The Chinese community in Ghana, joined by Ghanaian friends and officials, celebrated the Lantern Festival with a vibrant gala at the forecourt of Ghana’s Parliament House in Accra, highlighting the growing cultural integration and strong bilateral relations between the two nations.

The event, held on Sunday, June 21, 2026, ahead of the Lantern Festival on Tuesday, featured captivating performances by the Anhui Performing Arts Group and other cultural troupes, showcasing traditional Chinese dance and music.

A food bazaar offering authentic Chinese delicacies set a festive tone, drawing both Chinese residents and local guests. The celebration underscored the sense of community and belonging among Chinese nationals living in Ghana.

Addressing the gathering, Li Yang, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, stressed the significance of the Lantern Festival as a symbol of reunion, prosperity, and peace.

He noted that 2026 marks the 66th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Ghana, as well as the 70th anniversary of China-Africa diplomatic ties.

Li reaffirmed China’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Ghana and Africa through initiatives such as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges and the Initiative on Cooperation Supporting Modernization in Africa.

Ghanaian officials expressed similar warmth. Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku welcomed Chinese investors to partner in Ghana’s agricultural transformation, citing opportunities in irrigation, farm mechanization, agro-processing, and industrial zones.

Deputy Defence Minister Ernest Brogya Genfi conveyed President John Dramani Mahama’s greetings and praised the Chinese community for their substantial contributions to Ghana’s economy through investments in manufacturing, commerce, and hospitality.

The high-profile celebration at Parliament House reflects the stable and increasingly rooted presence of the Chinese community in Ghana, serving as a testament to the maturing strategic partnership between the two countries.

Sir Keir Starmer has announced he will step down as Britain’s Prime Minister, triggering a Labour Party leadership contest that could see a new leader in place by September – or potentially much sooner.

The Prime Minister’s resignation, delivered at a media conference on Monday, June 22, 2026, sets in motion a carefully choreographed process governed by Labour Party rules. While Starmer will remain in office during the transition, the coming weeks will determine who succeeds him at 10 Downing Street.

Here is what happens next, step by step, according to ABC’s Chief Elections and Data Analyst Casey Briggs and former Europe correspondent Barbara Miller.

1. Starmer stays until September – but not necessarily

Starmer has confirmed he will not step down immediately. He is expected to remain as Prime Minister until a successor is chosen, with the transition period stretching potentially into September.

“He’s probably going to stay there until September, but there will be a contest now for the new leader. And while they sort that out, he will remain there as PM,” Briggs explained.

However, Briggs clarified that the September date is not fixed; it applies only if a contested ballot is required.

2. Nominations open on 9 July, after the NATO summit

Starmer has indicated he will ask the executive committee of the Labour Party to open nominations on 9 July 2026.

That date is strategically chosen: it falls the day after the NATO summit in Turkey, which Starmer is expected to attend. His final international appearance as PM will therefore be on the world stage alongside other allied leaders.

3. Nominations close by 23 July (summer recess)

Once nominations open, candidates will have a narrow window to secure support. Starmer has said he will ask for nominations to be closed by the time of Parliament’s summer recess.

According to Briggs, that date is 23 July 2026 – though he noted it is not a fixed statutory date but the likely parliamentary timetable.

“Somewhere between the 9th and 23rd of July, we’ll expect nominations to be closed,” Briggs said.

4. A candidate needs 81 MP signatures to get on the ballot

To become a leadership contender, a Labour MP must secure 81 signatures from fellow Labour MPs – a significant threshold that effectively limits the field to candidates with substantial parliamentary backing.

Briggs highlighted this as a crucial gatekeeping mechanism:

“To get on the ballot, an MP needs 81 signatures of their fellow MPs to get on the ballot.”

5. If only one candidate emerges – new PM by mid-to-late July

If only one candidate secures the required 81 nominations, there will be no contest. That candidate will automatically become Labour Party leader and can be sworn in as Prime Minister without a membership ballot.

“If there is only one candidate at that point, that person will take over and become leader of the Labour Party and can be sworn in,” Briggs confirmed.

In that scenario, Britain could have a new Prime Minister by mid-to-late July – well before the summer recess ends.

