newcastle.

“The first objective is to win the next game against Newcastle. That is the most important thing right now,” he said.

IN TWO PHOTOS:Luis Enrique PSG 2023-24Getty ImagesGiroud Leao Milan PSGGetty

WHAT NEXT? PSG will return to action against Reims in Ligue 1 on Saturday, followed by another domestic fixture against AS Monaco on November 24. They will host Newcastle United on November 28 at the Parc des Princes on matchday five in the Champions League.

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