TIG Post

Author: Amanda Cartey

  • Napping regularly linked to high blood pressure and stroke, study finds

    People who often nap have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure and having a stroke, a large new study has found.

    “This may be because, although taking a nap itself is not harmful, many people who take naps may do so because of poor sleep at night. Poor sleep at night is associated with poorer health, and naps are not enough to make up for that,” said clinical psychologist Michael Grandner in a statement. Grandner directs the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, and was not involved in the study.
    Study participants who typically napped during the day were 12% more likely to develop high blood pressure over time and were 24% more likely to have a stroke compared with people who never napped.
    Excessive napping could be a sign of dementia, study finds
    If the person was younger than age 60, napping most days raised the risk of developing high blood pressure by 20% compared with people who never or rarely nap, according to the study published Monday in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal. The AHA recently added sleep duration as one of its eight essential metrics to optimal heart and brain health.
    The results held true even after researchers excluded people at high risk for hypertension, such as those with type 2 diabetes, existing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep disorders and who did night-shift work.
    “The results demonstrate that napping increases the incidence of hypertension and stroke, after adjusting or considering many variables known to be associated with risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke,” said Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
    “From a clinical standpoint, I think it highlights the importance for health care providers to routinely ask patients about napping and excessive daytime sleepiness and evaluate for other contributing conditions to potentially modify the risk for cardiovascular disease,” said Zee, who was not involved in the study.

    Longer naps are worse

    The study used data from 360,000 participants who had given information on their napping habits to the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database and research resource that followed UK residents from 2006 to 2010.
    Taking a regular, lengthy nap may be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder, said Dr. Raj Dasgupta of the University of Southern California.
    People in the UK study provided blood, urine and saliva samples on a regular basis, and answered questions on napping four times over the four year study. However, the study only collected nap frequency, not duration, and relied on self-reports of napping, a limitation due to imperfect recall.
    “They didn’t define what a nap should be. If you’re going to be sleeping for an hour, two hours, for example, that’s not really a nap,” said sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
    “A refreshing power nap that’s 15 to 20 minutes around noon to 2 p.m. is 100% the way to go if you’re sleep deprived,” said Dasgupta, who was not involved in the study. “If you have chronic insomnia we don’t encourage napping because it takes away the drive to sleep at night.”
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    Most of the people in the study who took regular naps smoked cigarettes, drank daily, snored, had insomnia and reported being an evening person.
    Many of these factors could impact a person’s quality and quantity of slumber, Dasgupta said. Poor sleep causes “excessive daytime fatigue which can result in excessive napping during the day,” he said.
    “I do believe napping is a warning sign of an underlying sleep disorder in certain individuals,” he added. “Sleep disorders are linked to an increase in stress and weight regulation hormones which can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes — all risk factors for heart disease.”
    Source: CNN

  • Annual Ghana Media Music & Dinner held

    The inaugural Ghana Media Music & Dinner Night has been held successfully at the Accra International Conference Centre.

    The event was graced by patrons predominantly from the Ghanaian media fraternity, traditional rulers, embassies, CEOs, political circles as well as sports and movie industries.

    Ace hiplife artiste Obrafour crowned the night with hit tracks like Penpenaa, Moesha and Heavy with massive backing from movie star Lil Win, after Highlifer Adane Best had opened the show with some of his household hits like Gyatabi and Onoko.

    The CEO of Lakeside Village and Net Village Dr Benard BNA Yartey in a post-event interview said “What we just witnessed is good for a maiden event, l will rate it a little over 80% and that is good for a maiden edition. We had some teething challenges but, we will iron them out in the second edition.

    “It is going to be annualized, and we promise to raise the bar higher in our subsequent edition.”

    The annual Ghana media music and dinner night is a yearly celebration of media excellence, dedicated to honouring and acknowledging the achievements of media personalities in Ghana, both past and present.

    The event also seeks to discover and invest in the art and act of journalism in Ghana while creating opportunities for knowledge transfer and sharing between the Ghanaian media and their contemporaries from around the world.

    It was partnered by UMB Bank, Rosewood Residence, Trap (the Radio advertising people) and Forward Media Group.

    Source:  Graphic.com

  • Bono health directorate launches campaign to stop maternal deaths

    The Bono Regional Health Directorate last Thursday launched a campaign to stop the rise in maternal mortality in the region.

    Statistics available indicate that whereas the region recorded 22 maternal deaths in 2019, the figure increased to 26 in 2020.

    In 2021, the figure jumped further to 28, while 15 maternal deaths have already been recorded this year.

    It is as a result of this that the regional health directorate, in collaboration with the Family Health Division and the Ghana Health Service (GHS), launched the campaign against maternal mortality on the theme: “Stop Preventable Maternal Deaths and Disabilities”.

    Statistics

    In an address read on her behalf, the Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu-Banahene, said maternal mortality continued to be a great concern globally, with almost 99 per cent of deaths occurring in developing countries and more than half in sub-Saharan Africa.

    According to her, World Health Organisation (WHO) findings had revealed that every day approximately 810 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and child birth.

    Ms Owusu-Banahene said the high number of maternal deaths in some areas of the world reflected inequalities in access to quality health services and highlighted the gap between the rich and the poor.

    She explained that while the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in low income countries in 2017 was 462 per 100,000 live births, that of the high income countries was 11 per 100,000 live births.

    Ms Owusu-Banahene said to reduce maternal deaths in the country, it was vital for measures to be put in place to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

    “All women, including adolescents, need access to contraception, safe abortion services to the extent of the law and quality post-abortion care,” she said, adding that the government was working to address inequalities in access to quality reproductive, maternal and newborn services.

    She called on authorities of the GHS in the region to take stock of past developments and find a strategic way to respond to the needs and priorities of women and girls to ensure accountability in order to improve quality of care and equity.

    Comparison

    Providing half-year analysis of maternal deaths in the region, the Deputy Bono Regional Director in charge of Public Health, Dr Prince Quashie, said the region recorded seven maternal deaths in June 2018, while nine deaths were recorded during the same period in 2019, 11 in 2020, nine in 2021 and 15 in 2022.

    He mentioned post-partum haemorrhage (46.7 per cent) and unsafe abortion (26.7 per cent) as the two major causes of maternal deaths in the region this year.

    Dr Quashie explained further that two of the victims of the 15 maternal deaths that had occurred this year were teenagers who died as a result of unsafe abortion.

    He added that the regional health directorate had identified issues such as inadequate monitoring of labour, delays in the referral of critical cases to a higher facility and the inability of health personnel to identify high risk mothers for appropriate interventions as factors that contributed to rising maternal deaths in the region.

    Others, according to him, were the lack of proper interpretation of vitals during anti-natal care (ANC), labour and after delivery and inadequate use of patograph, among others.

    Legal abortion

    For his part, the Bono Regional Coordinator, Comprehensive Abortion Care, Dr Osei Anto, said it was now legal for women to use safe means to terminate unwanted pregnancies.

    He, therefore, called on women, particularly those who wanted to terminate their pregnancies, to visit hospitals for safe abortion, instead of using illegal means that could result in needless deaths.

    The Omanhene of the Berekum Traditional Area, Daasebre Dr Amankona Diawuo (a medical practitioner), who chaired the function, called on health workers, particularly nurses, to take the management of patients seriously.

    Source: Graphic

  • Presby minister killed in car crash

    A fatal accident that occurred at Oforikrom on the Techiman-Nkoranza highway in the Bono East Region on Saturday claimed the life of the Tuobodom District Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Reverend Joseph Foli Ahinakwa.

    Reverend Ahinkwa died on the spot when a pick-up vehicle he was driving was involved in a head-on-collision with a sedan vehicle on Saturday (July 30, 2022).

    He was returning from Nkoranza where he had gone to deliver food to delegates of the Presbytery Catechists’ Conference.

    The Nkoranza District Minister of the PCG, Reverend Wilberforce Takyi confirmed the incident to Graphic Online on Sunday.

    Graphic Online gathered that the late Reverend Ahinakwa, who had worked in the Brong-Ahafo Presbytery of the PCG for sometime now had been transferred to the Ga Presbytery and was waiting for his send-off in early September, 2022. [The Brong-Ahafo Presbytery of the PCG covers parts Ahafo Region, parts of Bono Region, parts of the Bono East Region and parts of the Ashanti Region in Tepa and Pokukrom area].

    He was also an astute banker who worked with the Agricultural Development Bank while also serving as Presbyterian minister before going into full-time ministry.

     Source: Graphic

  • Academic calls for insurance coverage for breast cancer

    The first Ghanaian Professor of Nursing, Professor Lydia Aziato, has advocated a comprehensive insurance coverage for breast cancer patients to improve affordability and access to screening and treatment.

    Although the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) covers some aspects of the treatment process such as the surgery and chemotherapy, she said that was not always reliable.

    Prof. Aziato explained that the cost of laboratory investigations for the process was not covered by the NHIS, while some patients also had to foot the bill for the total treatment due to the limited drugs the scheme provided.

    She said some patients were not able to either start or complete the treatment even if the cost was subsidised, and that it had contributed to breast cancer related deaths in the country.

    She made the remarks at an inaugural lecture on breast cancer care and pain management in Accra last Thursday.

    The lecture, dubbed: “The Intersection of Subjectivism and Patient Centred Nursing for Breast Cancer Care and Pain Management”, discussed some critical findings on breast cancer and pain management.

    “I, therefore, advocate financial support for women with breast cancer from both government and non-governmental sources, including individual and corporate bodies, to help in treating the disease,” Prof. Aziato said.

    “The health insurance scheme should be expanded to cover all aspects of treatment and payment to health facilities, or supplies should be expedited,” she added.
    Globally, over 2.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer, with 685,000 related deaths.

    In 2020, breast cancer ranked first in both incidence and mortality in Africa, with 16.8 per cent new cases and 12.1 per cent deaths.

    In Ghana, it ranked first in incidence and second in mortality, with 18.7 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.

    That, Prof. Aziato said, was an indication that there were breast cancer survivors who required care, support and follow-up.

    Breast cancer is said to emanate from uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells, and although the main cause remains unknown, there are predisposing factors such as family history, early menstruation, late menopause, never breastfed, toxin exposure, hormonal therapy, among others.

    The signs of the disease include a lump, changes in the size or shape of the breast, nipple or skin, abnormal discharge and pain which is a late sign.

    Treatment choices include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal and immunotherapy depending on the stage and type of breast cancer.

    Delayed treatment

    Prof. Aziato said breast cancer had a high mortality rate in Ghana because women reported late to the hospital.

    She said her research findings suggested that some patients sought alternative treatment at prayer camps due to the high cost of treatment of the disease.

    The many months spent at such camps, she said, did not cure the cancer, but rather contributed to the spread of the cancer cells.

    Some patients, she said, spent several months at the camps and only went to the hospital when the situation became critical.

    In most of such cases, Prof. Aziato said, they ended up losing their lives.

    She, therefore, encouraged family members to continue to support breast cancer patients and to endeavour to maintain confidentiality so that other victims would feel comfortable to disclose their diagnosis.

    She also urged people who stigmatised breast cancer victims to reflect and change their attitude towards such people.

    She further advocated the implementation of stigma-reduction interventions to ensure continuity of positive attitudes towards breast cancer patients.

    “Let us remember that all women are at risk of developing breast cancer, and although only one per cent of men are at risk, we must all be concerned with issues of breast cancer because of the critical roles of women in maintaining the family and the home,” Prof. Aziato stated.

    Sources: Graphic.com

  • Prince Charles disputes report he brokered £1 million donation from Bin Ladens for his charity

    Clarence House, the residence of Prince Charles, has disputed claims reported in the UK’s Sunday Times that the heir to the throne brokered a deal in 2013 to accept a £1 million charity donation from Osama bin Laden’s half-brothers.

    The Sunday Times, citing unnamed sources, reported that Prince Charles accepted the donation from Bakr bin Laden and Shafiq bin Laden for The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund (PWCF) despite objections from key advisers at the time.
    Clarence House disputed that assertion on Saturday, saying the decision to accept the money was made by the charity’s Trustees, and not Prince Charles.
    “The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund has assured us that thorough due diligence was undertaken in accepting this donation,” the Clarence House statement said. “The decision to accept was taken by the charity’s Trustees alone and any attempt to characterize it otherwise is false.”
    Bakr bin Laden is the former chairman of the Jeddah-based construction company Saudi Binladin Group. Osama bin Laden was removed as a shareholder from the family company in 1993, when Bakr bin Laden was chairman, US court documents show.
    Osama Bin Laden was the leader of al Qaeda when the network carried out the September 11 attacks in New York in 2001. He was killed by US special forces in an operation 10 years later.
    Neither Bakr or Shafiq bin Laden have any known ties to terrorist activities or appear on any counter-terror sanctions lists issued by the United Nations or the governments of the US, EU and the UK.
    According to the Sunday Times report, Prince Charles secured the funds after a meeting with Bakr bin Laden, and accepted the donation, despite the “initial objection of advisers at Clarence House” and the PWCF.
    PWCF also responded to the Sunday Times’ report saying that “the donation from Sheik Bakr Bin Laden was carefully considered by PWCF Trustees. Due diligence was conducted, with information sought from a wide range of sources, including government.”
    A royal source told CNN that they disputed The Sunday Times’ claims that Prince Charles personally accepted the donation, that he brokered the deal and that advisors around Prince Charles pleaded for him to return the money at the time.
    A source close to PWCF said that “after a thorough examination of the issues, the Trustees concluded that the actions of one Bin Laden family member should not tarnish the whole family.”
    The Sunday Times reported in June that Prince Charles had accepted charitable donations in the form of cash from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, the former prime minister of Qatar, between 2011 and 2015. Clarence House also disputed the details of the June report and said that the “correct processes” were followed in terms of accepting the donation.
    Source: CNN

  • Experienced rent agent details tricks used by agents to extort money from clients

    Searching for a secured house in Accra and Ghana at large has become one of the problems faced by majority of residents in the capital.

    The quest for a place to lay the head has resulted in many unsuspecting people being fleeced by some rent agents in the capital.

