Camille Vasquez, an attorney who worked for actor Johnny Depp during his recent defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard, is now working with NBC News in a legal-analyst role
Vasquez made her first appearance as a contributor Monday on “Today.” She discussed the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the much-scrutinized stabbing of four University of Idaho students.
Vasquez works as a partner in the litigation & arbitration practice group at Brown Rudnick and is also co-chair of the firm’s brand & reputation management group. She and colleague Benjamin Chew served as lead attorneys for Depp in a case that drew attention across the globe.
Late last year, Depp and Heard settled. Depp had been awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The punitive damages were reduced to $350,000. Heard was awarded $2 million in a counterclaim. Press reports suggested the two sides agreed that Heard would pay $1 million to Depp, who expected to donate the money to charity.
The “Logan” actor has addressed rumors that he juiced up on steroids to portray “X-Men” character Wolverine across the decades-spanning franchise.
“No, I love my job. And I love Wolverine,” Jackman said during HBO’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace” (via Variety) when asked if he took steroids for the role. “I got to be careful what I say here, but I had been told anecdotally what the side effects are of that. And I was like, ‘I don’t love it that much.’”
Jackman added, “So no, I just did it the old-school way. And I tell you, I’ve eaten more chickens — I’m so sorry to all the vegans and vegetarians and to the chickens of the world. Literally the karma is not good for me. If the deity has anything related to chickens, I’m in trouble.”
Jackman is set to reprise playing Wolverine for “Deadpool 3” opposite Ryan Reynolds’ titular antihero. The Tony winner confirmed that the upcoming MCU installment will be a totally different iteration of the character.
“When I keep thinking of me and Ryan, of Deadpool and Wolverine, which are classic comic-book rivals, there’s also a dynamic that I’ve never really got to do before as Wolverine,” Jackman told Chris Wallace. “I just thought, ‘This is going to be fun. Something I’ve never done before. I can’t wait.’”
The “Son” actor told IndieWire’s Eric Kohn that his turn as the Wolverine made him worry about being typecast as a gruff action star.
“I didn’t want to do the same things,” Jackman said. “You know, the role of the hero action star. I mean, it was the meat-and-potatoes of a lot of American film, that archetype. It was all various forms of heroic guys in tough situations. I was like, ‘Uh, no. This is a problem.’”
Australian actor Jackman also addressed being approached for the role of James Bond prior to Daniel Craig’s casting, saying, “I had a look at it. I was like, ‘If I’m doing that and Wolverine, I’ll have no time to do anything else.’ I clearly find it more interesting to play people who color outside the lines.”
Prince Harry’s jaw-dropping claims about life within the British royal family continue in a series of new interviews he’s done to promote his new memoir, Spare.
The younger son of King Charles and the late Princess Diana spoke to three major media outlets on the eve of the book’s Tuesday release. They include Michael Strahan for Good Morning America on Monday preceded by Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes and Tom Bradby for the U.K.’s ITV on Sunday.
That’s made for a lot of airtime, here are highlights…
Harry told Cooper he didn’t believe that his mother died in the 1997 Paris car crash. “She would never do this to us,” he recalled thinking. For “many many years” he thought it was “part of a plan” for her to disappear, as she was tormented by the press, and he and William would be summoned to join her later. He had “huge amounts of hope” that she was still alive and would reappear.
Princess Dianna and Prince Harry in 1992. (Photo: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez CMC/PN)
He said he barely cried over Diana’s death, being unable to. He remembered feeling “guilt” while greeting mourners in the aftermath and shaking their wet, tear covered hands when he hadn’t yet cried himself. He shed his first tears at her burial, when the coffin was lowered, but didn’t again cry over it until years later. All through his teens, he never cried.
Harry spoke about obtaining the official investigation report on Diana’s death when he was 20. He recalled seeing the final photos of her and knowing that the last thing she saw was photographers taking pictures of her through the car window as she died. He said he was shielded by most graphic photos, crediting an adviser.
He also discussed recreating the drive through the Paris tunnel years later, going through twice, at the same speed, and finding it unbelievable that Diana died there because it seemed so unremarkable. He said William also went through the tunnel separately and did the same thing. While talking to Cooper, Harry said it was explained to the brothers that the events leading to the car crash — the speed, the paparazzi chasing the car and the chauffeur being drunk — was “like a bicycle chain” and “if you remove just one of those links from the chain, the end result doesn’t happen.”
Cooper asked if he’d reopen the inquest into her death and he replied, “I don’t even know if it’s an option now. But no, I think… would I like to do that now? It’s a hell of a question.” Asked if he feels he has the answers about what happened, he said, “Actually, no.. I don’t think I have. And I don’t think my brother thinks otherwise. I don’t think the world does. Do I need any more than I already know? No. I don’t think it would change much.”
Harry claims his stepmother planted stories about him and William to improve her reputation.
Diana famously called Camilla Parker Bowles the “third person” in her marriage, as she was involved with future King Charles before and during the couple’s marriage. After the 1996 divorce, Charles started seeing Camilla openly and Harry claims she began a media campaign to rehab her image after been branded the other woman for so long. He said her campaign involved trading information about other members of the royal family in exchange for good press in hopes of no longer being seen as “the villain.”
“That made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press,” Harry told Cooper. “There was open willingness on both sides to trade information. And with a family built on hierarchy, and with her, on the way to being queen consort, there was gonna be people or bodies left in the street.” He felt he was one of these “bodies.” In his book, he wrote, “Camilla sacrificed me on her personal PR altar.”
Camilla with Prince William and Prince Harry in 2006. (Photo: Reuters)
Harry said he and William also asked their “Pa” not to marry Camilla, which Charles did in 2005. While she made the future king happy, “We didn’t think it was necessary” that they marry, he said. “We thought that it was gonna cause more harm than good. And that if he was now with his person — surely that’s enough. Why go that far when you don’t necessarily need to?”
Despite what he claims Camilla did, Harry told Strahan, “I love every member of my family, despite the differences, so when I see her, we’re perfectly pleasant with each other. She’s my stepmother. I don’t look at her as an evil stepmother. I see someone who married into this institution and has done everything that she can to improve her own reputation and her own image, for her own sake.”
He and William were never as as close as it seemed.
In Harry’s book, he wrote about an alleged fight he had with his older brother over Markle, which resulted in William getting physical. Harry made it clear that while the world thought they were brothers bonded forever through grief, there was a wall between them. They lived separated lives. At school together, he said William pretended he didn’t know him.
However, they did share some warm moments and spend time together through their work as royals. And they had a pact, Harry claimed, that they would never leak stories about each other to the press, having been the victims of that through Camilla. But William broke the pact, Harry claimed.
Prince Harry and Prince William attend the preparations for the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium on June 30, 2007 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)
Harry told Strahan their mother would be “sad” about their relationship today, but also “heartbroken” that William, through his press office, was involved in leaking stories about him and Markle. He maintained he would “never leak” stories about family members. He said he speaks his truth “with the words that come out of my mouth,” which is why he wrote his memoir, which he said is his life story, not a royal tell-all.
He told Bradby, “Those certain members have decided to get in bed with the devil to rehabilitate their image. But the moment that rehabilitation comes at the detriment of others, me and other members of my family, then that’s where I draw the line.”
Harry says royal family members were uneasy about his relationship with “biracial,” “American actress” Markle
He claimed in his book that while Charles was warm toward Markle at the start, William and others weren’t. Cooper asked what those negative feelings were based on, and Harry replied, “The fact that she was American, an actress, divorced, Black, biracial, with a Black mother.”
He said the British press jumped on Markle being biracial, making for a “feeding frenzy” and he thinks his family bought into that. “My family reads the tabloids,” he said. They’re “laid out at breakfast… So, whether you walk around saying you believe it or not, it’s still leaving an imprint in your mind. If you have that judgment based on a stereotype in the beginning, it’s really really hard to get over that.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in December. (Photo: REUTERS/Andrew Kelly)
He feels his family and the press have blamed Markle for changes he’s made in his life. “A large part of it for the family, but also the British press and numerous other people is like, ‘He’s changed. She must be a witch.’ Yeah, I did change, and I’m really glad I changed. Rather than getting drunk, falling out of clubs, taking drugs, I have now found the love of my life and I now have the opportunity to start a family with her.”
Harry said his father and brother also became upset with him when he called out the “racial undertones” in tabloid stories about Markle early on. “They felt as though it made them look bad,” he said, “because “they didn’t have a chance or weren’t able to do that for their partners. What Meghan had to go through was similar in some part to what Kate and what Camilla went through — very different circumstances. But then you add in the race element, which was what the British press jumped on straight away. I went into this incredibly naive. I had no idea the British press were so bigoted. Hell, I was probably bigoted before the relationship with— with Meghan.”
He said the royals missed a “huge missed opportunity” in modernizing the monarchy through what Markle represented as a biracial woman.
Harried denied that he and Meghan Markle called the royal family racist in their 2021 Oprah interview.
Bradby said in the ITV interview, “In the Oprah interview, you accuse members of your family of racism…” Harry shot back, “No. The British press said that. Did Meghan ever say ‘they’re racist’?” Harry went on to say what he told Winfrey about there being “concerns [expressed] about [Archie’s] skin color” because she is biracial. When asked if he’d agree that was “essentially racist,” Harry said, “I wouldn’t. Not having lived in that family.”
He went on to explain the “difference between racism and unconscious bias,” saying, “The two things are different. Once it’s been acknowledged or pointed out to you as an individual, otherwise an institution, that you have unconscious bias, you, therefore, have an opportunity to learn and grow from that… otherwise, unconscious bias then moves into the category of racism.”
Harry, who wouldn’t reveal which member of the family talked about the skin color, did say that the royals said after the Oprah interview that they’d bring in a diversity czar, but, “That hasn’t happened. Everything they said was going to happen hasn’t happened.”
Harry on why he won’t renounce his royal title.
While talking about how he and wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in early 2020 and relocated to California, becoming financially independent from the royal family in the process, Cooper asked why they haven’t renounced their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. “And what difference would that make?” Harry asked in response.
In conversation with Strahan he elaborated, saying having been born into the royal family, “I can’t ever get out… I’m incredibly aware of my position and I’m incredibly grateful for the life that I’ve had and continue to live, but there’s no version of me ever being able to get out of this.”
He’s gone through extensive therapy, including using psychedelics.
Harry admitted he wishes he started therapy as a child after his mother’s death because he suppressed his feelings and turned to alcohol and drugs (cocaine, pot) to mask his pain. He said he felt “hopeless” and “lost” until his late 20s. He gave himself a hard time over being unable to cry about his mother’s death, admitting he’d watch online videos of her and try to cry unsuccessfully.
He’s been in therapy for the last seven years and has tried treatments involving ayahuasca and psilocybin or magic mushrooms. He told Cooper, “I would never recommend people to do this recreationally — but doing it with the right people if you are suffering from a huge amount of loss, grief or trauma, then these things have a way of working as a medicine. For me, they cleared the windshield, the windshield of the misery of loss. They cleared away this idea that I had in my head that — that my mother, that I needed to cry to prove to my mother that I missed her. When in fact, all she wanted was for me to be happy.”
He also credited being in the British military for saving him. He said being in uniform among the others made him “feel normal for the first time in my life.” He’s also purpose in his charitable work, including with the Invictus Games Foundation.
How he said goodbye to the queen.
Harry claimed his grandmother wasn’t “angry” when he and Markle said they’d step down as senior royals after Markle experienced suicidal thoughts over the tabloid feeding frenzy. He said the queen was just “sad” about it all.
He also talked about being in England when his grandmother became ill and said the royals didn’t invite him on a plane they took to rush to her deathbed. As a result, he arrived after she died. His aunt, Anne, Princess Royal, greeted him and asked if he wanted to say goodbye. He did and went to the queen’s bedroom, where he privately said goodbye. Talking about her death, he said he thought about how she had a “completed life” and would reunited with her husband, Prince Philip, who died the year before. It made him think about his mother’s tragic death and how she didn’t have a completed life.
Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth in 2015. (Photo REUTERS/Anthony Devlin/Pool)
He’s not speaking to most of his family.
Asked who he’s in touch with, Harry said he hasn’t spoken to Charles, William or Camilla for quite a while.
He can’t see returning to England in a senior royal role, saying it would “unsurvivable” under the scrutiny of the press, but said he “genuinely” believes the British monarchy should continue. He said there’s a place for it if it modernizes.
He said he and Markle have offered to apologize to members of the family for anything they did wrong, but whenever they say that, nobody can pinpoint to them specifically what they did. He said he’d love to have a private conversation, one that doesn’t get leaked, saying the estrangement “all started with them briefing daily against my wife with lies to the point of where my wife and I had to run away from my country.”
And while divide between them couldn’t be greater right now, he hopes to reconcile through “conversations and accountability.” If that doesn’t happen, he said that would be “very sad” but instead “I”ll focus on my life, my amazing family that I’m so very grateful to have… I’m not angry anymore. There are things that will still anger me, but I’m not angry anymore because I am exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Harry will continue to plug the book, which doesn’t paint his brother or father in a favorable light, this week, including in a special, Prince Harry: In His Own Words, which will air on ABC News on Monday night at 8:30 p.m. He’ll keep at it — also appearing on Tuesday’s The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
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Source: Yahoo
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“Hello everyone, this is Jin of BTS. I won’t be a civilian by the time the video is out. But I am here in front of the camera, because I wanted to leave you something, even if it is just leaving a message,” said Jin in the minute-long clip filmed in what looks like an alleyway that dropped on Monday Jan 9, 2023.
