US records highest number of suicides in 2022

Last year, the number jumped by 3 percent to about 49,449, according to new data.

The United States recorded its highest number of suicides last year, with more than 49,000 people taking their own lives in 2022, according to newly released government data.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted new data on Thursday suggesting suicides were becoming more common in the US than at any time since World War II.

US suicides steadily rose from the early 2000s until 2018, when the national rate hit its highest level since 1941. That year saw about 48,300 suicide deaths – or 14.2 for every 100,000 Americans.

The rate fell slightly in 2019 and dropped again in 2020, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some experts tied that to a phenomenon seen in the early stages of wars and natural disasters when people tend to pull together and support each other.

But in 2021, suicides rose 4 percent. Last year, according to the new data, the number jumped by more than 1,000, to 49,449 – about a 3 percent increase compared to the year before.

The CDC data showed that men accounted for approximately 79 percent of the total number of suicides in 2022.

“Nine in 10 Americans believe America is facing a mental health crisis. The new suicide death data reported by CDC illustrates why,” US Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.

He added that many people still believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness.

Christina Wilbur, a 45-year-old Florida woman whose son shot himself to death last year, expressed her disappointment at the figures.

“There’s something wrong. The number should not be going up,” she said.

“My son should not have died,” she added. “I know it’s complicated, I really do. But we have to be able to do something. Something that we’re not doing. Because whatever we’re doing right now is not helping.”

Experts caution that the recent increase might be driven by a range of factors, including higher rates of depression and limited availability of mental health services.

But a main driver is the growing availability of guns, said Jill Harkavy-Friedman, senior vice president of research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

A recent Johns Hopkins University analysis used preliminary 2022 data to calculate that the nation’s overall gun suicide rate rose last year to an all-time high. For the first time, the gun suicide rate among Black teens surpassed the rate among white teens, the researchers found.

“I don’t know if you can talk about suicide without talking about firearms,” Harkavy-Friedman said.

The largest increases were seen in older adults. Deaths rose nearly 7 percent in people ages 45 to 64, and more than 8 percent in people 65 and older. White men, in particular, have very high rates, the CDC said.

Many middle-aged and elderly people experience problems like losing a job or losing a spouse. Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief medical officer, said it was important to reduce stigma and other obstacles to them getting assistance.

Despite the grim statistics, there was a more than 8 percent drop in suicides in people ages 10 to 24 in 2022. That may be due to increased attention to youth mental health issues and a push for schools and others to focus on the problem, CDC officials said.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

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Man who allegedly threatened US President Biden shot dead during FBI raid

The FBI has said it was serving search and arrest warrants to a residence in Provo, Utah, when the man was shot.

United States law enforcement officials have shot and killed a Utah man who allegedly made threats against President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, ahead of a scheduled presidential visit to the state.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the domestic US intelligence agency, said its agents attempted to serve search and arrest warrants early on Wednesday to the residence of Craig Robertson in Provo, Utah, south of Salt Lake City.

Unnamed law enforcement sources told The Associated Press that Robertson was armed when the incident took place. The FBI released a statement saying the shooting was under review.

“The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously,” the agency said.

The shooting comes amid increased fears of political violence in the US, particularly in the wake of the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

At the time of his death, Robertson faced three felony counts, including making interstate threats, making threats against the president and influencing, impeding and retaliating against federal law enforcement officers by threat.

The criminal complaint against him highlighted social media posts Robertson made expressing violent desires towards the perceived enemies of former Republican President Donald Trump.

The filings allege that Robertson took to Facebook on Monday to say he had learned of Biden’s visit to Utah and would need to “clean the dust off the M24 sniper rifle”. Biden stopped in Utah on Wednesday, as part of a trip through the western United States.

In a previous post, in September 2022, Robertson allegedly wrote, “The time is right for a presidential assassination or two. First Joe then Kamala!!!”

Bragg, the district attorney who filed the first criminal indictment against Trump in New York, was also a target, according to the court filings. The FBI said it had been warned about Robertson’s activities in March after he posted on the platform Truth Social about wanting to “put a nice hole in his [Bragg’s] forehead”.

Online, Robertson described himself as a “MAGA Trumper”, referring to the acronym for Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again”.

Details about the circumstances surrounding Robertson’s death have yet to be released.

But the shooting has drawn attention to the ongoing threat of political violence in the US. A report published by the Reuters news agency on Wednesday said that the US is currently experiencing political violence on a level unseen since the 1970s, with much of it driven by the far-right.