    In a recent MultiCDB interview, a rent agent with decades of experience opened up on tricks used by some unscrupulous agents to rob the public.

    He further disclosed that some of the agents are unprofessional as they go to every length to extort money from clients. In some cases, he observed that these agents take money from the client and fail to deliver the house as promised.

    Sometimes too, they connive with the landlords to rent one house to two or more people with the intention of making more money in a bid to solve their emergency issues.

    He admonished individuals to be vigilant when searching for houses to rent since most landlords cannot be trusted.

     Source: Ghanaweb

  • Most party leaders weren’t happy with resort to IMF – NPP MP

    Member of Parliament for Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro Sylvester Tetteh,  has disclosed that the decision by government to resort to the International Monetary Fund, IMF, was not one that most leaders of the New Patriotic Party, NPP, were happy about.

    He cited global occurrences and the looming danger of an economic meltdown as factors that forced that decision to be taken.

    Contributing to discussions on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Morning Show programme last week, he said he was positive that the government will steer the nation out of the crisis in due course.

    “If you look at the state of the economy as presented by the Finance Minister (after the mid-year budget review on July 25), the things he said were reassuring that we have pragmatic measures in place.

    “Today, we have gone to the IMF, all of us were not happy that from where we had grown the economy to, we were going to the IMF for balance of payment.

    “The truth of the matter is that, most NPP leaders were not happy but it had become necessary with revenue at an all-time low and expenditure rising. What excites me is that all the transformational programmes will not be touched,” he stressed.

    He added that the fact that programmes like 1 District – 1 Factory, YouStart, Obatampa Cares, Free SHS; were not going to be impacted by the IMF programme, was a pointer to the fact that the future was bright and Ghana can get out of the current predicament in due course.

    Government on July 1 announced it was approaching the Washington-based outfit for an economic rescue programme.

    An IMF team has since had initial contact with major stakeholders during a one-week visit to Accra between July 6 13, 2022.

    Source: Ghanaweb

     

  • Two arrested over ‘murder’ of vacationing Canada-based Ghanaian

    The Police have arrested Safina Mohammed Adizatu, a student and Michael Fiifi Ampofo Arku, a Technical Officer for their involvement in the murder of one Frank Kofi Osei at Ashalley Botwe School Junction in Accra.

    Osei, a Ghanaian domiciled in Canada was in the country for a vacation.

    Safina also known as Safina Diamond on social media and Arku are said to have stabbed the deceased several times on his chin, jaw, back and strangled him to death.

    Charged with conspiracy and murder, the Adenta District Court presided over by Nana Aba Quaiba Nunoo preserved their pleas and remanded them into Police custody to reappear on August 12.

    Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Jacob Nyarko declined a bail application put in by the defence team as the case was under investigations and efforts were underway to nab other accomplices currently at large.

    The court turned down the bail application.

    Narrating the facts, Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Jacob Nyarko said Safina is a 23-year-old level 100 student of the University of Ghana and Arku is a Technical Officer of the Crop Research Institute, Kumasi.

    Chief Inspector Nyarko said Osei, now deceased is a Ghanaian domiciled in Canada, but has been in the country a few weeks ago.

    On July 24, 2022, Prosecution said Osei visited Safina, his fiancé who resides at Ashalley Botwe School Junction and decided to spend the night there.

    Prosecution said at night, Safina and Arku together with others yet to be identified stabbed Osei several times with a knife on his chin, jaw, back and strangled him to death.

    It said Safina and Arku cleaned up the blood, while the deceased was in the room for a 24-hour period.

    According to prosecution, accused persons later dragged the deceased from first floor of the storey building through the staircase and dumped him at the gate of the house near where the deceased had parked his Toyota Tundra and washed the blood stains off the staircase.

    On July 26, this year, at about 0400 hours,Safina called a police officer saying that her boyfriend visited her, and he had died in her room.

    Prosecution said the Police Officer called the Police Patrol Team who rushed to the scene and found the body of the deceased lying at the gate of Safina’s house, but (she) Safina and Arku were nowhere to be found.

    It said the Police later traced Safina to Ashalley Botwe School Junction and nabbed her.

    Prosecution said Arku after committing the act, absconded to Kumasi.

    It said efforts were underway to apprehend other accomplices on the run.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • What if Ghanaians become patriots?

    Patriotism does not consist in waving the flag, but in striving for our country to be both righteous and strong. We swear on our honor to be loyal to Ghana, our motherland. What is going on around the country demonstrates that Ghanaians have lost sight of the importance of patriotism in our national life.

    From the presidency to the legislature, the judiciary, public and civil servants, and the last man in the community. Everyone is simply irresponsible. Individual gain has taken precedence over the collective interest of all.

    Every morning after salaat, I take some time to reflect on our country, Ghana.

    The more I do the exercise, the more worried I become. I become perplexed because I don’t know where to begin in my quest to find solutions to the numerous challenges that face us as a nation.

    According to the elderly, the most difficult challenge is excessive partisanship, which motivates the political class to take unnecessary intransigent positions on issues of national concern. The NDC sees nothing positive in NPP leadership, and vice versa.

    Some of the problems we face, ideally, can be easily solved with a patriotic mindset. According to the World Bank, Ghana has 20.66 percent of arable land coverage, while China has 12.68 percent. Ironically, Ghana’s food imports from China in 2019 totaled US$37.72, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade.

    So, I ask myself, what exactly is wrong with our country? Why should Ghana, which has more agricultural land, need to import food from China? I heard the argument that Ghanaians have an insatiable desire for foreign goods. Really? Where has the patriotism gone? I believe that Ghanaians should love to consume what we produce in order to save our economy from total collapse.

    In my opinion, businessmen and women are deliberately driving the so-called appetite for foreign goods in order to stay in the import business and make abnormal profits. This viewpoint is supported by importers withdrawing their advertisement from Citi FM after the entity attempted to promote Ghana-made rice.

    Many people point to the leadership’s lack of confidence in imposing a total ban on imports of goods that Ghana can produce locally. Nigeria banned maize imports in 2020 in order to boost domestic production and stimulate a rapid economic recovery. Many imported foodstuffs can be banned in Ghana.

    A well-designed policy in this area alone will reduce unemployment and ensure the country’s food security.

    To give true meaning to our patriotism, we as citizens must first believe in ourselves and what we produce. Let us all go back to our own backyard gardens. This should assure us of chemical-free foods and the passion that goes with farming.

    There is still a chance for Ghana to develop and it has to be through patriotism.

    Source: zuberu Aliu

  • Criminalize professional negligence to fight corruption MP suggests

    Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante-Akim North in the Ashanti Region, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, has proposed to government to criminalize professional negligence as a way of curbing corruption in the country.

    According to him, he has observed some professionals in the country who do not offer quality services when contracts are awarded to them.

    A reason he insisted,“ If road contractors, for instance, fail to deliver their work to meet standard after being contracted by the state, they should be made to face criminal action so that when we criminalise professional negligence it will reduce the spate of corruption.”

    He made his comment at the 2021 report by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime which ranked the Police to be the foremost public institution perceived to be most corrupt.

    On his part, former Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) Vitus Azeem, also called for punitive punishments against corrupt officials after thorough investigation on corruption allegations.

    Adding that anyone found culpable should be jailed, with their properties confiscated to the state.

    Until then, he said, the fight against corruption will deter citizens  “if the state is bold enough to jail people for corruption people will not engage in it with impunity”.

  • Chartered Institute of Bankers gets new Governing Council

    The new Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana (CIBG) has been sworn into office with a call to build a globally competitive and robust banking sector.

    The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, in his speech said to achieve this, stakeholders within the sector should be focused on implementing best global practices and prudent strategies.

    “You need to put in place prudent strategies and measures to make you competitive not just in Africa but the other parts of the world by adopting global best practices,” he said.

    Dr Adutwum urged the new council to invest in human capital as it contributes largely to the progress and development of the sector and country as a whole while urging bankers in the country to offer the best they could to improve the quality of banking.

    “You are being ushered into an office to help shape the future of banking in the country. The capacity of the banker would determine where we should go. The development of that capacity is in your hands. The development of the human capital is very crucial in the development of this country. You cannot improve the quality of service if those at the helm of affairs do not have the right capacity,” he said.

    Head of the Council, Benjamin Kwabla Amenumey, who is also the new President, in his acceptance speech, lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the trust reposed in them to serve the Institute.

    He stated that the CIBG had been strategically positioned to provide the much-needed support to the financial service sector, especially the banking industry to contend with the multiple challenges occasioned by regulation, competition, disruptive models and technologies as well as the skill sets and competencies required by practitioners to deliver the required results by banks.

    Mr Amenumey assured the government that the new council was determined to continue to develop ethical and professional bankers to support the growth of the banking sector.

    He explained that all of the council members would bring their diverse expertise in the sector to bear in order to forge ahead and build on the noble achievements and legacies of their predecessors by pursuing initiatives that will propel the institute to even greater heights.

    On her part, Director in charge of General Administration at the Education Ministry, Mrs Catherine Appiah-Pinkrah said as the professional body for the sector there is a need to ensure that they help develop the competencies and qualifications of its members so as to offer efficient and competitive service to the customers constantly changing needs.

    The newly sworn-in Governing council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana is headed by Benjamin Kwabla Amenumey, FCIB, President; Mr Samuel Manu Asiama, FCIB, Vice-President; Mr Charles Ofori-Acquah, FCIB, Chief Executive Officer. The members are Mrs Thelma Eileen Randolph-Akushie, ACIB; Dr Eric Nkansah, ACIB; Mr John Awuah; Bishop Patricia Sappor, FCIB; Dr Abena Pokuah Ackah FCIB; Dr Mrs Akorfa Ahiafor, FCIB; Mr Sina Kamagate, ACIB; and Mr Sampson Akligoh.

    Head of the Council, Benjamin Kwabla Amenumey, who is also the new President, in his acceptance speech, lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the trust reposed in them to serve the Institute.

    He stated that the CIBG had been strategically positioned to provide the much-needed support to the financial service sector, especially the banking industry to contend with the multiple challenges occasioned by regulation, competition, disruptive models and technologies as well as the skill sets and competencies required by practitioners to deliver the required results by banks.

    Mr Amenumey assured the government that the new council was determined to continue to develop ethical and professional bankers to support the growth of the banking sector.

    He explained that all of the council members would bring their diverse expertise in the sector to bear in order to forge ahead and build on the noble achievements and legacies of their predecessors by pursuing initiatives that will propel the institute to even greater heights.

    On her part, Director in charge of General Administration at the Education Ministry, Mrs Catherine Appiah-Pinkrah said as the professional body for the sector there is a need to ensure that they help develop the competencies and qualifications of its members so as to offer efficient and competitive service to the customers constantly changing needs.

    The newly sworn-in Governing council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana is headed by Benjamin Kwabla Amenumey, FCIB, President; Mr Samuel Manu Asiama, FCIB, Vice-President; Mr Charles Ofori-Acquah, FCIB, Chief Executive Officer. The members are Mrs Thelma Eileen Randolph-Akushie, ACIB; Dr Eric Nkansah, ACIB; Mr John Awuah; Bishop Patricia Sappor, FCIB; Dr Abena Pokuah Ackah FCIB; Dr Mrs Akorfa Ahiafor, FCIB; Mr Sina Kamagate, ACIB; and Mr Sampson Akligoh.

    Source: Ghanaian Times

  • Shifting your relationship from ‘me’ to ‘we’

    It isn’t every day that Bruce Springsteen opens up about his experiences in couples therapy, in this case in the foreword of a book by renowned marriage and family therapist Terrence Real.

