On March 15, 2023, an Accra High Court chaired over by Judge Eric Baah found that Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, the representative for Assin Central, was right in labeling investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas a thief and a corrupt individual, among other things.
The judge stated in his decision, which the media was able to view, that the MP should be commended rather than penalized for his persistent attacks on the journalist, which led to the filing of a GH25 million defamation lawsuit by Anas.
“In all honesty, the plot by plaintiff and his group in exhibit KOA4 has nothing to do with journalism. It was a scheme for grabbing power by the back door and satisfying plaintiff’s insatiable taste for power, publicity, fame, awards, and rewards.
“Since the president is an embodiment of the soul of the nation, any unwarranted plot out of nothing to entrap him to destroy his reputation and undermine his authority is reproachable. The attacks of defendant on plaintiff on that ground deserves commendation and not condemnation,” the judge said while making reference to some work done by Anas in the past for which Kennedy Agyapong in various pronouncements accused him of attempting to entrap some political figures in the sub-region.
“I hold in respect of exhibits KOA3 and KOA4, that any statements based on them were justified and passed the test of fair comment. “In the result, the court finds established the defence of justification and fair comment in relation to the statements of defendant based on exhibits KOA1, KOA2, KOA3 and KOA4. Since those statements were justified, they could not have actually defamed the plaintiff,” Justice Baah added.
Anas vs. Ken Agyapong defamation case
Anas, filed a case in 2018, seeking among other reliefs monetary damages to the tune of GH¢25 million.
According to him, the MP had caused injury to his reputation by labelling him as a thief, killer, extortionist, and corrupt among other things.
However, the court presided by Justice Eric Baah despite finding various claims made by the defendant against the plaintiff as potentially defamatory, ruled that the comments were factual and fair.
The court subsequently dismissed the suit and awarded the defendant a sum of 50,000 Ghana cedis to cover his legal costs.
The MP has subsequently referred to the ruling as a victory for straight talk over investigative terrorism.
Whiles, the journalist also expressed grave misgivings about the ruling describing it in part as a travesty of justice. His statement, however, stopped short of confirming whether he will appeal the ruling.
On March 15, 2023, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who serves as the head of Ghana’s economic management team, took aim at those who have criticized the government’s gold-for-oil strategy.
The vice president hailed the policy’s performance, saying that it is now in its third month of operation and that the country would continue to reap its benefits, which will eventually help stabilize the currency rate and fuel prices.
“We have to understand, the prices of fuel will go up and will come down. But what we expect to see under the Gold-For-Oil Policy is more stability in the pricing and also savings in foreign exchange. There is more to come, this is the third month of the operation of the policy.
“Some people said it will not work; Ghana does not have enough gold. How can you say that? We’ve been mining this gold for 200 years; they keep taking it out and it cannot work for us? It doesn’t make sense.
“There are people who are very disappointed that it is working but bleeding is allowed. We have an impossibility mindset. They can keep to it, for us all things are possible by the grace of God.”
According to the Vice President, the country will make an annual savings of some US$4.8 billion in foreign exchange when the policy is optimised to cover 100% of the country’s foreign imports by the end of the year as projected.
“I’ve been told that next week we are likely to see a reduction in fuel prices and next week is actually not far. It is tomorrow. Tomorrow we will see the decline in prices that we expect. This is remarkable. Two and a half months ago you were at 23 cedis and today you are at 12 cedis per litre and falling. That is a good point.
“But let me note that the most important aspect of the Gold-for-oil policy is not just the reduction in fuel prices. But the most important aspect is the savings in foreign exchange that the Bank of Ghana will make as a result of the lower demand for forex to import oil.
“That saving is huge, we are currently importing about 50 to 60 per cent of oil under this policy, the goal is to move to 100% and that will be done this year,” the vice president stated while commissioning a new head office for the state-owned Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST).
About the Gold-for-oil policy
Last year, Dr. Bawumia announced a new government policy dubbed gold-for-oil. The policy, as explained by the government, is to allow the government to pay for imported oil products with gold, in a direct barter with gold purchased by the Central Bank.
The policy despite its projected outcome has received heavy criticism.
A flagbearer hopeful of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Ohene Agyapong in a recent radio interview, condemned the government’s Gold-for-Oil policy.
Kennedy Agyapong advanced the view that instead of selling raw gold, government should pursue a path of refining the mineral and adding value to the mineral before selling it.
Giving his thoughts on the gold-for-oil policy, Ken Agyapong said “Does it make sense to you to buy oil with gold? Why don’t you sell your gold, make the money and go and buy the oil?”
The lawmaker also expressed his disappointment in party members who support and defend the policy. Adding that he didn’t go to school but there are simple things the government can do to purchase the oil.
“I didn’t go to school but I know Economics. There are simple things that we can do. And I’m surprised, we say we have the men and we are hailing this? We are hailing gold for oil? Jesus Christ! We need to move, move,” he said.
In order to strengthen its finances, Credit Suisse has announced that it will borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs (£44.5 billion) from the nation’s central bank.
The struggling banking behemoth declared that it is taking “decisive action” to improve and streamline its operations.+
Following the announcement that it had discovered “weakness” in its financial reporting, shares of Credit Suisse dropped 24% on Wednesday.
Fears of a wider banking crisis sparked steep falls on stock markets, with Asian shares dropping.
However, markets in Europe are expected to open higher on Thursday.
The BBC understands that the Bank of England has been in touch with Credit Suisse and the Swiss authorities to monitor the situation.
Swiss National Bank, the country’s central bank, insisted Credit Suisse had the money it needed, but stressed it was ready to step in and help further if required.
Problems in the banking sector surfaced in the US last week with the shock collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the country’s 16th-largest lender, followed two days later by the failure of New York’s Signature Bank.
The US central bank had been forced to step in to prevent a run on bank deposits as panic spread.
Sir John Gieve, former deputy governor at the Bank of England, told the BBC that central banks were sending a “message” that such problems would be contained locally.
He added that in Credit Suisse’s case, this was likely to be enough to stop the crisis spreading.
“What we’ve seen overnight is the Swiss central bank saying no, we will not let this get into a disorderly collapse,” he told the BBC’s Today programme.
“I don’t know what the future for Credit Suisse holds but so far they are still standing and it looks like the Swiss central bank will ensure it’s standing long enough to rearrange its affairs for the future.”
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index was down by 1.1% in late midday trading, with markets in Hong Kong and Sydney down by over 1.5%. The Shanghai Composite lost 0.5%.
‘Material weaknesses’
Credit Suisse, founded in 1856, has faced a string of scandals in recent years, including money laundering charges, spying allegations and high profile departures.
It lost money in 2021 and again in 2022 and has warned it does not expect to be profitable until next year.
The bank’s disclosure on Tuesday of “material weakness” in its financial reporting renewed investor concerns.
Daniel Davies, managing director at Frontline Analysts, and a former bank analyst at Credit Suisse, said that the bank’s “millionaire and billionaire client base just seems to have reached the end of their tolerance and they’ve been taking money out over the last six months at what began to look like an increasing rate”.
He added that the Bank of England will have been asking its Swiss counterpart whether it still had faith in Credit Suisse.
“Because the nature of these crises is that when you have a real massive deposit run it is like a tsunami – nothing humans can make can stop it. The only thing you can do is stop it before it turns into a proper deposit run and the only people that can do that are the central banks.”
These were intensified when the Saudi National Bank, Credit Suisse’s largest shareholder, said it would not buy more shares in the Swiss bank on regulatory grounds.
On Wednesday shares in the lender plunged as other banks rushed to pull out their funds from the bank and prime ministers in Spain and France spoke out in an attempt to ease fears.
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has also fuelled concerns about the value of bonds held by banks, as rising interest rates made those bonds less valuable.
Central banks around the world – including the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England – have sharply increased interest rates as they try to curb the rate of price rises, or inflation.
Banks tend to hold large portfolios of bonds and as a result are sitting on significant potential losses.
The falls in the value of bonds held by banks is not necessarily a problem unless they are forced to sell them.
Silicon Valley Bank – which specialised in lending to technology companies – was shut down on Friday by US regulators in what was the largest failure of a US bank since 2008.
Member of parliament for Assin Central in the Central Region, Kennedy Agyapong, has dedicated his victory in the defamation lawsuit against investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas to Kwesi Nyantakyi, the former president of the Ghana Football Association.
The Accra High Court ordered the investigative journalist to pay Kennedy Agyapong 50,000 as compensation after dismissing the 25,000,000 defamation claim brought against him by Anas.
Kennedy Agyapong said in a statement following the court’s decision that the former GFA president who was degraded in the documentary was the reason for his victory.
Kennedy Agyapong also turned down the ¢50,000 awarded by the court for him and cautioned Anas to be conscious of his actions.
“All I will say is the victory is especially for Kwesi Nyantakyi and this gentleman. What they have gone through in Anas’s humiliation in this country, nobody should go through that,” Kennedy Agyapong told the press.
He added, “I will tell you today, the ¢50,000 I don’t need it, I will give it to him but he should live with his conscience.”
Anas in 2018 sued the New Patriotic Party lawmaker for allegedly defaming him after the release of his famous Number 12 documentary which sort to uncover the rot in Ghana Football.
The popular investigative journalist asked the court to award ¢25 million to Kennedy Agyapong for defaming him in his ‘Who watches the watchman’ counter documentary.
However, ruling over the case in court on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, Justice Eric Baah stated that Anas Aremeyaw Anas failed to prove he was defamed by the lawmaker.
The video titled “Who is the watchman’s watchman”? became the second most anticipated video after an investigative documentary titled “Number 12” aired in June 2018.
In this video, investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas exposes the corruption in the soccer industry by describing how Kwesi Nyantakyi, the former GFA boss, and other National Sports Authority officials colluded to rig the Ghanaian football championship.
Assin Central’s Kennedy Agyapong, a member of parliament, then surrounded him, accusing him of having many demons hidden in his closet.
He, therefore, aired a video; “Who watches the watchman” to counter the journalist’s investigative piece and to in his words, expose the journalist’s dubious secrets.
The video premiered at the forecourt of Ken City Media and attracted scores of Ghanaians. Following this, the journalist took the Member of Parliament to court over what he said was a slur on his image and character through the video.
Court judgement:
An Accra High Court on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, struck out the defamation suit brought by the journalist against the lawmaker, Kennedy Agyapong.
The plaintiff, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, filed the case in 2018, seeking among other reliefs monetary damages to the tune of GH¢25 million.
However, the court presided by Justice Eric Baah despite finding various claims made by the defendant against the plaintiff as potentially defamatory, ruled that the comments were factual and fair.
The court subsequently dismissed the suit and awarded the defendant a sum of 50,000 Ghana cedis to cover his legal costs.
Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has been informed by the Accra High Court that what he does is “investigative terrorism,” not investigative journalism.
This came after the court dismissed a GHC25 million defamation lawsuit Kennedy Agyapong, the MP for Assin Central, had filed against a journalist.