He noted that the video was shot during a break from appearing on an episode of the SBS-produced South Korean variety show Running Man, which he appeared on in November; Jin began his enlistment on Dec. 13.
“Whenever I am available I wish to leave these videos and records once every few months to share with you as much as possible, even if it’s just checking in briefly,” he continued. “I may not be by your side at this very moment, but I’ll go looking for you soon, so if you just wait a little bit. I’ll be back soon. That’s all for today. Next time when I have the chance, I’ll be back with another video.”
Just before leaving for bootcamp last month, Jin uploaded a photo which showed off that his signature locks — most recently on display in his “Astronaut” music video — were shorn in favor of what’s known as the “induction cut.”
Per national law, all able-bodied South Korean men must serve in the armed forces for at least 18 months with varying lengths of service time. While the draft begins once they turn 18, men may postpone it until age 28. In December 2020, the Korean National Assembly passed a motion (nicknamed the “BTS law”) to allow top K-pop stars to postpone service until age 30 with a recommendation from the culture minister.
Jin is the first of the seven BTS members to fulfill his mandatory obligations.
The Ada-East District Nutrition Officer, Mr. Raphael Kwasi Angmortey, has warned the public, especially pregnant women, against mixing alcohol with milk to promote blood circulation.
He explained that such practices are false beliefs that really cause malformations.
“It is also false that a mixture of coca cola with a tin of tomatoes increases the formation of blood during pregnancy,” he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Ada in the Greater Accra Region, and advised pregnant women to desist from such acts because they were unsafe for the mother and featus.
He said alcohol intake during pregnancy must be avoided as it affected the placenta and the featus’ development including its intellectual ability.
Mr Angmortey said women nursing pregnancies rather needed more iron to enhance blood formation adding that iron deficiency was the main cause of anaemia.
He said good nutrition through eating of balanced diets could prevent anaemia and mentioned oyeter, fish, turkeybury, and beans among others as rich sources of iron.
Pineapples, mangoes, and oranges are also rich in vitamines and must be added to the meal, he said, and advised pregnant women to visit health facilities for the appropriate guidance.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame says his country will no longer offer refuge to people fleeing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Decades of instability in the east of the country have forced scores of refugees across the border into Rwanda.
“This is not Rwanda’s problem,” said Mr Kagame, adding: “I am refusing that Rwanda should carry this burden.”
The presidency has shared Mr Kagame’s remarks in a tweet:
“We have had refugees here for over 20 years, from DRC. I am refusing that Rwanda should carry this burden and be insulted and abused everyday about it.” President Kagame. pic.twitter.com/laDAQrW05d
He said the rest of the world had completely missed the point when it came to eastern DR Congo.
The real threat to security – in his view – is what he describes as the remnants of Hutu extremist forces who tried to wipe out his Tutsi ethnic group in the 1994 genocide.
Rwanda is being accused of backing the M23 rebel group – which the country has always denied.
The rebel group has captured swathes of territory in recent months, sending tens of thousands of refugees across the border into Rwanda.
The Duke of Sussex claims in his memoir that Queen Elizabeth II’s response to his request for her approval to marry Meghan was “cryptic.”
Prince Harry was unsure whether his grandmother was trying to tell him she wanted to refuse his request, was being sarcastic or playing word games.
The Duke feared he was “doomed to be the next Margaret”, he writes, in reference to his great aunt, Princess Margaret, who was not allowed to marry the love of her life, divorcee Peter Townsend.
The Duke recounts the moment he plucked up the courage to ask the Queen in his forthcoming book, Spare, which is officially published on Tuesday but was released early in Spain.
He admits he was “scared” and always nervous in her presence. And the moment was made even more awkward when the Queen simply replied: “Well then I suppose I have to say yes.”
Harry had no idea what she was saying.
‘She felt she had to say yes?’
He writes: “She felt she had to say yes? Did that mean that she was saying yes, but wanted to say no?
“I didn’t understand. Was she being sarcastic? Ironic? Deliberately cryptic? Was she allowing herself a bit of wordplay? I don’t remember my grandmother being a fan of wordplay and this would have been the strangest time to start being one (without mentioning tremendously inappropriate).”
The Duke had earlier confided in his aides, Ed Lane Fox and Jason Knauf, that he wanted to propose but was told there were “strict rules” governing such things and that first and foremost, he would have to ask his grandmother.
Harry suggests he was taken aback by the suggestion, asking if that was a “real rule”.
“It didn’t make any sense,” he writes. “A grown man asking his grandmother for permission to marry.”
However, he recalls the “absurdity” of his father, then 56, having to ask permission to marry the Queen Consort.
The Duke picked an October 2017 family shooting trip at Sandringham to make his move.
He opted not to tell Prince William of his plans because he had already warned him against it. “Too fast, too soon,” he is alleged to have said.
Harry claims his brother was “pretty discouraging” about him dating an “American actress” at all, implying that her nationality and profession was akin to being a “convicted criminal”.
Prince Harry claims his brother was ‘discouraging’ about him marrying an ‘American actress’ – KIRSTY O’CONNOR/AFP
On the day in question, he watched the late Queen drive a Range Rover into the middle of a field to look for dead birds, alone and with no security.
“I tried to engage her in some light chat to loosen her up,” he writes.
“The full seriousness of all this was finally starting to sink in.”
The Duke muses over what would happen if his grandmother said no. Would he dare to disobey her or would he have to end his relationship with Meghan?
“This moment was either the start of my life or the end,” he says. “It would all come down to the words I chose, how I delivered them and how granny heard them.”
With a dead bird in each hand, he chased after the Queen as she approached her vehicle, surrounded by hunting dogs.
“I needed to get to it without one more second of hesitation,” he writes.
“I saw her waiting for me to speak, and not waiting patiently.
“Her expression screamed: ‘Out with it.’”
Agonisingly long pause
He says: “Granny, you already know that I love Meg a lot, and I have decided that I’d like to ask her to marry me, and they’ve told me that… well…. I have to get your authorisation before asking for her hand.”
She replies: “You have to do that?”
“Yes,” he says. “That’s what your people have said and mine too.”
The Duke reveals her expression was impenetrable during an agonisingly long pause.
Eventually, she replies: “Well then I suppose I have to say yes.”
He finally realises that she has given him permission to marry and “splutters” thank you.
He was desperate to hug her, he says, but did not. Instead, he helped her into the vehicle and they made their way back to the rest of the family.
British Airways has debuted a new uniform for the first time in almost 20 years.
From Spring 2023, more than 30,000 members of the airline’s personnel will wear pieces from the collection designed by Ghanaian-British fashion designer Ozwald Boateng OBE.
In a release, the airline said that the collection features a tailored three-piece suit for men with regular and slim fit style trousers and dress, skirt and trouser options for women, as well as a modern jumpsuit, which is an airline first. The airline has also added a tunic and hijab option for female cabin crew.
Boateng spent time shadowing colleagues in their roles at the airline to create the collection. The airwave pattern, which features across the entire uniform collection including jackets, t-shirts, buttons and ties, was inspired by the movement of air over an aircraft wing, British Airways said.
The jacquard fabric across all of the tailored garments features a variation of the airline’s iconic speedmarque, the airline added.
Over the last six months, the airline has been putting the uniform to the test in secret trials to ensure that each is fit for the purpose, the airline said.
Boateng, who has been developing the collection since 2018, said “Designing this uniform was a vast and painstaking undertaking and it went far beyond clothes. It was about creating an energetic shift internally.
“One of my main objectives was to create something that spoke to, and for, the airline’s colleagues. Something that inspired and empowered them, encouraged them to conduct their roles with pride and most importantly to ensure that they felt seen and heard.
“Although the airline has a strong heritage, it was imperative to support in creating a fresh narrative of change and transcendence, while remaining timeliness.”
Boateng was born on February 28, 1967. The fashion designer has acquired the likes and admiration of many for his signature twist on classic tailoring and bespoke style.
Boateng was born in North London’s Muswell Hill after his parents emigrated from Ghana in the 1950s. He draws inspiration from the immaculate suits that his father wore when he was young.
Since childhood, his love for fashion has been quite apparent from the fact that he was only fourteen when he found himself a summer job sewing linings into suits.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) of Nigeria has issued a warning that the general elections may be postponed if nothing is done to reduce insecurity in the nation.
The elections are due to be held on 25 February.
Inec chairman Mahmood Yakubu said the commission was ensuring that election personnel, materials and process have the highest level of protection especially “given the current insecurity challenges in various parts the country“.
He said if it was was not dealt with decisively, the insecurity “could ultimately culminate in the cancellation or postponement of elections in sufficient constituencies to hinder declaration of elections results and precipitate constitutional crisis”.
“This must not be allowed to happen and shall not be allowed to happen,” Mr Yakubu said.
He called for strengthening of security outfits to ensure the polls are held successfully across the country.
Local media have flagged 15 states likely to experience poll-related violence in the run-up to, during and after the elections.
The creation of infrastructure for satellite and rocket launches in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti has been approved in a preliminary agreement between the Djiboutian government and Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group.
Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh presided over the signing of the accord, the website of state-owned Djibouti news agency ADI reported.
The project, which will cost around $1bn (£822m) and take five years to complete, will also involve the construction of a port and highway in the northern Obock Region.
Je suis fier d’annoncer un accord préalable de partenariat technologique avec Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group pour la conception et l'exploitation de plateformes de lancement de satellites et de fusées à Djibouti. Ce projet coûtera un milliard de dollars et durera cinq ans. pic.twitter.com/bhqzRn5vhg
Kenya Airways claims that delays in receiving parts for aircraft maintenance are causing flight cancellations.
The airline’s chief executive Allan Kilavuka said the airline had found it difficult to get components required for some of its aircraft undergoing maintenance.
He said the airline could be forced to cut some flights should the challenges persist.
He blamed the Russia-Ukraine war for the problem, which he said had crippled the supply chain of Russian raw materials crucial in the aviation industry.
“The challenges have been occasioned by the Ukraine war crisis which has significantly crippled the Russian supply chain crucial to global aviation,” he said.
“For example, 100% titanium used on Embraer and 35% titanium used on Boeing are sourced from Russia. With a limited inventory, airlines have had to look worldwide to find the parts they need.”
STATEMENT ON SERVICE DISRUPTION We wish to inform our customers that we are experiencing some flight disruptions. These are as a result of delays in getting our aircraft, which are undergoing scheduled maintenance, back into operations due to global challenges with… pic.twitter.com/N2SSLnN9PY
Thousands of Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed the Brazilian Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential palace just one week after Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in as president.
The president said security forces in the capital, Brasília didn’t do enough to stop them. We’ve looked into the key moments and how the police responded.
The march towards Congress
Since the narrow election win in October by the left-wing president, better known as Lula, supporters of his right-wing rival had been setting up camps in front of military barracks in many cities around the country.
His most ardent supporters have been calling for the army to intervene and overturn the election result.
Then over the weekend, thousands of people gathered outside the army barracks in Brasília, many of them brought in by bus.
President Lula called on local security forces to remove these protesters, but police had opted to not use force.
On Sunday afternoon, the protesters set off on a march towards the complex of government buildings. Video footage shows the march peacefully under way, with military police escorting them along the 7km (four mile) route.
We have asked the police authorities in Brasília whether the protesters had been granted official permission to march along this route ahead of time. We haven’t yet received a response.
Breaking through barriers
The protesters arrived at barriers blocking access to the complex of government buildings known as “Praça dos Três Poderes” (Three Powers Square).
One of the policemen can be seen pulling out what appears to be pepper spray or tear gas, aiming it at the protesters, who quickly force their way through.
We have asked the police why they hadn’t organised stronger barriers and mobilised more officers to control the situation once the protesters approached the government square.
Entering the buildings
Once the barriers had been breached, crowds flooded onto ramps which led to the Congress building and the presidential palace.
Police have been criticised for being too hands-off with the protesters as they streamed in.
Another video shows a policeman being pulled from his horse by protesters as they approach the Congress building and thrown to the ground.
The National Congress and the presidential palace were breached just before 15:00 local time.
Videos show protesters using security barricades to smash through several large windows before entering, spreading throughout both buildings and onto the roof of Congress.
The BBC has also verified this video which shows police standing by as protesters walk up a staircase into the Congress building through the lower floor entrance.
Police holding riot shields are standing on the right of the stairs, but they aren’t protecting the main entrance and appear to be guarding a side corridor instead.
One policeman waves the protesters through and gives them a thumbs up. As the crowd move forward into the building, some of them applaud the security personnel.
From the police uniforms seen in the video it looks like they are part of the Policia Legislativa, the Federal police group that works inside Congress.
Shortly afterwards, a group also smashed windows of the Supreme Court and entered the building.Media caption,
WATCH: Brazilian ex-president Bolsonaro’s supporters smash Supreme Court windows
Destroying property
Images show that once inside the buildings, protesters destroyed furniture, equipment and works of art.
Social media posts from the afternoon of 8 January clearly show scores of protestors both outside in the plaza and milling around inside buildings, in some cases with no police or security forces visible.
Videos circulating online showed protesters trashing offices, smashing windows and doors, flipping furniture, and tossing computers and printers to the ground. Media caption,
Watch: Key moments as Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazil government buildings
Dispersing the crowds
The governor of Brasília, Ibaneis Rocha, eventually requested support from the national government – although it’s not clear when exactly this was made.
President Lula announced soon afterwards that he had authorised national forces to intervene in Brasília.
Even with the involvement of additional forces, it took many more hours to bring the situation under control. The Supreme Court was the first to be cleared. Then, as more forces arrived, other buildings were also gradually emptied.
Source: BBC
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
Japan and South Korea no longer receive short-term visas from China in response for Covid travel restrictions on Chinese citizens.
