Zambia’s Vice President, Mutale Nalumango, escaped unhurt on Thursday after the helicopter carrying her and seven other people crashed shortly after takeoff while on a campaign tour ahead of the country’s August 13 general election.

Nalumango, 71, said the helicopter went down moments after departing from a campaign rally in the northeastern town of Nakonde.

Speaking to Diamond TV online, she recalled the incident, saying, “After we lifted off, I don’t know whether it was a minute or two… and then we came down.”

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Despite the crash, the vice president said everyone on board survived without injuries.

“We were eight, and all of us are fine,” she said, adding that it was not immediately clear what caused the crash, although the helicopter was badly damaged.

Zambia is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on August 13, with President Hakainde Hichilema expected to seek a second term as head of one of Africa’s top copper-producing nations.

Following the incident, the Zambian government said Nalumango underwent a routine medical check-up and was discharged in good health.

Pictures shared on social media showed the white Air Force helicopter lying on its side after it apparently crashed into a tree.
Authorities have yet to establish the cause of the crash.

Florida has officially renamed Palm Beach International Airport after United States President Donald Trump, a move that has drawn both praise and criticism as the president’s name continues to appear on major public landmarks and government institutions.

The airport, now known as President Donald J. Trump International Airport, was officially renamed on Thursday after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the measure into law.

To mark the occasion, Trump’s son, Eric Trump, arrived at the airport aboard the family’s private Boeing 757, popularly known as “Trump Force One.”

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Speaking on Fox News, Eric Trump described the event as “a beautiful day” and said no one was more closely associated with Palm Beach than his father.

“I don’t think there’s anybody more synonymous with Palm Beach than Donald Trump and maybe all of Florida,” he said.

Eric Trump also noted that the main road leading out of the airport is already named President Donald J. Trump Boulevard, adding that visitors arriving in Palm Beach would now see “DJT” on their travel tickets.

“And now anyone flying into Palm Beach will have a ticket where you’re going to see ‘DJT’ in perpetuity,” he said.

The renaming has generated mixed reactions among travellers and local residents.
Corporate pilot Chris Bailey welcomed the decision, saying Trump had “certainly done enough to warrant a name of an airport.”

However, not everyone shared the enthusiasm.

“Palm Beach is a better brand. People don’t really like Donald Trump,” said John Manov, a doctor. “It seems in poor taste.”

The airport renaming is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at attaching Trump’s name and image to public infrastructure and official government programmes, marking a significant departure from the long-standing U.S. tradition of not honouring living presidents in such ways.

Also on Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was expected to unveil the Donald J. Trump Bridge in Tennessee.

Washington has already seen the renaming of the Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace, while large portraits of Trump have appeared on major government buildings.

Although Trump’s name was briefly attached to the Kennedy Arts Center, a judge later ruled the move unlawful.

The administration has also introduced Trump-branded visa and medical programmes.

His image is expected to appear on some U.S. passports and already features on National Parks passes. In addition, a new class of U.S. naval ships has been announced bearing Trump’s name.

In another unprecedented move, the U.S. Treasury says Trump’s signature will appear on U.S. dollar banknotes later this year.

Critics have likened the growing presence of Trump’s name and image on public institutions to personality cults commonly associated with authoritarian governments.

Eric Trump dismissed the criticism, saying, “Anything that bears our name is slightly controversial.”

Asked how the president reacted to the airport being named after him, Eric Trump said Donald Trump was “honored” and “humbled.”

The Jos Electricity Distribution Plc (JED) has raised concerns over the growing rate of electricity theft in Plateau State, revealing that about 45 per cent of the energy supplied to the state is lost to illegal activities.

The Plateau State Chief Operating Officer of JED, Engr. Hamisu Wakili Jigawa, made the disclosure on Thursday during the company’s quarterly customer consultative forum in Jos.

Jigawa said the forum, organised in line with regulatory requirements, provides customers with an opportunity to engage directly with the company, present unresolved complaints and receive prompt resolutions.

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According to him, the initiative underscores JED’s commitment to strengthening customer relations and improving service delivery.

“This consultative forum is a regulatory requirement. It also gives customers who may not have access to our radio programmes or other communication channels the opportunity to present their complaints. Our technical, commercial and customer service teams are available to resolve issues immediately or shortly after the meeting,” he said.

Describing electricity theft as one of the biggest challenges confronting the company, Jigawa warned that the level of energy losses threatens the sustainability of electricity supply in Plateau State.

“The issue of energy theft has become a serious challenge for us. In Plateau alone, about 45 per cent of our energy is lost to theft. No business can survive with such a high level of losses,” he said.

To combat the problem, he said JED had introduced a whistleblower initiative known as PowerWatch, which encourages members of the public to report electricity theft, meter bypass, vandalism and other illegal activities affecting the company’s operations.

Under the initiative, members of the public whose reports lead to the detection of electricity theft or tampering with company installations will receive rewards.

Jigawa added that the whistleblower policy also covers cases of staff misconduct and urged customers to report unethical behaviour through the company’s telephone lines, email addresses and social media platforms.

He also disclosed that JED is collaborating with relevant authorities to strengthen the prosecution of electricity offenders, stressing that effective enforcement is critical to improving electricity supply.

“If we cannot recover payment for the energy supplied, there is no way the electricity market will continue to provide power that is not being paid for.

Ultimately, energy allocation to Plateau may reduce, affecting the 20 to 24 hours of electricity supply currently enjoyed in many parts of the state,” he warned.

Despite the challenge, Jigawa said Plateau remains one of JED’s best-performing franchise areas, with about 70 per cent of customers in Jos receiving more than 20 hours of electricity daily.

He added that the company plans to upgrade more feeders to Band A to enable additional communities benefit from improved electricity supply.

Also speaking, JED’s Chief Commercial Officer, Dr. Abubakar Ibrahim, announced that the company would distribute 109,000 free electricity meters to customers across Plateau, Bauchi, Benue and Gombe states under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP).

He explained that the meters would be shared among customers in the company’s four franchise states and not exclusively for Plateau.

According to Ibrahim, JED has already distributed more than 20,000 free meters under an earlier Federal Government-backed metering programme, while customers also have the option of obtaining meters through the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme.

He clarified that unlike the MAP scheme, where customers initially pay for meters and are later reimbursed through energy credits approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), meters distributed under DISREP and other government-backed initiatives are completely free.

He warned customers not to pay anyone for meters under the free metering programmes and advised anyone demanding payment to be reported to the nearest JED office or law enforcement agencies.

Ibrahim said Band A customers were being prioritised under the DISREP programme because they receive a minimum of 20 hours of electricity supply daily and pay cost-reflective tariffs.

Addressing complaints about outstanding debts appearing on newly installed prepaid meters, he explained that unpaid bills from the previous post-paid billing system are automatically transferred to the new meters.

He added that JED has introduced flexible repayment arrangements, allowing customers to offset outstanding debts in instalments through electricity vending.

According to him, customers owing less than ₦1 million can repay from as little as ₦2,000 monthly, while those with higher debts are placed on structured repayment plans.

Ibrahim said the consultative forum was organised to provide customers with a platform to lodge complaints, make suggestions and engage directly with the company’s management on ways to improve electricity service delivery.