The media indicated that Judge Justice Eric Baah, determined that the MP refer to Anas as “evil, corrupt, a blackmailer and an extortionist.”
He added that “I find claims by the plaintiff (Anas Aremeyaw Anas) meritless and they are hereby dismissed.”
Background
Sometime in 2018, the ace international investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas dragged the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, to court for defaming him.
Anas was asking the High Court to award aggravated damages to the tune of GH¢25 million arising from defamatory materials published by the MP.
He said the MP had been publishing materials in his bid to discredit him after releasing an explosive piece on the rot in Ghana football.
Displeased with the MP’s actions, Anas, through his lawyer, Mr Kissi Agyebeng, sued Mr Agyapong for the award of general damages for defamation in the defendant’s publications.
A journalist, Mr Listowell Yesu Bukarson, has been granted the lawful attorney to stand in for Anas.
Publications
The publication complained of are May 29, 2018, live programme in Twi on Adom TV, where Mr Agyapong categorically stated that Anas was a blackmailer, corrupt, an extortionist and evil.
According to the statement of claim, the defendant, in a similar manner, published defamatory words on May 31, 2018, via Oman FM, a private radio station owned by the defendant.
The statement of claim also stated that the defendant published more defamatory materials against the plaintiff via other platforms to the extent of releasing pictures purported to be those of the investigative journalist in his bid to blow the latter’s cover.
The High Court’s decision in Kennedy Agyapong’s defamation case, according to former Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kwesi Nyantakyi, has come to justify what he has been saying about Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The investigative journalist had sued the Assin Central Member of Parliament in defamation for airing a video titled “Who watches the watchman” in response to Anas’s number 12 documentary that brought down Kwesi Nyantakyi.
The court released the verdict on Wednesday, quashing Anas’s plea for a defamation cost of GHC25m, but rather slapped him with a GHC50,000 fine.
Reacting to the judgement on Kennedy Agyapong’s Oman FM, Nyantakyi’s said: “Today’s High Court decision has brought the truth to light. Everyone has seen that Anas Aremeyaw Anas is not truthful. In the word’s of the judge, he’s a blackmailer and an extortionist.
“When my case came, he made someone to come and see me. He’s called Kwame Gyan, he’s a lecturer at Legon. It’s Kwame Gyan he sent to come and see me; I don’t know Kwame Gyan anywhere, I’ve never met him.
“He went and brought Adam Mukaila; he led him to my house and they said I should pay some huge money for them to end the case.
“The extortionist the judge talked about has come to confirm everything Anas does. If he or his friend doesn’t like you, they’ll come and do a video on you, when he’s done, they’ll bring the video to you and tell you this is what I have about you, if you don’t bring this amount of money, I’ll destroy you.
“Those that pay the money, they’ll cancel the video.
“I’m someone they’ve done that to me before, it’s because they asked me to pay money and I refused, that’s why they publish my issue to the world.
“I’ve already said it before that the tiger eye PI group is a terrorist organization.”
“The area where she had plugged the radio was where the smoke started from. She had arranged so many things around the electric socket.
A few hours prior to the historic summit of the presidents of South Korea and Japan, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The launch of the long-range missile on Thursday morning was confirmed by both South Korean and Japanese officials.
It flew about 1,000km (620 miles) landing in waters west of Japan.
It is Pyongyang’s fourth missile launch in a week and comes as the US and South Korea hold joint navy drills.
The other missiles launched – last Thursday, on Saturday and on Monday – had been short-range ballistic missiles.
North Korea’s ramped-up missile activity will most likely be top of the agenda when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol meets Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo later on Thursday – the first such visit in 12 years.
Since Monday, the US and South Korea have been carrying out drills around the Korean peninsula- the allies’ largest in five years. North Korea has repeatedly said it sees such exercises as provocation.
Thursday’s missile was fired at 07:10 (22:10 GMT) from Pyongyang on the east coast of North Korea, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Japan’s defence ministry confirmed it as an ICBM type and said it flew higher than 6,000km for about 70 minutes. It landed at about 08:20 outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, the ministry said.
Japan officials have not reported any damage from the missile.
Following Thursday’s launch, Mr Yoon ordered his country’s military to continue with the joint US exercises as planned.
Pyongyang would pay for its “reckless provocations”, he said.
North Korea last fired an ICBM less than a month ago – an action that sparked a UN emergency meeting and condemnation from G7 countries.
ICBMs are particularly worrying because of their long range. Experts have said that such missiles launched from North Korea could potentially reach mainland United States.
Pyongyang is also believed to have developed ICBMs that can carry multiple warheads.
The escalation in North Korean aggression over the past year is one of the central topics to be discussed at the Tokyo meeting on Thursday.
Many hope the meeting – which has been hailed as a “milestone” in the rapprochement of South Korea and Japan – will result in closer security ties and military cooperation between the two countries.
Both countries said they would convene their national security councils following Thursday’s missile launch.
In 2022, North Korea launched more than 90 missiles – the most it has ever fired in a single year to date – despite being subject to a raft of sanctions from the UN, the US, the EU and its neighbouring countries.
North Korea has become more assertive in its nuclear strategy under Kim Jong-un, who has overseen much of its recent development of its weapons programme, and four of the six nuclear tests so far.
Actress Destiny Etiko from Nollywood has complained on social media that she has experienced abuse because of the size of her breasts.
In a video that she posted on her Instagram profile, the drama doll said that she had received several unfavorable comments from individuals encouraging her to undergo a breast reduction.
Destiny ordered her critics to leave her alone and questioned why they were worried about her breasts, indicating that she was sick of receiving unsolicited advice.
She emphasized that her breasts are natural in response to allegations that she has had breast implants.
Read comments that trailed her video
patrick_mary313: “Sis ooooooo, sis, God will continue to bless you for me, God bless you now and forever, you see why I dont joke with you, I no carry you play.. I love you, i love you, i literally cried watching this..”
phionahnirah: “Dats yy she’s blessed kos she always happy for her friends’ success ad she likes promoting their businesses DD God will continue to bless ad those who hate may God rense their hearts Amen “
officialbblessingce: “My doll no dey stress urself. Go drink life beer”
ohhnyii: “You actually took me on a beautiful journey in the first 60 seconds, the ride was getting interesting, I even bought popcorn on the way then maryponlinestore hit our Benz at the back”
In February, Nigeria’s inflation rate increased as a result of the uncertainty brought on by the lack of the newly designed Naira notes.
Inflation increased to 21.91% in February from 21.82% in January, according to data released on Wednesday by the National Bureau of Statistics.
According to the statistics office, the headline inflation rate for February increased by 0.09 percentage points from January’s rate.
In recent months, Nigerians have faced an unprecedented cash crunch as a result of the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The crisis has plunged many citizens into hardship, with numerous others finding it extremely difficult to meet their daily needs.
Earlier in March, the Supreme Court ruled that the CBN must extend the use of old banknotes until 31 December due to the negative impact of the policy.
A seven-member panel of the court, led by John Okoro, unanimously ordered the CBN to continue receiving the old notes from Nigerian citizens.
The court also found that President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to the CBN on the withdrawal of old notes and redesign of new banknotes without proper consultation was invalid.
On Monday, hours after the presidency said that Mr Buhari never directed the CBN to disobey the order of the Supreme Court, the CBN directed banks to comply with the apex court’s order and accept the old notes as legal tender until the end of the year.
In its inflation report Wednesday, the NBS said that increases were recorded in all Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) divisions that yielded the headline index.
“Similarly, on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.21 per cent points higher compared to the rate recorded in February 2022, which was 15.70 per cent.
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in February 2023 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., February 2022),” the NBS said.
The report noted that the contributions of items on a class basis to the increase in the headline index are bread and cereal (21.67 per cent), actual and imputed rent (7.74 per cent), potatoes, yam and other tubers (6.06 per cent), vegetable (5.44 per cent) and meat (4.78 per cent ).
“On a month-on-month basis, the percentage change in the All-Items Index in February 2023 was 1.71 per cent, which was 0.16 per cent points lower than the rate recorded in January 2023 (1.87 per cent).
“This means that in February 2023, on average, the general price level was 0.16 per cent lower relative to January 2023.
Actor Adams Kehinde, commonly known as Lege Miami, is the target of a lawsuit for 50 million euros filed by comedian Mr. Macaroni.
This was disclosed by the latter in a since-deleted Instagram post in which he made the letter available to the public.
The actor who was accused of making defamatory and derogatory comments about the comedian informed Falana and Falana’s chambers, who issued the lawsuit, that he is friends with Mr. Macaroni and believes the comedian did not mean his statements.
In the video, he expressed his admiration for Mr. Falana and promised to pay him a visit. He also urged Mr. Falana not to worry about his disagreements with Mr. Macaroni, as they were friends and would resolve their issues behind closed doors.
In the video, he expressed his admiration for Mr. Falana and promised to pay him a visit. He also urged Mr. Falana not to worry about his disagreements with Mr. Macaroni, as they were friends and would resolve their issues behind closed doors.
Seven newly appointed board members of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission have been sworn in by President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.) on Wednesday morning in the council room of the State House in Abuja.
Prior to the start of this week’s Federal Executive Council meeting, the swearing-in ceremony took place.
The All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Tinubu won the presidential election on February 25. This is the second council meeting since that time.
The members include Justice Adamu Bello (retd.), Katsina State; Hannatu Mohammed (Jigwa State); Olubukola Balogun (Lagos State); Obiora Igwedibia (Anambra State); Dr. Abdullahi Saidu (Niger State); Yahaya Dauda (Nasarawa State) and Grace Chinda (Rivers State).
All seven board members were first inaugurated by Buhari in 2019.
Their renewed four-year tenure ends in March 2027.
In response to a deepening foreign exchange crisis, Deposit Money Banks have reduced the amount of Personal Travel Allowance and school fees that its clients are eligible to apply for.
The country’s FX shortage has recently compelled lenders to take extreme steps in order to fulfill their dollar obligations.
Some DMBs reduced the amount of PTA its customers can apply for on Tuesday from $4,000 to $2,000 in an email to customers.
Also, lenders cut overseas school fees payment from $15,000 to $7,500 per semester.
One of the lenders, First Bank of Nigeria Limited advised its customers to also make their various FX requests several weeks ahead of time.
The bulk email by the lender was titled, ‘Important update on FX purchase.’
The bank also stated that the requests could be made only twice in a year.
It advised the customers to make their application weeks ahead of their trip.Related News
The mail read in part, “At FirstBank, we value you and are committed to keeping you informed on changes regarding foreign currency (Form A) requests. In view of the limited FX supply in the industry, kindly note the following:
“Payment of PTA/BTA is subject to a maximum of $2,000 and two quarters in a year, while funds will be disbursed within the week of the trip. Customers are encouraged to apply for PTA/BTA some weeks ahead of their trip.”
It added that, “Application for upkeep is subject to a maximum of $1,500 (or its equivalent in other currencies) per semester and limited to two semesters per session.