Visas for South Koreans entering China as tourists have been suspended, Beijing’s embassy in Seoul said.
Japanese media reported China was imposing similar measures there.
It’s a tit-for-tat move which Beijing says will remain in place until “discriminatory” entry restrictions against China are lifted.
Last week, South Korea stopped issuing tourist visas for those coming from China, which the Chinese foreign ministry called “unacceptable” and “unscientific”.
Reacting to China’s latest move, South Korea’s foreign ministry told the BBC that its policy towards arrivals from China was “in accordance with scientific and objective evidence”.
Japan meanwhile is currently allowing Chinese visitors into the country, provided they test negative for Covid.
According to South Korea’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency, around a third of all arrivals from China tested positive for Covid prior to the visa restrictions being put in place.
The curbs are supposed to last at least until the end of the month, which would give scientists time to analyse for any potential new variants coming from China.
“There’s no transparency at the moment in China about any monitoring for new variants. If a new variant comes from China, it would be a very difficult situation for the whole world,” Professor Kim Woo Joo, an infectious diseases expert at Korea University and a government adviser, told the BBC.
“It would also be a disaster for the Korean healthcare system. We currently have a lot of hospitalisations and deaths already and our elderly people are also under-vaccinated. This is what we are worried about.”
At the moment, only a small number of business or diplomatic travellers from China are being allowed into South Korea. They must test negative before departure and also on arrival.
One Chinese man who tested positive escaped from a bus taking him to a quarantine hotel near the airport. Two days later he was caught by police in a hotel in Seoul.
At Seoul’s Incheon International airport, the only South Korean airport still allowing flights from China, arrivals are met by military personnel in personal protective equipment.
The BBC managed to speak to some of them as they were escorted to the airport testing centre.
“Personally, I think it’s okay. I have been through much worse during this pandemic,” said William, a businessman from Shanghai. “As a traveller I just try to comply with the policies are much as possible.”
But another passenger disagreed.
“In my mind it’s not scientific at all,” says Emily, who arrived from Hong Kong. She, like those coming from mainland China, was required to test.
“I feel like it’s a little bit unfair on this side. They must feel really unsafe, I suppose.”
Many South Koreans support the idea of protecting their country from the China’s coronavirus surge, but not all are convinced that the decision to limit travel is a purely medical one.
“There is a political element to it and the relationship between the two countries isn’t a good one. A lot of Korean people hold a lot of animosity blaming China for the coronavirus,” said Jinsun, who was heading to Abu Dhabi.
Another woman going on her honeymoon to Paris said South Korea might not have implemented such rules if the country concerned wasn’t China.
“But then again, whatever we did, China would have a problem with it,” she said.
In a furious reaction to Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters storming Congress, tens of thousands of Brazilians participated in pro-democracy protests.
In the country’s largest city of São Paulo, crowds chanted that Mr Bolsonaro must go to prison.
About 1,500 people have been held over Sunday’s riots in the capital Brasília.
They came a week after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in after October’s election that divided Brazil.
On Monday evening, the 77-year-old new leader – widely known as Lula – visited the damaged buildings of Congress, the presidential palace and Supreme Court together with the country’s governors, condemning the “terrorist acts” and vowing to punish the perpetrators.
Mr Bolsonaro, 67, has not admitted defeat in the tightly-fought election, and flew to the US before the handover on 1 January. On Monday, he was admitted to hospital in Florida with abdominal pain.
Image caption, Marina Rodrigues Carmona fears that similar rioting could happen again
On Monday, street rallies were held in a number of cities and towns.
The turnout at São Paulo’s demonstration was impressive, the BBC’s Katy Watson reports from the city. A part of Paulista Avenue, Brazil’s most famous street, was blocked off as crowds filled the area, singing, dancing and chanting for justice.
Many came dressed in red, the colours of Lula’s Workers’ Party; others waved placards saying “No amnesty for the coup mongers” and called for those responsible to be punished. There were also chants of “Prison for Bolsonaro”.
“I don’t agree with what happened in Brasília – it was a nightmare. I don’t agree with those who believe that with democracy you can use your power to destroy democracy,” Gabriel, who only gave his first name, told the BBC.
“I want to show to the world and our country that even though there are thousands of people who believe the elections weren’t valid, here in Brazil, we have a gigantic number of people who believe we can trust our government, we can trust in our democracy,” he said.
Image caption, A pro-democracy march in Porto Alegre in southern Brazil, around 1,200 miles (1931km) from the capital Brasilia, where the riots happened
Marina Rodrigues Carmona, another demonstrator, told the BBC: “Polarisation is a big problem – everyone has their own ideas, and I don’t think there’s much dialogue between the two sides.”
There was, however, a huge police presence. At times, the atmosphere has felt tense. People are still processing what happened in Brasilia and nerves haven’t yet calmed for many, our correspondent says.
Sunday’s dramatic scenes in Brasília saw thousands of protesters clad in yellow Brazil football shirts and flags overrun police and ransack the heart of the Brazilian state.
Lula was forced to declare emergency powers.
On Monday morning, heavily armed officers started dismantling a camp of Mr Bolsonaro’s supporters in Brasília – one of a number that have been set up outside army barracks around the country since the tightly-fought presidential election.
Watch: Ros Atkins on… Why the Brazil riots happened
Authorities arrested 1,200 people on Monday – in addition to 300 detained a day earlier.
Mr Bolsonaro condemned the attack and denied responsibility for encouraging the rioters in a post on Twitter some six hours after violence broke out.
Meanwhile, Brasília Governor Ibaneis Rocha has been removed from his post for 90 days by the Supreme Court.
Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes accused him of failing to prevent the riot and of being “painfully silent” in the face of the attack.
Video shared by the Brazilian outlet O Globo showed some officers laughing and taking photos together as demonstrators occupied the congressional campus in the background.
Bolsonaro supporters created camps in cities across Brazil, some of them outside the military barracks. That is because his most ardent supporters want the military to intervene and make good elections that they say were stolen.
Some protesters are not just angry that Mr Bolsonaro lost the election – they want President Lula to return to prison.
Lula spent 18 months in jail after being found guilty of corruption in 2017. His convictions were later annulled, after initially being sentenced to more than nine years.
Heads of state around the world have also denounced the violence.
Late on Monday, President Joe Biden “conveyed the unwavering support of the United States for Brazil’s democracy” during a phone call with Lula, the White House said in a statement.
Comparisons have been drawn with the storming of the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 by supporters of Donald Trump, an ally of Mr Bolsonaro.
American rapper, Meek Mill, has apologized after causing controversy in Ghana with a music video that was shot in Jubilee House, the nation’s presidential palace.
Local media had reported that people were enraged over what they viewed as the “desecration”
of the presidency by Meek Mill and the security issues regarding the filming of a music video in such a high-profile building.
The video was reportedly first posted on Meek Mill’s Instagram account on Sunday according to the news site GhanaWeb
On Monday, the rapper tweeted an apology to Ghanaians and the presidency.
He said: “My apologies to the people if any disrespect… My apologies to the office also.”
“We still gonna push to make the connection between black people in America and Africa… what I’m trying to do is more than a video and you should see coming soon!”
As soon as Prince Harry’s memoir was on sale, bookstores all around London opened at midnight to fulfill the demand.
Fans queuing to buy a hardback copy described wanting to hear the story “from the horse’s mouth”.
It follows the chaotic launch of Spare with multiple leaks and copies being made available in Spain last week.
Waterstones says Prince Harry’s book has been one of its “biggest pre-order titles for a decade”.
The booksellers opened their flagship Piccadilly branch early on Tuesday in expectation of high customer demand, as the book was published around the world in 16 languages.
Branches of WH Smith in locations including Euston, Victoria, Heathrow and Gatwick were also among those to extend their hours for the release.
The memoir is already top of the best sellers in the UK for online retailer Amazon, after days of headline-grabbing revelations from leaks – ranging from how Prince Harry lost his virginity to claims that Prince Harry was attacked by his brother, Prince William.
The 410-page memoir, revealing the conflict and personal tensions inside royal palaces, shows Prince Harry’s version of growing up and then falling out with the Royal Family.
So far Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have not responded.
But the claims in the book include that Prince Harry begged his father not re-marry, that he killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving in Afghanistan, that he took psychedelic drugs, partly in response to panic attacks, and that Meghan and Catherine had a difficult relationship.
Image caption, The book paints a picture of the brothers, “Harold” and “Willy” being in conflict
A major theme in the book is the sense of unresolved grief for the loss of his mother, Princess Diana, with Prince Harry saying he had a “post-traumatic stress injury”.
The press are held responsible for pursuing Diana and Prince Harry said in one of several interviews promoting the book that it would be his “life’s work” to change the media landscape.
There are also unexpected details such as Prince Harry and Prince William calling each other “Harold” and “Willy”, that Harry used to get his clothes at discount outlet TK Maxx and watched a lot of Friends on television.
Prince Harry recalls he first found out from the BBC website that the late Queen Elizabeth had died, rather than from his family.
There are also references to King Charles’ teddy bear – which his father took to Gordonstoun, the school where he was bullied as a child – described by Harry as a pitiful object that expressed “the essential loneliness of his childhood”.
Members of the Royal Family have been omitted from the acknowledgements section of the book. Instead, the duke gives special thanks to friends in the UK “who stuck by” him “amongst the fog”, adding: “Next round’s on me.”
Harry also says his therapist helped him “unravel years of unresolved trauma”.
The revelations about tensions with the Royal Family, including Camilla, the Queen Consort, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, have provoked much controversy.
But Prince Harry said the divide between him and his family “couldn’t [have been] greater before this book” when asked if its publication would help with, or hinder, the chance of reconciliation.
“There are things that will still anger me, but I’m not angry any more, because I am exactly where I am supposed to be,” he told Good Morning America.
The National Coronavirus Command Council will meet on Tuesday to discuss a new variation that has been found in the nation this week, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa.
The new Covid sub-variant, known as XBB.1.5, has also been recorded in the US and UK.
It is an offshoot of the globally-dominant Omicron Covid variant and is highly transmissible.
President Ramaphosa confirmed Tuesday’s meeting to local journalists and urged South Africans not to panic.
“We are agile enough to want to have that meeting tomorrow, and thereafter there will be information that will be shared with the rest of the country,” he told Eyewitness News
on Monday.
““Some people have said ‘are we going to have restrictions, the lockdown and all that?’ — far from that. We just need to be informed about what’s happening with this variant,” he added, according to Business Day
news site.
South Africa recorded over three million Covid-19 infections at the height of the pandemic – the highest number of confirmed cases by any African country.
President Joe Biden’s former office at a think tank had records that, according to the White House, the US justice department is investigating as potentially classified.
About 10 of the files were discovered in a locked closet at the Penn Biden Center in Washington in November by Mr Biden’s legal team, said his lawyer.
The batch has been handed over to the National Archives.
Mr Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, is facing a probe for taking classified files to Florida after his presidency.
According to the BBC’s US partner CBS News, the FBI is involved in the inquiry into classified documents found at the Penn Biden Center, and US Attorney General Merrick Garland has been asked to review the papers.
A source familiar with the matter told CBS News the batch did not contain nuclear secrets and had been contained in a folder in a box with other unclassified papers.
Richard Sauber, special counsel to President Biden, said in a statement to CBS on Monday that the files were discovered just before the midterm elections by Biden attorneys who were clearing out the office space.
Mr Biden kept an office at the think tank, which is about a mile from the White House, from 2017 to 2020.
Mr Sauber said: “Since that discovery [of the documents], the president’s personal attorneys have co-operated with the [National] Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in the possession of the Archives.”
Mr Trump reacted on Monday on his social media site, Truth Social, asking: “When is the FBI going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?”
Mr Trump is under investigation for allegedly resisting requests to give back about 300 classified documents that he took to his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, after leaving office. The National Archives tipped off the authorities in that case.
The Biden files were discovered shortly before the justice department announced it would appoint an independent lawyer to decide whether to criminally charge Mr Trump over the files found at his golf club.Media caption,
Watch: Trump supporters upset with FBI search
Congressman James Comer, the new Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said on Monday that the handling of the Biden papers raised questions about the justice department’s neutrality.
He told reporters: “This is further concern that there’s a two-tier justice system within the DoJ [justice department] with how they treat Republicans versus Democrats, certainly how they treat the former president versus the current president.”
Neither the Penn Biden Center nor National Archives immediately commented.
In September, President Biden appeared on CBS and was asked for his reaction to a photo showing the documents recovered at Mar-a-Lago.
“How anyone could be that irresponsible?” the president said.
The Algerian government has been urged by Amnesty International to commute the death sentences of scores of prisoners who were wrongfully accused of causing forest fires.
Amnesty said five of the 54 people who were convicted last November received their sentences in absentia, and included a woman.
A further 28 people were sentenced to between two and 10 years, while another 17 were acquitted over the lynching of Djamel Ben Ismail, who had gone to help fight the fires.
Locals falsely accused Ismail of starting fires himself and attacked him, torturing and burning him before taking his body to the village square.
On Monday, Amnesty said the cases were “marred by fair trial violations and torture claims” and least six people “were prosecuted due to their political affiliations”.
“By resorting to the death penalty in mass proceedings following unfair trials, the Algerian authorities not only reveal their utter disregard for human life, but also send a chilling message about how justice is delivered,” said Amnesty’s regional head, Amna Guellali.
She urged the authorities to urgently overturn “these callous death sentences and convictions”.
The defendants are appealing against their convictions but the date of their appeal has yet to be fixed, the AFP news agency has quoted their lawyer as saying.
When your husband is harsh, thoughtless or downright mean, of course you want him to stop. If you’re anything like I was, you want him to feel embarrassed or ashamed so he won’t do that again!