    What happens when you stop focusing solely on individual needs and start viewing your relationship as a shared ecosystem with your partner? That’s the premise of Real’s new book, “Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship.”
    And as soon as I read Springsteen’s foreword, I was intrigued by Real’s notion that our society’s extreme focus on individualism comes with a cost: extreme disconnection from one another in our interpersonal relationships.
    “If I can’t connect to you, I can’t connect to us,” Springsteen wrote. Curious to learn more from the therapist who has worked successfully with Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa — and thousands of other couples — I sat down with Real for a conversation.
    Ian Kerner: You write that you became convinced that “the same forces pushing our world to the brink were also poisoning our most intimate relationships.” What do you mean?
    Terrence Real: I talk about what I call ‘the toxic culture of individualism.’ And individualism is not a natural fact; it has a history.
    In (American) Colonial days, (society) was communalism on a small scale. It was about farms and small towns and small villages.
    When you lived face to face with your neighbor, it was a palpable reality that the good of all was the good for each of us. Civic virtue was the force that went beyond individual gratification. It was part of being a civilized person that you had a sense of civic virtue.
    With the Industrial Revolution, and the myth of the self-made man, all of that went by the wayside and it was each man for himself.
    Kerner: And that focus on individualism works against relationships?
    Real: Our relationships are our biospheres. We don’t live outside of them. We live inside of them. You can choose to pollute your marital biosphere by having a temper tantrum, but you’re going to breathe in that pollution. You can’t escape, you’re in it. And once you trade that in for the wisdom of interconnectedness, all the terms change. For example, the answer to the question, “Who’s right and who’s wrong?” is “Who gives a damn?” What matters is, “How are we going to work like a team to make this work for both of us?”
    Kerner: Is that a real mindset shift? Because don’t we automatically think from that individual point of view?
    Real: That’s right. As a couples’ therapist, the most important question I ask is, “Which part of you am I speaking to?” Am I speaking to the part I call the “wise adult” part of you — (the) prefrontal cortex, the most mature part of the brain? Or am I speaking to some triggered younger part of you?
    The autonomic nervous system scans our body four times a second:
    “Am I safe? Am I safe? Am I safe? Am I safe?” If the answer is “Yes, I feel safe,” we stay seated in the prefrontal cortex and the wise, mature part of us. But if the answer is “No, I don’t feel safe” — which has everything to do with trauma and your childhood experience — that mature part of the brain goes offline and more primitive parts take over. You literally lose the part of your neurobiology that can remember there’s a whole relationship here. Then you devolve into “you versus me.” It’s all about survival.
    When we’re triggered and we feel in danger, we lose the remembrance of ourselves as a team. And you will never resolve an issue or make anything better in your relationship when you’re in that place.
    Kerner: You talk about being triggered, and that what’s being triggered is trauma that still needs to be witnessed and heard or soothed in our adult relationships.
    Real: Yes, absolutely. The trick is to make a distinction between what I call the adaptive child part of you — the you that you created as a kid to cope with whatever was lacking or violating in your environment — and the wise adult part. I see couples on the brink of divorce mostly, very successful couples. And almost all of them have lived their lives out of the adaptive child part of themselves, making great success in the world and a mess of their personal lives.
    Kerner: Can you give me an example from your practice of how our “adaptive child” gets triggered by past trauma?
    Real: One couple came to me on the brink of divorce. The guy is a chronic, pervasive liar; lies about everything. He’s a champion evader. I asked him, “Who tried to control you growing up?” Sure enough, his dad — a military man — totally controlled how he ate, how he drank, how he sat, what clothes he wore, what friends he had, what courses he took, everything. I said, “How did you deal with this controlling father?” He looked at me and smiled. And he said, “I lied.”
    The adaptive child part of him did exactly what he needed to do back then to preserve his wholeness and integrity. But he’s not that 4-year-old boy and his wife is not his towering father.
    They come back two weeks later, hand in hand, all smiles. He went to the grocery store that weekend with a list from his wife. She gave him 12 things to buy, and he came home with 11. She says, “Where’s the pumpernickel bread?” And he says, “Every muscle and nerve in my body was screaming to say they were out of it. And in this moment, I took a breath. I summoned my courage. And I said, ‘I forgot.’” And she burst into tears. And she said, “I’ve been waiting for this moment for 25 years.”
    That’s recovery. That’s relational mindfulness. That’s the way out of this mess.
    Kerner: What’s a piece of advice that couples can put into practice right now?
    Real: When your partner comes to you in a state of disrepair, it is your job to help them move into repair with you. Why? Because you live with them. It’s in your interest to have them be in repair with you. This is not altruism. This is enlightened self-interest. If you’re faced with a partner who is unhappy, this is not a dialogue. This is not a conversation. This is a one-way street. Put objective reality aside. Put yourself aside and replace that with compassionate curiosity about your partner’s subjective experience. Think ecologically — you’re in it with them.
    Kerner: How does one person in the couple make sure they aren’t always the one who is giving?
    Real: My colleague Carol Gilligan has a saying: There can be no voice without relationship; and there can be no relationship without voice. I want the mighty to melt and the weak to stand up.
    For those of us who enter relationships subsuming our needs in those of others — in keeping with traditional feminine socialization — stepping into vulnerability may mean daring to stand up for yourself. That isn’t selfish; it’s to benefit the biosphere. But you have to do it skillfully. I teach clients, particularly women, how to stand up for themselves with love. How to be clear and firmly assertive while cherishing their partner and the relationship in the same breath.
    It’s the difference between saying, “Hey, don’t talk to me like that,” and saying, “I want to hear what you’re saying. Could you change your tone so I can listen?” The difference between saying, “I need more sex,” and saying, “We both deserve a healthy sex life. What do we need to do to kick-start this thing?” The relational Golden Rule asks: What do you need from me to help you come through for me? It’s possible to empower yourself and empower your partner both if you remember you’re not enemies and learn a few skills.
    Kerner: How does one person in the couple make sure they aren’t always the one who is giving?
    Real: My colleague Carol Gilligan has a saying: There can be no voice without relationship; and there can be no relationship without voice. I want the mighty to melt and the weak to stand up.For those of us who enter relationships subsuming our needs in those of others — in keeping with traditional feminine socialization — stepping into vulnerability may mean daring to stand up for yourself. That isn’t selfish; it’s to benefit the biosphere.
    But you have to do it skillfully. I teach clients, particularly women, how to stand up for themselves with love. How to be clear and firmly assertive while cherishing their partner and the relationship in the same breath.
    It’s the difference between saying, “Hey, don’t talk to me like that,” and saying, “I want to hear what you’re saying. Could you change your tone so I can listen?” The difference between saying, “I need more sex,” and saying, “We both deserve a healthy sex life. What do we need to do to kick-start this thing?”
    The relational Golden Rule asks: What do you need from me to help you come through for me? It’s possible to empower yourself and empower your partner both if you remember you’re not enemies and learn a few skills.
    Sources: CNN

  • Sharks are millions of years older than dinosaurs and 5 other facts that may surprise you

    Sharks have scared us a lot this summer, primarily for suspected attacks on humans. However, humans are a larger threat to sharks than sharks are to us.

    The 34th official Shark Week takes place from July 24 to July 30 on the Discovery Channel and aims to increase conversation and education about these ancient marine predators that are key to the health of the ocean. (Discovery Channel and CNN share parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.)
    There are more than 500 species of shark. They are as diverse as the dwarf lantern shark, which is smaller than a human hand, and the whale shark, which can grow as long as a school bus, said marine biologist Michael Heithaus, professor and dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education at Florida International University in Miami. Given that there are a large number of unique species, some characteristics may be true for one species, but not another.
    Sharks have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and while they continue to evolve, they are also in grave danger. Largely due to overfishing, shark and ray populations fell by 71.1% between 1970 and 2018, according to a 2021 study published in the journal Nature.

    Sharks can live for hundreds of years

    Sharks have one of the longest life spans compared with other animals.
    Greenland sharks are the longest-living known vertebrate on Earth, according to a 2016 study published in the journal Science. Researchers using radiocarbon dating determined that the North Atlantic species likely lives an average of at least 272 years, and often doesn’t reach maturity until 150 years of age.
    Greenland sharks can live for at least 400 years, scientists have estimated.

    Sharks are older than trees and dinosaurs

    The earliest evidence of shark fossils dates back as far as 450 million years, which means these creatures have been around at least 90 million years before trees and 190 million years before dinosaurs.

    Sharks have been around since before Pangea broke apart, said Catherine Macdonald, director of Field School and lecturer at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. (There was one single gigantic continent called Pangea some 250 million years ago.)
    Additionally, sharks have survived five mass extinctions, one of which wiped out around 96% of all marine life.

    Sharks may be helpful for our environment

    Tiger sharks, one of Australia’s primary predators, may help ecosystems respond to extreme climate events. The species’ prey, including green turtles, seabirds and stingrays, avoid shallow water, often areas with seagrass. As a result, the seagrass is able to grow to be bushlike and create a safe-haven nursery area for juvenile fish, shrimp and crabs, Heithaus said.
    A tiger shark glides along in Beqa Lagoon in the Fiji Islands.
    Seagrass absorbs the carbon that is in the atmosphere and uses it to build its body. When the seagrass dies, the dead material gets buried in sediment on the ocean floor, and the carbon is taken out of circulation, Heithaus added.
    Researchers are currently trying to determine whether this phenomenon occurs for other shark species and in other places such as coral reefs.
    “It seems like it’s more than just tiger sharks,” Heithaus said. “It’s probably these bigger species that play an outsized role in helping shape the ecosystems they’re a part of.”

    Shark pregnancies can last longer than 3 years

    Reproduction patterns in sharks vary.
    On average, sharks give birth after 11 or 12 months of pregnancy, but some sharks, such as the frilled shark and basking shark can be pregnant for over three years.
    Some sharks, like mako sharks and bull sharks, give live birth, while other sharks, like cat sharks, lay eggs, said Jasmin Graham, president and CEO of Minorities in Shark Sciences, based in Bradenton, Florida.
    Long pregnancy terms, and the fact that some sharks take 10 to 12 years to reach sexual maturity, like the great white, further impact populations decimated by unsustainable fishing practices.

    Sharks do not vocalize

    Sharks are primarily silent creatures, as they don’t have organs for producing sound.
    Instead of speaking, sharks communicate through body language, such as zigzagging, shaking and moving their jaws.

    Sharks can sense electricity

    Sharks have a sixth sense — they can pick up nanoscopic electromagnetic currents. This extra sense can help them navigate the ocean and find prey, or even a mate.
    “The minute electrical impulse that a prey’s brain sends to its heart to tell it to beat is detectable to sharks, so they can find hidden prey quite effectively,” Macdonald said.
    With this finely attuned sense, sharks hunt sick and weak animals, playing a crucial role in keeping the marine ecosystem healthy.
    Source: CNN

  • 6 inexpensive ways to eat healthy at home

    The Monday evening dinner dilemma: You’re adding up all the money you spent on food over the weekend and thinking, “I should really cook tonight.” But that will require grocery shopping and cleaning. And you’re hungry now.

    So you pick up your phone and suddenly you’ve spent $35 on a carb-heavy meal that would have cost a fraction to prepare at home.
    It’s a less-than-ideal start to the week, and making it a habit could have implications for your overall well-being. Eating nutrient-dense, balanced meals is one of the most important things you can do for your physical and mental health, according to Anya Rosen, a New York-based registered functional dietitian.
    Thankfully, there are ways to do so on a budget. Here are six ways you can eat healthier without spending your entire paycheck at the grocery store.

    Meal prep

    When we are hungry, we tend to make decisions that might not line up with our wellness or financial goals. So when you take the time to prepare multiple meals for the week, you are giving yourself a safety net to fall back on when you’re in a hurry and hunger strikes.
    Meal prepping can sound intimidating, no thanks in part to the countless social media feeds boasting balanced and aesthetically pleasing meals by the dozen, but it can be really simple. Some Instagram accounts that might help motivate you to break out the cutting board and meal prep containers for food storage are @meowmeix (food facts and meal inspiration), @keto_adapted (keto, or high-fat, low-carb meals) and @dailyveganmealprep (plant-based recipes).
    Grain bowls are a great place to start. Grab 8 ounces of chicken breast (which will make about five to seven meals depending on how much you eat), an easy-to-chop vegetable like zucchini or asparagus, and some quinoa or rice. Or choose your own favorites; any protein, vegetable or grain will do — the key is balance. Your best friends here will be a chicken shredder and vegetable slicer, easily available online, that will save you a lot of chopping time.
    You can keep these prepped grain bowls interesting — and varied — by using different sauces, dressings and condiments throughout the week, Rosen said.

    And whether with meal prep or just a single dinner, simple cooking at home can also save you the thousands of calories’ worth of oil and butter that restaurants tend to sneak into their dishes, Rosen said.

    Build a freezer stash

    Stocking your freezer with nutritious foods will be sure to save you from the oh-so-tempting late-night take-out splurge. For example, you can buy frozen broccoli, shrimp and precooked rice separately to combine in a pan with some oil and seasoning for a healthy, 10-minute dinner.
    While you won’t see significant savings when buying frozen foods like chicken and vegetables as opposed to fresh, you will save money by having nutritious staples on hand, with the added benefit of a food with a longer shelf life.

    Consider plant-based proteins

    If you’re trying to cook a well-balanced meal without splurging on meat or fish, try a vegetarian protein like tofu, tempeh, beans or legumes, said nutritionist and CNN health contributor Lisa Drayer. These foods are healthful and much more affordable than animal proteins.

    Tofu, which is high in protein and contains all the essential amino acids your body needs, is also very simple to cook. Cut into cubes, sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic and paprika (or seasonings of your choice) and toss into the air fryer or oven until golden brown. If you want them even crispier, add some corn starch to the mix. Combine with a vegetable and grain or stir into a simmering curry for a hearty and satisfying meal.

    Some other plant-based meal staples include faux-meat pasta bolognese, chickpea “tuna” salad, and quinoa and lentil burgers.

    Get creative in the kitchen

    Some of the most affordable foods can also contain the most nutrients. For example, 1 pound of sweet potatoes costs around a dollar, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, and is filled with fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. A quick online search will give you dozens of ways to get creative with these nutritious gold mines. Bake them whole, slice into strips and season with salt, pepper and paprika for sweet potato fries, or simply cut into medallions or cubes and bake in the oven or air fryer.
    Other healthy, low-cost food options include beans, rice, eggs, oats and lentils — which can become the base for any number of healthy, tasty dishes. And if you don’t feel like cooking, carrots and hummus, protein bars (make sure to check the ingredients first, as many have high amounts of sugar and additives), and fruit and yogurt all come ready to eat.
    Another way to save money in the kitchen is by repurposing food waste and scraps, Rosen said. For example, use bones from meat or poultry to make a broth, pour leftover pasta sauce or soup into large ice cube trays to have on hand for smaller recipes, and freeze fruit and veggies that are about to go bad to use in a smoothie later. (The general rule is one week post-purchase for using fresh fruit and vegetables, but just look to make sure there is no mold growth before freezing.)

    Smoothies

    One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to get a nutrient-packed and delicious snack or meal into your diet is with smoothies. Using the right ingredients, you can create a well-rounded meal in minutes. Plus, most of the components can also be stored in your pantry or freezer.
    A simple go-to smoothie can include frozen banana slices (for texture and natural sweetener), frozen or fresh spinach, frozen cauliflower rice (for added nutrients and texture), and then your choice of fresh or frozen berries, protein powder, and nut butter (for healthy fats). On Instagram, @healthyblends shares great smoothie recipes and inspiration.
    Think of smoothies as a vehicle for your daily vegetable intake, as leafy greens like kale and spinach are easy to mask among sweeter ingredients like blueberries, strawberries and bananas. The mistake most people make with smoothies, Rosen said, is focusing on fruit and skimping on protein and healthy fats, which can cause a blood sugar spike and crash. If you find that you are slurping your smoothies too quickly, sprinkle some chopped nuts or low-added-sugar granola on top to encourage you to slow down and chew.

