US President and First Lady evacuated from White House Correspondents' Dinner after shooting incident
via GhanaWeb4 min read
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Dinner after gunshots were reported at the Washington Hilton hotel. The US Secret Service confirmed no injuries, and one person, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was taken into custody. President Trump stated that a Secret Service agent was shot but saved by his bullet-proof vest. The suspect, a hotel guest, was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives, and is facing charges for using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on federal officers. The motivation for the shooting is currently unclear. The annual event, which Trump was attending for the first time as president, will be rescheduled.
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Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema will undertake a three-day state visit to Ghana from July 28 to July 30, at the invitation of President John Dramani Mahama. President Nguema will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including government ministers, senior officials, and members of the Gabonese business community. The visit is seen as a significant step in enhancing bilateral relations between Ghana and Gabon. The two Heads of State are scheduled to hold a private meeting, followed by official bilateral talks at the Jubilee House in Accra on July 28. Discussions will focus on reviewing current relations and exploring new areas of cooperation beyond existing political and diplomatic engagements. Key topics for discussion include trade and investment, mining, energy, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, maritime affairs, transport, tourism, education, health, defense and security cooperation, environmental protection, climate action, and people-to-people exchanges. Presidents Mahama and Nguema are expected to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and promoting sustainable economic development for the mutual benefit of both nations.
Must ReadBetty Krosby Mensah, former Member of Parliament for Afram Plains North, commended the Mahama-led government for evacuating Ghanaian citizens from South Africa. In an interview on July 26, 2026, she expressed pride in the government's swift response to rescue citizens affected by xenophobic attacks, stating it saved Ghanaians from humiliation. Krosby Mensah highlighted the government's consistent interventions to improve citizens' lives, citing the Ghana Medical Trust Fund as an example of an initiative providing quality healthcare. Her comments coincide with Ghana completing the final evacuation of its citizens from South Africa, with some evacuees expected to arrive on July 26, 2026, and the remainder on July 27, 2026, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement issued on July 25, 2026.
Private legal practitioner Andy Appiah-Kubi stated that Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party NPP, knew he would be convicted before the Accra High Court delivered its judgment in the Samreboi illegal mining case. Appiah-Kubi, who previously represented Wontumi, said Wontumi informed him of the expected 20-year jail sentence prior to the ruling. Despite the conviction, Appiah-Kubi believes the court's decision was flawed, arguing it incorrectly treated Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining as the same legal entity, which he claims is contrary to company law. He stated that this legal distinction will be a key ground for appeal. Wontumi was sentenced on July 20, 2026, to 20 years' imprisonment with hard labour for illegal mining-related offenses, and his legal team plans to appeal the conviction and sentence.