And since he promised to love you in front of God and everybody, it stands to reason that letting him know how much he hurt you should be very persuasive in getting him to be gentler, kinder and more thoughtful.
But if you’ve ever had the experience of your husband looking through you or not even listening when you’re telling him how hurt you are or just telling you to stop being upset, it’s so frustrating! You can end up feeling even more hurt than you were to begin with.
1. What I Think I Want When I’m Hurt
When I’m hurt, sometimes it shows up as anger, which feels safer than hurt.
And when I’m angry at someone, I want them to suffer. I’m not proud of that, but as a mere mortal woman, I notice an enormous temptation to punish the person who hurt me. The illusion is that I’m justified and will feel better when they’re paying the consequences then they’ll then see that they need to apologize to me, which feels entirely necessary for the world to be put right again.
But in reality, I can’t make anyone else suffer, much less apologize. I’ve tried many times and it just didn’t work!
And since them suffering, paying consequences and apologizing to me are not even on my paper, the whole idea that I need those things is a counterfeit.
2. What I Really Want when I’m Hurt
On my paper, when I’ve just been hurt, I like to acknowledge that to myself and to anyone who’s listening. So when I’m on my game, I show up for myself the way a mother tends to a child with a skinned knee.
And strangely enough, just acknowledging my hurt to myself and whoever’s listening goes a long way toward dissolving the illusion that someone else has to suffer or take the blame so I can feel better. I already feel better just staying with myself in a hurtful moment instead of rushing into battle with the perceived enemy and abandoning myself.
But what about teaching someone else how to treat you?
3. How to Get Your Husband to Be Your Protector
If you’re wondering what words to use to get your man to understand how hurt you are so he’ll become your protector instead of your antagonizer, here’s a secret that’s very effective.
The definition of a secret is that most people don’t know it. And most people definitely don’t know what I’m about to share with you about how to tell someone they hurt you and get the kind of response you really want.
By far the most effective way to say it and even inspire him to apologize to you for what he just said is to use a four-letter word.
Wait, not THAT kind of four-letter word! Of course it can be very tempting to curse when you’re hurt, to cover it with anger, to race to blame someone else. But no, the word I’m thinking of is not only very effective, it’s also appropriate in polite company, even if it doesn’t feel easy to say.
4. The Best Four-Letter Word to Use when You’re Hurt
The word to use when you’re hurt is “Ouch!”
I was once talking to a friend who accused me of being greedy, so I said, “Ouch!”
He responded, “Why are you calling me a jerk?” which caught me by surprise.
I said, “I didn’t. I just said, ‘Ouch!’”
And he said, “I don’t see anyone else around here, so you’re saying I hurt you.”
And I was able to say, “I just said ‘Ouch!’”
I felt so clean in that interaction because I stayed on my paper and didn’t blame him for what I was experiencing. So it was a nice bonus when he pretty quickly apologized to me for calling me greedy.
5. How to RSVP “Not Attending” when You’re Invited to an Argument
So let’s say your husband asks why the house is still a mess even though you were home all day. Instead of defending yourself by listing everything you’ve done or asking him when the last time he lifted a finger to help you was, you could just say “Ouch!”
It’s also a great way to RSVP “Not attending” to that argument.
But what if the fight is already off to a roaring start and he calls YOU a four-letter word that’s NOT so appropriate in polite company?
You could also call him horrible names, but the best, most dignified comeback I know of is “Ouch!”
There’s just one big problem. Saying “Ouch!” can make you feel really, really awkward. So awkward that you’d rather defend yourself or tell him what a jerk he’s being. That’s because saying “Ouch!” is vulnerable. Now you’re completely undefended in front of the enemy, also known as the man you married.
6. Remind Your Husband to Be His Best Self
Being that vulnerable takes courage, but it also has magical powers because when you say “Ouch!” to your husband, you’re invoking a sacred trust. You’re actually demonstrating that you trust him to be tender with you even though he’s just been rough with you. It’s like you’re speaking into him that you know him to be thoughtful. You know him to be gentle. It’s like saying “Remember who you are!”
You might be thinking, “But thoughtful and gentle are NOT who my husband is. Therefore, ‘Ouch!’ is not going to work for me.”
But I’ve noticed that my expectations of my husband have a big influence on my experience with him.
My husband doesn’t want to let me down by proving me wrong when I’m expecting the best from him. Putting down my sword and showing my vulnerability by saying “Ouch!” show in a powerful way that I expect the best.
It reminds me of wedding vows I heard about where the couple promised, not that they’d never hurt each other, but that they’d never intentionally hurt each other.
That doesn’t mean “Ouch!” is my go-to phrase in every hurtful situation. It’s a great response when you’re hearing hurtful words, but what about a situation where you’re hurt about something he’s NOT doing?
7. What if It Wasn’t Just His Words that Hurt You?
Like, let’s say he completely forgets your anniversary or birthday and you don’t get to feel special. Or he doesn’t come home from work when he said he would and you’re overwhelmed putting the kids to bed by yourself. Or he isn’t being faithful like he promised he would when you got married and you’re left brokenhearted.
How do you let him know that he has hurt you in those painful situations that don’t boil down to a single moment in a conversation? What if there’s nowhere to insert an “Ouch!”
You may be tempted just to tell him straight out, “You hurt me!” And that’s always an option, to try to make him be accountable by blaming him.
But if what you want when you’re feeling injured is tender love and care, one powerful way to have that, in my experience, is to start by giving it to yourself. And I don’t mean just sucking up the miserable treatment, getting over it and resigning yourself to having more of the same in the future. No. I mean really being there for yourself, figuring out how to soothe and comfort yourself, no matter the circumstances.
I still get hurt, and I still say “Ouch!” if it happens during a conversation. But I’ve gotten to where I’m no longer interested in telling anyone they’ve hurt me. That’s because staying on my own paper when I’m hurt and giving myself comfort and grace instead of rushing to confront or blame has given me greater confidence and assurance than those imaginary apologies ever could.
Taking the vulnerable approach of saying “Ouch!” when I’m hurt has given me more inner strength.
If you decide to experiment with this secret to having your husband become your protector, you might just surprise him—and yourself—in the best possible way.
By Laura Doyle
Hi! I’m Laura.
New York Times Bestselling Author
I was the perfect wife–until I actually got married. When I tried to tell my husband how to be more romantic, more ambitious, and tidier, he avoided me. I dragged him to marriage counseling and nearly divorced him. I then started talking to women who had what I wanted in their marriages and that’s when I got my miracle. The man who wooed me returned.
I wrote a few books about what I learned and accidentally started a worldwide movement of women who practice The Six Intimacy Skills™ that lead to having amazing, vibrant relationships. The thing I’m most proud of is my playful, passionate relationship with my hilarious husband John–who has been dressing himself since before I was born.
Potential flagbearer candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has questioned the skill of his competitors in the forthcoming party election.
In a video shared by Oman Media and sighted by GhanaWeb, the presidential hopeful speaking to some delegates of the party noted that while he has created jobs to employ thousands, same cannot be said for his competitors.
“… someone who can create businesses for everyone to get employment. For all those coming to compete, I urge you to inquire from them that you want to be president but how many jobs have you created thus far to employ our children?
At least I have 7,158 people I have employed as workers. All the candidates coming, ask who amongst them has employed at least 300 workers,” he stated.
According to the businessman, he shares in the struggles of the electorates amidst the current economic hardship.
“ If you know the thinking people do, like this Christmas period having to pay my workers and the attached bonus. There is hardship in the country and money is hard to come by but I had to pay bonuses because the hardship is being felt in their homes and you can’t decide not to pay bonuses. I did not receive pay, I had to sacrifice my salary to make sure that my workers are happy.
“So I do know how you are suffering. My mother sitting here is old and does not have the strength to work but if her son is employed she can say that she didn’t join NPP in vain. But sitting there now nothing shows her party is in power because when her son is seeking for police, immigration, fire service or prisons service recruitment he won’t get,” he added.
The ruling NPP will later this year elect a flagbearer in the hopes of securing a victory in the 2024 presidential election.
Ahead of the election, the likes of Kennedy Agyapong who is currently the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, the outgoing Minister for Trade and Industry Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia have emerged as the frontrunners.
While Vice President Bawumia and Mr Kyerematen have received endorsements from several figures within the current government and the ruling party, Kennedy Agyapong has noted that such endorsements are motivated by individual interests.
“These same people are coming to you asking that you vote for them. The MPs and ministers leading that and telling you whom to vote for are only seeking their self-interest. They behave and act as if they are the only ones created by God to enjoy. So they are coming to tell you whom to vote for amidst coercion but I am telling you bluntly that it should not today that you are going to allow someone to coerce you to vote for someone. They saw you suffer and it will not be today that they are going to tell you whom to vote for,” he stated.
Pastor Mensa Otabil has expressed his fury over how some men of God are destroying the Christian faith by conjuring man-made prophecies.
The General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church in his sermon on Sunday, January 8, 2023, noted that some Christians have lost their faith in God as a result of pastors who act contrary to what they preach.
“Many Christians are being destroyed because we see too much lawlessness in the church. Prophecies that are man-made,” the preacher man said.
He added, “lawless behaviour and sometimes people go to church and they know that the man of God they go to hear does not leave to expectation, he is dishonest, deceptive.”
According to him, some Christian leaders hide behind the popular quote ‘touch not my anointed’ to commit so many abominable acts like going to bed with their church members.
“Sometimes they [the members] know that the man of God is sleeping with the girls in the church but they say touch, not the anointed,” Mensah Otabil said.
“People go to church but they don’t love God any longer. They’ve become sceptics. When a sermon is preached they would say forget about it. They hear the bible being thought, they say they’re all the same, close it and sleep,” Pastor Otabil stressed.
In the case where Evans Oppong Kyekyeku is being held for allegedly using his daughter for money rituals, police prosecutors are still awaiting the Attorney General’s Office’s guidance on the next steps.
The Businessman was arrested last year in June after he was exposed by the said spiritualist whom he had sent his 11-year-old daughter to be used for the sacrifice.
He is on a provisional charge of Preparation to commit a crime to wit; Murder and his plea has been preserved.
Evans Kyekyeku Oppong, has been granted bail by the High Court in Accra in the sum of GHc500k with two sureties.
In addition to the bail sum, he was to produce two sureties both of whom are to be justified, conditions he has since met.
Oppong, a machine operator, 47, was arrested on June 3 after he was exposed by the spiritualist whom he had visited to kill his 11-year-olf daughter.
The duplicate case docket has since last year been forwarded to the AG’s office while the prosecutors await for it’s advice.
EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, reports that the accused who has ever been present since granted bail on August 10, last year, is expected back in Court on Tuesday, January 10, 2023.
Brief facts
The brief facts of the case presented to the court by Chief Inspector Amoah were that, the Suspect Evans Kyekyeku Oppong aged 47 years is the father of the victim (name withheld)aged 11 years.
He said, the suspect has been living in Holland for many years but relocated to Ghana a year ago (2021).
The prosecutor told the court that, in May 2022, the suspect discussed with a friend known as Kwame that he was facing financial difficulties.
Chief Inspector Amoah further told the court that, the friend suggested that the suspect will need a spiritual cleansing to turn things around for him.
He added that the friend later introduced the suspect to one Nana Fosu alias Nana K.K to assist him to see a Spiritualist for help.
He said on May 29, Nana Fosu took the suspect to Nana Adu-Boafo Jnr who is a Spiritualist and a Herbal Practitioner at Oyibi Kon for money rituals.
Chief Inspector Amoah said, Nana Adu-Boafo Jnr agreed to do the money rituals for the suspect and directed him to buy a live python from someone in Kasoa to be used for the money rituals.
“However, the suspect later informed the Spiritualist that he is afraid of snakes as such he will come to him for further discussions on what to do.
“The suspect later had discussions with the Spiritualist during which the suspect suggested human sacrifice for the money rituals.
“The Spiritualist feigned interest and told the suspect to furnish him with the date of births of his last two (2) children to enable him to determine which of them will be suitable for the sacrifice,” Chief Inspector Amoah told the court.
Call to Police
The prosecutor said, on May 31, the suspect rang the victim’s mother to confirm the day, the victim was born and told her that he will pick up the victim to be taken to a friend who had returned from abroad for measurement so that a dress will be sewn for her.
“The suspect furnished the Spiritualist with the date of birth as requested. The Spiritualist then alerted the Oyibi Police about the intended human sacrifice by the suspect and the Police urged him to play along with the suspect so he could be arrested when he produces the child at the Herbal Centre for the said sacrifice,” he told the court.
He added that the Spiritualist later informed the suspect that he had spiritually checked on the date of birth of the two children and that the victim will be suitable for the sacrifice.
He said the Spiritualist instructed the suspect to bring the victim to his Herbal Centre on June 3, 2022.
“In the morning of June 3, 2022, the suspect rang his elder brother to release his car to visit a Herbal Centre for treatment as a result of a car accident he had recently.
He said, that morning around 8.00 am, the elder brother released the vehicle to his son to go and pick up the suspect to the herbal Centre and on their way to said Herbal Centre, they picked up the victim at Amasaman.
Ghana must go bag
“At a spot at Oyibi suspect asked the driver to wait for him and he took over the car. The suspect later stopped and bought three “Ghana must go” bags and two bottles of schnapps.
“The suspect arrived at the Herbal Centre with the victim and she was instructed by the Spiritualist to sit in the Hall whilst the suspect was also instructed to change his clothing on the compound and was later given a white calico to tie around his waist.