“Payment of school fees is subject to a maximum of $7,500 (or its equivalent in other currencies) per semester and limited to two semesters per session. A minimum of 16 weeks is required for processing school fees and upkeep/maintenance, after the submission of documents along with the approved Form A at the branch.”
According to the email, application for Form A for school fees, student upkeep and PTA/BTA, must be processed on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Trade Monitoring System and must be in line with regulatory requirements.
It added, “Requests will continue to be treated on a first come, first served basis, subject to availability of FX. Ensure that your account is sufficiently funded.”
Economic and financial analysts have advised the CBN to devalue the local currency with a view to bridging the gap between the official and parallel market rate of the naira.
Rescuers raced to find survivors in Malawi’s damaged city of Blantyre on Wednesday after Cyclone Freddy blasted southern Africa for a second time, causing floods and landslides that claimed more than 200 lives.
Weather conditions were expected to improve as the storm dissipated over land after days of torrential rains, but flood levels remained high in some areas hampering emergency efforts.”We found people in the trees, on rooftops or on higher grounds,” Red Cross Malawi spokesman Felix Washoni told AFP.
“It’s a challenge to reach them, water is high and bridges are broken.”
Freddy returned to southeastern Africa at the weekend for a second time in less than three weeks, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction.
Malawi’s government said at least 190 people were killed with 584 injured and 37 missing, while authorities in neighbouring Mozambique reported 21 deaths and 24 injured.
Rescue workers warned more victims were to be expected as they scoured destroyed neighbourhoods for survivors even as hopes dwindled.
“Four people from my family are still missing as they are buried in the mud,” Alabu Wiseman, 24, said speaking from a school turned temporary shelter in Malawi.
The government said the army and police were leading search and rescue operations, which the Red Cross said would continue for at least another two days, said the Red Cross.
Many people perished in mudslides that washed away homes in southern city of Blantyre, the country’s commercial capital.
Across Malawi, nearly 59,000 people have been affected and more than 19,000 displaced, with many now sheltering in schools and churches.
On Wednesday, markets and shops were starting to open again in Blantyre.
“I have two young daughters to feed,” Daud Chitumba, 27, a minibus conductor told AFP as he headed to work at a local bus depot.
His house was among dozens that were swept away by a mudslide in the township of Chilobwe.Related News
“We have to rebuild our lives and it starts with picking up the small pieces. So, I have to come to work and try to do whatever I can to move forward,” Chitumba said.
President Lazarus Chakwera, who returned to Malawi on Tuesday after attending a UN conference in Qatar, was due to visit affected areas on Wednesday.
“We have arrived to a devastated nation,” he said in a statement, hailing the relief efforts by volunteers.
Some lamented that government assistance has been slow in coming.
“We feel abandoned here. Just yesterday, we lost two more people who went with the mudslide as they helped to dig up the bodies. People are hungry and tired,” said Fadila Njolomole, 19.
“My best friend, her brother, sister and mother went with the mudslide and their bodies have not been found. It’s devastating. You can’t even mourn.”
Cyclone Freddy smashed into landlocked Malawi early Monday after sweeping through Mozambique at the weekend.
The storm has unofficially broken the World Meteorological Organization’s benchmark as the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, set in 1994 for a 31-day storm named John.
Freddy became a named storm on February 6, making landfall in Madagascar on February 21 and sweeping over the island before reaching Mozambique on February 24, claiming nearly two dozen lives in both countries and affecting nearly 400,000 people.
It then returned to the Indian Ocean and gathered new force over the warm waters, then reversed course to come back much more powerful, packing wind gusts of up to 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph).
Meteorologists say that cyclones tracking across the entire Indian Ocean are very infrequent — the last occurred in 2000 — and that Freddy’s loopback was even more exceptional.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, or NLC, has given the federal government a seven-day deadline to settle the fuel and naira crises. If this deadline is not met, the NLC has threatened to mobilize for widespread protests.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, issued this waring in Abuja while addressing newsmen on the outcome of a meeting convened by the Central Working Committee of the congress.
Ajaero said Nigerians, especially workers, had been pushed to the wall and could no longer keep quiet.
He said, “It is actually difficult for Nigerian workers to access their hard-earned money in banks and Nigerians are questioning the inability of banks to provide them their money which they were asked to pay into the bank.
“You would also have noticed that it is difficult to see petroleum products. Where you see in some parts of this country, a litre costs as much as N350 and above.
“On the issue of cash crunch, the NLC is giving the federal government of Nigeria and agencies of government, including the Central Bank of Nigeria and other banking institutions seven working days to address the issue of the cash crunch.
“If they fail to do this at the expiration of the seven days, the congress will direct all workers in the country to stay at home because it has become very difficult to access money to enter vehicles to their workplaces.
“On this issue of fuel, the congress wishes to inform the federal government that we’ll no longer keep quiet on this issue of perennial fuel scarcity and arbitrary increases on petroleum.”
The widespread rejection of the old N500 and N1,000 notes ended on March 14, as banks and People begun to accept the notes in accordance with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) mandate.
The Supreme Court’s decision that the old notes must continue to be legal tender alongside the newly designed notes through December 31, 2023 was followed by the CBN on Tuesday night.
Consequently, banks yesterday began to accept the old N500 and N1,000 notes from customers without requesting for the CBN cash return reference code.
Vanguard survey also showed increasing acceptance of the old notes among Nigerians, while rejection persisted in some segments especially among transporters.
Banks pay, accept old notes
Vanguard’s visits to banks around Igando and Ikotun areas of Lagos revealed that banks have started dispensing and receiving old notes without the CBN reference code.
A Fidelity Bank security guard disclosed that the bank paid N10,000 over the counter while Mrs. Uju Okorojie, a customer of the bank confirmed it saying: “I just withdrew N10,000 from the bank. The cashier told me I can deposit old notes without the CBN reference code.”
Similarly, a customer of Stanbic IBTC Bank confirmed she deposited old notes without the reference code saying: “I have been trying to deposit the N100,000 old notes with me for weeks now. When I heard the news I decided to visit the bank and was given a deposit slip to fill without a reference code from the CBN website.
In Abuja, some of the banks visited by Vanguard such as United Bank for Africa and Zenith paid customers the old notes while the long queues which have characterised banking premises and Automated Teller Machines in the last two months had disappeared.
At the Ceddi Plaza Branch of the UBA, for instance, customers were allowed to withdraw N20, 000 each, while Zenith, Ogbmosho Street, Area 8, Garki paid only N5, 000 per customer at the counter.
However, none of the branches of Fidelity, Access and Union banks visited by our correspondents paid money to customers.
It was also observed that none of the ATMs in the capital city dispensed cash as they were all empty.
A bank staff member who spoke in confidence said that the banks were yet to be given the old notes by the CBN, as at the time of filing this report at about 2.30 pm.
The staff said that the available notes were not yet enough to feed the ATMs and that the management of the banks decided that withdrawals would only be done at the counters until the apex bank released the old notes earlier returned to it by the banks.
It was learnt that the banks that paid customers were those that had the old notes in their vaults and decided to disburse them since the CBN has made the necessary pronouncement.
Traders accept old notes
A groundnut oil seller, Mrs Dupe Olayinka said: “In this Igando market, everybody is now accepting old notes. I thank the government for considering the masses as people and businesses have suffered from this crisis.
“Though people are still used to paying for their goods through transfers, I think with time they will embrace accepting the old notes.”
A wrist watch and wrist accessories seller at Iyanaba said: “The federal government has done well in accepting the ruling of the Supreme Court.
Also speaking, a trader identified as Iya Deborah, said that she has never rejected the old note even after the President broadcast.
“I have been collecting the old note and I will continue. I was very happy when the Supreme Court gave us the go ahead to collect the money.
“Some of my fellow traders have not been collecting the money but they collect transfers either direct or via Point of Sales, PoS”, she said.
But Mrs. Temitope Olaniran, a PoS agent said she has not visited the bank to withdraw the old notes for fear that customers might reject them.
“I have not visited the bank to withdraw the old notes. I had a bad and stressful experience depositing them and I don’t want to pass through such stress again.
“I have decided to wait and see the outcome of business transactions made today with the old notes to decide whether I will make transactions with it or not.”
Transporters reject old notes
However, some commercial drivers and motorcycle riders rejected the old notes from passengers, claiming they were not aware of the CBN directive.
Speaking to Vanguard, a commercial driver, Mr. Willington Nkemerulam, said he cannot accept the old notes because the President Muhammadu Buhari, has not given the go ahead.
Asked if he was aware of the CBN directive, he said he only heard passengers (Commuters) discussing it in his bus but he was not aware.
Nkemerulam said: “I had a heated argument with a woman very early this morning because she gave me an old N1000 note and I rejected the money. There was no insult I did not receive from her, but my concern is she must pay me. She actually paid with N200 new note.
“CBN might have said they should be collecting it but I have not heard, once everybody starts collecting the money including banks, I will collect. But you don’t expect me to be collecting money that even the bank would give me stress to deposit.”
At a school outside the capital of Kampala, three Ugandan pupils have been killed after a vehicle crashed into their classroom.
Reports say at least 18 additional students got hurt in the incident on Tuesday afternoon at Kasaka Secondary School.
The vehicle tore up a portion of the roof after entering the structure about halfway.
Uganda police say the lorry driver lost control and drove through the school fence before hitting the school’s computer laboratory that was occupied by students.
The driver, a 26-year-old man, has been arrested to help with investigations, police said.
The school is located in the country’s central district of Gomba, about 130km (80 miles) away from Kampala.
Learning has been suspended for week and the students have been sent home.
Forty-three Nigerian nurses in the United States are being prosecuted for forging certificates.
The Texas Board of Nursing is looking into the credentials of 75 people, including the 43 Nigerians.
According to an information shared on the Board’s website under the heading “Operation Nightingale,” those who obtained the false nursing qualifications utilized them to be eligible to take the national nursing board exam.
After passing the board exam, the nursing candidates apparently qualified for licensing in a number of states to practice as registered nurses or as Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses, or LPN/VNs.
The Board claimed that it has brought “formal accusations” against the nurses for gaining qualifications through deception.
“Please note that formal charges are not a final disciplinary action, and a nurse is permitted to work, as a nurse, while formal charges are pending,” it added.
The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and law enforcement partners launched a multistate coordinated law enforcement action to apprehend people involved in a scheme to sell false and fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts on January 25, 2023, according to a statement on the website.
“The alleged scheme involved the selling of fake and fraudulent nursing degrees, diplomas and transcripts obtained from accredited Florida-based nursing schools to Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/VN) candidates,” it said.
The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and law enforcement partners launched a multistate coordinated law enforcement action to apprehend people involved in a scheme to sell false and fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts on January 25, 2023, according to a statement on the website.
“This list will be updated continuously as the Board receives additional information about the fraudulent diploma/transcript scheme,” the statement added.