    Try these swaps at the grocery store

    Often you don’t have to completely give up what you love in order to eat healthier and save cash — it’s just about making the right choices. Keeping these swaps that Rosen recommended in mind while you grocery shop will give your body a nutritional boost and save you some money at checkout:
    Healthy swaps
    • Switch out the bananas in your basket for apples, for more fiber.
    • Instead of white potatoes, try sweet potatoes for more vitamin A.
    • Leave the lettuce, and pick up some spinach for more folate.
    • Swap your regular yogurt for Greek yogurt for more protein.
    Budget-friendly swaps
    • Save by swapping shredded cheese packs for blocked cheese.
    • Put back packaged nuts/seeds and try to buy in bulk instead — this is a saving that goes for most foods, as you pay a premium for individual packaging.
    • In the same vein, swap your canned beans for bagged dry beans.
    • Substitute fresh seafood for tinned fish. The latter can be an acquired taste, but is still nutrient dense.

    Source: CNN

  • Think more quickly as you age by boosting exercise and mental activities – study says

    Keeping your body and brain fit has long been a prescription for better mental health as you age. A new study has now revealed that women’s mental processing speed may actually benefit more than men from a boost of exercise, such as brisk walking or biking for at least 15 minutes a week.

    A delay in the brain’s processing speed is one of the key aspects of cognitive aging. Being able to think more quickly helps with planning, problem-solving, staying focused on tasks and the ability to easily engage in conversations with others.

    “We found that greater physical activity was associated with greater thinking speed reserve in women, but not in men,” said study author Judy Pa, a professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, in a statement.
    Mental processing speed in both sexes also benefited from cognitive activities such as playing card games and reading, according to the study, which Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, published Wednesday.
    “Taking part in more mental activities was associated with greater thinking speed reserve for both men and women,” said Pa, who is co-director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study at UC San Diego.
    However, any positive association between cognitive activities and memory reserve only applied to women, the study found.
    “Any woman reading this story can feel empowered to take control of their brain health today by staying physically active and cognitively engaged,” said Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic in the Center for Brain Health at Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine. He was not involved in the study.
    “In this study, a twofold increase in physical activity was equivalent to about 2.75 fewer years of processing speed aging in women,” Isaacson said. “Further, each extra cognitive activity corresponded to 13 fewer years of processing speed aging on average between women and men.”
    Adding brisk walking or biking to weekly activities boosts brain speed in women, a new study found.

    Processing speed, not memory

    The study asked 758 people with an average age of 76 about their weekly physical and mental activities. Participants earned points for each of three categories of cognitive engagement: taking classes on various subjects; playing cards, games or bingo; and reading magazines, newspapers or books.
    Each person in the study underwent a brain scan and took thinking speed and memory tests: Some people showed signs of cognitive impairment and dementia while others had no thinking or memory problems. The researchers then compared those test results with brain scans of the hippocampus, a part of the brain associated with dementia.
    Each additional mental activity, such as playing cards or reading, lessened the aging of that person’s mental processing speed by an average of 13 years — 17 years among men and 10 years among women, the study found.
    “As we have arguably few-to-no effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, prevention is crucial. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment,” Pa said. “To know that people could potentially improve their cognitive reserve by taking simple steps such as going to classes at the community center, playing bingo with their friends or spending more time walking or gardening is very exciting.”
    However, the study did not find any significant impact on memory. For example, greater physical activity was not associated with additional memory reserve in men or women. Why? That’s a complicated question, said Isaacson, who also serves as a trustee of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation, which focuses on cognitive aging research and education.
    “Was the memory test being used sensitive enough to detect change? Were the people in the study exercising enough to really move the needle?” Isaacson asked.
    “In our work, we have found that certain people need to really commit to their exercise program to demonstrate effects on the memory domain,” he said. “For example, people with one or more copies of the APOE4 genetic variant need to participate in more intense cardiovascular exercise programs, such as high-intensity interval training on a regular basis, to show positive effects.”

    A genetic risk for Alzheimer’s

    People who carry at least one copy of a gene called APOE4 have a greater risk of developing the characteristic beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles of Alzheimer’s as they age.
    Women in the new study carrying an APOE4 gene did not see the same benefits to their cognitive reserve from additional physical and mental activities.
    “The most interesting aspect of the study is that APOE4 differentiated women from men,” said Rudy Tanzi, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and director of the genetics and aging research unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
    “It’s possible that APOE4 either increases amyloid burden in women more than men. Or, perhaps, once amyloid accumulates, it leads to a fast cascade of pathology and neurodegenration in women versus men,” said Tanzi, who was not involved in the study.
    “The study also implies that women who carry the APOE4 risk (gene varient) for Alzhiemer’s may need to be extra diligent about practicing a more brain-healthy lifestyle,” he added.
    The study had limitations: Participants self-reported physical and mental activity, so people may not have remembered correctly. Nor did the study control for other factors, such as education, that impact how well a person’s brain ages.
    “While exercise and staying mentally engaged shined through in this study, a comprehensive approach toward reducing Alzheimer’s risk factors is the best recipe for success,” Isaacson said.
    “Any prevention plan should also include regular follow-up with a primary care physician, management of vascular risk factors like blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, avoiding smoking, minimizing alcohol use, prioritizing sleep, managing stress, and following a Mediterranean-style diet, among many other
    suggestions,” he said.
    Source: CNN

  • These are the signs that you’re in a toxic work environment

    With labor unionization efforts underway at Amazon and Starbucks, people quitting in record numbers and continued delays in returning to the office, workers appear to be putting their foot down when it comes to less-than-ideal work situations.

    Bosses and employees alike should care about the quality of the work environment, research has shown. A 2020 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health determined a toxic workplace “can be detrimental and lead to unnecessary stress, burnout, depression, and anxiety among the workers.” Further, it found that negative employee well-being will spread to other workers and bring down the quality of the work they do.
    The study also found the inverse: Employee well-being increases work performance, and a workplace that actively supports employees “brings sustainability to organizational performance.”
    Basically, a toxic workplace is bad news for everyone involved.
    On the workers’ end, the increased stress and depression of poor work life can also put a strain on interpersonal relationships, said Alisha Powell, a therapist whose areas of special practice include work-life balance.
    “Many times employees can bring that stress home to their families, and it’s something that impacts their day-to-day life even when they’re not at work,” Powell said.
    In addition to worsened mental health and strained relationships, employees may also turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with the stress, said Dr. Kristen Fuller, a medical reviewer specializing in mental health and addiction with a background in family medicine.
    Here, experts share how you can tell if you’re in a toxic work environment — and what to do about it.

    Recognizing a toxic workplace

    Signs of a toxic workplace aren’t necessarily as obvious as a lot of people believe, Fuller said. Your mind might go straight to verbal or sexual harassment, she added, but it isn’t so straightforward.
    “It’s any workplace that makes you feel uncomfortable,” Fuller said. “Anything that makes you feel like you can’t ask for the things you need and that you’re not supported.”
    A toxic workplace can be an environment in which an employee “may feel stuck,” Powell said.
    “Many times with a toxic workplace, people are not given opportunities to move forward or to get promotions,” she said. “Being passed over for promotions or not having any upward mobility can also really impact workplace morale, knowing that no matter how hard you work, there’s no promotion that you can gain.”
    A telltale sign of a toxic work environment is when supervisors micromanage employees, Powell said. When a manager closely observes employees, constantly checking in on every little task, employees can feel like the company doesn’t trust them.
    “If you’re being micromanaged, you’re more likely to believe that your job doesn’t necessarily have your best interest at heart and that your job doesn’t fully trust you to do the role that they’re paying you to do,” Powell said.
    Another not-so-obvious sign of a toxic workplace is the idea that you should be available all the time, outside of work hours.
    Employers may ask you to work weekends or longer hours without additional pay, Fuller said, and those can be “smaller red flags” that people often brush off as regular work culture.
    Powell said this toxic work culture is also demonstrated when employees feel obligated to respond to work-related calls, messages and emails off the clock, which constitutes unpaid overtime work.
    “While most jobs aren’t going to say, ‘We expect you to respond after the workday has ended,’ many times there’s an unspoken expectation,” she said.

    What to do in a toxic work environment

    If you find yourself in a toxic work environment, Powell and Fuller both advised that it may be time to look for a new job.
    “You can do all the coping mechanisms to deal with it, but I don’t think you should be dealing with it,” Fuller said. “I think you should get out of it.”
    Powell said she encourages her clients to establish an internal timeline for their job searches, perhaps setting a goal to begin actively looking for a new job within the next three to six months. She also recommended keeping records of any actions or behaviors in the workplace that indicate an unhealthy work situation while you’re in the process of looking for new positions.
    However, quitting immediately before securing new employment is not feasible for a lot of people for financial reasons, Powell said.
    If you can’t just up and leave, Powell had some suggestions. To try to make improvements at work, you should think about what boundaries you want to enforce and begin working on them, she said. If you want to show your coworkers that you’re not available outside of work hours, but you’re afraid to say it outright, you can set your phone to send calls to voicemail when you’re off the clock. Or set your email signature to say that after a certain time, you will only respond the next business day.
    If there are issues you want to bring to the attention of your supervisor, you can make it less daunting by writing out a script for yourself, Powell added.
    Outside of work, she recommended implementing more self-care practices into your daily routine such as physical activity or a hobby. She also emphasized seeking therapy to manage work-related stress. Some full-time workers can access therapy through an employee assistance program offered by their company, Powell added.
    “It’s time to bulk up some of those self-care practices so that you’re better able to manage stress,” she said, “because it’s unavoidable within a toxic workplace.”
    Source: CNN

  • Why you should reach out to old friends

    Thinking of reaching out to old friends but nervous it will be awkward or that they won’t appreciate it? You should make those phone calls or send a text or email, according to new research.

    A study published July 11 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that people often underestimate how much their friends and old acquaintances appreciate hearing from them.
    “If there’s been someone that you’ve been hesitating to reach out to, that you’ve lost touch with perhaps, you should go ahead and reach out, and they’re likely to appreciate it much more than you think,” said Peggy Liu, the study’s lead author. Liu is the Ben L. Fryrear chair in marketing and associate professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business.
    The researchers conducted a series of 13 experiments with more than 5,900 participants to see if people could accurately estimate how much their friends value them reaching out and what forms of communication make the biggest impact. In these experiments, reaching out was defined as a phone call, text, email, note or small gift.
    The experiments found that initiators significantly underestimated the recipient’s reaction to the check-in.
    “It’s often less about these kinds of grand overtures that we can make in our relationships and more about the small moments of letting a friend know that we’re thinking of them,” said Miriam Kirmayer, a clinical psychologist and friendship expert who was not involved in the study.
    A recipient appreciated the communication more when it was surprising, such as when it was from someone the recipient did not regularly contact or when the participant and recipient did not consider themselves to be close friends, the study found.
    “When you feel that sense of positive surprise,” Liu said, “it really further boosts the appreciation that you feel.”
    Relationships, including friendships, can be one of the strongest predictors of how healthy we are and how long we live, and they can boost our overall well-being.
    “Those types of small reach outs with lower stakes can go a long way towards strengthening relationships early on, getting a friendship off the ground and maintaining them over time,” Kirmayer said.

    Overcoming anxiety about being rejected

    Friendships require nourishment, sociologist Anna Akbari said. But a variety of insecurities can prevent us from reaching out, said Akbari, who was not involved in the study.
    To get over some of this discomfort, take notice of automatic thought patterns that arise when thinking about communicating with a friend, and try to push back against them, Kirmayer said. These patterns can include ideas that one friend cares more and puts in more effort than another, or the assumption that a friend does not like you back.
    One of the common fears around reaching out is rejection, Akbari said. When focusing on the possibility of rejection, one may deprive oneself of close friendships and enjoyable experiences, she added.
    It’s impossible to avoid rejection, so learning how to be OK with it can allow people to become more resilient, Akbari said.
    People can also combat fear by putting themselves in their friends’ shoes and thinking about how they would feel if they received the contact, said Marisa Franco, a psychologist and assistant clinical professor at the University of Maryland and author of the forthcoming book “Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make — and Keep — Friends.” She was not involved in the study.
    Doing so can help push back against the assumption things will go poorly when you reach out, she added.

    Using social media as a way to connect

    The recent research did not evaluate the effects of reaching out on social media platforms, and friendship experts have conflicting opinions on how much social media may make a difference when communicating with an old friend.
    For those who aren’t ready to text or call their friends out of the blue, commenting or responding on social media can be a good place to start, Franco said.
    However, using social media isn’t the most natural form of communication and can often lead to more surface level conversations, Akbari said.
    “We mistake comments on social media posts as personal communication and connection rather than private exchanges,” she said.
    And while communicating by text or email isn’t as impersonal as social media, Akbari recommended that people call their friends. It might feel awkward to pick up the phone and make a call, but the connection will likely be more genuine, she added.
    Younger generations have become conditioned to communication that doesn’t happen in real time, she said. As a result, they may feel performance anxiety when picking up the phone.
    “If we’re on the phone or face-to-face with someone, we’re having a dialogue,” Akbari said. “You can respond. I can say something. There is no sort of delayed ‘I’m going to think about it,’ ‘I’m going to craft just the right thing’ or ‘I can easily opt out if it makes me the slightest bit uncomfortable.’
    Not quite ready to call? Write a gratitude letter, said Harry Reis, a psychology professor and dean’s professor in arts, sciences and engineering at the University of Rochester. He was not involved in the study. Practicing gratitude has been shown to lead to “solidified and secure social relationships,” according to a 2021 study by the Journal of Applied School Psychology.

    Take time to evaluate your friendships

    This new study can help calm the anxiety that people face when it comes to contacting friends, Akbari said. Since the primary way people reach out is through private means of communication, the worst that can happen is that the recipient does not respond, she added.
    “You kind of got your answer of how that person regards you,” Akbari said of a lack of response. “You shift your attention to someone else who will be more appreciative, who will reciprocate.”
    Friendships can sometimes feel one-sided, where one person feels like they are putting in all the effort, Kirmayer said.
    Kirmayer has noticed that many clients have been increasingly worried they are carrying a heavy emotional load when it comes to their friendships. However, this often isn’t the case, she added.
    “Sometimes we can overestimate the extent to which we ourselves are the one reaching out,” she said. “It’s also important to push back against that a little bit, to take notice of the little moments when our friends are reaching out.”
    Source: CNN
    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.

