A quick catch up on today’s top stories…
1) U.S. puts 8,500 troops on alert for deployment in wake of Russian military buildup near Ukraine
The U.S. military on Monday put about 8,500 troops on alert to be ready to deploy to Europe if needed, potentially on very short notice, in the latest effort to reassure jittery NATO allies in the face of a Russian military buildup near Ukraine.
Although the decision did not bolster U.S. support to Ukraine, which is not part of the NATO alliance, it underscored the growing NATO preparations for what Washington and Kyiv believe are Russian moves to mass its forces for a potential invasion of Ukraine.
2) Policeman rapes 17-year-old suspect in custody
A Policeman station at Asutsuare in the Shai Osudoku District of Greater Accra Region is in the grips of the law for raping an inmate.
According to a police situational report, the victim Precious Azumah was in police custody for stealing from her ex-boyfriend.
Corporal Roland Agbovi Tetteh is said to have forcefully slept with Precious after which he warned her to keep it between the both of them.
Precious however revealed what transpired and Corporal Roland Agbovi Tetteh has since been arrested while she has been given Police inquiry bail and issued with a medical form to attend the Akuse Hospital for medical examination, treatment and endorsement.
3) Facebook parent Meta says its new AI supercomputer will be world’s fastest
Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc (FB.O) said on Monday that its research team has built a new artificial intelligence supercomputer that it thinks will be the fastest in the world when completed in mid-2022.
Meta said in a blog post that its new AI Research SuperCluster (RSC) would help the company build better AI models that can learn from trillions of examples, work across hundreds of languages, and analyze text, images and video together to determine if content was harmful.
“This research will not only help keep people safe on our services today, but also in the future, as we build for the metaverse,” the company said in a blog post.
4) Prince Harry, Meghan Markle lose Spotify deal control after zero content in 2021
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will work under Spotify in-house producers to live up to their previously signed £18 million deal on podcasts.
As per a new advert by Gimlet Projects, Spotify’s in-house production arm, the giant is looking to hire a team that can support the Duke and Duchess of Sussex create new podcasts
“We’re currently assembling a show team that will build and launch a new original show with Archewell featuring the voices of high profile women.
“The ideal candidate has experience working with high-profile talent, and an interest in the intersection of social activism and popular culture.” adds the advert.
5) [AFCON 2021] At least 8 people confirmed dead, with over 38 brutally injured following stadium stampede
At least eight people died and 38 were injured in a stampede when fans stormed a stadium hosting an Africa Cup of Nations soccer match in Cameroon’s capital on Monday, the government said.
Images shared on social media, which could not immediately authenticate, showed a panicked crowd trying to squeeze through a narrow entrance gate at the newly built Olembe stadium in Yaounde that was hosting a round of 16 game between Cameroon and Comoros.
The stampede comes as a heavy blow for the tournament, which had grown in excitement on the pitch in recent days thanks to some match upsets but which was under scrutiny for a lack of readiness beforehand.