I usually look around for an adult when my son is misbehaving. It’s like I’m the babysitter waiting for the sage adult to come home and properly parent. Then, I would go home and be properly parented by my adults.
I thought having a child would be my prerequisite for feeling like an adult. “When I have a child, I will feel like an adult.” But I didn’t — and I don’t.
Where’s the omnipresent wisdom, pantsuits, financial security, maturity, self-confidence, autonomy, clear decision-making, practicality, and belief that I know what the heck I’m talking about, and cocktail parties? Where have all the cocktail parties gone?
I’m living the motto of “fake it ’til you make it” — I’m good at simulating those adult characteristics (I rock a stellar pretend pantsuit), but when will I officially become an adult? Is there a course I need to take?
They need to bring Home Economics 101 back to all high schools and make both genders participate. I blame not taking Home Ec. on not feeling like an adult.
I also blame being raised by a group of adults so rad that they made the whole adult thing look easy.
They also sheltered me from the full impact of many of life’s left hooks. See, if I were truly a grown-up, I wouldn’t blame other people for not feeling like an adult. And I wouldn’t write the word “rad.”
My parents always seemed so purely adult-like when I was little.
They had gigantic car phones, talking in hushed voices, had dinner parties, went to meetings, gave “knowing” looks, pretended like they always had the “right” advice, and were good at telling me what to do. Oh, and obviously, they knew everything.
The “know everything” charade is starting to fade with my parents; I’m at the age where I realize they do not, in fact, know everything.
It makes me like them more, but it also makes me fear life more.
What do I do now that I know my parents don’t know everything? Where can I find someone who does?
I’m scared I don’t feel like an adult after coupling up, pinning down a career, and having a baby.
I’m scared unexpected tragedies will cripple me. The “adults” in my life always handled that department.
I’m scared a real grown-up will pop their head into my life and tell me I’m not a proper mother.
I’m scared the world might crush me if I don’t figure out how to “adult.”
But I’m also a little relieved I don’t feel like an adult. Being an adult always seemed a bit boring to me. (Maybe that’s the real reason my mind has resisted full-on adulthood.)
I was pleasantly surprised that the adult act of becoming a wife wasn’t boring. Probably because my husband and I don’t really act like adults; we prank each other like prepubescent boys, divulge embarrassing insecurities like preteen girls, text like horny teenagers, and sing each other our toddler’s favorite songs like Barney characters.
We’re into a few of the benefits of a “grown-up relationship” — like honesty, fidelity, having jobs, paying for shelter, grocery shopping, and sex — but beyond that, I often feel like we’re two kids living in adult bodies.
Maybe no one ever feels like an adult.
Maybe that’s a secret blessing: that we can all hold onto a piece of that childlike wonder, occasional cluelessness, silliness, dreaming, and deep respect for “real adults.”
I would like to be more adult-ish in the sense that I trust my instincts (and myself) more, but I’m quite content to have the sense of humor of a thirteen-year-old, the clothes of a sixteen-year-old, and the same love for Christmas as a four-year-old. (And the perky butt of an eighteen-year-old when I’m dreaming.)
Here’s to being an adult while feeling like a whimsical child still trying to figure it all out.
Source: myjoyonline.com
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
The Edo Police Command reports that it has detained four alleged armed robbers who were wearing military garb.
Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Chidi Nwabuze disclosed to reporters on Tuesday, that the suspects attacked and stole money and other valuables from a woman in Benin
Before the apprehension, the suspects allegedly divided the money among themselves after converting it to a foreign currency, according to Nwabuzor.
He claims that among the items retrieved from them were an iPhone 13 valued at N500,000, an iPhone 6 valued at N48,000, and jewelry worth N850,000.
Additional items include a washing machine, an LG split air conditioner for N360,000, a table fan worth N140,000, a standing fan worth N95, 000, an inverter battery and accessories, and gas cylinders, among others.
The command intelligence officers detained them after receiving a report from Grace Ainabe, the victim of an assault that took place inside her home.
The spokesman mentioned Iyabo Victor 35, Osas Aganmwonyi 28, Nosa Owie 24, and Idi Etukudo as the suspects arrested by the police.
He said that the suspects led by Victor, while adorned in military uniform and armed with guns, broke into the victims house in Teboga community and carted away money, phones and jewelries.
“The suspect entered her house through the POP ceiling and robbed the entire family of their belongings and forcefully transferred N447, 000 from the victim’s account.
“They collected her phone and forcefully obtained her secret code number for them to have access to her bank detail,” he said.
Through the Ministry of Finance, the government of Ghana has begun procedures for paying off outstanding bonds.
The initial order covers coupon and principal payments on bonds that matured on February 6, 2023, and February 13, 2023, according to a statement released by the Ministry on Tuesday afternoon.
A statement issued by the Ministry Tuesday afternoon said the processes commenced on Monday, March 13, 2023 and that the initial instruction covers coupon and principal payments on bonds that matured on 6th February, 2023, and 13th February, 2023.
“Holders of the afore-listed bonds should therefore expect to receive their payments within the next 48 hours,” it said, and explained that payment dates for subsequent maturities will be communicated in due course.
“The Ministry of Finance takes this opportunity to thank all stakeholders for their forbearance during the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) and subsequent administrative processes.”
The Coalition of Individual Bondholders on Tuesday issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the government to honour the bonds, just as the Pensioner bondholders also said they were worried over government’s silence in spite of the various promises to honour the payments. They were considering revisiting their picketing to press home their demands.
At the Dormaa Ahenkuro cemetery in the Bono Area, about ten tombs have been pillaged by unidentified individuals.
An assemblyman representing the Broniasua electoral district, Thomas Nsia Yaw, claims that about two weeks ago, residents first noticed a stink coming from the neighborhood.
Further assessment indicated that it emanated from the area have come from the cemetery which had been closed for some time now as a result of continuous entombment.
Speaking to Adom News, he noted that he went to the cemetery and has seen about 10 to 15 graves being opened by unknown persons.
The Assembly member explains that similar incidents occurred in the same Cemetery about 2 years ago which took the intervention of Nananom, the Assembly, and other stakeholders to put a stop to.
It is, however, unclear yet why the rationale behind its resurgence.
But he suspects the scrap dealers indicating that they are fond of removing iron rods from buildings and the tombs to sell.
The assemblyman added that his outfit will ensure that perpetrators are arrested.
Mr Nsiah also lamented how difficult it has been getting personnel to guard the facility since the security man died.
He says the assembly is talking terms with some people to ensure they get someone to guard the cemetery to prevent these nation wreckers from causing harm to people’s tombs which keeps affecting the health of the living.
Africa’s second largest home of crocodile has completely dried up due to failed rainy seasons.
Lake Kamnarok in Kenya’s Rift Valley was once home to 10,000 crocodiles, second to Lake Chad in holding capacity.
But the ox-bow lake has been shrinking over the years, largely due to fluctuations in weather systems.
It has also been draining its water to a nearby river through a natural fissure, according to local reports.
Crocodile carcasses are now scattered on its cracked floor. The few remaining crocodiles have relocated to nearby private dams, a resident told NTV television station.
He said they are worried of increased human-wildlife conflict because of encroachment.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is travelling to Africa for a two-nation tour – the latest in a series of visits to the continent by top American officials.
Security, a ravaging drought and the jihadist threat in the Sahel will be the focus of Mr Blinken’s visit to the two countries this week
He will be in Ethiopia on Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the peace deal signed between the government and rebel troops following a two-year bloody war.
He will also meet humanitarian agencies in the country.
Ethiopia is battling the aftermath of the fighting that displaced tens of thousands and the effects of the worst droughts in the Horn of Africa region in decades.
Secretary Blinken will then visit Niger – the first by a US Secretary of State – and will help shore up efforts to counter the expansion of jihadist groups in the Sahel.
His visit to Africa follows that of US First Lady Jill Biden, who last month visited Namibia and Kenya.
Yoruba Metal Art: There is well-documented evidence that iron smelting and forging technologies may have existed in West Africa as early as the 6th century BC among the Nok people of Nigeria. Iron technology appears to have played a critical role in the fundamental social assets that fuelled the growth of significant centralized civilizations in the West African region between 1400 and 1600.
The development of iron tools and weapons resulted in extensive mechanized agriculture, efficient hunting, and successful warfare, all of which contributed to the growth of large urban centers.
Iron was also important in the rise of Yoruba kingdoms, particularly the Ife and Oyo Empires. They had a lot of contact with one another, so they have similar beliefs about the properties of iron and the methods for smelting it. Ife metal castings appear to be some of the finest Sub-Saharan art; they are mostly hollow-cast heads used in ancestral rites and have a naturalistic appearance.
There are indications that the first caster originated in Ife around the 14th century, according to tradition. And the most common forms were heads of dead Benin kings, usually supported by a carved-out ivory tusk.
These were placed on altars alongside other figurative castings and bells and dedicated to early kings. Figured plaques were also used as architectural designs and decorations.
For example, among the Yorubas, Ogun, the god of iron, is a revered deity. It is widely regarded as the first warrior and hunter, as well as the inventor of iron. Furthermore, Ogun is known for opening roads, clearing fields, and establishing great dynasties.
The distinctive iron sword of Ogun, a Yoruba Metal Art that is often regarded as a symbolic cultural motif, is associated with both civilizing and aggressive actions.
The Bronze Head of Ife is one of the most well-known Yoruba metal works. The copper alloy sculpture, discovered in Ife in 1938, is thought to represent a king and was most likely made between the 13th and 14th centuries, long before European contact with the local population.
The sophisticated sculptures’ realism and authenticity challenged the western conceptualization of African art at the time. The Ife head was transported to the British Museum a year after its exhumation.
Because of their historical significance and as a testament to the Yorubas’ rich civilization, Ife heads are now widely used in logos and branding of Nigerian corporations and educational institutions, such as the one used for Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife.
Because of its symbolic importance, the British Museum’s Ife head was included in the major exhibition Kingdom of Ife: Sculptures from West Africa, which was organized in collaboration with Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, the Museum for African Art in New York, and the British Museum. The entire exhibition was part of a series of events commemorating Nigeria’s 50th anniversary of independence.
All of this demonstrates that, long before European contact with West Africa, the Yorubas developed a highly sophisticated iron industry that reflected their civilization and ingenuity.
33-year-old Ifeoma Ossai, has been detained by Ogun State Police Command agents after her landlord, Oladele, was allegedly killed on Monday over a minor argument.
The suspect, a single mother, was detained as a result of a report submitted at the Sango Ota Divisional Police Headquarters by the dead person’s brother, Olaleye Taiwo, according to a statement released by the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi on Tuesday.
The complainant said the suspect and his brother disagreed over the payment of the electricity bill, while the suspect grabbed his manhood and dragged him with it.
The deceased was said to have become unconscious and eventually died.
The statement reads “Men of Ogun State Police Command on Saturday 11th of March 2023, arrested a 33-year old woman, Ifeoma Ossai, for killing her 50-year old landlord, Monday Surulere Oladele, over a minor disagreement.
