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Liberia Gets First Female Defense Minister Amidst Shakeups

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Liberia has, for the very first time, received a Woman as Minister of National Defense after President Joseph Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Sr. appointed Brigadier General Geraldine George (Retired).

General George, who was recently retired from the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) upon her appointment as Deputy Minister of Defense for Operations, was promptly promoted upon the resignation of Defense Minister Major General Prince Charles Johnson lll.

Brigadier General George was Deputy Chief Of Army Staff to Major General Prince Charles Johnson lll.

Major General Johnson resigned following major protest actions by wives of currently serving Liberian Soldiers, who demanded his resignation on grounds that he has neglected the welfare of Liberian soldiers.

According to the protesting wives, soldiers a left to live in squalid conditions in their barracks as General plays a deaf ear to their pleas for improved living conditions while he was Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia.

Upon his nomination by President Boakai as Minister of National Defense, the protest began and did not stop until he resigned late Monday evening.

Johnson’s resignation comes just days after wives of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia staged road blockades and protests in the capital Monrovia and various parts of the country.

Johnson, in a statement says he is stepping down for the common good of the country and the institution he has served for the past 18 years. He wants to make sure discipline is instilled in the army and any allegation of him misusing funds is totally false.

Johnson’s resignation comes as the Boakai administration was forced to call off the annual Armed Forces Day celebration. The Proclamation of the day is in consonance with an Act of National Legislature of the Republic of Liberia, declaring the 11th day of February of each year as Armed Forces Day to be observed as a National Holiday.

On the eve of the day, President Joseph Boakai, issued a directive for a scaled-back observance.

The President’s call for reduced activities comes amidst ongoing protests from the wives and widows of Armed Forces personnel. They have urged President Boakai to reconsider his nomination of the former Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. (Retired) Prince C. Johnson III as Minister of Defense.

For the past two days, the women have carried out protests, blocking the main route leading to the country’s only international airport and other major routes.

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Nigerian lady Clara Chizoba Kronborg certified as world record holder for longest interviewing marathon

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The Guinness World Records (GWR) has certified Clara Chizoba Kronborg, the Nigerian social media entrepreneur, as the holder of the longest interviewing marathon.

Kronborg broke the world record for the longest interviewing marathon with a time of 55 hours 24 seconds.

The Nigerian lady, who grew up in Onitsha, held the marathon between March 8 to 10 wherein she interviewed 90 people of various nationalities and occupations.

The conversations were centred on how each guest achieved success in their respective field.

Kronborg was permitted a five-minute break for each hour which she could use to take a nap, bath, or change her clothes.

Speaking about her motivations, Clara said she attempted the record because of her passion for success and to “amplify the voices of hardworking women using their stories to inspire others”.

“This record attempt was about bringing together diverse individuals, sharing their inspiring narratives, and forging meaningful connections on a global scale,” she said.

“I am committed to amplifying voices, particularly those of hardworking women, and using their stories to inspire others facing similar challenges.”

Clara revealed that one of her toughest challenges during the exercise was the pain she battled from her monthly flow.

“Even worse, my period started the same day, and I was already having intense menstrual cramps,” she added.

“At some point, I was literally dripping pee and period stain, but I persevered and kept my eyes on the goal. To anyone who ever reads this, once you find your purpose, go after it with everything you’ve got.

“Recalling everything I went through physically, mentally, financially, emotionally – it feels so unreal.

“I am extremely proud of this accomplishment because I know lives have been touched and changed.

“This achievement is dedicated to all those who dare to dream and persist, regardless of the challenges they face.”

In an official statement on Wednesday, the GWR certified Clara as the current world record holder.

The previous record was 37 hours 44 minutes by Rob Oliver (USA) in 2022.

In December, Amuda Mariam completed a 100-hour marathon to set a new record for the longest television talk show.

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10 killed as two military helicopters collide in Malaysia

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Two Malaysian military helicopters collided and crashed during a training session on Tuesday, killing all 10 crew onboard, the country’s rescue agency said.

Footage shared online showed several helicopters flying low in formation over the Lumut naval base, located about 160 kilometres (100 miles) from the capital Kuala Lumpur.

The helicopters were participating in a flypast rehearsal ahead of Naval Day celebrations in May.

One chopper was seen clipping the rear rotor of another, causing both to go into a tailspin and crash.

“The two helicopters collided during flight training,” said Suhaimy Mohamad Suhail, senior operations commander from the fire and rescue department, adding that all 10 crew members on board were confirmed dead by medical officers.

The two aircraft involved were a Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec and an AgustaWestland AW139, the rescue agency said.

Photos showed the Eurocopter model heavily mangled in the wreckage on the naval base stadium track with rescue personnel surrounding it as well as various debris.

The AgustaWestland helicopter crashed at the naval base’s swimming pool area.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sent his condolences to the families of the victims, saying “the nation mourns the heart-wrenching and soul-wrenching tragedy”.

“I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defense, especially TLDM (Royal Malaysian Navy), to find the cause of the crash,” he said.

Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar also shared condolences.

Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar also shared condolences.

“Queen Zarith and I feel very sad over the loss of national heroes in this tragedy,” he said in a social media post.

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Israel launches counterattack on Iran

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Oil prices have surged by nearly 4 percent as Israel launched a missile attack on a target in Iran, according to international media reports.

Explosions were reported in Isfahan province in central Iran, where the country’s nuclear plant is located.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) later announced that there was no damage to the plant.

Israel had promised a response to missile and drone attacks by Iran last weekend.

Iran had launched the attacks in response to the April 1 strike that killed its senior security officials at its embassy in Syria apparently carried out by Israel.

A US official told ABC News that Israel carried out a strike inside Iran, confirming reports of the explosion by the Asian country’s media.

There were also reports of blasts in Iraq and southern Syria.

Commercial flights we re-routed as parts of the Iranian airspace were closed.

Iran says it activated its air defence systems.

Israel is not planning further attacks and Iran is not going to retaliate either, according various officials quoted by the media.

Brent crude price is now over $90 per barrel, up from $87 before the strike.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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