  • 6 facts you might not have learned in sex ed

    Accurate and comprehensive sex education can be difficult to find in the United States, and people may not always be aware that they aren’t receiving sufficient information.

    As of July, only 29 US states and the District of Columbia mandate sex ed, and of those states, only 11 require that the information provided be medically accurate, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research and policy organization that focuses on sexual and reproductive rights worldwide. Additionally, the use of social media can allow misinformation to spread more rapidly, including among those actively seeking accurate information, according to a 2021 study by the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
    Misinformation and misconceptions can lead to consequences, including unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and diseases, and increased fear and stigma around sex and sexual health, said Kristen Mark, a sex and relationships researcher and professor in family medicine and community health at the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Health in Minneapolis.
    Here, sex educators and researchers break down some common misconceptions, and share accurate information that you may not have learned in traditional sex education.

    Sex and sexual health aren’t just about the physical act

    Often people believe sexual health is only related to sex itself, New York City-based sexuality educator Logan Levkoff said. In reality, sexual health is a “state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality,” according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    “It has to do with how we take care of our bodies in a holistic way,” Levkoff said, “how we navigate mental health, the access we have to the information and services, the culture we’re living in.”
    Understanding and promoting sexual health can allow people to feel empowered in their bodies and sexual decisions, and can open up discussion around these topics, potentially allowing people to challenge these misconceptions more directly.

    ‘Normal’ does not exist

    The most common question Levkoff fields is “Am I normal?” “People don’t want to feel like they’re weird, they’re the outsider, that there’s something wrong with them,” she said.
    Some people might wonder if they got their first period at a normal age. However, menstruation, including the onset and length of one’s period, varies from person to person, according to the Mayo Clinic.
    There is no single definition of normal, according to Levkoff. Since each person is unique, searching for normal may not be the most beneficial thing. Instead, people can learn about their own bodies and desires, Levkoff added.

    Sex can be pleasurable

    Growing up in a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, Alexa Hulse, 20, learned in public school that people have sex to conceive a child. There was no discussion around the female orgasm, and the male orgasm was discussed in the context that it helped sperm find the egg to create a baby.
    The reality is that sex is pleasurable, the University of Minnesota’s Mark said. In fact, the No. 1 reason humans engage in sex is for pleasure, she added.
    “I was very fearful of sex,” Hulse said. “There was no discussion of pleasure. It was only have babies and fear, because you didn’t want to get pregnant and didn’t want to contract an STD or an STI.”
    With the recent US Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to have an abortion, people have been saying, “Don’t have sex if you don’t want to get pregnant.”
    But for many people who have sex and try to avoid getting pregnant, limiting access to reproductive health care can be a burden, Mark said.
    “Contraceptive methods and access to reproductive health care such as abortion are really important components to ensuring that people can engage in their human right to have pleasurable sexual experiences,” she said.
    Moreover, sexual pleasure can have health benefits, including better general health, better sleep, less stress, improved cognitive functioning and higher quality of life, according to research.

    STIs are not always visible

    Stigmas that people who have sexually transmitted diseases or infections are “dirty” and those who don’t are “clean” have dominated narratives around sex.
    However, STIs are more common than people think. In 2018, 20% of people in the US had an STI on any given day, according to a 2021 study in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
    And people may have an STI and not even be aware of it since most are not noticeable, said Debby Herbenick, professor at the Indiana University Bloomington’s School of Public Health and author of “Sex Made Easy.”
    “The only way to tell if someone has an STI is to get tested for STIs, which all sexually active people should do from time to time (the frequency varies based on a person’s own sexual behaviors and risk factors, so check with a healthcare provider to see what they recommend for you),” Herbenick said via email.

    Levels of sexual desire vary

    Low or high sexual desire does not mean there is anything wrong with you, Herbenick said. People’s sex drives often fluctuate based on outside factors such as stress levels, she added.
    Furthermore, there is a common misconception that men always want to have sex and women do not, Mark said. These assumptions can cause people to worry that something is wrong with them, when really, sexual drive and desire is not based on sex or gender and varies by person.

    Teaching comprehensive sex ed doesn’t mean people will have more sex

    In the US, only 11 states and the District of Columbia require that the importance of consent to sexual activity be covered in sex education, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Consent, or an agreement between parties to engage in sexual activity, is an important component of sex, Mark said.
    Some believe sex education is about morals and values, but it really is about health information, including understanding bodily autonomy and consent, Mark said. Sex education gives people the opportunity to learn that saying yes is just as important as saying no, and vice versa, she added.
    Covering topics such as consent in sex education classes does not mean people are going to run out and have sex, Mark said. Instead, it means people will understand how to navigate the world better, both when it comes to sex and when it doesn’t, she added.
    In fact, abstinence-only sex education has been shown to be ineffective and harmful, according to a 2017 study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
    Younger children can have comprehensive sex education beginning in kindergarten, a 2021 study in the same journal found.
    “It’s going to involve talking about bodily autonomy and the right to have the ability to say no to touch to your body if it’s not wanted,” Mark said of sex ed for younger kids. “It’s about learning about boundaries and respect for your own body.”
    Source: CNN
    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.

  • Exercise more than the recommended amounts for the longest life, study says

    A longer life may mean scheduling in even more than the recommended amount of weekly exercise, according to a new study.

    Adults should get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week, according to the World Health Organization. But people who surpass those levels live longer than those who don’t.
    Researchers analyzed more than 116,000 adults in a study published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. Participants self-reported their leisure time activity in questionnaires several times over the course of 30 years, and researchers estimated the association between the time and intensity of exercise with rates of death.
    The highest reduction in early death was in people who reported 150 to 300 minutes a week of vigorous physical activity or 300 to 600 minutes of moderate physical activity — or an equivalent mix of the two, said study author Dong Hoon Lee, a research associate in the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
    “It is also important to note that we found no harmful association among individuals who reported (more than four times) the recommended minimum levels of long-term leisure-time moderate and vigorous physical activity,” he added in an email.
    Examples of moderate activity include a very brisk walk, mowing the lawn or playing tennis doubles, while vigorous activity includes things like hiking, jogging or playing soccer, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
    The study results support WHO’s current physical activity guidelines, but also pushes for higher levels to see even more benefit in living a longer life, Lee said.

    How to add more movement

    You may be thinking, “10 hours a week of moderate activity sounds like a lot. There is no way I can work that in with all my other responsibilities.”
    And yes, it may take some intentionality and effort. But studies have also shown the best ways to work in exercise into routines so that they stick.
    A mega study published in December 2021 showed that the best exercise programs include planning when you work out, getting reminders, offering incentives and discouraging missing more than one planned workout in a row.
    “If people are hoping to boost their physical activity or change their health behaviors, there are very low-cost behavioral insights that can be built into programs to help them achieve greater success,” said the December study’s lead author Katy Milkman, the James G. Dinan Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of “How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.”
    And you don’t have to add it all in at once. Just 11 minutes of exercise a day made a difference on life span, according to a 2021 study.
    You can make it a brisk walk outside or on the treadmill, do four sets of a three-minute body-weight exercise sequence, practice a yoga flow or pick three upbeat songs to dance to, said CNN fitness contributor Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports.
    You can make it a brisk walk outside or on the treadmill, do four sets of a three-minute body-weight exercise sequence, practice a yoga flow or pick three upbeat songs to dance to, said CNN fitness contributor Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports.
    Source: CNN
    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.

  • ‘You do not want this’ virus: California man with monkeypox urges others to get vaccinated

    Matt Ford edits videos for a living, so it wasn’t a stretch for him to put one together for TikTok. But his latest post wasn’t a crazy dance or a video about how to peel a banana the right way.

    It’s based on his own experience with monkeypox. His video has been watched about 250,000 times as of Friday afternoon. He posted it to help educate people about the virus outbreak, to encourage people to get vaccinated and to make it very clear: “You do not want this.”

    Anyone can get monkeypox, but a “notable fraction” of cases in the global outbreak are among gay and bisexual men, according to the the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    “I first became fully aware of it and noticed symptoms Friday, June 17,” Ford told CNN from county-ordered isolation in his home in Los Angeles, where he will have to stay for a few more weeks until he is no longer contagious.
    He had hoped to go to Pride in New York last week. “But that was not in the cards,” he said.
    In the video, Ford talks about how the virus spreads, and shows some of his lesions.
    Monkeypox spreads when someone has direct contact with a person’s infectious rash, scabs or body fluids. It can also spread through respiratory secretions during prolonged face to face contact or by touching items that previously came into contact with the bodily fluids of someone who has been affected, according to the CDC.
    Ford said he had been vaguely aware of a monkeypox outbreak through Twitter, but hadn’t known how close he had gotten to the outbreak until a friend reached out to let him know Ford may have been exposed.
    Ford said he immediately started doing a fully body check.
    “I noticed a few spots that I hadn’t noticed before,” said Ford, 30. He said the spots looked like pimples or ingrown hairs, so he went to a clinic in West Hollywood for a test.
    Ford said a doctor took a swab and a few days later the test came back positive for monkeypox.
    Ford said in reality, the test merely confirmed what he already knew. The spots he found no longer looked like pimples.
    “They very quickly got bigger and would fill up,” he said and they were painful, particularly the spots in more sensitive areas.
    He said he also felt like he had the flu.
    People with monkeypox can develop a fever, headache, muscle pains, chills, swollen lymph nodes and feel tired. He said he also had night sweats, a sore throat and a cough.
    Some of the lesions hurt so much that he went back to the doctor, who gave him pain medication
    “That proved really useful because I was finally able to sleep through the night,” Ford said. “But even the painkillers did not fully numb it. It just made it kind of bearable enough that I could go back to sleep.”
    In the video, Ford is plain spoken as he looks directly into camera and warns others. “Hi, my name is Matt. I have monkeypox, this sh*t sucks and you don’t want it,” Ford tells his viewers.
    Giving a tour of some of his 25 lesions, he points to his face, his arms, and the spots on his abs.
    “These are really not cute,” he says for emphasis.
    While the disease is more commonly found in Central and West Africa, this current outbreak has hit countries that have seen few, if any, cases in the past.
    As of Friday, there have been 460 probable or confirmed cases in the US alone, according to the CDC. The Los Angeles County Health Department’s monkeypox dashboard said it has 35 of the cases.
    The county confirmed in an email to CNN Thursday that it sends isolation orders to people who test positive for monkeypox. Ford said he got his notice via email from the county on June 24.
    Last Friday, LA county confirmed that some of the cases were among gay and bisexual men. Some of the men attended a handful of large events. The county said it has been working with organizers to notify attendees about possible exposure.
    The county has already been offering the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine to people who have been exposed to others who have had monkeypox. This week, the Biden administration announced steps to beef up its response to the outbreak, detailing plans to offer more vaccines and tests to people who are most at risk.
    The vaccines are in limited supply, but the administration said it would expand access in areas of highest transmission. It said 56,000 doses would be made available immediately, with 296,000 doses of vaccine over the next few weeks, and an additional 750,000 over the summer. On Friday, the administration ordered an additional 2.5 million doses.
    Since Ford first told friends he’s sick with monkeypox, others have let him know that they too have gotten sick.
    Concerned that not enough people knew about it, Ford got the idea to do the TikTok video and to share it.
    “It’s become clear to me since I got it that it’s spreading quickly,” Ford said. “That’s a big reason I’m trying to speak out and raise awareness about it.”
    Reaction to the video has been “great,” he said. He’s been encouraged since several people have told him that they didn’t know about it before and they’ve thanked him for spreading the word.
    Ford also hopes the video can help end the stigma attached to the disease.
    “There shouldn’t be any stigma,” Ford said. “It’s just a bad turn of events.” “A lot of times I think silence is the enemy,” Ford added. “I’m glad to be able to inform people and hope more people will be safe.”
    Source: CNN
    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 Independentghana’s organization.

  • Invasive insect formerly known as ‘murder hornet’ gets new name

    The “murder hornet” is no more. At least, its name is gone.

    The Entomological Society of America and the Entomological Society of Canada have adopted a new name for the murder hornet, also known as the Asian giant hornet, saying “the usage of ‘Asian’ in the name of a pest insect can unintentionally bolster anti-Asian sentiment” especially “amid a rise in hate crimes and discrimination against people of Asian descent.”
    The ESA adopted the name “northern giant hornet” for the species in its Common Names of Insects database.
    Since all wasps are native to Asia, the name Asian giant hornet does not convey unique information about the biology or behavior of the species, according to the ESA.
    Chris Looney, entomologist at the Washington State Department of Agriculture, authored the name change proposal, saying that the previous common name of the species, scientifically called Vespa mandarinia, “is at best a neutral and uninformative adjective, potentially a distraction from more salient characters of the organism, and at worst a racist trope.”
    “I don’t want my Asian American or Pacific Islander colleagues, friends and family to have any negative connotations with invasive or pest species that might be used against them in a negative way,” ESA President Jessica Ware said.
    In 2021, ESA updated its guidelines for acceptable insect common names to ban names that refer to ethnic or racial groups or may cause fear, and discourage names that reference geographical areas, especially for invasive species.
    “Common names are an important tool for entomologists to communicate with the public about insects and insect science,” Ware said in a release Monday. “Northern giant hornet is both scientifically accurate and easy to understand, and it avoids evoking fear or discrimination.”
    The northern giant hornet poses a potential threat to honeybees, human health and agriculture, said Karla Salp, acting communications director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
    In 2019, the hornet now known as the northern giant hornet was found in Washington State, and there have been efforts to eradicate the species entirely since then. The public helped find three out of the four nests that have been eradicated in the state, demonstrating that public awareness is critical.
    Washington State is the only US state that has had confirmed northern giant hornet sightings, but the species could find habitat elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest if not contained, according to a 2021 study in the Journal of Insect Science.
    “If allowed to establish in regions within North America, the northern giant hornet could significantly impact local ecosystems,” according to the ESA’s common name toolkit for the northern giant hornet.
    “Northern giant hornets generally do not attack people, but will do so if provoked or threatened,” the toolkit said. “Their stinger is longer than that of bees and wasps found in North America, and their venom is more toxic.”
    Northern giant hornets are not the only thing that causes damage to honeybee hives, and the word murder evokes fear, Ware said. She hopes that the name change will allow people to learn about and understand the species from a wider perspective.
    “Even though the northern giant hornet has some negative things about it, like all of the 1.5 million insect species out there, it’s got a complicated life,” Ware said. “Some parts of its life history and ecology are really fascinating. It’s been around for over millions of years before humans even came on the scene.”
    Ware encourages people to submit a request to the Better Common Names Project if there is an insect name they believe should be changed.
    Source: CNN

  • Flashy NYC bishop robbed of $1m in jewellery during live sermon

    A preacher known for his flamboyant lifestyle was robbed of more than $1m (£840,000) in jewellery during a livestreamed sermon in the city of New York.