“The suspect was arrested following a report lodged at Sango Ota divisional headquarters by one Olaleye Taiwo, who reported that his brother, Monday Oladele has a disagreement with his tenant over the payment of the electricity bill, and in the process, the said tenant grabbed the manhood of the deceased and dragged him with it.
“Consequently, the landlord fell unconsciously on the ground and he was rushed to General Hospital, Ota where the doctor on duty confirmed him dead.
“Upon the report, the DPO Sango Ota division, CSP Saleh Dahiru, quickly led his detectives to the scene where the suspect was promptly arrested and taken to custody for investigation.
“On interrogation, the suspect claimed that the deceased asked her to pay for the electricity bill, but she insisted that until water is directly connected to her apartment as promised by the landlord before she packed in she will not pay the electricity or any other utility bill.
“This led to a scuffle between them consequence upon which the suspect grabbed the manhood of the deceased and dragged him with it.
“The deceased subsequently slumped, and he was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead by the doctor on duty.
“The corpse has been deposited at the hospital mortuary for postmortem examination.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Frank Mba, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Departments for further investigation and diligent prosecution.”
Flagbearer candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and member of parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has made claims that the Akufo-Addo administration is intimidating and harassing him.
The billionaire claims that since entering the race to represent the NPP in the election of 2024, his companies have been subjected to unprecedented sabotage.
“Let me state it clearly, they cannot use the system to intimidate me. It won’t work. It is so sad for me to make this statement. I operated businesses during all the regimes in the Fourth Republic, but I never went through any of this harassment and intimidation unlike under this Akufo-Addo government that I have been MP for six consecutive terms,” Kenndey Agyapong said while speaking on Kumasi-based Sompa FM.
The lawmaker declared his intention to contest for the NPP presidential candidacy last year and has since been touring the country to convince party delegates to elect him.
He has spoken against the NPP choosing either Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia or former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen as its candidate will lead to defeat in the 2024 election.
According to him, the party needs a clean and honest person like himself as a candidate to win the next election.
In his view, anyone who has been part of the incumbent government is not fit to represent the party in the presidential election because of the bad record of the government in managing the country’s economy.
As another storm bears down on the state, thousands of Californians are still without power following a weekend of torrential rain and flooding.
On Monday, there was a heavy rain, which only got worse on Tuesday, especially in the state’s northern and central regions.
Storms that have struck the state in quick succession have claimed the lives of at least 13 persons so far.
Parts of the East Coast are also currently under a winter storm watch.
Some counties in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut could see as much as 10in (25cm) of snow on Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
Further snowfall is also anticipated in western Wisconsin and much of Minnesota – where the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul have already recorded 80in of snow this winter, their eighth snowiest season on record.
California starts the week with its 11th “atmospheric river” storm since late December.
Atmospheric rivers are narrow bands of moisture that produce heavy rainfall and snow when they make landfall.
These weather systems occur when water evaporates into the air and is carried along by the wind, forming long currents that flow in the sky like rivers flow on land.
The NWS predicted “very heavy rainfall”, snowmelt in mountainous regions and strong winds, with the worst conditions “occurring late during the day Monday, continuing through the day on Tuesday”.
In addition to heavy rainfall, the San Francisco Bay Area could see wind gusts up to 40 to 50mph (64 to 80kph).
“Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks,” the weather service added. “Extensive street flooding and flooding of creeks and rivers is likely.”
Thousands were evacuated on Saturday from Pajaro, a low-income agricultural migrant worker community in northern California famous for its strawberry crop, after the Pajaro River’s levee was breached by flooding.
In Monterey County, first responders rescued about 200 people – most of those rescues happened near the Pajaro River, according to Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto.
Fearing floodwater may have contaminated wells with chemicals, officials told residents in the area not to drink or cook with tap water.
More than 9,500 residents across the state were still without power as of Monday morning.
Thirteen people have died since snowstorms hit California from late February.
Two of those deaths have so far been confirmed to be storm-related, while eight others are under investigation.
Twenty-two other deaths have been recorded amid the foul weather in the state since January.
A state of emergency has been issued in 40 of California’s 58 counties to support storm response.
The Ga Mantse, Nii Teiko Tsuru II is upset about what he called a disdain for the mistreatment of Gas on their own land.
The Ga King claims that his people are depressed about the situation.
“Ga Dangbe is sad, sad because of a lot of things that are being done against us. That is why I am speaking in English today and I want you to hear we are sad!
“We are sad about the way we are being treated in the capital. People just get up, go to a place like Agbogbloshie and start building why? Without even consulting a traditional authority,” he said,
The Ga Mantse made these remarks during a visit by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful, Mr Alan Kyerematen to his palace on Monday.
He stated that Gas have the ability to decide the outcome of the 2024 general election, thus should be recognised as key stakeholders in the affairs of the country.
“We will decide this election in 2024 because Accra is the pivot of the election. Accra is Ghana and Ghana is Accra, don’t take us for granted” he pointed out
The Ga Mantse pledged his support and that of Gas in general if Mr. Kyerematen would formalise his relationship with them.
“Build a social contract with the Ga-Adangbe people and you will see the light. Reiterating the number of people you have mentioned of Ga descent, Obetsebi Lamptey, Ako Adjei and all, are great men who stood and fought for this party. If you win your bid, which we pray you do, don’t forget the toil of these great leaders whose will, thought and process made this party what it is today,” he said.
“Remember that the Ga’s have laid down their lives for you,” he added.https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?
On his part, the former Trade and Industry Minister has been making some promises on the back of the Ga King’s remarks
According to Mr Kyerematen, he will transform Accra if he becomes president of Ghana.
He added that he will ensure that Ga’s feature very prominently in government.
“In our party our symbol is the elephant and we know that it is the symbol of the Ga State. All Gas naturally belong to the NPP and there is a spiritual connectivity between our symbols…. The role that the Ga community has played in bringing us to power must be appreciated by our party. And so if it is God’s will that I lead this party and I become president, I will make sure that Ga’s feature very prominently in government,” he assured.
Six suspects who were apprehended in connection with the March 4 slaying of Trooper Imoro Sherrif in Taifa, an Ashaiman neighborhood, have been denied bail by the Ashaiman Circuit Court this morning.
According to the prosecutor, Supt. Sylvester Asare, releasing the accused on bail would obstruct investigations in the courtroom presided over by Simon Gaga.
The Ghana Police Service described the circumstances surrounding the death of young trooper Imoro Sherrif on March 4 and the results of their initial investigations on Sunday night. These results included the arrest of six suspects who will appear in court on Monday. Read the police report in its entirety.
The Police after a week of sustained intelligence-led operations, have arrested six persons at different dates and various locations within Ashiaman and its environs for their suspected involvement in the murder of Imoro Sherrif, a soldier.
On March 4, Police received information that a male adult had been found lying dead at Ashiaman Taifa in the Greater Accra Region.
A team of Police officers proceeded to the said location and confirmed the incident.
Police immediately commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the victim. The officers cordoned off the scene and called in the specialist Police Crime Scene team to process the scene for forensic analysis.
The Crime Scene Team retrieved a number of items, including a knife with blood stains on it and a backpack. In the backpack, Police found a search Samsung tablet, an search Apple laptop, a military uniform with the name tag “Imoro”, eight other items of clothing, as well as a Ghana card and a Health Insurance card bearing the name Imoro Sherrif.
Judging from the contents of the backpack, the police suspected the victim could be a soldier, and in line with Police standard operating procedure for handling institution-based victims, the Military was accordingly notified of the incident and some military personnel came to identify the deceased to Police as Imoro Sheriff, a soldier.
The body of the deceased was thereafter conveyed to a hospital for preservation and autopsy.
As part of the investigation, an intelligence-led operation was immediately launched within Ashiaman and other strategic locations of interest to follow up on all relevant leads on the case.
On the same day, consistent with Ghanaian tradition and as part of the investigation process, a team of police officers after identifying the residence of the parents of the deceased, visited them, commiserated with them and assured them of a thorough investigation into the matter.
During the visit, the parents informed the Police that the deceased was stationed at Sunyani but had come to Accra on a course.
Investigations further revealed that on March 3, the deceased had visited a female friend at Ashaiman Newtown at about 10:30 pm and left the place in the middle of the night at about 01:30 am, on March 4.
After almost a week of painstaking intelligence-led operations, on March 9, the police arrested suspects Safianu Musah alias Dayorgu and Ibrahim Abdul Rakib at their hideouts in Ashaiman.
Two other suspects, Samuel Tetteh alias Wiper and Abubakar Sadick alias Birdman were also arrested at their hideouts on March 10.
Two additional suspects, Yussif Mohammed and Abdul Gafaru Abdul Karim were arrested on 11th and March 12, respectively.
Further investigation has established that suspects Samuel Tetteh and Abubakar Sadick at about 1:45 am on 4th March 2023 attacked the deceased at Taifa Ashiaman in an attempt to rob him of his phone and a backpack.
The deceased, however, resisted and struggled with the suspects. During the struggle, suspect Samuel Tetteh pulled out a knife and stabbed the deceased in the arm, snatched his phone and bolted leaving the deceased with the knife stuck in his arm.
A postmortem examination was performed on the deceased’s body on March 8, after which the pathologist gave the verbal cause of death as exsanguination and laceration of major vessels of the left arm consistent with the stabbed injury.
Investigations also revealed that suspects Samuel Tetteh and Abubakar Sadick sold the phone which they had robbed from the deceased to suspect Ibrahim Abdul Rakib who later sold it to suspect Safianu Musah.
Suspect Safianu Musah is being evasive as to the whereabouts of the phone and claims to have sold it to suspect Yussif Mohammed and later to suspect Abdul Gafaru Abdul Karim.
Both suspects have been arrested and are assisting in the investigation to recover the phone.
Despite assurances from the US president that America’s financial system is secure in the wake of the failure of two American lenders, bank shares in Asia and Europe have plummeted.
The falls come after authorities moved to protect customer deposits when the US-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank collapsed.
Joe Biden promised to do “whatever is needed” to protect the banking system.
But investors fear other lenders may still be hit by the fallout.
Tuesday trading saw sharp falls in share prices globally, with Japan’s Topix Banks index falling by more than 7%, putting it on course for its worst day in more than three years.
Shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the country’s largest lender by assets, were down by 8.1% in mid-day Asian trading.
On Monday, Spain’s Santander and Germany’s Commerzbank saw their share prices dive by more than 10% at one point.
A string of smaller US banks suffered even worse losses than European counterparts, despite reassuring customers that they had more than enough liquidity to protect themselves from shocks.
The volatility has led to speculation that America’s Federal Reserve will now pause its plans to keep raising interest rates, designed to tame inflation.
Mr Biden said that people and businesses that had deposited money with Silicon Valley Bank would be able to access all their cash from Monday, after the government stepped in to protect their deposits in full.
Many business customers had faced the prospect of not being able to pay staff and suppliers after their funds were frozen.