“The suspect was then given a concoction to bath and in the course of that the Spiritualist called in the Oyibi Police who came and arrested him and rescued the victim. The investigation is ongoing,” the prosecutor told the court.
A 39-year-old first-time mother is appealing for support after she gave birth to a set of five babies (quintuplets), at the SAMJ Specialist Hospital in Haatso, a suburb of Accra.
Lydia Nyanful said in a video cited by GhanaWeb that the appeal is to help settle her hospital bills and to cater for her children.
”I want to appeal to people to help me settle my hospital bills … I had three boys and two girls. It took nine years before I took seed. The procedure was painful, but God favoured me,” she said in the video.
Father of the quintuplets is also quoted in a Class FM report making a similar appeal. He was full of praise and thanks to God for blessing them with babies after years of hoping but admitted that the looming financial burden was a reality they had to face.
“We have been waiting for our own fruit of the womb for the past 15 years, ever since we got married, and glory be to God, we have gotten what we could have used 7 years to get in a day. I want to thank God almighty. He is a faithful God.
“God has just been faithful, as we have concluded the first phase and the doctors have confirmed that the babies are kicking.”
He continued: “We are entering the second phase, and I know it is not going to be easy at all.”
He appealed for support from family, friends, and individuals to help them adequately cater for the kids in the face of the current economic challenges.
The babies, three (3) girls and two (2) boys, were welcomed on January 5, 2023, with the weights being 1.5 kg, 1.5 kg, 1.6 kg, 1.7 kg, and 1.8 kg.
They are currently in the Special Care Babies Unit of the Hospital and are in stable condition.
Spokeswoman of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Arimiyao Shaibu, has asserted that Christian clergy show the National Chief Imam significantly more respect and consideration than their Muslim counterparts do.
Discussing the recent incident of reported pronouncements about the Chief Imam by Pastor Owusu Bempah on the state-owned GTV, Sheikh Shaibu underlined how the Imam’s interfaith overtures has earned him that respect over the years.
“I would say without any fear of contradiction, the respect and the regard that Christian leaders give the Chief Imam, I don’t think we Muslims come close to that. I will say this without any fear of contradiction,” he said on January 5.
“In the presence of the Chief Imam, if you see the Christian clergy sitting down, they cringe,” he added before citing a recent visit of Christian Council as part of Christmas celebration when they brought with them a token gift.
“What they said about him is a clear expression of their respect. I have met no serious Christian clergyman who has not asked about him,” he added stating that most of them refer to him as a father, grandfather or the old man.
The National Chief Imam’s office recently cautioned against pronouncements Owusu Bempah made about him during his 31st December, 2022 watchnight service.
Owusu Bempah said among other things that people who chastise him for a 2019 prophecy about the Imam’s death do not know what happened between him and the Imam in his bedroom when they met.
He disclaimed a GhanaWeb report that suggested that he had said the Chief Imam contacted him to look into his destiny.
The 2019 prophecy led to an attack by some violent Muslim youth on Owusu Bempah’s church. The pastor subsequently visited the Imam to render an apology.
A tweet from Kwaku Sintim-Misa on January 7, 2023, described Ghana as a country that has been “reduced to a circus in a zoo”.
KSM, as the veteran standup comedian is affectionately called, had subtly taunted the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for boasting of the availability of ‘the men’ in the party and their ability to manage the economy better than the NDC while in opposition.
“We in the NPP have the men and the women that will give Ghanaians a decent standard of living,” Akufo-Addo’s tweet in 2015 read.
Having observed that the Akufo-Addo-led administration has failed woefully, KSM has not hidden his assessment of the party. Through his social media accounts, he has consistently criticized the NPP for mismanaging the economy and worsening the cost of living.
In his tweet that said Ghana has been reduced to ‘a circus in a zoo’, KSM made a mockery of the ‘we have the men’ mantra.
He said: “Asem o. I thought “You had the MEN” apparently you just have “THE MAN”.
Ghana had a torrid 2022 amid an economic crisis that forced the government to seek an International Monetary Fund facility at a time the cedi was rapidly depreciating, inflation was galloping and the government was faced with multiple downgrades by rating agencies.
The government has serially blamed the crisis partly on the aftershocks of the COVID pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
It has promised to turn around the economic fortunes of the country after sealing a Staff-Level agreement with the IMF with the hope that funds from the US$3 billion facility will be released early this year.
We in the NPP have the men and the women that will give Ghanaians a decent standard of living. #RiseAndBuildTour— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) September 4, 2015
Asem o. I thought “You had the MEN” apparently you just have “THE MAN”. GH now reduced to “A CIRCUS IN A ZOO” ????— Kwaku Sintim-Misa (@KSM_Kwaku_Misa) January 7, 2023
The former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen has expressed gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for accepting his resignation.
In a post on Facebook, Mr Kyerematen noted that he was thankful to have served under the government.
He added that he was also grateful for the support from his party members, friends and family.
“I would like to thank H.E the President for the opportunity to serve and for graciously accepting my resignation as Cabinet Minister responsible for Trade and Industry, effective 16th January 2023,” he wrote.
Mr Kyerematen added that “I sincerely appreciate the support from my family, colleagues, my party the NPP, the international community, and the general public during my tenure as a Minister.”
He noted that in the coming days, he will be addressing Ghanaians.
On Friday, it was reported that Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen had resigned from the government as the Trade and Industry Minister.
He tendered his resignation letter to President Nana Akufo-Addo on Thursday, Jan 5, 2023.
The man popularly called ‘Alan Cash’ has long been rumoured to be nursing the ambition to contest the flagbearership slot of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
His resignation is believed to buy him time to campaign to promote his presidential ambition.
President Akufo-Addo has since accepted the Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen’s resignation from office.
The President subsequently directed the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to act as caretaker minister until a substantive appointment is made.
A young mother-of-five has allegedly lost her life after she was beaten by her husband over a loaf of bread.
The deceased, identified as Ogochukwu Anene, from Umuokpu village in Awka, Anambra State, was married to one Mr Ndubisi Wilson Uwadiegwu from Enugu state and their union was blessed with four sons and a daughter.
However, the union was allegedly plagued by domestic violence.
On the fateful day Ogochukwu died, she reportedly asked her husband to buy bread for the family and he said he had no money.
She then used her money to buy bread for the family. Subsequently, Ndubuisi allegedly went into the kitchen and finished the whole bread.
When she confronted him for finishing the bread without keeping any for their children, he allegedly beat her up with his fists and a mirror.
She collapsed during the beating and died a few hours later.
Following her death, the husband has remained free and is allegedly planning to bury her without informing her people properly.
“Ogochukwu Anene was the senior prefect of Amenyi Girls’ Secondary School 2000 set. She was very intelligent.” a source said while lamenting her death.
Her death has sparked outrage and many who knew her have taken to Facebook to demand justice for the deceased.
Member of parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has lauded Speaker Alban Bagbin and referred to him as the Fourth Republic’s best head of the legislative branch.
In an interview with Oyerepa TV, the MP stressed that but for the leadership and fairness of Bagbin, Ghana would have experienced lots of chaos in the lawmaking chamber.
“Alban Bagbin is one of the perfect and excellent speakers that we have ever had because of the circumstances that he finds himself.
“Check from the first till seventh parliaments, every speaker has been elected from the government of the day and so their actions and inactions is always tilted towards the government of the day,” he added.
Assafuah said Bagbin opting to serve the interest of the nation above that of his party had positioned himself as a statesman.
“He is my speaker… probably even for the century because this particular speaker, I doubt we might have any other like him especially in a short while. He won against tight circumstances but since he won, he has shown that he is a statesman in these circumstances that we find ourselves, it is certainly God who gave us this NDC man.”
Bagbin became speaker on January 8 after a rancorous vote that saw the ruling New Patriotic Party’s nominee, Aaron Mike Oquaye losing out on a second term as speaker.
At the time of his election as speaker, Bagbin had left Parliament after close to 30 years as a lawmaker, during which time he served as Majority and Minority Leader at different times and later as a Minister of Health.
The Chief Imam Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu was mentioned by Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International during his 2022 December 31 watchnight service.
It was the second time the name of the Imam had been mentioned during a watchnight service.
Back in 2019, Owusu Bempah prophesied that Sheikh Sharubutu was going to die, which incident resulted in an attack on his church by some violent Muslim youth.
A reconciliation visit happened months later with the Imam publicly forgiving Owusu Bempah. Four years on, Owusu Bempah cited the Chief Imam again (not in a prophecy) but referencing the 2019 incident.
“Whatever I see today, I will proclaim. People refer to my prophecy about the Chief Imam, that I prophesied about him and he is still alive. Do you know what went on between the Chief Imam and I?
“When I was in his bedroom, do you know what went on? Please, if you don’t know; don’t talk against it. Those saying such are kids, they don’t know anything,” he told his congregation in the leadup to the release of his prophecies for 2023.
Witness account to what happened during Bempah’s visit
Speaking on the January 5, 2023 edition of the GTV Breakfast show, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, the spokesman of the Imam gave an account of what happened during Owusu Bempah’s visit.
As to whether the pastor accessed the Chief Imam’s bedroom as he claimed, the spokesperson said: “I don’t know whether he went inside the room,” stressing that he sat through the entire meeting but does not know if a one-on-one discussion took place at any point.
“Owusu Bempah arrived at Chief Imam’s house when Chief Imam had stepped out. He came under the leadership of the late Nuamah Donkor, his mentor under whose care he had lived since he came to Accra.
“I told Pastor Owusu Bempah when I looked at him in the hall, at the time Chief Imam hadn’t arrived, I told him ‘pastor, relax! In this room, nothing will happen to you’…I had to give him assurance … (that) once he is in the Chief Imam’s Hall, no one.
“Chief Imam arrived from his inner chamber and embraced Owusu Bempah and sat him next to him, close,” he added.
When it was time to meet the media, “he held Owusu Bempah’s hand like a small boy,” explaining that the gesture was to send a signal that when you touch him, you touch me.
After the media session, they entered another meeting, where Owusu Bempah didn’t want to talk because his mentor had spoken.
Sheikh Shaibu said it was when the Imam made a statement to the effect that “any incident of this nature has behind it the wisdom of God behind it,” that Owusu Bempah sought for a minute to say a word.
“He said he appreciates the depth of Chief Imam’s wisdom and that from that day he had taken the Chief Imam as his father and from time to time, he would be coming to him for advice, that is exactly what Owusu Bempah said,” the spokesman recounted.
He emphasized that “whether before or after, there had been any one-on-one,” he could not tell.
“Owusu Bempah can still make his prophecies without necessarily mentioning the Chief Imam and in doing so, anytime he does so, it triggers the anger of the generality of Muslims even though the Chief Imam will be forgiving,” he added.
He also cautioned the media against sensationalizing headlines with respect to the Imam’s name citing how some YouTube videos tend to abuse the use of especially his image on content that has nothing to do with him.
Chief Imam’s office cautions Owusu Bempah
The National Chief Imam’s office recently cautioned against pronouncements Owusu Bempah made about him during his 31st December, 2022 watchnight service.
He disclaimed a GhanaWeb report that suggested that he had said the Chief Imam contacted him to look into his destiny.
New analysis reveals Singapore as the country most interested in stocks and trading in the past year.
India and Canada are the second and third most stock-obsessed countries worldwide.
The study, carried out by UK financial services provider CMC Markets, examined Google Trends data of search terms frequently used by people interested in stocks and trading. These terms were then combined to give each English-speaking country a ‘total search score’ to discover which countries have been the most interested in stocks in the past 12 months.
The study revealed that Singapore ranks highest as the country most interested in stocks and trading. With a total search score of 555 out of a possible 700, Singapore topped the list for its population, having the highest search levels for the phrases ‘stocks’, ‘buy stocks’, and ‘interest rate’ worldwide. Additionally, the population of Singapore’s search for the ‘stock market’ is the third most worldwide, behind the United States and India.
India is second on the list, with a total search score of 492. India has the second-highest proportion of its population, searching for the phrases ‘stock market’ and ‘swing trading’, placing the country second in the ranking.
Canada ranks as the third country most interested in stocks worldwide. The North American country has the second-highest level of searches for the term ‘invest in stocks’, in addition to being the country searching for ‘buy stocks’ the third most worldwide, giving Canada a total search score of 462.
The United States places fourth overall. With a total search score of 453 out of a possible 700, the USA has the highest level of searches for both terms ‘invest in stocks’ and ‘stock market’, and the fourth-highest level of searches for the term ‘buy stocks’.
The United Arab Emirates ranks fifth, with a total search score of 374. The study revealed that the UAE has the fourth-highest search levels for the term ‘swing trading’ and is the fifth country most interested in ‘day trading’.
Australia is sixth on the list, with a total search score of 338. Australia has the sixth-highest proportion of its population searching for the phrase ‘invest in stocks’ and is interestingly the country most interested in ‘day trading’ worldwide, meaning that they may like to hold their stocks for the shortest period of time!
The top ten is rounded out by South Africa ranking in seventh place and New Zealand in eighth, followed by the United Kingdom and Nigeria in ninth and tenth place, respectively.
The high cost of remitting money has significantly impacted the amount of funds that Kenyan diaspora residents send back home.
Many have been forced to limit their financial support to immediate family only, and this trend is likely to continue until the cost of remitting money decreases.
The report emphasized the resilience and determination of economic migrants to financially support their loved ones, despite facing financial difficulties.
Kenyan diaspora residents have either reduced or cut the amounts of money they send back home due to the high cost of remitting funds, according to a report from WorldRemit, a global digital remittance company.
The report’s findings also highlight the importance of remittances for many families around the world, who rely on the support of friends and relatives abroad to make ends meet.