    Lamor Whitehead, 44, has vowed that the culprits “won’t get away with it”

    Among the items taken from the flashy, Rolls Royce-driving clergyman were Rolexes, diamonds and emeralds.

    Police are still investigating the incident. No suspects have so far been named or apprehended.

    In the video Mr Whitehead is heard asking “How many of you have lost your faith because you saw somebody else die?” moments before several black-clad gunmen entered the church in Brooklyn.

    It is not clear how many people were in attendance during the service.

    “When I see them come into the sanctuary with their guns, I told everybody [to] get down, everybody just get down,” he later said on Instagram.

    “I didn’t know if they wanted to shoot the church up or if they were just coming for a robbery.”

    According to Mr Whitehead, the masked thieves escaped in a Mercedes.

    Following the robbery, the New York Post reported that the items taken from him and his wife included $75,000 Rolex and Cavalier watches, a $25,000 Episcopal ruby and diamond ring and a $25,000 pair of earrings – and even his wedding band.

    “For you to kick in a church door and come with guns in the middle of service – what God is gonna do to y’all is above my paygrade,” he said of the thieves on Instagram.

    The BBC has reached out to Mr Whitehead for comment.

    In a statement, New York City mayor Eric Adams – who has known Mr Whitehead since at least 2013 – said that New York Police Department was investigating the crime.

    “No one in this city should be the victim of armed robbery, let alone our faith leaders,” Mr Adams said.

    Mr Whitehead, for his part, has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

    The robbery isn’t the first time that the bishop has been in the news. Just two months ago, he reportedly attempted to negotiate the surrender of a suspect who shot and killed a man on a Manhattan-bound subway train.

    The latest incident, however, prompted a torrent of criticism on social media about his luxurious tastes and opulent lifestyle.

    “It’s not about me being flashy,” Mr Whitehead said. “It’s about me purchasing what I want to purchase.”

    Source: BBC

  • The Sexually Transmitted Disease; Hepatitis B

    What is it ?

    Hepatitis B is a serious infection of the liver caused by a virus. Symptoms may include tiredness, loss of appetite, stomach discomfort and yellow skin. The virus is found in blood, semen, vaginal fluids and saliva. Hepatitis B is the only sexually transmitted disease that has a safe and effective vaccine to protect against infection.

    How did I get it ?

    There are several ways of getting hepatitis B. One way is by sexual contact with an infected person.

    Hepatitis B virus is transmitted through blood and body fluids especially through anal sex. Other ways are by sharing personal items (toothbrushes, razors, etc.), and sharing needles or equipment for injection drug use. Healthcare and emergency service workers can get it through needle stick injuries or blood splashes in the eyes, nose, mouth or on broken skin.

    What can it do to me ?

    Most people get better and can no longer pass on the virus. A small number die (less than 1%). Others will always carry the virus and continue to be infectious (able to pass it on to others). They are called “carriers.” Some carriers will go on to have chronic liver disease. Some will develop cancer of the liver.

    How is it treated ?

    There is no specific treatment for hepatitis B. Do not drink alcohol if you have hepatitis. A special diet may be needed if you have severe disease. Your doctor will advise you.

    Could I give it to other people ?

    Yes. As long as you carry the virus, you can infect others. You may pass it on to your sex partner(s), to those who live in close contact with you, and to those who share your needles for injecting drugs. All of these contacts should be examined by a doctor. If they are not yet infected, they should be vaccinated.

    Pregnant women who are carriers may pass hepatitis B on to their babies around the time of birth. Most infected infants become carriers. A pregnant woman should have a test for hepatitis B at her first visit to a doctor. If she is a carrier, the infant can be vaccinated at birth to protect against infection.

    When can I have sex again ?

    When you can no longer pass the infection on to others. If you are infectious (a carrier), do not have unprotected sex until your partner is vaccinated.

    Is follow-up important ?

    Yes. It is important to be checked to see if you are still infectious (a carrier). If you are a hepatitis B carrier, you should see your doctor at regular intervals.

    Remember :

    • Return for check-up visits as your doctor or clinic asks;
    • Tell people you have had sex with during the past 6 months. They should be examined, and vaccinated if necessary;
    • Use condoms to lower the chance of infections in future;
    • If you are carrying the virus, never donate blood, semen or body organs.

    Source: th.gov.on.ca

  • “Be disciplined and patriotic to your country”—Commodore Agyenim-Boateng

    Commodore Samuel Agyenim-Boateng, Principal General Staff Officer (PGSO) at the Ministry of Defence has admonished newly recruited sailors to be discipline and patriotic to the nation.

    He said one way to be patriotic and disciplined was to be high alert on the activities of pirates, who in recent time had waded into the territorial waters of the country and that of the west African neighbours, and crush their influence.

    Commodore Agyenim- Boateng said this when he reviewed the passing out parade of 436 recruits from the Naval Recruit Training School at Nutekpor near Sogakope in the Volta Region.

    The recruits underwent a six-month extensive standard military and basic naval training.

    The 83rd batch recruits, who were admitted to the Naval Recruit Training School were made up of 96 females and 354 males who reported for training on January 21, 2022 of which 14 failed to make the cut.

    Commodore Agyenim-Boateng charged the new sailors to refrain from acts that would tarnish the revered image of the Ghana Armed Forces.

    “Be professional in the discharge of your duties and not engage in unauthorised activities.

    “As young sailors, you are not above any law in this country, and you are subject to the constitution. As Sailors you are not debt collectors, land guards, recruitment agents for the Ghana Armed Forces nor bodyguards to any private individual without the eexpressed permission from appropriate authority and as a sailor you must endeavour to eschew partisan politics.” he said.

    He urged them not to allow the exigencies of life to affect their physical fitness as they will be required to undergo this Basic Fitness Test if they remained in the Ghana Navy.

    “You have a huge responsibility to add to what the school has given you and subsequently the one the system will give you in due course as there are career courses you will embark on as young sailors,” he said.

    He also reminded them on the rules and regulations governing the use of the military uniform and the arbitrary use of social media with the uniform will not only dent the image of Ghana Armed Forces but also ruin their career.

    Commodore Agyenim-Boateng appealed to the young sailors to always sacrifice and be committed to duty as the military profession was very demanding.

    Recruit Issaku Ishawu was adjudged the Overall best Recruit and awarded the Commanding officer’s Special Award, the Best in Academics was awarded to Recruit Arthur Pius Leonard, FOC’s Leadership Award went to Recuirt Bimbe Janet while Recruit Turkson Kojo Christian took Best in Drill.

    Some of the dignitaries present were the District Chief Executive for South Tongu, Mr Seth Agbi, Dr. Daniel Mckorley, Chief Executive Officer of McDan Group of Companies, Most Rev. Gabriel Edoe Kumodjie SVD Bishop of Keta Akatsi Diocese, Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Training School Commodore G . L Bessing, Commanding officers, Officers and heads of Sister Security Services in the Region.

    Source: GNA

  • Ghana wins 45 medals at African Armwrestling Championships

    The national armwrestling team, the Golden Arms have returned to the country after winning a total of 45 medals to finish third at the 11th Africa Armwrestling Championships which ended last Friday (July 22, 2022) in Lagos.

    The Ghanaian team comprised 21 pullers (as armwrestling athletes are known) claimed 18 gold medals, 22 silver and five bronze medals to finish behind hosts Nigeria (27 gold medals) and Egypt (24 gold medals).

    Each of the pullers – 10 males and 11 females – won at least two medals each during the Championship.

    Twelve countries participated in the competition which started on July 19, 22.

    Addressing a press briefing yesterday (July 25, 2022) in Accra, the President of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF), Charles Osei Asibey said the exploits of the pullers were a testament to the strides Ghana was making in the sport.

    He also noted that the latest medal haul means the country has won a total of 179 medals at four separate African Championships with 56 per cent being gold medals.

    He also expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Authority and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for supporting the Federation.

    Election

    Mr Asibey who was elected the Armwrestling Federation of Africa President at an elective congress held during the Championship said his election was in recognition of the exploits Ghana was making in the sport.

    Additionally, he said his manifesto which was centred on developing armwrestling, organising massive championships and a focus on athletes convinced the delegates to give him 72% of the valid votes cast.

    The Vice President of the GAF, Kofi Addo-Agyekum was also elected the President of the West African Armwrestling Federation.

    The 12th edition of the Africa Armwrestling Championships which would be used as a qualification tournament for the 2023 All Africa Games would be held next year in Ghana.

     

     

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • Cristiano Ronaldo set to meet Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag to discuss his future

    Cristiano Ronaldo is due to meet Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag on Tuesday to discuss his future at the club.

    The Portugal forward, 37, wants the club to let him leave this summer and he missed United’s pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia because of personal reasons.

    He has yet to train with the squad but has now flown back to Manchester.

    Ten Hag has previously said Ronaldo is “not for sale” and “in our plans.”

    Ten Hag said he spoke to Ronaldo before the tour, explaining: “I had a good talk. That is between Cristiano and me. What I can confirm is we had a really good conversation together.”

    Ronaldo’s absence from the tour fuelled speculation over his future, coming after he also missed the club’s return to pre-season training at Carrington.

    He instead trained at the Portuguese national team’s headquarters.

    Ronaldo was United’s top scorer last season – and third in the Premier League – but the club’s overall campaign was seen as a big disappointment.

    United finished sixth in the Premier League so missed out on Champions League qualification, meaning Ronaldo, who has a year left on his United contract plus an optional year, faces playing in the Europa League for the first time.

    It is not something he is viewing with relish and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner feels there could be more attractive options available to him at this stage in his career.

    Chelsea ended their interest in the player earlier this month, while he has also been linked with Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.

    It is understood United do not regard Ronaldo as a player who is for sale.

    United play Atletico Madrid in Norway on Saturday before their final pre-season game at Old Trafford against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

    Their first game of the new season is at home to Brighton on Sunday 7 August.

    Sources: bbc.com

  • Former United States goalkeeper Hope Solo pleads guilty to driving while impaired

    Former United States goalkeeper Hope Solo has pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and says she is “slowly coming back” after undergoing an in-patient alcohol treatment programme.

    Solo, 40, was arrested in March after she was found passed out in her car with her twin sons inside.

    The World Cup winner and two-time Olympic champion won 202 caps for the US.

    “It’s been a long road but I’m slowly coming back,” Solo said.

    “I pride myself in motherhood and what my husband and I have done day in and day out for over two years throughout the pandemic with two-year old twins.

    “While I’m proud of us, it was incredibly hard and I made a huge mistake – easily the worst mistake of my life,” she added.

    “I underestimated what a destructive part of my life alcohol had become.

    “The upside of making a mistake this big is that the hard lessons are learned quickly. Learning these lessons has been difficult and, and at times, very painful.”

    Solo, arrested in North Carolina on 31 March, was charged with impaired driving, resisting arrest and misdemeanour child abuse.

    However the charges of resisting arrest and misdemeanour child abuse were voluntarily dismissed, her attorney told the Winston-Salem Journal.

    Solo requested that her induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame was postponed in late April.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Retired Ghanaian woman starts chocolate factory in her garden

    A Ghanaian woman called Preba Arkaah has started a chocolate factory in her garden after going on retirement Preba stated in an interview that she has a shed where she keeps the cocoa beans and also processes them into finished products like chocolates and truffles
    She added that she got the idea for a chocolate factory because she realized that Ghana does not have a decent premium chocolate brand that can rival those in Europe.
    In an interview with Vanessa Kanbi on YouTube, Ghanaian retiree Preba Arkaah stated that she spent about ten years working with a fast-moving consumer group called Azure which owns the well-renowned Guinness Ghana Company Limited.
    Arkaah opined that she learnt a lot from the company, not just as a lawyer but also from the day-to-day running of the business. After leaving Azure, Preba Arkaah decided to start her own chocolate company, Mansa Gold, since she loves chocolates.
    Chocolate confectionaries produced by Mansa Gold
    Preba Arkaah took her interviewee, Vanessa Kanbi, through the process required to turn the cocoa beans into chocolate and other confectioneries.
    The beans were first roasted before they were ground in a machine. After they are ground, other food elements like cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder are added.
    Arkaah further added that Ghanaian cocoa is valued for its rich, “chocolatey” flavour and is said to be of the highest quality. In that regard, they work directly with cocoa farmers, which has enabled her company to expand on this reputation to produce chocolate with distinct flavours derived from the various areas from which their beans are grown.
    Her company, Mansa Gold, produces varieties of chocolate bars like Mankese (chocolate milk bar), Mamong (dark milk bar), Simpa (coconut milk chocolate), Bono (dark chocolate) and Carbo Corso (white chocolate).
    In an earlier article, YEN.com.gh wrote about how a Jamaican family relocated from the UK to live in a forest in Ghana. When the man’s wife, Jerrel, urgently awoke from a dream and urged that they travel to Ghana, plans to move were made.
    After experiencing the dream, it took them three months to relocate to Ghana, where they made the decision to live in the forest since they enjoy natural vegetation and greenery.

    Source: yen.com.gh

  • We honour your humility and contributions to the nation — Seth Terkper praises Late Prof Mills

    Ghana celebrated the tenth anniversary of former president, the late Prof. John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills, who died on July 24.