BBC North America Technology correspondent James Clayton spoke to people queuing up all day outside the SVB branch in Menlo Park, California, to access their funds.
As the bank was no longer offering wire transfers, they were taking out their money in cashier cheques.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post by James Clayton
How did Silicon Valley Bank collapse?
Silicon Valley Bank – which specialised in lending to technology companies – was shut down by US regulators who seized its assets on Friday. It was the biggest failure of a US bank since the financial crisis in 2008.
It had been trying to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates. Word of the troubles led customers to race to withdraw funds, leading to a cash crisis.
Authorities on Sunday also took over Signature Bank in New York, which had many clients involved in crypto and was seen as the institution most vulnerable to a similar bank run.
Image caption,Silicon Valley Bank’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California
Mr Biden promised that covering the deposits would not cost taxpayers anything, and instead be funded by fees regulators charge to banks.
As part of efforts to restore confidence, US regulators also unveiled a new way for banks to borrow emergency funds in a crisis.
Yet there is concern that the failures, which came after the collapse of another US lender, Silvergate Bank, last week, are a sign of troubles at other firms.
Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics said the US authorities had “acted aggressively to prevent a contagion developing”.
“But contagion has always been more about irrational fear, so we would stress that there is no guarantee this will work,” he added.
Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at the stockbrokers AJ Bell, said: “The first rush of relief has been replaced by niggling concerns that the era of high rates might be more difficult for some banks to stomach than had been previously thought.
“In the US, bank stocks slid despite Joe Biden’s pledge that ‘whatever is needed’ will be carried out to prevent more dominos from tumbling.”
Political fallout
The failure of SVB has re-ignited debates – similar to those seen following the 2008 financial crisis – about how much the government should do to regulate and protect banks.
The chair of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, says there will be a thorough and transparent review of the collapse.
Mr Biden called for tougher rules and emphasised that investors and bank leaders would not be spared.
“They knowingly took a risk… that’s how capitalism works,” he said.
Still, Republican Senator Tim Scott, seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2024, called the rescue “problematic”.
“Building a culture of government intervention does nothing to stop future institutions from relying on the government to swoop in after taking excessive risks,” he said.
Once again people are worried about banks. Once again there is intense debate about bailouts. But this isn’t 2008.
Following the global financial crisis, the focus was on reforming banks considered “too big to fail”. Today’s problems are centred around medium- and smaller-sized banks.
Both of the banks that collapsed – Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank – had the same thing in common: their business models were too concentrated in one sector and they were over exposed to assets whose values came under pressure from rising interest rates.
The criticism is that they should have foreseen this and they didn’t. US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has gone to great lengths to signal the Fed’s intention to raise interest rates.
Since most banks are well diversified and have plenty of cash on hand, the assumption is that the risk to the rest of the banking sector is low. That won’t stop regulators looking into what went wrong and what rules need to change.
And the pressure on small- and medium-sized banks hasn’t gone away. What happens to the US economy and the fight against inflation also remains to be seen.
Commissioner of the Gauteng Police Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela, will on Tuesday, provide the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety of the Legislature with the third quarter crime figures for the fiscal year 2022-2023.
He’ll give a description of the crimes perpetrated in Gauteng between October and December 2022.
Mawela will also inform the committee about efforts to combat crime, including as gang-related violence in Johannesburg’s Westbury and Eldorado Park.
Crime statistics showed an increase in murder, rape, and other serious contact crimes, according to the quarterly crime statistics for the third quarter of 2022/2023 released in February by Police Minister Bheki Cele.
In 2022, police recorded an increase of 696 murders in the third quarter between October and December.
One of the most important elements to prepare a dish is salt. It enhances the flavor of everything.
The majority of us are guilty of oversalting the dishes we prepare while cooking or getting carried away or using the wrong figures.
This post is for you if you’ve ever been in a situation like this and couldn’t figure out how to get out of it. This scenario can be fixed while maintaining its flavor. Here are some suggestions for adjusting salty meals.
Add more water
If you’ve added excess salt to your rice, soup, or stew, adding more water will significantly help. Adding water might make your dish a bit watery, but it becomes thicker when it stays on fire and reduces the saltiness. Doing this makes you get the desired consistency and still correct the taste.
Fight it with sugar
Adding sugar or other sugary content to your salty meals helps to complement or counter their saltiness. You can add honey or brown sugar to also help maintain its flavour.
Increase the ingredients
If you have ever found yourself over-seasoning your food and still have extra ingredients on the ground, the best solution is to increase the portion size of your meal. Make a new meal from scratch, then add salty food to get your desired flavour.
Add acidic content
The acidic content refers to lemon, orange, vinegar, or citric acid. Adding acid to your dish moderately helps to balance the saltiness of a meal. You need to ensure that you add only a little content to avoid your meals’ sour taste.
Use creamy ingredients
These creamy ingredients are fats that might not reduce the saltiness, but it performs the role of a bud taste barrier by coating the tongue to make the salty flavour impotent. These creamy ingredients can be dairy products like milk. To replace dairy products, you can add mashed avocados. This will help to hide the salt and also add richness.
Rinse with water
You can reduce the salt content from your meal by rinsing it repeatedly. However, there are exceptions to this hack. You can only rinse foods that wouldn’t dissolve in water immediately, like rice, yam, and potatoes. Meat can also be rinsed or added to your stew without adding any seasoning when it is being cooked.
Zambia and Kenya have conditionally agreed on a deal under which the Lusaka government will give Kenyan commercial farmers land to produce maize.
A local media report has it that,a memorandum of understanding (MOU) permitting Kenyan farmers to grow maize in Zambia will be signed.
“I am happy the Zambian government has agreed to offer Kenyan farmers land for large-scale farming in Zambia. Kenyan farmers will in turn be required to export their yields back to Kenya in order to boost our food supply and security,” Linturi is quoted as saying.
He stated that the agreement was reached during a meeting he had on Monday in Lusaka with his Zambian counterpart, Reuben Mtolo, although he did not provide a date for its signing.
According to Linturi, the proposed MOU is anticipated to lower the price of maize and its products in both countries.
“Based on the projections he shared with us, the farmers will be able to achieve the objective of bringing down the cost of unga (maize meal) because, clearly, they got it right and there is something to learn from them.”
He said officials from the two countries would work out the price at which Zambia would sell the maize to Kenya, which “of course, (would be) a much lower price than we are currently getting from the traders.”
Farmers in Zambia would gain from the agreement as well because Kenya would receive short-term access to Zambia’s surplus maize.
Following a recent shortfall of maize meal in Kenya, which Linturi attributed to farmers stockpiling in anticipation of higher producer prices, an agreement with Zambia is now being negotiated.
Here are seven telltale signals that you are prepared for a relationship as someone who is not opposed to being in one.
You are happy
You are happy and comfortable being friends with yourself. If you are, it will be easier to be comfortable being around your partner.
Your emotions are stable
An emotionally immature or unstable person is often advised to avoid being in a relationship. If you are emotionally mature and stable, this is a sign that you are ready for a relationship. Being emotionally stable in this context does not mean there is no room to improve.
You are ready to be vulnerable to another
You are ready for a relationship when you are open to being vulnerable to your partner. Being vulnerable requires letting go and allowing another individual to have a level of effect on you that not many people have. It also means you are ready to share your good and not-so-good sides with another person. Why be in a relationship when you aren’t ready to be open with others? A relationship is not an isolation space but a space for close contact, including with your worst and best personalities.
You know
Another good sign is that you are certain it’s a good time to be in one. Being certain or “knowing” its time can happen based on the stage or phase of life you are at the moment. It could also be triggered by meeting someone you believe is the right person to start a relationship with. When you know, go for it. More so, when you acknowledge the need not to be alone, you are on the verge of finding a partner.
Your financial habits are healthy
You have a healthy financial life or habit. You are not willing to be a burden you your partner, whether male or female, right? Hence, your sense of independence financially is another sure sign you are ready to take on an extra financial commitment that is not in any way related to making money. Usually, financial stability is a major sign for many men to realise they are ready for a partner; meanwhile, for many women who are intentional about their lives, they see financial independence as a major yardstick for them ever to consider being a relationship with another. If you tick this requirement as a man or woman, you are ready for a relationship. Love is sweet, but when money enters, love is sweeter, right?
You are whole
Do you have a healthy mindset toward being in a relationship? Have you healed from past hurts directly or indirectly inflicted on you? If your answer to both questions is yes, there is a sign that you are ready to be in a relationship.
You are over a breakup
You are ready when you are sure and not sentimental about the fact that you are over a breakup and will not ruin your relationship with baggage from your previous relationship. Above all, be better, handle your issues, and be the person you would love your partner to be.
Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) encourages a large number of countries to enter their movies in an effort to win the award for best foreign feature. Eight African countries have successfully submitted ahead of the 95th Academy Awards, including Uganda, which did so for the first time.
With only three wins out of nine nominations in this particular category, African nations have had a mixed record at the Oscars. Algeria won the Best Foreign Language Film award for the first time at the 41st Academy Awards in 1969 with “Z,” a political satire, back when the category was still known as Best Foreign Language Film. With its anti-war black comedy “Black and White in Color,”Côte d’Ivoire won the award in 1976, and South Africa’s “Tsotsi,” directed by Gavin Hood, won it in 2005.
These eight movies are the ones that made it through the selection and submission processes and are vying to represent Africa this season. The 15-film shortlist will be revealed on December 21st 2022, and the final five nominees will be revealed on January 24th, 2023, along with the other categories.
Algeria: Our Brothers
Rachid Bouchareb, a three-time Oscar contender (all in the category of foreign cinema), continues with Our Brothers, his career-long investigation of the legacy of Frenchcolonialism in Algeria. The crime thriller, which is based on actual events from December 1986, describes the difficulties faced by a police inspector as he attempts to look into a drunken officer’s murder of a French-Algerian student on the same night that students are protesting for reforms to higher education.
Cameroon: The Planter’s Plantation
Nigerian superstar Nkem Owoh plays a supporting part in Dingha Young Eystein’s musical drama The Planter’s Plantation. The movie, which is set in the 1960s, follows the struggles of Enanga (Nimo Loveline), a strong young woman who battles valiantly to protect a plantation left to her late father by a departing colonial official. The movie is marketed as a look at neo-colonization in the area.
Kenya: TeraStorm
A bunch of African superheroes band together in a fictitious Nairobi city to try to stop an ancient wizard from destroying the planet with a potent artefact. Kenyan filmmaker Andrew Kaggia took a risk by choosing the computer-animated science fiction movie TeraStorm.
Morocco: The Blue Caftan
The Blue Caftan by Maryam Touzani, which made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, is the movie on this list that is anticipated to advance the furthest. The Blue Caftan pokes fun at a subject that is still prohibited in many conservative communities and questions the bounds of honour and covert obsessions while balancing them against the essential desire for independence and sexual emancipation.