According to the report, many have been forced to limit their financial support to immediate family only, and this trend is likely to continue until the cost of remitting money decreases. The report noted that 82% of respondents agree that the cost of remitting money has increased significantly, leaving 45% to only send money to immediate family rather than to friends and distant relatives.
The report also noted that globally, one in nine people rely on money sent from friends and relatives who have migrated abroad for work. The study, which was conducted in October 2022 and surveyed 2,687 respondents, aimed to assess the impact of the increased cost of living on international money senders.
East Africa Regional Manager for WorldRemit Ivan Kanyali commented on the resilience and commitment of migrants to financially supporting loved ones overseas, despite the economic challenges they face.
He says, “The inventive solutions, such as side hustles, that we are seeing as a result of the current economic landscape point to the resilience of migrants and their commitment to financially supporting loved ones overseas.”
“These findings demonstrate the grit of economic migrants in adapting to wider financial stresses and the rising cost of living while still meeting the needs of their families at home and abroad,” he added.
In addition to the negative impact on Kenyan diaspora residents’ ability to support their loved ones, the high cost of remitting money has also led to a trend of taking on side hustles in order to support an increased cost of living.
This was reported by a significant percentage of respondents in the US, UK, and Australia, with 89% of those with a side hustle indicating that they would continue to maintain it in the coming year.
The report also found that many respondents were cutting back on discretionary spending to save money, with 26% reporting that they were curtailing entertainment expenses such as dining out or going to the cinema.
Jessie J has announced she is pregnant after suffering a miscarriage just over a year ago.
The 34-year-old singer urged fans to “please be gentle” with her after sharing the news, saying she was “happy and terrified”.
The Price Tag artist, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, posted a video on Instagram to reveal the happy news, which included photos of her positive pregnancy test and shots of her growing bump.
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“Honestly, ya girl just wants to ugly cry in public in a catsuit eating and chocolate covered pickle with no questions asked,” she wrote in the caption.
Several famous faces, including Stacey Solomon, who recently announced her own pregnancy news, Kelly Rowland, Ruby Rose and Paloma Faith, sent their congratulations to the singer.
“Oh Jessie I’m so happy for you. Love you,” wrote Solomon.
“You look completely radiant and full of joy. Many congratulations, my love,” added fellow British artist Ellie Goulding.
‘Heartbreaking but beautiful‘
Back in November 2021, Jessie J revealed she had experienced a miscarriage, and she opened up about her loss on an episode of the Diary of CEO podcast last year.
Hosted by Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett, she told him: “The day that I found out that the baby had died, I didn’t have anyone to just fall apart on and that’s what I needed, that’s what I wanted.”
Image: Pic: Instagram
She has shared words of supports for others who have suffered baby loss on multiple occasions.
Previously, she said that in a “heartbreaking but beautiful way” the experience had “put life into perspective” for her.
In the past, she has also opened up about her fertility struggles and revealed during a 2018 concert that doctors had told her at the age of 26 she might never be able to have children.
Followers share their encounters and inside info, DeuxMoi reposts their stories; only moderated to sometimes remove a name or identifying details, should the sender not want to disclose. These are known as “blinds” – leaving followers to do their own detective work.
Speaking to Sky News, the nameless woman behind the account insists her content is mainly innocuous and isn’t presented as fact or as if she is an authority, but “in reality, the audience is on the same journey I am to finding out the truth about a rumour. We’re all in it together”.
DeuxMoi says she makes it clear she is not a journalist, nor a Hollywood insider. “Curators of pop culture,” reads the bio. “Some statements made on this account have not been independently confirmed. This account does not claim information published is based in fact.”
But many of the followers are. From publicists, assistants and nannies to record label workers, TV runners, restaurant workers and even celebs themselves, many are willing to spill the tea. As a result, DeuxMoi has been first with some big celeb stories, such as Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles’ relationship, and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s break-up.
While some celebs understandably aren’t fans,there are others who can’t get enough. Kardashianherself has reportedly described it as “the Bible”, Cardi BandChrissy Teigen are among the account’s followers, and Drew Barrymore recently interviewed Deux on her podcast, Drew’s News.
There is now merchandise. A podcast. A recently released novel, Anon Pls – referencing the request by all titbit submitters to keep their names private. And in the works, according to reports, a HBO drama.
More than just gossip?
There is an obvious argument against unverified stories being shared publicly. DeuxMoi appears to have filled the hole left by many celeb gossip mags of the noughties as they toned down – but with a follower count of 1.7m and rising, there is clearly an appetite for it.
Most is low-stakes. The “blinds” are for the content that is less so. In an era in which the rich and famous have almost complete control over the content they put out on social media, the appeal seems to be that this is unfiltered. DeuxMoi says the account is not just about gossip. Growing during the pandemic, as people were stuck at home, it created connection, she says.
“Drew, she understood, like, the humanistic side to it,” she says, speaking about her interview with Barrymore and the A-lister’s love of the site (she is also among its followers).
“In quarantine, when everything was closed down, people were sending in stories from five years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, it was almost like a study in like human interaction. Like, how certain celebrities would interact with fans or how they would be at certain points in their career. I felt like Drew understood that aspect of the account and didn’t take it… as just a gossip account, because I do think it’s more than that.”
While there has been much speculation about her identity – with names reported in the US – DeuxMoi says who she is doesn’t matter. “I don’t think it’s an important factor. I’m not posting about myself.”
We know she lives in New York and she doesn’t use anything to alter her voice, she says, so apparently I’m hearing the real DeuxMoi. There are about 20 people in total, close friends and family members, who know her identity. At first, she was holding down a job and running DeuxMoi at the same time – living in constant “anxiety” for fear she might be unmasked. Now, DeuxMoi is the job.
And while she remains nameless, most celebrities are certainly aware of DeuxMoi. In an interview with Rolling Stone around the release of her fourth album in November 2021, Adele joked about the difficulties of dating. “You can’t set me up on a f****** blind date! I’m like, ‘How’s that going to work?’ There’ll be paparazzi outside and someone will call DeuxMoi, or whatever it’s f****** called! It ain’t happening.”
Rihanna headlining Glastonbury (rumours) and the next Bond…
Two rumours the account has posted about recently: Rihanna apparently headlining Glastonbury, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson being named as the next James Bond.
She addresses Rihanna first: “I want to go on record saying I don’t know how reliable that information is, but she has new music, she’s doing the Super Bowl. Her name has been thrown around for Coachella. Somebody wrote in and said she was close to confirming. But I’d like to say I don’t know how reliable that information is, so not to get everyone’s hopes up.”
British actor and Marvel star Aaron Taylor-Johnson she is more confident about. “Someone messaged me yesterday with some information that I can’t share because that would probably give them away. But he’s being heavily considered, if not already chosen.”
The Bond information “came from somebody I’ve been messaging with for years and they’ve given me information about stuff in the past”, she says. “The Glastonbury information came out of the blue from somebody I don’t really know.” This is how she differentiates “something from being reliable to not very reliable”, or not knowingly reliable.
Image: Aaron Taylor-Johnson: the next 007? Pic: AP/Lee Jin-man
Most recently, mentions of Styles and Wilde in her messages have been on the rise following their break-up. “People think they are fake broken-up,” she says. “So there’s interest in that.”
As the account has grown, she now has several people she considers trusted sources for information. “I won’t give a number but [I have] a handful of people I trust explicitly.”
With 1.7 million followers, there must be a sense of responsibility? She says there are certain issues, and celebrities, she won’t share information about. “I don’t like to post about somebody’s sexuality unless it’s been discussed publicly. And anything to do with anyone under the age of 18. Also… I really wouldn’t feel comfortable posting about things that have to do with rehab.”
Information that might have legal implications, she says she also passes on – but will sometimes give the information to journalists to investigate. And there are five individual celebrities you won’t see featured in DeuxMoi posts either, she says – two she says have made their feelings clear publicly, and three she has had private conversations with.
But there are celebrities and brands who want to be associated with DeuxMoi; the brand she has built has earned her invites to all sorts of exclusive events. She says she doesn’t accept. “I’ve been out in New York to restaurants that are celebrity-frequented that I post about all the time, I’ve sat very close to celebrities who I DM (direct message) with, and it did not make me feel good.”
The celebs on the DeuxMoi nice list
Image: Pic: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Following the release of Anon Pls, a novel based on the story of DeuxMoi – mixing stories of fictional celebrities with real ones – there is now the TV show to prepare for. “It’s being produced by Greg Berlanti,” [The Flight Attendant, Batwoman, Free Guy, Dawson’s Creek] she says. “They are securing writers right now and the person who was named to me, I can’t say who because it’s not 100% signed, sealed, delivered. But it’s exciting, so cool.”
DeuxMoi ends the interview on the question anyone who works in the entertainment industry always gets asked: which celebs are the good ones? Giving the caveat again that these are not based on her own experiences, but on positive intel, she reels off a list of names: “Drew Barrymore, Paris Hilton, Hugh Jackman, Mark Ruffalo, Julianne Moore… I don’t know if this one is going to be controversial, but Will Smith, he was always someone that, stories were submitted about him and he always [seemed] like really, really nice to people he’d meet.
“Tom Cruise, another one who conducts himself very professionally and in that same manner. Oh, and Harry Styles, obviously. Those are the ones I think stand out. Colin Farrell, he’s a name that always comes up. Oh and Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe. The Harry Potter kids, always nice. And the Jonas Brothers.”
But, she adds, you have to take into consideration “what type of environment… is it a red carpet event? Like, of course a celebrity’s going to be nice at a red carpet event!”
And DeuxMoi is diplomatic about the not-so-nice ones, choosing not to name names. “I haven’t had personal experiences with these people. Somebody could have caught them on a bad day, do you know what I mean? We’re all human, right?”
You’ll have to read the posts and decide for yourselves.
Kevin McCarthy has been chosen as Speaker of the House of Representatives after 15 votes, a midnight vote, and a close encounter in the revered halls of Congress.
Through a combination of cajoling, arm-twisting and finger-jabbing, the California congressman succeeded in convincing enough of the 20 holdout Republicans to support him – or at least not explicitly oppose his bid for the Speaker’s gavel.
Getting those recalcitrant Republicans on board, however, was not an easy job. Mr McCarthy has had to make promises, and key concessions, that limit his own power and increase the influence of conservatives in the House of Representatives.
Concession: A one-member election trigger
One of the key demands of the Republican holdouts was the ability for just one legislator to trigger a vote on whether to remove the Speaker from office. This “motion to vacate” could spawn another round of voting in the House, just like what we’ve seen this past week, serving as a proverbial sword dangling over his head for every minute he has the gavel.
Cost: The motion to vacate is a rule that has a long history in the Congress, but the number of people necessary to trigger it was raised to five in recent years to prevent a lone member of Congress from threatening the Speaker’s power. While the holdouts have promised not to abuse the privilege if it is restored, Mr McCarthy’s hold on power will be much more unstable with it in place.
Concession: No easy path to push through legislation
Students of US civics – and fans of the old children’s TV series Schoolhouse Rock! – may recall learning about how bills work their way through the House of Representatives. They’re introduced by a legislator, assigned to a committee for review and revision, brought to the floor of Congress and further amended, then given an up-or-down vote.
That is not how things work very often these days, as massive spending bills are negotiated behind closed doors and passed on short notice and with little debate. Mr McCarthy promised to make bill-passing more like the good old days, with members of Congress outside of the top leadership having more say over how bills are proposed, amended and passed.
Cost: The reason regular order has mostly ended is that legislating, particularly with modern partisan divisions, is hard. Crafting new bills is an arduous task and the process can easily be torpedoed by a handful of politicians with an agenda. While returning to the traditional rules of the game is a noble cause, it is going to be a hard promise for Mr McCarthy to keep.
Concession: Conservatives could be making the rules
As its name might suggest, the House Rules Committee essentially sets the rules of the game on the floor of the House. The committee determines when a bill will be voted on, how long it is debated for and how it can be altered by amendment on the floor – or whether it can be changed at all. Mr McCarthy has guaranteed to give the hard-core conservatives at least one seat on this powerful group.
Cost: A seat at the table gets you in the game. With more representation on the Rules Committee, conservatives will be able to shape the kind of legislation the House produces before it fully takes shape – and nip undesired proposals in the bud.Media caption,
Watch: The unusual moments from a chaotic week in Congress
Concession: Taking plum roles away from supporters
Several of the holdouts have had their eyes on the gavels in influential House committees. Andy Harris of Maryland, for instance, has expressed an interest in chairing the health subcommittee of the House Appropriations committee, which controls billions of dollars in government spending. Mr Harris switched his support to Mr McCarthy on Friday afternoon. Mr McCarthy has made no public promises, but legislators will be watching closely to see if any Republicans get rewarded for their intransigence.
Cost: Giving a committee chair to a holdout means taking it away from a loyal McCarthy supporter who should have been next in line based on seniority. Mr McCarthy may end up making some enemies within his own camp if he promises too much to his former opponents.
Concession: Spending restraints
A common complaint among hard-core conservatives has been that federal spending has surged to unsustainable levels. During the Speaker fight, they have asked Mr McCarthy to commit to tangible fiscal restraints, such as cutting spending to 2022 levels, requiring that any increase in the amount of debt the government issues be tied to corresponding budget cuts, and allowing individual lines of spending to be removed from larger legislation through votes on the House floor.
Cost: With majority control of the House, Republicans will be able to pass any budget levels they agree on. Mr McCarthy is committing himself to siding with budget hawks in these intra-party debates – which has already angered some conservatives who fear massive cuts to defence spending. Republicans in the House will eventually have to negotiate with Democrats in the Senate to pass spending legislation, however. Mr McCarthy’s commitments here could give him less room to work out the kind of compromises necessary to avoid a government shutdown later in the year.