    A number of  Ghanaians took to their various social media handles to honour and praise the works of the late President on Sunday, July 24,

    Former Finance Minister during Mahama’s administration, Mr. Seth Terkper,  also eulogize his former boss.

    In a tweet cited by the Theindependent Ghana today, July 25, he stated that the late President was very committed and meek to his nation.

    “Dear H.E. Prof. J E A Mills: we honour you and the contribution you made to Ghana, from the humblest of vocation to the pinnacle,” he noted.

    The former Finance Minister further stated “For some of us, our development was a personal commitment to you. We say, thank you.”

    Late President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills served under the late former President Jerry John Rawlings as Vice President from 1997 till their tenure ended in January 2001.

    He later became the third President of the 4th Republic of Ghana on January 7, 2009, succeeding H. E John Agyakum Kufuor until his sudden demise on July 24, 2012.

     

  • Henceforth I’m not replying anyone against the Asomdwe Park renovation — Koku Anyidoho ceasefire

    The founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Atta Mills Institute, Koku Anyidoho has stated that he will no longer comment on anything related to the Asomdwe park renovation.

    According to him, he will rather channel his energy into positive discussions that will bring glory to God instead of paying attention to his accusers.

    In a twitter post Monday, July 25, 2022, Mr. Anyidoho stated, “I shall NOT Comment anymore about the negative talk about Asomdwee Park: I will focus on the positive way forward. To God Almighty be the glory.”

     

    For the past few days, the grave of the late President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills has dominated the headlines following the verbal exchanges between his family and Koku Anyidoho regarding the renovation of the grave ahead of his 10th-anniversary celebration.

    Koku Anyidoho was accused of tampering with the grave of the late President at Asomdwe Park by Mr. Samuel Atta Mills, the late President’s junior brother.

    Mr. Mills alleged that the Coastal Development Authority (CODA) and Mr. Koku Anyidoho desecrated the tomb of the late President.

    He further described the action as disrespect and a breach of tradition.

  • Myanmar: Military executes four democracy activists including ex-MP

    Four democracy activists have been executed by Myanmar’s military in what is believed to be the first use of capital punishment in decades.

    The four – including activist Ko Jimmy and lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw – were accused of committing “terror acts”.

    They were sentenced to death in a closed-door trial that rights groups criticised as being unjust.

    Family members of the deceased gathered at Insein prison on Monday desperate for information on their loved ones.

    The mother of Zayar Thaw says she was not told when exactly her son would be executed, adding that she was unable to make proper traditional funeral plans as a result.

    “When we met on Zoom last Friday, my son was healthy and smiling. He asked me to send his reading glasses, dictionary and some money to use in prison, so I brought those things to the prison today,” Khin Win May told the BBC’s Burmese Service. “That’s why I didn’t think they would kill him. I didn’t believe it.”

    Four democracy activists have been executed by Myanmar’s military in what is believed to be the first use of capital punishment in decades.

    The four – including activist Ko Jimmy and lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw – were accused of committing “terror acts”.

    They were sentenced to death in a closed-door trial that rights groups criticised as being unjust.

    Family members of the deceased gathered at Insein prison on Monday desperate for information on their loved ones.

    The mother of Zayar Thaw says she was not told when exactly her son would be executed, adding that she was unable to make proper traditional funeral plans as a result.

    “When we met on Zoom last Friday, my son was healthy and smiling. He asked me to send his reading glasses, dictionary and some money to use in prison, so I brought those things to the prison today,” Khin Win May told the BBC’s Burmese Service. “That’s why I didn’t think they would kill him. I didn’t believe it.”

    Meanwhile, the sister of Ko Jimmy – whose real name is Kyaw Min Yu – had earlier said they were yet to receive the bodies.

    The families have all submitted applications for information on the executions.

    State news outlet Global News Light of Myanmar said the four men were executed because they “gave directives, made arrangements and committed conspiracies for brutal and inhumane terror acts”.

    It said they had been charged under the counter terrorism laws, but did not say when or how they were executed.

    The executions are the first since 1988, according to the United Nations. Previous executions in Myanmar have been by hanging.

    In 2021, the country’s military seized power, an event which triggered widespread demonstrations, prompting a military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, activists and journalists.

    ‘Shocked and saddened’

    News of the killing was met with intense criticism from opposition groups and human rights organizations.

    “I am outraged and devastated at the news of the junta’s execution of Myanmar patriots and champions of human rights and democracy,” said UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews. “These depraved acts must be a turning point for the international community.”

    The shadow National Unity Government of Myanmar (NUG) said they were “extremely shocked and saddened” by the killings.

    The NUG – a group which comprises pro-democracy figures, representatives of armed ethnic groups and former lawmakers that was formed in response to the 2021 military coup – urged the international community to “punish (the) murderous military junta for their cruelty and killings”.

    Who were the accused?

    Ko Jimmy, 53, was a veteran of the 88 Generation Students Group – a Burmese pro-democracy movement known for their activism against the country’s military junta in the 1988 student uprisings.

    He, alongside his wife, fellow activist Nilar Thein, were considered some of the pioneers of the pro-democracy movement.

    When monks led protests against the regime in 2007, Ko Jimmy and his wife mobilised activists and protesters from the 1988 demonstrations to participate.

    He served multiple stints in prison for his activism, before being released in 2012.

    He was arrested in October last year after being accused of hiding weapons and ammunition at an apartment in Yangon and being an “advisor” to the National Unity Government.

    Phyo Zeya Thaw, 41, was a former hip-hop star turned NLD lawmaker.

    His band Acid released Myanmar’s first ever hip-hop album, with his lyrics carrying thinly-veiled attacks on the military drawing the ire of the junta.

    He gradually became a close ally of pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, and often accompanied her on her international meetings with world leaders.

    He was arrested in November for alleged anti-terror offences.

    National League for Democracy party (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Member of Parliament Thaw leave after attending a lower house of parliament meeting at Naypyitaw

    Both Phyo Zeya Thaw and Ko Jimmy lost their appeals against their sentences in June.

    Less is known about the two other activists – Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw. They were sentenced to death for killing a woman who was an alleged informer for the junta.

    The military has claimed the results of a general election that saw Suu Kyi’s political party winning by a landslide were rigged – an accusation election commission officials denied, saying there was no evidence of fraud.

    Since the coup, Suu Kyi has been detained under house arrest, and slapped with a litany of charges ranging from corruption to violating the country’s official secrets act, which could see her serving a sentence of up to 150 years.

    The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), which keeps a toll of those killed, jailed or detained by the military, says that 14,847 people have been arrested since the coup, with an estimated 2114 having been killed by military forces.

    Sources: bbc.com

  • Twitter blames Musk, weak ad market for drop in revenue

    Twitter on Friday July, 22 blamed uncertainties related to its US$44 billion acquisition  Elon Musk and a weakening digital ad market for a surprise fall in quarterly revenue.

    Twitter, which has sued Musk for dropping his offer to buy the company, said advertising revenue rose just 2 per cent to US$1.08 billion.

    It reported second-quarter revenue of US$1.18 billion, compared with US$1.19 billion a year earlier. Analysts were expecting US$1.32 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

    Twitter shares were down 3 per cent in trading before the bell.

    The company’s results come after Snapchat parent Snap posted weak results and declined to make a forecast, citing “incredibly challenging” conditions as advertisers cut back on spending.

    Twitter and its peers, including Snap and Alphabet, saw an uptick in revenue last year as brands spent heavily on advertising online, eyeing a recovery from the pandemic.

    But inflation pressures and fears of a recession this year have forced brands to rethink their marketing budgets.

    At the same time, Gen Z-favorite TikTok and tech giant Apple, which gives users the choice to opt of data tracking, are grabbing market share in the digital ad space.

    Sources: REUTERS

  • U.S. Supreme Court declines to allow Biden’s shift on immigration enforcement

    Supreme Court on Thursday declined to reinstate President Joe Biden’s policy shifting the focus of America’s immigration enforcement toward public safety threats, handing a victory to Texas and Louisiana as they challenge a plan they call unlawful.

    The justices on a 5-4 vote denied the Biden administration’s request to block a federal judge’s ruling that had prevented immigration officials from carrying out the enforcement guidelines while litigation over the legality of the policy continues. But the court said in a brief order that it would fast-track the Biden administration appeal and hear oral arguments in December.

    Biden’s policy departed from the hard-line approach taken by the Democratic president’s Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, who sought to broaden the range of immigrants subject to arrest and removal. Biden took office last year promising a more humane approach to immigration.

    In announcing the new guidelines last September, Biden’s administration noted that U.S. officials have long relied on setting enforcement priorities due to the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally.

    The policy would give agents more discretion to consider individual circumstances and prioritizes threats to national security or public safety.

    Republicans have criticized Biden’s administration, saying fewer detentions and deportations have encouraged more illegal border crossings.

    Texas and Louisiana sued in a federal court in Texas over Biden’s policy, arguing that under federal law officials lack discretion and are obligated to detain immigrants who commit a broad array of crimes or who have been ordered removed.

    U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton agreed on June 10, suspending the policy nationwide. Tipton was appointed by Trump.

    On July 6, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to block Tipton’s ruling pending an appeal.

  • Capitol riot: Trump ignored pleas to condemn attack, hearing told

    Ex-US President Donald Trump watched last year’s Capitol riot on TV at the White House, ignoring his children and aides who “begged him” to rebuke the mob, a congressional inquiry has heard.

    “He chose not to act,” said Adam Kinzinger, one of two Republicans on the Democratic-led committee.

    The prime-time hearing was told Mr Trump did not make a single call to law enforcement or national security staff.

    He was motivated by “his selfish desire to stay in power”, the inquiry alleged.

    On Thursday night, the House of Representatives select committee used its eighth hearing of the summer to draw a timeline of Mr Trump’s activities over 187 minutes on 6 January 2021 as a mob of his supporters raided Congress.

    The panel is seeking to build a case that Mr Trump, a Republican, acted illegally in a bid to overturn his defeat by Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the November 2020 presidential election.

    Members of the committee have suggested there might be enough evidence to charge Mr Trump with such counts as obstructing an official proceeding of Congress, conspiracy to defraud the American people or witness tampering.

    Any potential prosecution of Mr Trump would be led by the Department of Justice. But some commentators have suggested that advice issued by Attorney General Merrick Garland requiring prosecutors to obtain approval before embarking on politically sensitive investigations means it is unlikely Mr Trump will ever face trial.

    Mr Trump, who has been hinting he may run again for president in 2024, has dismissed the inquiry as a “kangaroo court” designed to distract Americans from the “disaster” of Democratic governance.

    The hearing was told that former President Trump had watched coverage of the riot on Fox News in the private dining room at the White House for more than two-and-a-half hours.

    Elaine Luria, a Virginia Democrat on the committee, said: “President Trump sat at his dining table and watched the attack on television while his senior-most staff, closest advisers and family members begged him to do what is expected of any American president.”

    The lawmaker also said the chief White House photographer had wanted to take pictures during the historic event, but was told not to.

    A former White House national security staffer, whose voice was obscured to conceal his identity, said officials in the executive mansion were “in a state of shock” over what was unfolding at the Capitol.

    The committee also played parts of a videotaped testimony by former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who said he had pushed for a strong statement from the president condemning the onslaught.

    “I said that people need to be told, there needs to be a public announcement, fast, that people need to leave the Capitol,” said Mr Cipollone.

    The president’s children, Ivanka Trump and Don Jr, had also wanted him to call off the rioters, the committee heard.

    But former press aide Sarah Matthews testified that an unnamed White House colleague had argued that if Mr Trump were to disavow the violence. it would be “handing a win to the media”.

    At 14:24 that day, Mr Trump sent a tweet attacking his Vice-President, Mike Pence, saying he “didn’t have the courage to” spurn his constitutional duty of certifying Mr Biden’s election win at Congress.

    Ms Matthews said the post amounted to “pouring gasoline on the fire”. She and Matthew Pottinger, who was deputy national security adviser to the president, testified that that tweet had prompted them both to resign.

    Three hours and seven minutes after the assault began, Mr Trump released a video at 16:17, recorded from the White House Rose Garden, in which he praised the rioters as “very special”, but asked them to disperse.

    Source: BBC

  • How Narteh Ogum announced his resignation to Kotoko management – Songo recounts

    Communication Team Member of Asante Kotoko, Countryman Songo has recounted how coach Prosper Narteh Ogum announced his resignation to the management and board of the club during a meeting.

    Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum according to Countryman Songo announced his resignation as Asante Kotoko coach to the Board and Management during a zoom technical meeting on Wednesday, July 20, 2022.

    Claiming that Ogum was disrespectful in the said meeting, the Fire for Fire show host said the former WAFA coach after raising his voice severally in the meeting thanked some board and management members while adding that he has resigned despite efforts to get him to retract the statement.

    “There was a meeting and we (Management) presented what you gave us to the Board and they called you to also come and have your say. He joined the meeting initially but the Board told him to wait until we are done with our presentation before he can join. He started saying all sorts of things as if he has been told to resign the moment he joined the meeting after our presentation.”

    “He just thanked some Board and Management Members and said that he has resigned and he can’t continue with the job. Even the way he resigned was not proper per how he spoke. Nobody sacked him from the job.”

    “Just because he was not allowed to get his way during the meeting. Even Man United don’t get all their targets in a transfer window. He wanted everyone to keep quiet for only him to talk”

    He added that the club has accepted the resignation of coach Ogum and will move on from him.

    “The Management has accepted his resignation and we won’t go back to him. We won’t allow Ogum to intimidate the Board and Management for him to be allowed to do what he wants to do in the club.”

    “You can’t disrespect the Board and Management at a meeting and we will come and beg you to come back. He was just afraid to go to Africa and defend the league title that he won,” Countryman Songo.

    Source:ghanaweb

  • Mario Draghi resigns, plunging Italy into political turmoil

    Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi handed in his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday after his unity government fell apart, plunging the country into political turmoil and hitting financial markets.

    Mattarella’s office said in a statement that the head of state had “taken note” of the resignation and asked Draghi to remain in a caretaker capacity.