Senegal: Xalé
With this vibrant, richly detailed drama about a 15-year-old student and her twin brother, who dream of a better life in Europe, veteran director Moussa Sène Absa is in good form. The visually stunning and exquisitely stylized Xalé seamlessly combines narrative traditions and styles, ranging from regional folklore to traditional musicals and Western-inspired soap operas.
Tanzania: Tug of War
A captivating historical romance from the 1950s that takes place in colonial Zanzibar The film Tug of War, which was directed by Amil Shivji, is based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Shafi Adam Shafi, a prominent figure in Swahili literature.
Tunisia: Under the Fig Trees
The world is reduced to a single summer day for a bunch of fig harvesters doing gig work in an orchard whose dishonest management wants to take advantage of them in Erige Sehiri’s brilliant debut full-length film.
Uganda: Tembele
Morris Mugisha’s Tembele, an award-winning drama about the title character, a garbage guy performed by Patriq Nkakalukanyi, is Uganda’s first-ever Oscar entry. Tembele is a mentally sick garbage guy who starts to lose his sense of reality after his young son dies. The movie explores how Tembele and others around him are affected by this tragedy. Tembele “suggests that it is OK for a man to cry and vulnerability is no crime especially if you’re grieving,” claims filmmaker Mugisha.
On Monday, the airport medical staff at the Jinnah International Airport declared Abdullah, a Nigerian national who goes by the name Abdul, dead in the flight.
Abdullah was declared dead upon arrival following an emergency flight.
The local media gathered a Doha-bound IndiGo flight had to make an emergency landing at the Karachi International Airport.
The pilot of flight 6E-1736 requested permission to make an emergency landing when the Nigerian passenger on board felt unwell, his health quickly worsened, and he died mid-air, according to BBC reports.
The man who died has been identified as a 60-year-old Nigerian national.
Reacting, IndiGo in a statement said they are currently making arrangements for transferring the other passengers aboard.
“We are deeply saddened by the news and our prayers and wishes are with his family and loved ones. We’re currently making arrangements for transferring the other passengers of the flight, in coordination with the relevant authorities,” the statement read.
Unidentified officials said the aircraft remained at the Karachi airport for nearly five hours.
It returned to Delhi after the authorities in Karachi issued a death certificate for the passenger.
South African Rapper, Costa Titch, who passed away over the weekend after collapsing while playing at a music festival in Johannesburg, continues to be remembered by South Africans.
The musician, Constantinos Tsobanoglou, was 28 years old. His family announced his passing on Instagram.
The rapper collapses twice on camera before falling off the stage, according to social media footage. Whether he passed away on stage or in a hospital is the subject of different claim
“It is with deep pain that we find ourselves having to acknowledge his passing at this time,” his family said.
“We are thankful for those emergency responders and all those present in his last hours.”
It did not not mention the cause of death
Costa Titch’s song Big Flexa made him a star across the continent.
His death comes a month after another popular South African rapper AKA was assassinated.
Police said the gunman had approached AKA from behind and shot him at close range in the side of the head.
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has been announced as the sole candidate for the Swapo party in next year’s elections by Namibian President Hage Geingob on Saturday.
The president urged party members to back Ms. Nandi-Ndaitwah when official campaigns get off the next year in remarks to the party’s highest organ.
While serving as the nation’s deputy prime minister, Ms. Nandi-Ndaitwah is the party’s vice president.
“Elections took place, we have the results that we are going to have one candidate only, that will be comrade Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and we will campaign and we have a person who will lead us,” President Geingob said.
He also called on Swapo members not to create factions from the outcome of the party nominations.
President Geingob is due to step down next year after serving two terms. He was first elected in November 2014.
Swapo has led Namibia since independence and remains the country’s biggest political party.
But its popularity has recently waned because of discontent over rampant unemployment and corruption linked to senior party officials.
The party lost its two-thirds majority in parliament in the last general election in 2019. It also lost control of key municipalities, including the capital Windhoek, the port towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, and several regional councils.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has indicated that all kids who didn’t have their regular vaccinations are still entitled to get them when the vaccines arrive.
“We want to take this opportunity to advise the public against buying of these vaccines.
“The vaccines are free and can be obtained in designated health facilities and all Child Welfare Clinics across the country,” a statement issued by the Director-General of the Service, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, said.
The Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service took delivery of the first consignment of vaccines for Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG), Measles-Rubella (MR), and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) on Saturday, March 11.
This comes days after the sector minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, assured the nation on the floor of Parliament about shipment of the vaccines.
“Mr Speaker, it is a very serious public interest issue, the assurance I will give and I can give for the first time in the chamber here is that this will not happen again,” the Dormaa Central Member said on Friday, March 10.
“I will advise that you will help me in my advocacy to get adequate funding for vaccines, even the health insurance budget. So when we meet with committees, they have always been talking about it, and even in the chamber, it has come up that if Parliament approves adequately for us and we always have our budget well we will be able to supply. I assure you that whatever challenges happened I don’t think we are going to face these challenges any longer.
“I can stand here and assure the House that within two weeks or three weeks we will get vaccines, even probably before that. I can’t get my hands on a specific date but probably even before that, we may get the vaccines that we are talking about. Throughout the period we have made 6.4million dollars equivalent to UNICEF who supplies us the vaccines.”
On Saturday, March 11, the Director-General of the Service, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, was on the tarmac of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), leading the delegation to welcome in the consignment.
“Distribution to various regions and facilities [are] underway,” a post on the Ministry of Information Facebook page said.
“More vaccines expected in Ghana in the coming weeks from multiple sources.”
On Sunday, Hollywood’s elite gathered to learn who had received a coveted Oscars statuette. The 95th Academy Awards were held in Los Angeles, and the winners and all of the nominees are listed here.
Best picture
Everything Everywhere All at Once (winner)
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
The Fabelmans
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Women Talking
Best actor
Brendan Fraser, The Whale (winner)
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Bill Nighy, Living
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Austin Butler, Elvis
Best actress
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once (winner)
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Ana de Armas, Blonde
Cate Blanchett, Tar
Best actor in a supporting role
Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All at Once (winner)
Brendan Gleeson – The Banshees of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry – Causeway
Judd Hirsch – The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan – The Banshees of Inisherin
Best actress in a supporting role
Jamie Lee Curtis – Everything Everywhere All at Once (winner)
Angela Bassett – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau – The Whale
Kerry Condon – The Banshees of Inisherin
Stephanie Hsu – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best director
Daniel Kwan with Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once (winner)
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, Tar
Ruben Ostlund, Triangle of Sadness
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Best original song
Naatu Naatu, Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj (RRR) (winner)
Applause, Sofia Carson and Diane Warren (Tell It Like a Woman)
Lift Me Up, Rihanna (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
Hold My Hand, Lady Gaga (Top Gun: Maverick)
This is a Life, Son Lux (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
Best original score
All Quiet on the Western Front (winner)
Babylon
The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Best makeup and hairstyling
The Whale (winner)
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
Best costume design
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (winner)
Babylon
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Mrs Harris Goes To Paris
Best cinematography
All Quiet on the Western Front (winner)
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Elvis
Empire of Light
Tár
Best original screenplay
Everything Everywhere All at Once (winner)
Triangle of Sadness
The Fabelmans
The Banshees of Inisherin
Tar
Best adapted screenplay
Women Talking (winner)
All Quiet on the Western Front
Living
Top Gun: Maverick
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Best sound
Top Gun: Maverick (winner)
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of the Water
The Batman
Elvis
Best film editing
Everything Everywhere All at Once (winner)
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Tar
Top Gun: Maverick
Best production design
All Quiet on the Western Front (winner)
Avatar: The Way of the Water
Babylon
Elvis
The Fabelmans
Best visual effects
Avatar: The Way of Water (winner)
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Top Gun: Maverick
Best international feature film
All Quiet on the Western Front (winner)
Argentina, 1985
Close
EO
The Quiet Girl
Best animated feature
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio – Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley (winner)
Marcel the Shell with Shoes on – Dean Fleischer Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan and Paul Mezey
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – Joel Crawford and Mark Swift
The Sea Beast – Chris Williams and Jed Schlanger
Turning Red – Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins
Best documentary feature
Navalny (winner)
All That Breathes
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Fire of Love
A House Made of Splinters
Best live action short
An Irish Goodbye (winner)
Ivalu
Le Pupille
Night Ride
The Red Suitcase
Best documentary short
The Elephant Whisperers (winner)
Haulout
How Do You Measure a Year?
The Martha Mitchell Effect
Stranger at the Gate
Best animated short
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (winner)
The Flying Sailor
Ice Merchants
My Year of Dicks
An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It
The 2023 Academy Awards included many moving acceptance speeches, unexpected twists, and extraordinary films. Here are a few of the most memorable parts of the greatest Hollywood night of the year.
A full-circle moment
Sunday’s ceremony was an opportunity for Ke Huy Quan to catch up with his old friend Harrison Ford.
Quan, who starred alongside Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom when he was a child, won best supporting actor for Everything Everywhere All at Once following a two-decade break from performing.
After Everything Everywhere’s best picture win, he excitedly ran up to the stage and embraced his former co-star, who presented the award.
Ke Huy Quan: From forgotten child star to Oscars hero
Lada Gaga goes make-up free
Lada Gaga made sure her vocals were centre stage when she performed without make-up and wearing jeans and a plain T-shirt.
The look for her performance of Hold My Hand, nominated for best original song, was a stark contrast to her earlier appearance on the not-so-red carpet, in a black Versace dress with a sheer corset bodice.
While on the carpet, she received praise from fans on social media for rushing to the aid of a photographer who appeared to have fallen when walking past her.
Hugh Grant talks up the benefits of moisturiser
British actor Hugh Grant’s humour was a hit with the crowd at the Dolby Theatre.
When presenting the award for best production design with his Four Weddings and a Funeral co-star Andie MacDowell, Grant joked: “The purpose of this is two-fold.
“The first is to raise the vital importance of a good moisturiser. Andie has used one every day of her life, I have not.”
Grant then gestured to MacDowell, saying: “Still stunning.” He then gestured to himself: “Basically a scrotum.”
Image caption,Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell at the Oscars
Earlier in the evening, Grant seemed less enthused as he spoke to model Ashely Graham about his cameo appearance in the film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
Asked about his experience filming the sequel, he replied: “Well I’m barely in it. I’m in it for three seconds.”
Probed further about whether he enjoyed filming it, he replied: “Almost.”
John Travolta’s tearful tribute to Grease co-star
When presenting the In Memoriam tribute for Hollywood figures who have died last year, John Travolta offered an emotional tribute to his Grease co-star Olivia Newton John.
“We remain hopelessly devoted to you,” Travolta tearfully said, referencing the iconic song by Newton John.
Image caption,John Travolta at the 2023 Oscars
Jimmy Kimmel addresses The Slap
The late-night talk show host returned to host his third Academy Awards ceremony. He quickly addressed last year’s Oscars controversy, when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage.