Compared with today’s threats, however, political violence in the 1970s was largely carried out by radical left-wing groups who targeted property but avoided killing people. Those trends have shifted, the Reuters report explained, pointing to recent mass shootings in Portland, Oregon, and Buffalo, New York, perpetrated by individuals who expressed right-wing sentiment.

Since a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an effort to overturn Trump’s election loss, Reuters said it found 14 cases of fatal political violence, 13 of which were committed by right-wing assailants and one from the left.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

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Zuma escapes further jail time due to overcrowding

South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has been freed from serving further time in prison after being granted a remission status.

Remission status is granted to low-risk and non-violent offenders.

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola told the media that the remission decision was taken to address overcrowding in prisons. He says that this “remission process” started in April.

Zuma handed himself over at Escourt prison, in KwaZulu-Natal at 0600 local time (0400GMT) on Friday, and was “admitted” into the system, South Africa’s Commissioner of Prisons Makgothi Thobakgale said.

He was then released an hour later under a special remission process. The remission status was approved by President Cyril Ramaphosa to more than 9,000 low-risk prisoners

Zuma was sentenced in June 2021 to 15 months in jail for contempt of court after refusing to testify before a panel probing financial sleaze and cronyism under his presidency.

He was however freed on medical parole just two months into his term.

His jailing sparked protests that descended into riots and looting that left more than 350 dead.

An appeals court last November found the release was illegally granted and ordered Zuma back to prison to finish his sentence. Last month, the constitutional court rejected an attempt to overturn this decision.

Source: BBC

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Parliament, Military Chiefs Hold Crunch Meeting on Deployment of Ghanaian Troops to Niger

 The Parliament of Ghana reportedly summoned military chiefs and heads of some security agencies in the country over President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s decision to send Ghanaian troops to Niger, as part of the ECOWAS stand-by force to remove the new military leadership of the country.

According to a report by JoyNews, the heads of the Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies were summoned by the Defence and Interior Committee of parliament to brief them on the president’s supposed order.
Present at the meeting were the leaderships of the Ghana Armed Forces, the National Security, the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Interior, and the leadership of the Ghana Police Service, among others.

The report indicated some of the issues that were discussed border on the constitutionality of Akufo-Addo’s decision to contribute troops to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stand-by force.
It was also said in the report that one of the main Articles of the 1992 Constitution that was discussed was Article 40.

The article states that in its dealings with other nations, the government shall:
(a) promote and protect the interests of Ghana;
(b) seek the establishment of a just and equitable international economic and social order;
(c) promote respect for international law, treaty obligations and the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means;
(d) adhere to the principles enshrined in or as the case may be, the aims and ideals of—
(i) the Charter of the United Nations;
(ii) the Charter of the Organization of African Unity;
(iii) the Commonwealth;
(iv) the Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States; and
(v) any other international organization of which Ghana is a member.

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of the Defence and Interior Committee, who spoke to JoyNews after the meeting, said that the decision had been taken not to reveal details of the meeting.
He, however, indicated the meeting was successful and is one of several that would be held.

Background:
The Authority of Heads of State and Governments of the Economic Community of West Africa State (ECOWAS) ordered the deployment of a standby force to Niger.
ECOWAS leaders gave the directive to the President of the Commission at Extraordinary Session in Abuja, Nigeria on August 10, 2023.

The Extraordinary Summit was convened as a sequel to the recent one held on 30th July 2023, following what ECOWAS describes as the illegal detention of President Mohamed Bazoum by the members of the Presidential Guard of the Republic of Niger on July 26, 2023.
The communique issued by the Authority reiterates its strong condemnation of the attempted coup d’etat and the continued illegal detention of President Mohammed Bazoam, his family, and members of his government.

Meanwhile, the military juntas in Burkina Faso and Mali have said that any forcible attempt to restore President Mohamed Bazoum in neighbouring Niger will be seen as a declaration of war on them.
Many security experts have warned of disastrous consequences should the bloc go on with its decision to send troops to Niger.

Source: ghanaweb.com

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Barbie Banned From Algerian Cinemas For ‘Corrupting Morals’

 Algeria has banned the popular Barbie film three weeks after its release in the mainly Muslim North African nation.

The culture ministry has asked cinemas to withdraw the Hollywood blockbuster immediately.

The movie promoted homosexuality and did not comply with Algeria’s religious and cultural beliefs, an official source told the Reuters news agency.
Cinemas in the cities of Algiers, Oran and Constantine have been packed, according to 24H Algérie news website.

The film was officially being banned for “damaging morals”, the privately owned news website said, adding that since its release viewings had sold out every day.
There has been criticism in the Arab world about the movie’s social values, with Kuwait banning Barbie last week to protect “public ethics”.

