On Dec. 5, the Sung Foundation launched a 16-day campaign against gender-based violence, underscoring the urgent need to protect women and girls in the Northern region. The programme, which was held in Tolon District in the Northern region, was to sensitise the communities on violence and existing laws on sexual violence, on the theme: Come Together, Act Now, Acceleration Action to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Implemented by the dedicated team at the Sung Foundation and generously funded by the African Women’s Development Fund, the programme aimed to raise awareness among the communities on acts of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Child Marriage cases. Mr Inusah Iddrisu, the Principal Investigator at CHRAJ, called upon traditional and religious leaders to take a leading role in the fight against SGBV, Domestic Violence, and Child Marriage. Their partnership is for violence prevention and response to these issues within their communities. He said violence against women and girls is a human rights violation that’s been perpetuated for decades. He appealed to community members against rape culture, which is the social environment that allows sexual violence to be normalised and justified, fueled by persistent gender inequalities and attitudes about gender and sexuality. ASP MRS Vicentia Aboagye, Northern Regional Coordinator for the Domestic Violence Secretariat, highlighted the pervasive nature of violence, structural misogyny, and systematic inequality. She emphasised that these issues affect everyone, but women and girls are disproportionately affected. She said because the vast majority of victims are women and girls and almost all perpetrators are men, sexual violence is a form of violence-based violence that can be eliminated by tackling the root causes of sexism. She added that Most women and girls experience physical or sexual violence regardless of their background. Community leaders must take the lead in ensuring improved justice for survivors of sexual violence by promptly reporting violence to authorities for them to apply the laws. Madam Bushira, the Acting Northern Regional Director for the Department of Gender, said ending Sexual Violence. She noted that marginalised groups are more likely to experience sexual violence and to have violent interactions with the criminal justice system. Madam Abdulai Wumbei, Social Welfare Officer at Tolon District, added that partners should respect each other to avoid violence. They should take very good care of their children, especially the girls, by preventing them from sexual violence.BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and that government forces had withdrawn from the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad's status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report. Bassem Mroue And Zeina Karam, The Associated Press
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PIERS Morgan has lead well-wishes for Michail Antonio after a car crash saw him trapped in his Ferrari for 45 minutes. The footballer, 34, was airlifted to hospital with "shattered" legs after the horror unfolded on Coppice Row, in Epping, Essex, at around 12.50pm. Michail was eventually cut free by fire crews at 1.45pm after being trapped for nearly an hour. Piers Morgan posted his well-wishes on X after shocking photographs from the scene circulated. "Whoa... this looks very bad. Hope he’s OK," wrote the Uncensored host. When West Ham later posted a major health update stating the player was in "stable condition", the presenter added: "Good news...". Read More Michail's former team-mate Jobi McAnuff, who played with him at Reading, also wrote on Instagram: "Thoughts and prayers to Michail and his family." It comes after the footballer's £260,000 Ferrari FF smashed into trees after leaving the road. Ex-wife Debbie travelled from her home in Manchester to be at his bedside. A source told The Sun on Sunday: “He is in a serious condition. Most read in Football “He is conscious and communicating but everyone at the club is very worried. We are all just praying he gets through this.” Onlookers reported grey smoke pouring from the car which crashed in Theydon Bois — close to the home of West Ham owner David Sullivan. One said: “There were other cars stopped and people were on their phones calling 999. “It was awful weather, rain, wind and very slippery on the road. It didn’t look like another car was involved. "It looked like it had spun out of control. “I only found out later who he was. I hope he’s OK.” A motorist who passed the scene added: “The right wing was ripped off, as well as the right front wheel and driver’s door. “I could see firefighters had to cut away parts of the car to get him out. It looked like he had some face injuries.” Another source also claimed the footballer's legs had been "shattered" in the crash. Horrific photographs from the scene show the shocking aftermath. Michail's silver Ferrari lay at the side of the road on the verge of surrounding woodland. There appeared to be extensive damage to the front, driver's side, with the windshield crumpled. Pictures revealed only the back of the car remained in tact. In an update on X, the club confirmed Michail is in a "stable condition" and remains in hospital after the single vehicle collision. The dad-of-four is "under close supervision" but is "conscious and communicating". "West Ham United can confirm that Michail Antonio is in a stable condition following a road traffic accident this afternoon in the Essex area," the club wrote on social media. "Michail is conscious and communicating and is currently under close supervision at a central London hospital. "At this difficult time, we kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of Michail and his family. "The Club will make no further comment this evening, but will issue a further update in due course." Fans on X were quick to send their best wishes and prayers following the latest update. One said: "Amazing news. Here’s to speedy recovery Michail take all the time you need." Another added: "Good news! Glad to hear this." A third said: "Wishing Michail Antonio a speedy recovery. Glad to hear he's in stable condition. "Thoughts are with him and his family during this difficult time. Hoping for a full and quick recovery." A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "Officers investigating a serious collision in Epping are asking for witnesses and dash cam footage. "We were called shortly after 12.50pm on Saturday 7 December to Coppice Row, Epping, following reports of what is believed to be a single vehicle collision involving a Ferrari. "Emergency services attended and the driver has been taken to hospital. "The vehicle has been recovered and we are no longer on scene. "An investigation will be carried out by our Roads Policing Unit. "If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then please get in contact with us. "Please quote incident 605 of 7 December when providing any information to make sure it gets to the right person as quickly as possible. "Alternatively, please email the investigating officer, PS Mark Hewitt." An Essex Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson added: "Crews were called to High Road, Epping, at 1.02pm this afternoon after reports of a road traffic collision involving one car. READ MORE SUN STORIES "On arrival firefighters reported that a man was trapped in his car and worked to release him by 1.45pm. "The casualty was left in the care of the Ambulance Service."