Concession: Prioritise their issues
The issue of congressional term limits and border security have been frequent topics of conversation among the Republican holdouts. Mr McCarthy has reportedly promised to hold votes on both early in the year.
Cost: The House was certainly going to take up the immigration issue quickly no matter what the holdouts wanted, as tightening border security and immigration policy have been the centrepiece of the Republican agenda since the start of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2015. As for term limits, such a reform would probably require a constitutional amendment to enact. The Supreme Court has already ruled that state attempts to restrict the terms of members of Congress is unconstitutional.
Kevin McCarthy has been elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives after heated exchanges which almost saw fellow Republicans come to blows.
It took 15 rounds of voting for Mr McCarthy to win the job, despite his party having a majority in the chamber.
It came after a dramatic pressure campaign played out live on the House floor as party rebel Matt Gaetz was urged to vote for Mr McCarthy.
The Florida Congressman was among six holdouts who relented late on Friday.
Earlier, amid heated scenes in the chamber, Mr Gaetz had almost come to blows with Rep Mike Rogers – a supporter of Mr McCarthy. The Alabama congressman had to be physically restrained by colleagues as he bellowed and jabbed his finger at Mr Gaetz. Media caption,
Watch: The dramatic moment in Congress annotated
The Speaker sets the House agenda and oversees legislative business. The post is second in line to the presidency after the US vice-president.
Speaking after his confirmation, Mr McCarthy wrote on Twitter: “I hope one thing is clear after this week: I will never give up. And I will never give up for you, the American people.”
Mr McCarthy told reporters that former President Trump had helped him get the final votes: “I don’t think anybody should doubt his influence”.
“He was with me from the beginning… he would call me and he would call others,” he said.
US President Joe Biden congratulated Mr McCarthy for his win and said he looked forward to co-operating with the Republican Party.
“The American people expect their leaders to govern in a way that puts their needs above all else, and that is what we need to do now,” he said.
Republicans have already pledged to launch investigations into Mr Biden’s family business dealings and administration.
In a remarkable turnaround in the 12th round of voting, Mr McCarthy was able to persuade 14 Republican holdouts to cast their vote for him. A 15th rebel followed suit for the 13th ballot.
After the 13th ballot was adjourned, Mr McCarthy insisted to reporters that he would “have the votes” to take the speakership on the next round.
But the California congressman was still three votes short of the 217 he needed to take the prized gavel, and in chaotic and dramatic scenes, he again failed to win on the 14th ballot.
The dissidents included members of the House Freedom Caucus, who argue that Mr McCarthy is not conservative enough to lead them as they work to try to oppose Democratic President Joe Biden’s agenda.
Mr McCarthy has offered various concessions to the rebels, including a seat on the influential rules committee, which sets the terms for debate on legislation in the chamber.
He also agreed to lower the threshold for triggering a vote on whether to unseat the Speaker, to only one House member, leading to the possibility that the Republican coalition could easily fracture again even after Mr McCarthy’s victory.
As the last politician on the roll – Montana’s Ryan Zinke – voted, the House floor erupted in applause as it became clear Mr McCarthy had finally emerged victorious.
Mr McCarthy hugged other representatives and signed autographs, but across the room the Democrats’ side was completely silent. No democrat applauded.
Senior Democratic Party lawmakers accused Mr McCarthy of ceding power to an extreme wing of his party and likened the stand-off to the riot exactly two years ago on Capitol Hill by Trump supporters who disrupted Mr Biden’s certification as president.
“Two years ago insurrectionists failed to take over the Capitol,” Congressman Eric Swalwell wrote on Twitter. “Tonight Kevin McCarthy let them take over the Republican Party.”
And Virginia Congressman Don Beyer referred to the angry scenes among Republicans that followed the 14th count.
“Unsettling that this process ends in threats of violence in the House Chamber, on this of all days,” he said. “Maybe it didn’t determine the outcome, but that is no way to conduct the people’s business. A dark and sobering moment will probably be remembered long after this session ends.”
The minority Democrats had continued to vote in unison for their leader, New York’s Hakeem Jeffries, the first black person ever to lead a party in Congress.
Friday was the first day that Mr McCarthy’s vote count actually surpassed that of Mr Jeffries.
Mr McCarthy opened his acceptance speech joking; “that was easy, eh?”. He outlined a range of Republican policy objectives that included lowering prices, securing the US-Mexico border and combatting what he described as a “woke indoctrination”.
He said one of his primary goals was to stop “wasteful Washington spending”.
The lawmakers began leaving the Congress around 02:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Saturday morning – 14 hours after the gavel first rang at noon.
Not since 1860 in the build-up to the American Civil War has the lower chamber of Congress voted this many times to pick a speaker. Back then it took 44 rounds of ballots.
Pop diva Raye has achieved her first number one single 18 months after severing ties with the record company that refused to release her debut album
The five-time Brit nominee has topped the chart with the hard-hitting, drink-the-pain-away club anthem Escapism.
“As someone who writes for a living, I have no words,” she told the BBC on Friday. “I’ve been crying all day.”
“It just shows that you should back yourself, no matter what people tell you.”
She added: “And we’ve done it independently – that’s just crazy.”
Escapism had already been riding high in the charts, but was held off the number one spot by a succession of Christmas songs over the festive period.
As those tracks dropped away this week, Escapism rose to the top with 5.6 million streams, the Official Charts Company said.
Raye had previously reached number three in the UK Singles Chart twice, first as a guest vocalist on Jax Jones’s You Don’t Know Me in 2016, then on last year’s Joel Corry and David Guetta collaboration Bed.
But after her solo material failed to reach the same heights, she publicly parted ways with record label Polydor in 2021, saying she was being treated as a “rent-a-vocal” dance artist.
“Imagine this pain,” she wrote in an open letter in June 2021. “I have been signed to a major label since 2014… and I have had albums on albums of music sat in folders collecting dust, songs I am now giving away to A-list artists because I am still awaiting confirmation that I am good enough to release an album.
“I’ve done everything [Polydor] asked me, I switched genres, I worked seven days a week. I’m done being a polite pop star.”
Vindication came with the release of Escapism late last year. A juddering, powerful song about dulling the pain of a break-up with a night of hedonism, it went viral on TikTok before crossing into the mainstream charts.
“The crazy thing is, you can see the statistics,” she said. “One in two people who heard the song on TikTok went and added it [to their library] on a streaming platform.
“Substance abuse isn’t a pretty subject for a woman to express so boldly, but maybe it was important to be so visceral because there are clearly a lot of heartbroken people out there, blowing off steam in the wrong way.”
The singer, who previously came third in the BBC Sound Of 2017, admitted the song’s unusual structure and shifting tempos made it an unlikely hit.
‘Proving people wrong’
Major labels who heard the song after her split from Polydor were sceptical about it’s chances.
“I was reluctant to ever get involved with a major again, but I took some meetings just in case,” she said. “And the people who heard the song were like, ‘Yeah, this is cool [but] it’s just something Raye needs to get out of her system’.
“It’s just brilliant when you get to prove people wrong,” she added. “This music wasn’t about charts or numbers, it was just about passion.”
Even so, getting to number one “is the most beautiful affirmation I could ever ask for as a musician”, she said.
The 25-year-old will finally release her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, on 3 February.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah has received a six-and-a-half-year prison term.
The TV actor pleaded guilty in July for conspiracy to commit wire fraud for her involvement in a telemarketing scheme that targeted vulnerable people.
Shah has apologised for her role saying she would “work for the rest of my life to make it right”.
As a part of her plea deal, she agreed to forfeit $6.5m ( £5.3m).
She will also pay up to $9.5m (£7.8m) in restitution.
The 78-month prison sentence comes after Shah’s attorneys asked for three years in prison, while prosecutors recommended 10 years.
Prosecutors allege Shah, 49, and her former assistant Stuart Smith – who has also pleaded guilty – generated and sold lists of vulnerable victims, including the elderly, to other members of the fraud scheme. In court filings, authorities argued Shah was the “most culpable” person charged in the case.
The scheme defrauded thousands of people since 2012, according to prosecutors. Among the victims was a widow in her 70s who lost half of her life savings and another person with a health condition who became homeless after losing money to the scheme to pay for misleading business opportunities, according to victim statements.
Shah was arrested in March 2021 during the filming for the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, which airs on Bravo.
During the show, the reality star had frequently advertised her luxurious lifestyle, including her expensive clothing, jewellery and her team of several assistants, dubbed the “Shah squad”.
She initially pleaded not guilty and maintained her innocence during much of the third season of the show.
Shah’s previous descriptions of her job and financial situation frequently provoked confusion among fellow cast members and viewers.
“What I’ve done for the last 20 years is direct response marketing. I make millions,” she said in one 2019 interview.
Shah will surrender to federal prison on 17 February.
Rapper Vic Mensa from Chicago is expanding his charitable efforts to his native Ghana by giving more than 200,000 people there access to clean water.
The rapper, who was born to a Ghanaian father, took up the decision to fund the drilling of boreholes in the West African nation after he visited his ancestral village, Billboard reported.
Mensa made that trip in the company of his father. And after he had a first-hand view of the water contamination in the area, he and his father decided to step in by funding the drilling of a borehole. Mensa’s father runs a non-profit called “Let Them Drink Water”.
Boreholes provide clean and filtered water from the ground. But they are said to be scarce in Africa. So following the funding of a borehole that eventually provided clean water to over a hundred thousand locals, Mensa – born Victor Kwesi Mensah – took up the decision to provide two more to other villages.
“We’re building 3 Boreholes in different communities in Ghana to provide clean drinking water; the first being the Asokore Zongo in Koforidua where my family lives, which is already built. The other locations are a nearby community called Efiduase and then our ancestral village in the Volta Region Amedzope,” Mensa said in a statement. “Most people in communities like this in Ghana experience constant water borne diseases.”
The drilling of a borehole is said to cost around $15,000. So to help raise funds to pay for more boreholes, Mensa and the Black Star Line Festival reached a partnership. The festival, which was founded by the Ghanaian-American and fellow Chicago rapper, Chance the Rapper, is a “week-long series of events including panel discussions, fine art exhibitions and nightlife events culminating in a large scale concert at Black Star Square in Accra.”
The free concert is scheduled to take place on Friday, January 6, and artists including Erykah Badu, T-Pain, Jeremih, Sarkodie, Tobe Nwigwe, Asakaa Boys, and M.anifest have been billed to perform.
“This festival is about connecting Black people of the globe,” Mensa said in an interview with TMZ. “Beyond all of those colonial boundaries. It’s something that has been on my mind for a long time.”
Renowned Ghanaian artiste, Daniel Amakye Dede, has reemphasized the necessity for everyone to consider God when making decisions.
According to the legendary artiste who recently celebrated his 65th birthday, it’s impossible to succeed without God and it is the reason why he recorded his popular song titled ‘Su Fre Wo Nyame’.
He answered; “What motivated me to write ‘Su Fre Wo Nyame’ song is that, in this world everything that you are doing, you need to factor God in whatever that you are involved in.
“When you leave God out of what you are doing, it will never be successful with you,” Amakye Dede said on Kessben TV.
The “Highlife Maestro” narrated “Proverbially, it is said that when you even farm and God doesn’t see your farm, the farm produce won’t be successful.
Abrantie continued “So that’s what I want to use to advise everyone, that if things don’t auger well for us in life, we should be patient and pray to God.
“Once God still exists, I’m hopeful that it will definitely be well with us,” he added in an interview seen by MyNewsGh.com.
One of Ghana’s greatest musicians of all time, Abrantie Amakye Dede, has explained why the word “seeerious” has become synonymous with his brand.
Most music lovers will observe that anytime Amakye Dede performs on stage, one of the most notable things about his stage craft is his ‘serious’ exclamation.
Talking to Kessben TV in an interview sighted by media reporter Amansan Krakye, ‘Iron Boy’ disclosed why he always shouts serious in his songs and during his shows.
“As for the serious that I say in my songs or during my stage performances the fact is that it has become part of me,” he revealed.
He explained “Shouting serious is one of my brand that makes a lot of people identify with my music, so as for the serious no matter what you know I’m a serious man.
“As for the serious, there is no way that you can take it away from me and no matter what I’m a serious man,” Abrantie Amakye Dede said.
Ghanaian musician, Mzbel, has opened up to say that her poor performance at the Afrochella concert was manipulated spiritually.
She stated, in a youtube interview with Barima Agyemang, that a pastor had called her prior to the performance to warn her that if she attends the event without going through a required purification process, things wouldn’t go well.
However, Mzbel said that she ignored the pastor’s caution because she had no faith in pastors or other religious authorities.
“Before I went to the show, a prophet called me and said he was a fan, and claimed that he has seen in a vision that there was orchestration in the spiritual realm to disgrace me on that show. But I didn’t listen to his advice because of my encounters with pastors. So, I didn’t pick up his calls again.
“…Bra Emma I should have been aware that the energy around me at the time had been manipulated because I’m a spiritual person and a lot of people have called me to confirm that what happened is spiritual,” she added.
Mzbel added that she should have followed the pastor’s instructions because she felt strange during her performance at Afrochella as well as two other performances she had before the day.
Ghanaian highlife performer Kojo Antwi has recently lost his father.
On Monday, January 2, 2023, the musician known as Music Maestro lost his father, Openin Kwadwo Asiama Asubonten, who died at the Police Hospital in Accra.
The musician announced his father’s death on social media, stating that he was 104 years old.
He adored his father, according to the Maestro.
He said every living thing will one day pass away, just as William Shakespeare said in his Merchants of Vernice novel book “The World is like a stage where every man must play a part”.