The film, starring Hollywood A-listers Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is a coming-of-age story based on the children’s toy, where Barbie journeys to the real world and explores her identity.
Around the time of the film’s release, director Greta Gerwig told the New York Times that it was supposed to be “funny” and that her hope for the movie was for society to “let go of the things that aren’t necessarily serving us as either women or men”.

Barbie has received a warmer welcome from leaders in other countries, such as the UK and Spain, where British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Spanish royal family were pictured on cinema outings to see it.
Since the movie’s release it has grossed more than $1bn (£786m) worldwide.

Source: BBC

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Cameroonian fights White House over press access

 Cameroonian journalist Simon Ateba has persisted in his fight against the White House, days after filing a lawsuit challenging the cancellation of his press pass.

In recent interviews and social media posts, Mr Ateba has claimed that the White House discriminated against him due to his race, because of his tough questions and because he reports for a lesser-known news outlet.

In a lawsuit, filed last Thursday against White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and the Secret Service, Mr Ateba alleged the White House targeted him by introducing a credentialing policy to block him from renewing his White House press pass.

The rule change led to Mr Ateba and more than 400 other White House reporters losing their passes.

Under the new policy, Mr Ateba cannot obtain a White House press pass as his news outlet, Today News Africa, which he runs himself, is not considered a reputable news organisation.

Mr Ateba’s ban and subsequent lawsuit mark the culmination of a long-running feud between him, Ms Jean-Pierre, the White House press office and some White House journalists critical of Mr Ateba’s frequent interruptions.

Last month, the White House warned him that he would lose press access if he continued disrupting the briefings.

He had disrupted briefings on at least four occasions to call out Ms Jean-Pierre for repeatedly denying him opportunities to ask questions.

Source: BBC

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Catholic Church in South Africa begins class action against mining firms

The church says it filed the case after it was approached by mine workers for help.

The Catholic Church says it is shepherding a class-action lawsuit through the courts against mining companies in South Africa on behalf of coal miners with lung disease.

The Southern African Bishops Conference said on Wednesday that lawyers filed papers with South Africa’s High Court on Tuesday.

“Very often ex-mine workers are no longer members of trade unions and, therefore, lack the means and capacity to seek legal recourse from large companies which are responsible for their lung diseases,” Archbishop of Cape Town Stephen Brislin said.

“It is thus incumbent on the church to give assistance where it can, … so that they can access compensation that is legally due to them.”

The miners are represented by Richard Spoors, a lawyer who has won compensation in similar cases before.

Filed on behalf of 17 former and current mine workers, the case targets mining giant BHP, its spin-off South32 and South Africa’s Seriti, Dasantha Pillay, a lawyer with Spoors’ firm, told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

It seeks recourse for all miners who worked for these companies since 1965 and contracted lung disease as well as dependents of workers who died from coal dust-induced illness.

The firms did not immediately reply to AFP’s request for comment.

The church said it initiated and facilitated the case after it was approached by mine workers for assistance.

Coal is a bedrock of South Africa’s economy, employing almost 100,000 people and accounting for 80 percent of electricity production. The industry is concentrated in the eastern region of Mpumalanga, which environmental campaigners Greenpeace said has some of the dirtiest air in the world.

The class action accuses the companies of failing to provide their workers with adequate training, equipment and a safe working environment despite knowing the risks to coal miners.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

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Kenya: Employee Allowances to Be Included in Housing Tax

 Nairobi — Employee allowances will now be included in housing tax deductions following a new directive from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). KRA yesterday directed employers to factor in staff allowances when calculating final taxes for houses.

Such allowances were not included in the 2023 draft Finance Bill for the new housing tax law. “Gross monthly salary” constitutes basic salary and regular cash allowances,” KRA said.

“This include housing, travel or commuter, car allowances and such regular cash payments and would exclude those that are non-cash as well as those not paid regularly such as leave allowance, bonus, gratuity, pension, severance pay or any other terminal dues and benefits.”

In June, the National Assembly ratified the controversial Finance Bill of 2023, which sought to introduce a three percent housing tax on employers and employees. While employees were to be deducted 1.5 percent from their salaries to fund housing programs, employers were to match the amount.

Tax on gross pay means that the taxman will net more money to actualize its ambitious housing project.

Government and private top officials who earn thousands of shillings through allowances will bear the full brunt of the new order. “All employees irrespective of their contract of service shall pay the affordable housing levy,” KRA said.

“Taxpayers paying housing levy under Section 31B of the Employment Act are not eligible for Affordable Housing Relief under the Section 30A of the Income Tax Act Cap. 470.”

By: By Kevin Rotich

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