6. If multiple candidates stand – ballot runs to late August

If two or more candidates qualify, the contest will go to a ballot of all Labour Party members. That process will take several weeks, with voting likely running through August.

“If there is more than one candidate, then that will go to a ballot of Labour Party members and that will take through to potentially late August,” Briggs said.

7. New PM in place by 1 September – when Parliament returns

The ultimate deadline is the resumption of Parliament in September. Briggs noted that the new leader – whether chosen by acclamation or by membership ballot – is expected to be in office by the time of the September sittings, which begin on 1 September.

“The new PM can be in office by the time of the September sittings, which is September 1,” he said.

Who is in the running? Andy Burnham vs Wes Streeting

All indications point to Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, as the clear frontrunner. Briggs observed that Burnham is “hugely popular” within the Labour Party, and there is palpable excitement about his potential return to Westminster.

But he may not be unopposed.

Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary and a prominent Starmerite, is still considering whether to stand. Barbara Miller suggested Streeting might opt for a deal with Burnham rather than a divisive contest.

“There is a suggestion that he might be considering whether it would be better not to stand and to perhaps do some kind of deal with Andy Burnham where he gets a good position in Burnham’s cabinet,” Miller said.

Other potential contenders mentioned include Angela Rayner, the former Deputy Prime Minister, and Al Carnes, a junior defence minister who resigned recently.

Miller noted that while Starmerite candidates could theoretically run as a “surrogate” to continue Starmer’s legacy, “the names are not particularly prominent.”

What to watch

The key dates to watch are 9 July (nominations open), 23 July (nominations close), and 1 September (Parliament returns). If Burnham secures the required 81 signatures and no other candidate qualifies, Britain could have a new Prime Minister within weeks. If Streeting or others enter the race, the contest will stretch into late August – with Labour members deciding the country’s next leader.

The Trump administration is drawing up plans to massively disrupt international travel to the United States by halting customs and immigration processing at major airports in so-called “sanctuary cities,” a move that could throw the global aviation industry into chaos just months before the FIFA World Cup.

According to new reporting confirmed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the proposal would effectively end Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing for cargo and international travelers at key hubs, including Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK & Newark), Chicago (O’Hare), Seattle, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, and Denver.

Speaking on Fox News’ The Sean Hannity Show on Tuesday, Secretary Mullin said the plans are currently being drawn up but are not final. He argued that federal authorities “shouldn’t be processing international flights into“ cities where local Democratic leaders refuse to cooperate with White House immigration enforcement.

“Local radical left Democrats aren’t allowing us to do our job and enforce federal laws,” Mullin said.

What is a ‘Sanctuary City’?

The term refers to jurisdictions that limit their cooperation with federal immigration crackdowns. The Trump administration has previously published a list of cities and states it claims “impede enforcement of federal immigration laws,” most run by Democrats. The standoff has already led to a temporary shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this year before a funding bill was signed in late April.

Travel Industry in Uproar

If implemented, the plan would make it significantly harder to find direct international flights into these major metropolitan areas. Travelers flying into Newark or Philadelphia, for example, might be forced to land in Washington D.C., Baltimore, or Dallas and then drive for hours to their destinations.

The US Travel Association and major airlines have condemned the proposal. In a statement, the association warned that such a move would have “devastating consequences for the travel industry and communities that depend on international visitation.”

Airlines for America echoed the sentiment, stating that “reducing CBP staffing at major airports would have a devastating effect… causing a significant operational disruption to carriers, travelers and the flow of international cargo.”

Internal White House Opposition

Notably, opposition has also come from within the Trump administration itself. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy told a congressional hearing last week that restricting travel based on politics is “a bad idea.”

“We have people from around the world and around the country that need to be able to fly into all different kinds of places,” Duffy said. “We shouldn’t shut down air travel in a state that doesn’t agree with our politics.”

World Cup Warning

The proposed disruption comes as millions of foreign tourists are expected to travel to the United States for the FIFA World Cup, which begins in June. Industry experts warn that curbing international arrivals at the country’s busiest gateways would gridlock remaining ports of entry and damage America’s reputation as a travel destination.

As of Wednesday, the White House has not issued a final decision.

Information from Reuters and DW.com contributed to this report.