“We want you to have fun, feel safe and, most importantly, we want me feel safe. So, we have strict policies in place,” Kimmel said.
“If anyone in this theatre commits an act of violence at any point during the show, you will be awarded the Oscar for best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute long speech.
“But seriously, the Academy has a crisis team in place,” he added. “If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the show, sit there and do absolutely nothing. Maybe even give the assailant a hug.”
… and brings a donkey on stage
In an ode to the Irish film Banshees of Inisherin, Kimmel later brought a donkey on stage.
“She’s a certified emotional support donkey. At least that’s what we told the airline to get her on the plane from Ireland. If you’re feeling sad or need a hug… Let’s get you back on that Spirit Airlines flight now.”
WATCH: Kimmel kicks off Oscars with Will Smith joke, then brings out a donkey
Cocaine Bear makes an appearance
Elizabeth Banks presented the award for best visual effects – accompanied by a very hyperactive grizzly.
“I recently directed the film Cocaine Bear and without visual effects, this is what the bear would look like,” Banks joked.
Image caption,Elizabeth Banks did her best to control her presenting partner during the ceremony
An Irish Goodbye star gets birthday singalong
The directors of best short film, An Irish Goodbye, used their acceptance speech to sing a rendition of Happy Birthday to one of the film’s stars, James Martin.
After saying their thank yous, director Ross White said: “This award is actually the second most important thing about today because it’s this man’s birthday”, referring to Martin.
“We’d like to use the rest of our time up here to sing for James,” he added, before leading the audience in song while Martin clasped the Oscars award.
Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Stephen Pambiin Jalulah, has indicated that government is unable to contract for as many new roads as it had planned due to the current economic difficulties.
“The implication is that we cannot begin new projects but for the ongoing projects we are paying contractions to come and do it. Let me add that the source of funding for the roads is not entirely the government of Ghana.
“The government through taxpayers are maintaining and doing new roads but we also have development partners,” Mr Jalulah said.
Jalulah, who is also MP for Pru West, was speaking to the media and said that the Roads Ministry can only scale down construction because the budget for all ministries has been cut.
He was responding to questions on an assessment of President Akufo-Addo’s track record on Roads and Highways. The assessment was raised following the President’s fears while delivering the State of the Nation Address that although he would have wished that every single community had a well-constructed road, the resources are not enough.
But Mr Jalulah told programme host Blessed Sogah that despite the challenges and lack of resources, the government is committed to ensuring that the new road facilities which were approved and funding granted are completed.
“We cannot scale up the construction and we can only scale down…but there will be new roads just that we will scale down, if we planned 10 roads we cannot do that we may do five depending on…,” the Deputy Roads Minister said.
“The challenge we have is real and it’s not only Ghana, but this is just a short while. I can say that in a short while things will improve and before then we have planned projects and we say that we don’t have enough resources, we look at the amount of traffic a road gets and we do that,” he said.
Mr Jalulah added that the government is hoping to complete seven new interchanges by the end of 2024.
The Conference of Heads of Aided Secondary Schools (CHASS) and Principals of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions have been tasked by the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, to enhance educational outcomes or risk having their institutions shut down.
In his remarks to the Conference of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS) participants and Principals of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) organizations in Kumasi on Saturday and Sunday, Dr. Adutwum made this announcement.
He explained that a school with a consistent zero to 10 per cent pass rate should put together intervention programmes.
This he said, will ensure that the majority of their students find opportunities for further studies rather than becoming a liability to their parents and society due to their inability to pass their exams.
He said that closing down the schools would help save the nation from the huge financial losses being incurred by the government as a result of the existence of the schools.
Dr Adutwum explained that in cases where schools are closed down, the affected students would be redistributed to other nearby schools so they could continue their education.
The meeting with CHASS, which is an annual event was to share with them the current state of education in the country, discuss new development in the sector and answer questions on issues affecting them.
The meeting, which was in two batches, saw all SHS heads attending on Saturday while Principals of TVET institutions across the country also attended on Sunday.
He lauded the heads for their roles in the transformation of education in the country and pledged to continue providing the needed resources. He also urged them to work very hard to ensure that they attained the right results.
Don’t be a barrier
Dr Adutwum also cautioned the heads to desist from preventing first-year students from enrolling due to the fact that some items on their prospectus had not been procured.
He indicated that “there is no way any student should be turned away from school because the parents have not been able to procure some items on the school’s prospectus, at least, let them come to the school and the rest could be procured with some time.”
The Education Minister lamented the addition of many other unapproved items on the school’s prospectus which in the long run led to the bloating of the prospectus for first-year students.
He advised the heads not to do anything that would discourage or prevent any student from having access to education.
Dr Adutwum urged the heads to let it be their goal to do everything possible to create an enabling environment for students to study and not to disturb them from their studies.
The Deputy Minister for Education, in-charge of TVET sector, Ms Gifty Twum-Ampofo, reminded the Principals to ensure that students were well equipped for the job market and also let the schools pass through them and not the students passing through the school.
She also urged the Principals to spend time enhancing their capacity through reading relevant courses and books to support their effort at getting the best training for their students.
Presentations were made by the leadership of the Ghana Education Service (GES), National Education Leadership Institute (NELI), Free Senior High School Secretariat, Funds and Procurement Management Unit (FPMU), and Ghana TVET Service.
The Ghana Police Service has provided details on the circumstances surrounding the death of young trooperImoro Sherrifon March 4 and the results of their initial investigations, which included the arrest of six suspects who will appear in court on Monday. Read the full police report below.
The Police after a week of sustained intelligence-led operations, have arrested six persons at different dates and various locations within Ashiaman and its environs for their suspected involvement in the murder of Imoro Sherrif, a soldier.
On March 4, Police received information that a male adult had been found lying dead at Ashiaman Taifa in the Greater Accra Region.
A team of Police officers proceeded to the said location and confirmed the incident.
Police immediately commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the victim. The officers cordoned off the scene and called in the specialist Police Crime Scene team to process the scene for forensic analysis.
The Crime Scene Team retrieved a number of items, including a knife with blood stains on it and a backpack. In the backpack, Police found a Samsung tablet, an Apple laptop, a military uniform with the name tag “Imoro”, eight other items of clothing, as well as a Ghana card and a Health Insurance card bearing the name Imoro Sherrif.
Judging from the contents of the backpack, the police suspected the victim could be a soldier, and in line with Police standard operating procedure for handling institution-based victims, the Military was accordingly notified of the incident and some military personnel came to identify the deceased to Police as Imoro Sheriff, a soldier.
The body of the deceased was thereafter conveyed to a hospital for preservation and autopsy.
As part of the investigation, an intelligence-led operation was immediately launched within Ashiaman and other strategic locations of interest to follow up on all relevant leads on the case.
On the same day, consistent with Ghanaian tradition and as part of the investigation process, a team of police officers after identifying the residence of the parents of the deceased, visited them, commiserated with them and assured them of a thorough investigation into the matter.
During the visit, the parents informed the Police that the deceased was stationed at Sunyani but had come to Accra on a course.
Investigations further revealed that on March 3, the deceased had visited a female friend at Ashaiman Newtown at about 10:30 pm and left the place in the middle of the night at about 01:30 am, on March 4.
After almost a week of painstaking intelligence-led operations, on March 9, the police arrested suspects Safianu Musah alias Dayorgu and Ibrahim Abdul Rakib at their hideouts in Ashaiman.
Two other suspects, Samuel Tetteh alias Wiper and Abubakar Sadick alias Birdman were also arrested at their hideouts on March 10.
Two additional suspects, Yussif Mohammed and Abdul Gafaru Abdul Karim were arrested on 11th and March 12, respectively.
Further investigation has established that suspects Samuel Tetteh and Abubakar Sadick at about 1:45 am on 4th March 2023 attacked the deceased at Taifa Ashiaman in an attempt to rob him of his phone and a backpack.
The deceased, however, resisted and struggled with the suspects. During the struggle, suspect Samuel Tetteh pulled out a knife and stabbed the deceased in the arm, snatched his phone and bolted leaving the deceased with the knife stuck in his arm.
A postmortem examination was performed on the deceased’s body on March 8, after which the pathologist gave the verbal cause of death as exsanguination and laceration of major vessels of the left arm consistent with the stabbed injury.
Investigations also revealed that suspects Samuel Tetteh and Abubakar Sadick sold the phone which they had robbed from the deceased to suspect Ibrahim Abdul Rakib who later sold it to suspect Safianu Musah.
Suspect Safianu Musah is being evasive as to the whereabouts of the phone and claims to have sold it to suspect Yussif Mohammed and later to suspect Abdul Gafaru Abdul Karim.
Both suspects have been arrested and are assisting in the investigation to recover the phone.
On March 12, a team of police officers led by the Tema Regional Police Commander visited the family of the deceased and briefed them on the investigations done so far.
We wish to commend all police officers at all levels of Command, especially the crack police intelligence and investigation teams as well as the Ashiaman District Police Command for their professionalism and meticulous dedication, working around the clock to unravel this case.
We would like to assure the public, especially the family of the deceased, that all the suspects are in Police custody and will be put before the court on Monday, March 13, for justice.
Filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has announced that his movie “Anikulapo” will be expanded into a series.
During a recent forum, Afolayan explained that “Anikulapo” was initially conceived as a series and shared the story of how it came to feature on Netflix.
“We tested the waters with “Anikulapo” as a film, and it became a success. Then, the conversation started for a week to get it to the original proposition, which is the series. Currently, I am not giving details, but it is happening this year. We will do the first season of the series,” Afolayan told local media.
Afolayan also spoke about his fascination with exploring African mysteries in some of his movies.
“The story was informed by my interest in exploring the idea of Orisha and finding a way to merge it with entertainment and visual arts without pitching a particular religion,” he said.
He added that he aims to create masterpieces that capture the essence of Yoruba culture and the world beyond Nigeria.
Gambian protesters are assembling to protest against corruption through the capital Banjul after a youth group affiliated with the main opposition party called for a demonstration.
Lawyer Ousainu Darboe, the leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), in a WhatsApp audio had earlier called on supporters to be peaceful ahead of a corruption demonstration slated for Friday.
The UDP Youth Wing recently applied for a police permit for a peaceful procession against corruption. This came after several corruption allegations were reported about government institutions and other local government councils.
Lawyer Darboe called on Gambians to be part of the peaceful demonstration starting from Jah oil in Banjul to the National Assembly in Banjul.
He pointed out that when this kind of activity happens, some criminals always want to capitalise on the occasion to get involved in the crowd and act unlawfully and be destructive. However, the UDP leader said they would be very vigilant to those people while calling on the police to also help in identifying such criminals.
The country’s biggest opposition leader emphasised that everyone knows that UDP is a law-abiding party, calling on the party militants to follow the rule of law, ignore insults and other confrontations.
“I call on Gambians who are concerned about corruption to join us, especially the UDP supporters,” he added. “The demonstration will start from 11 a.m to 2 pm. Everyone should come out to show their concerns on corruption.”