A new year signals a fresh start—an opportunity to reflect on the past year of your relationship and explore your future together. New Year’s relationship resolutions may be just the spark you need.
Remember that your relationship is constantly evolving as you and your partner spend more time together. Reassess the state of your relationship, paying particular attention to how you both felt about your relationship over the past year. What aspect of your relationship was most satisfying? Most frustrating? Were you sexually satisfied last year? If not, what would you like to see changed? Where would you like to see progress?
Mindful Communication
Communication is essential when discussing these topics, as feelings of discontent may elicit a defensive response. Take turns letting each other speak. Don’t interrupt. Once you have each had a chance to voice your opinions, respond to each other’s comments. Avoid targeted suggestive attacks like “I don’t like the way you…” or “You need to…” Instead, make the conversation about your relationship as a whole by using positive statements like “I think we could…” or “We need to…” When “you” is changed to “we,” the conversation involves both parties. You become a team! Before making resolutions for your relationship, here are three tips to consider:
Set Realistic Expectations
Do your best to think about the things you’d like to change as well as what a realistic change would look like. If you and your partner have been struggling, don’t expect change to happen overnight. However, making a long-term commitment to each other is the first step in getting your relationship to where you want it to be. Dialogue about where you want your relationship to be in two months, six months, a year….
Break Down your Goals
Good resolutions include specific details and the bigger picture. While having a stronger relationship may be your ultimate goal, improving your communication about small, everyday topics (like your day at work) or the way you decide which show to watch together make for specific, attainable goals. Breaking your resolutions into smaller goals makes them less daunting.
Embrace the Process
Focus on the means of getting to where you want to be, not just the end goal. Improving your relationship is a process. Enjoy the opportunity to know your partner on a deeper, more intimate level.
Now that you’re prepared to make resolutions for your relationship, ask yourself what exactly you want to change. What’s most important here is that you both are equally committed to achieving the same goal. Shared goals can be the bedrock for relationships; they can give us a purposeful pathway that enriches our lives with meaning. To find out if you and your partner are on the same page, sit down together and answer the following questions:
How can we keep (or bring back) the fun in our relationship?
How can we spend more quality time together?
How can we build intimacy, both sexually and emotionally?
What is something we can both do to improve our friendship?
How will we let each other know about our physical and emotional needs?
How will we handle jealousy, resentment, or competition toward one another?
How will we handle fights and bring them to a healthy resolution?
How will we communicate and “check-in” with each other daily?
What is the most important thing to us about our relationship?
If less than half of your answers match your partner’s, you could use more dialogue. Where do you agree and disagree? Where can you compromise? Find one aspect of your relationship where you share similar goals, and discuss how you can both work toward it this year.
New Beginnings
As Dr. Stephen Covey once said, “If you don’t know where you’re headed, it doesn’t help to try to go there any faster.” Before embarking on this year-long journey to a better relationship, make sure you and your partner agree on the same course. Relationship resolutions only succeed through mutual effort and communication. We wish you a New Year filled with love!
Source: gottman.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.
Former Chelsea striker and manager Gianluca Vialli has died at the age 58.
Vialli was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017 but after saying in April 2020 that he had been given the all-clear, he was re-diagnosed in 2021.
He announced a temporary leave from his role with Italy’s national team in December to focus on his health.
Vialli played 59 times for Italy and won the Champions League with Juventus before joining Chelsea in 1996 and becoming player-manager in 1998.
He had joined Juventus in 1992 for a then world record £12m after winning the Serie A title and the European Cup Winners’ Cup during eight seasons with Sampdoria.
Vialli was the first Italian to manage a Premier League side, taking over from the sacked Ruud Gullit late in the season, and went on to lead the Blues to victory in the League Cup, Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup and Uefa Super Cup.
He also guided Chelsea to victory in the 2000 FA Cup final and Charity Shield but was sacked early in the following season after a poor start.
The striker also had a short spell at Watford, then in the second tier, during the 2001-02 season but was dismissed after the Hornets only finished 14th.
Harry claimed that the army instructed him not to see Taliban members as actual individuals, according to The Telegraph, which got an excerpt from the book. He continued by saying that his kill total as a pilot of an Apache assault helicopter is “neither proud nor ashamed.”
Prince Harry in his upcoming memoir ‘Spare,’ wrote that he killed more than two dozen people in Afghanistan during his time as a soldier hunting Taliban extremists.
According to The Telegraph, which obtained an excerpt from the book, Harry said the army taught him not to view members of the Taliban as people. He further stated that he is “neither proud nor ashamed” of his kill count as an Apache attack helicopter pilot.
Harry, the Duke of Sussex, served in Afghanistan first as a forward air controller in air raids from 2007-2008, then flying the attack helicopter between 2012 and 2013.
The 38-year-old is due to release a book, Spare, in the next week, in which he revealed that he undertook six missions as a pilot that led to him “taking human lives”.
According to the report, Harry said he was neither proud nor ashamed of doing so. He also described eliminating the targets as removing “chess pieces” from a board.
“My number is 25. It’s not a number that fills me with satisfaction, but nor does it embarrass me,” he wrote.
The prince explained his justification for his actions because of the 9/11 attacks in the United States and meeting the families of the victims.
He said those responsible and their sympathisers were “enemies of humanity” and fighting them was an act of vengeance for a crime against humanity.
The US-led foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021 after 20 years of military occupation that left tens of thousands of people dead, mostly civilians.
In the already controversial book to be published on January 10, Harry talked for the first time about the number of Taliban fighters he killed during his service.
Prince Harry’s autobiography ‘Spare’ is not due out until next week but it dominated headlines on Thursday after a Spanish-language version of the memoir mistakenly went on sale.
The book was hurriedly withdrawn from shelves in Spain but not before copies were obtained by media outlets, who pored over its contents and published key excerpts.
They include how Harry was allegedly physically attacked by his older brother, Prince William, in a blazing 2019 row about his wife, Meghan Markle. He wrote that his fight with William came after his brother called Meghan “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”.
The memoir also touches on his strained relationship with his father, King Charles III, as well as disclosures about how he was told of the death of his mother Princess Diana in a car crash in 1997, and his use of cocaine as a teenager.
Former Black Stars star Prince Tagoe is being held on a $100,000 bail with three sureties, one of whom must be a civil servant, by an Accra Circuit Court while being tried for alleged fraud.
The Court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah and ordered that one of the sureties could be justified with a landed property.
The former player has paid ¢129,000 out of the $40,000 which is equivalent to ¢265,200 on the charge of defrauding by false pretence.
A former footballer, Mr George Antwi Boateng, is the complainant. Tagoe has since denied the offence.
Detective Chief Inspector Agartha Abena Asantewaa earlier informed the court that Mr Antwi Boateng, also a former Ghanaian footballer, was based in Germany.
The accused person, Tagoe once lived in Germany, the Prosecutor said, adding that Tagoe was once a player under the management of the complainant in Germany and in 2020, both parties met in Ghana during their conversations which the complainant told the accused person that he needed a 4X4 Lexus vehicle to buy.
Detective Chief Inspector Asantewaa said the accused person allegedly agreed to import the vehicle for the complainant at $40.000.00, equivalent to ¢265, 200.00
The prosecution said on January 8, 2021, $40,000 was paid into the accused person’s Bank Account with the accused person acknowledging receipt through a phone call to the complainant.
It said the accused person then promised to deliver the vehicle to the complainant on March 30, 2021 but failed.
The prosecution said Tagoe then called the complainant and pleaded for an additional two weeks to produce the vehicle and the complainant agreed.
The Court heard that the two weeks expired and still the accused person was not able to import the vehicle as promised.
The prosecution said on April 27, 2021, the complaint came to Ghana to receive his vehicle but to no avail and when the complainant called to demand the vehicle, the accused person stated that he could not import the vehicle and that he had allegedly used the money for some personal pressing issues.
A cross-section of Nigerians across the nation have bemoaned the lack of new naira notes in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Meanwhile the institution has set a deadline for the usage of the old naira notes which is fast approaching.
They lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for spending a huge amount of money on redesigning naira notes despite Nigerians’ objections.
The CBN stipulated January 31, 2023, as the deadline for issuance and circulation of the old N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations of the country’s currency following the introduction of new banknotes.
However, as of January 4, 2023, speaking with SaharaReporters, some Nigerians across the country lamented the scarcity of the new naira notes, with some calling it a scam, especially as they reportedly fade if touched by water.
A jewellery seller in Sokoto Central Market, Muneer Yauza, told SaharaReporters that he has only come in contact with one piece of the new N1,000 note, adding that most banks and galleries with Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in his area do not issue the new notes to customers.
“I only saw the new note –N1,000 like twice when a customer brought it to my shop. But all attempts to get it from banks were not successful. At least, I visit banks weekly but they still give out old notes.
“Most of the ATM galleries in my area do not issue the new notes,” Yauza said.
Another concerned Nigerian in Anambra State who simply identified herself as Adaorah told SaharaReporters, “My bank is not giving out the new notes. I asked them if they were available and they responded in the negative.”
Also, Mr. Verdict in Awka, the Anambra State capital, said he has only touched one piece of the new N500 note since it was unveiled, adding, “It wasn’t even my money, but my wife’s.”
Speaking further, he said, “I have had transactions in banks and withdrawn from ATMs since the introduction, but I have not had the privilege of being paid with it.
“I hear it is sold at ‘black market’ to holidaymakers who want to attend events and spray them on celebrants. A certain guy even said to get N20,000 worth of new naira notes, you have to pay as much as N26,000. God forbid! Nothing, absolutely nothing works in this shithole of a country. Shame.”
Another person who identified himself as Patrick said that to date, he has not received payment with or been given the new naira notes at the banks.
Another Nigerian who did not disclose his identity told SaharaReporters that no ATM in Awka, Anambra State pays the new notes.
“They keep recycling the old notes. Believe me, there will be a serious cash shortage when the deadline comes. Too bad.”
“I have not even physically seen or touched the new notes. Only online. Everything in President Muhammadu Buhari’s Nigeria bụ ọgụ na mgba (is a struggle).
“I mean, Godwin Emefiele (Central Bank governor) is reportedly on the run, maybe them no print currency finish before DSS (Department of State Services) start dey pursue him. In summary, Buhari, DSS, Emefiele and even the new notes are all mad.”
Uncle Jay in Lagos said, “I have seen the new notes and even spent them, but yet no ATM is dispensing the new notes in our region, I think politicians have already luggage away the new naira notes against election, that’s why they haven’t circulated more.”
Israel in Ikorodu in Lagos State said, “I have only seen (physically) the new notes just once. ATMs and banks in Ikorodu are still issuing the old notes.
“I even heard from a few persons that the new notes now have the fake ones too. And that is why you find some people, especially the market women, rejecting the new notes as it’s pretty difficult to distinguish the original from the fake.
“Not even up to 15% of the population has started using the new notes. That deadline may not work. More sensitization is imperative.”
Oluchi, who lives in Abuja, said, “The fake is more in circulation than the real ones. Even the real one, if you mistakenly wash it alongside your clothes, na old paper you go see.”
The current development has frustrated many depositors whose hope of getting the new notes has been dashed.
SaharaReporters also learnt that angry customers have been harassing bank teller officers, asking why old notes were still being dispensed when the deadline was close.
Also, Point of Sale (POS) operators have also lamented the scarcity of the new notes.
For instance, Wole Adebiyi said he was not comfortable having the old notes with him as he may not have the time to deposit them once full academic programmes resume.
He said, “I’m here to get the new notes but they said they’re not available. They said I should use alternative electronic banking channels but network issues won’t let me have that. Besides, many of the traders in Ede, where my school is located, don’t even have the POS machines. They deal with cash. No cash, no deal. I’m in a dilemma.”
A bank customer, Clara Nwachukwu, who is also a POS operator said, “My customers are on my neck and itching for new notes but the banks say it’s not available. They said we should exercise patience. We’re waiting. The entire banking system is in disarray.”
One Mr Raphael who lives in Enugu also told SaharaReporters that he went to three banks in the metropolis but none of them had the new naira banknotes.
In order to preside over the burial of his predecessor, who resigned from the papacy in 2013, Pope Francis has joined pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square.
The dome of St Peter’s basilica at the Vatican was shrouded in mist as the cypress-wood coffin containing Pope Benedict XVI’s body was brought out and placed on the steps.
There was applause from the faithful who had gathered for the funeral.
Benedict was then interred in a tomb beneath the basilica.
Clergy from around the world had come – cardinals in red vestments, nuns and monks in their dark robes.
Pope Francis was brought out on to the dais in a wheelchair.
Latin chants sung by the Sistine Chapel choir echoed across the square. The mood was solemn and subdued.
Daniele, a teacher, who had met the former pontiff at a church in Rome, told me the weather matched the occasion. “The fog represents the mystery of Pope Benedict, the mystery of death and life. I feel very happy and emotional to be in St Peter’s Square.”
The pope was “an important voice in the church”, Daniele said.
During the Mass, concelebrated by cardinals, bishops and priests, Pope Francis spoke of “wisdom, tenderness and devotion that he bestowed upon us over the years”.
“Benedict, faithful friend of the Bridegroom,” he said referring to Jesus, “may your joy be complete as you hear his voice, now and forever.”
Some 50,000 mourners came to the funeral, according to police. Official delegations were there from Italy and from former Pope Benedict’s home country of Germany. Other leaders, including the king and queen of Belgium attended in a private capacity.
Benedict’s death brings to an end the era of a pope and a former pope living side by side in the Vatican – an unprecedented situation brought about by Benedict’s resignation almost a decade ago.