    The statement did not say what Mattarella would do next. Political sources said earlier this week that he would likely dissolve parliament and call early elections in October.

    Mattarella plans to meet the speakers of both houses of parliament on Thursday afternoon.

    Italy’s coalition crumbled on Wednesday when three of Draghi’s main partners snubbed a confidence vote he had called to try to end divisions and renew their fractious alliance.

    The political crisis has up-ended months of stability in Italy, during which the respected former central banker Draghi had helped shape Europe’s tough response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and had boosted the country’s standing in financial markets.

    Italian bond and stocks sold off sharply on Thursday just as markets were bracing for the first interest rate hike from the European Central Bank since 2011.

    In early trade, benchmark 10-year Italian bonds yields soared over 20 basis points to their highest in over three weeks and Italian stocks (.FTMIB) opened down 1.8%.

    “It is a big blow to Italy’s ability to deliver policies and reforms over the near term,” said Lorenzo Codogno, head of LC Macro Advisers and a former senior Italian Treasury official. “There will be delays and disruptions with early elections, and most likely no budget by year-end.”

    COALITION FRACTURES

    Draghi had already tendered his resignation last week after one of his partners, the populist 5-Star Movement, failed to back him in a confidence vote on measures tackling the high cost of living.

    Mattarella rejected the resignation and told him to go before parliament to see if he could keep the broad coalition going until the planned end of the legislature in early 2023.

    In a speech to the Senate, Draghi made a plea for unity and set out a series of issues facing Italy ranging from the war in Ukraine to social inequality and rising prices.

    But the 5-Star once again decided not to back him, saying he had not addressed their core concerns.

    In addition, the rightist Forza Italia and League parties decided to shun the vote, saying they wanted a commitment that Draghi was willing to forge a new administration without 5-Star and with fresh policy priorities.

    Polls say the conservative bloc, which includes the far-right Brothers of Italy party, would likely win a ballot.

    Source: Reuters

  • LinkedIn prioritized user experience and diversity efforts. The result: We’re all spending more time engaging on the platform.

    Over the past year, there’s been a 28% increase in the number of posts and comments on the platform and a near-sevenfold jump in the number of newsletters, according to LinkedIn.

    Part of this is due to what’s been happening in the world. The Great Resignation, layoffs in some industries, and reports of companies rescinding job offers are drawing users to the professional-networking platform. Concerns about a potential recession and its impact on the job market might mean you could now spend even more time on LinkedIn. And if those fears don’t pull you in, the company is betting a steady flow of articles and other content will.

    LinkedIn has become the go-to destination for personal and professional blog posts, newsletters, and news sharing through two main strategies.

    The first is LinkedIn’s leadership being, in their own words, “obsessed” with how people use the platform. The second is promoting diversity and inclusion to spur creative thinking. Both have helped company leadership figure out where to invest and what features to add.

    The focus on making the platform more similar to other social-media apps like Instagram and Facebook has paid off. LinkedIn, which Microsoft acquired in 2016, had more than 830 million users as of April, which is a 20% increase from its 690 million users at the start of 2020.

    “Over the past couple of years, we’ve really seen an explosion of content and conversation on the platform,” Keren Baruch, the product lead for creator strategy at LinkedIn, said. “And we’re just getting started.”

    “Member obsessed”

    LinkedIn’s recent surge in users creating newsletters, blog posts, and comment threads is the result of years of research into how people engage with platform. Execs called the strategy being “member-obsessed,” which is reminiscent of Amazon’s “customer obsession,” the leadership principle that Jeff Bezos, the retailer’s founder, has long praised. In essence, it says that by focusing on how customers use a company’s product and making it better for them, the whole company succeeds.

    Blake Barnes, the vice president of product management at LinkedIn, said major projects often begin by trying to determine what users need to meet their goals.

    “The place we start is always with our members, the people that use our platform, and it’s looking at our members in the context of our vision. It’s understanding what they need,” Barnes said.

    LinkedIn’s mission has always been to connect people to economic opportunity, Baruch said. She noted that over the past several years, finding ways to encourage users to create articles, polls, and other content has emerged as a key way to help users achieve that goal.

    In 2007, four years after the company launched, LinkedIn rolled out its messaging feature, allowing users to communicate with one another. In 2008, the company added a discussion feature in LinkedIn Groups so members could debate relevant topics. In 2014, the company introduced its now widely used blogging option. And two years later, in 2016, that blogging option got a face-liftgiving writers the ability to add photos and different fonts to their posts and blogs.

    Greg Fisher, a professor at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, said LinkedIn’s focus on creating content reflects the company’s focus on its users.

    “LinkedIn has a clearly defined target user base of working professionals, and they focus strongly on those users,” Fisher said. “They have not tried to branch out to reach a younger demographic, or to expand to become ‘cool’ for people outside of the workforce.”

    Baruch explained that the company works to form relationships with top content creators. It has a team dedicated to working with the platform’s 200 most popular creators.

    Conducting listening sessions with these creators and testing concepts with them has generated a number of ideas. “We’ve seen creators do a host of creative things from networking events, to AMAs, industry deep-dives with thought leaders,” Baruch said, referring to “ask me anything” Q-and-A sessions with notable figures.

    The idea to let users publish newsletters was one idea that came from the platform’s top creators. LinkedIn created the option in 2019 and made it available to all users in 2021.

    “It starts from having a very clear strategy of what we want it to feel like to be on LinkedIn,” Baruch said.

    Emphasizing psychological safety

    According to executives, fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion is another driving force of LinkedIn’s success.

    “The best teams are the ones that have a diverse range of perspectives and backgrounds,” Barnes said. “They can create things that no one else can.”

    He said it comes down to psychological safety, or the environment where workers and partners like content creators believe that they can share their ideas.

    Research from McKinsey & Company, a global management-consulting firm, suggests that teams who believe there is psychological safety in their organization are more likely to innovate quickly and adapt well to change.

    Tammy Madsen, a professor of strategy and innovation at Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business, explained how the leadership strategy relates to quick innovation. Psychological safety, she explained, means workers can share ideas without fear of backlash, but also feel safe enough to challenge one another.

    “If there’s an idea that challenges the status quo, it’s about not defaulting to negative feedback simply because of that,” she said. “It’s about encouraging risk taking, encouraging experimentation, trying to foster a learning culture.”

    Source: businessinsider.com

  • 27 migrants killed in Morocco crackdown, not 23 – Watchdog

    The Moroccan Association for Human Rights released a report on Wednesday putting the death toll from last month’s attempt by hundreds of migrants to storm the border between the north African kingdom and the Spanish enclave of Melilla higher than the official government tally.

    The human rights watchdog, known as AMDH, said at least 27 people, mostly from Sudan, South Sudan and Chad, died in the attempt, with that number likely, to rise as many more suffered severe injuries and 64 people remained missing.

    The Moroccan government has previously reported 23 deaths in the June 24 border storming.

    AMDH Nador official Omar Naji said that Moroccan and Spanish authorities used smoke bombs and tear gas to disperse the migrants, who had gathered at the BarrioChino crossing area, which separates the Moroccan city of Nador from Melilla, leading to many dying of asphyxiation, although autopsies have not yet been carried out.

    Other people, the group said, died in a stampede caused by the smoke and ensuing panic.

    In addition to the deaths, 200 Moroccan and Spanish law enforcement officers and more than 70 civilians were injured in the melee.

    AMDH Nador section President Mohammed Amine also said 64 people remained missing as of last Friday.

    The group released its preliminary report on Wednesday, saying it was based on an investigation conducted by its affiliate in Nador.

    The report said around 1,500 migrants and asylum-seekers departed that day from nearby forests and arrived at the BarrioChino crossing area at around 9 a.m.

    There they tried to open the main gate and started climbing the checkpoints.

    At that moment, Moroccan authorities began throwing stones and smoke bombs at the migrants, causing many to die of suffocation.

    Those who tried to escape and desperately reach the fence perished in a stampede that was made worse by the heavy use of tear gas, it added.

    It said Moroccan officers did not use lethal force but some beat wounded migrants lying on the ground.

    Source:africanews.com

  • Russia reports nearly 40% rise in bankruptcy in first half of 2022

    The number of Russian citizens who have declared bankruptcy and faced liquidation in the first half of 2022 rose by 37.8% over the same period from last year, a Russian Ministry of Economic Development report shows.

    From January to the end of June, 121,313 Russian citizens filed for bankruptcy and had their assets liquidated to pay off debts, the report stated. Among them, the largest number of bankruptcy declarations were from Moscow at more than 6,000 individuals, followed by the region surrounding the capital, with more than 5,600.

    Within the same timeframe, 20,185 Russian citizens filed for bankruptcy and went through debt restructuring, according to the report.

    The number of individual bankruptcies in the country nearly tripled from 68,980 in 2019 to 192,833 in 2021, the report added.

    Source: CNN

     

  • Ukraine war: CIA chief says no intelligence that Putin is in bad health

    There is no intelligence that Vladimir Putin is unstable or in bad health, the director of the CIA has said.

    There has been increasing unconfirmed media speculation that Mr Putin, who turns 70 this year, may be suffering from ill health, possibly cancer.

    But William Burns said there was no evidence to suggest this, joking that he appeared “too healthy”.

    His comments came as the US announced it would provide Ukraine with more long-range weapons.

    Earlier Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia’s military focus in Ukraine was no longer “only” the east and implied Moscow’s strategy had changed after the West supplied Ukraine with such weapons.

    ‘Believer in control’

    “There are lots of rumours about President Putin’s health and as far as we can tell he’s entirely too healthy,” Mr Burns said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

    Responding to laughter, he added that this was not a formal intelligence judgement.

    Mr Burns, who served as ambassador to Moscow, said he had been observing and dealing with the Russian leader for more than two decades.

    Mr Putin is “a big believer in control, intimidation and getting even” and these traits have hardened over the last decade as his circle of advisers has contracted, the CIA chief said.

    “He is convinced that his destiny as Russia’s leader is to restore Russia as a great power. He believes the key to doing that is to recreate a sphere of influence in Russia’s neighbourhood and he cannot do that without controlling Ukraine.”

    Mr Burns travelled to Moscow in November to warn about the serious consequences for invading Ukraine following intelligence the US had collected about Russia’s plans. But the CIA director said he left “more troubled than when I arrived”.

    The Russian president’s plans were based on “profoundly flawed assumptions and some real illusions especially about Ukraine and the will to resist”, Mr Burns said.

    “Putin really does believe his rhetoric. I’ve heard him say this privately over the years that Ukraine is not a real country.

    “Well, real countries fight back. And that’s what the Ukrainians have done.”

    The US estimates that Russian casualties in Ukraine so far have reached around 15,000 killed and perhaps 45,000 wounded, Mr Burns said. He estimated that Ukrainian losses were a little less.

    He added Russia’s current concentration of forces in the Donbas suggested the military had learned hard lessons.

    Russia invaded Ukraine in February, claiming falsely that Russian-speakers in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region had suffered a genocide and needed to be liberated.

    Five months on, Russia has occupied parts of the east and south of the country, but it failed in its original aim of capturing Kyiv and has since claimed its main objective was the liberation of Donbas.

    The US has accused Russia of preparing to annex parts of Ukraine.

    But earlier on Wednesday the Russian foreign minister implied the US supplying long-range weapons could broaden Moscow’s military focus in Ukraine.

    Despite Mr Lavrov’s apparent warnings, the US on Wednesday announced it would provide Ukraine with more long-range weapons.

    Ukraine will receive another four Himars advanced rocket systems to hold the advance of Russian troops, bringing the total number to 16, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

    Meanwhile Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska addressed US Congress, asking for more air-defence systems to “help us to stop this terror against Ukrainians”.

    She said the weapons could help assure a “joint great victory”.

    Source:bbc.com

  • Rawlings – boxing, Kufuor – football: Ghana’s 4th Republican presidents and their childhood sports

    In our previous article, we gave you a list of 5 active Ghanaian footballers whose Black Stars careers might be over after being out of the national team for a minimum of three years.

    Today, we look at the childhood sports of all the men who have occupied Ghana’s presidency since the beginning of the 4th republic in 1993.

    Children and their preference for a particular sport is mostly influenced by their community or the school they find themselves in.

    Some children after falling in love with a particular sport tend to pursue it as a career with the needed talents but others abandon it because of their parents.

    Here is a list of Ghana’s 4th Republican presidents and their childhood sports:

    Jerry John Rawlings – boxing

    Born June 22, 1947, the late president of the 4th Republic of Ghana is best remembered for promoting boxing in Ghana and helping nurture several talents across the country.

    Rawlings according to his son Kimathi had hoped in Ghanaian boxers because they had a strong disciplined mind to become great.

    Ghana’s legendary boxer Azumah Nelson has on countless occasions credited the successes he archived in his career to the late Jerry John Rawlings who was also an amateur boxer.

    Though JJ Rawlings couldn’t pursue his boxing career, he made sure that other young talents would get all the needed support from the State to be useful.

    During his reign, Ghana won three world titles through Azumah Nelson, Ike Bazooka Quartey, and the late Alfred Kotey.

    John Agyekum Kufuor – football

    There isn’t much to be said about the footballing career of Ghana’s second president in the 4th Republic aside being in the school team during his days in Prempeh Colleague in Kumasi.

    However, John Agyekum Kufuor was an established football administrator before occupying the high office in Ghana.

    As a football administrator, former President John Agyekum Kufuor was the Chief Executive Officer of Asante Kotoko where he won a lot of local titles before he became Ghana’s leader in 2001.

    His love for football also made him commit more resources to help the Black Stars qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in Ghana’s footballing history in 2006.

    Kufuor renovated the Accra Sports Stadium and the Baba Yara Stadium as well as built the Essipong and Tamale stadium in 2008 to host the CAN 2008.

    John Evans Atta-Mills – Hockey

    The late former President was a professional hockey player but also worked as a football administrator for giants Accra Hearts of Oak.

    He played for both the hockey teams of Achimota College during his Secondary School education and the University of Ghana, Legon in his tertiary days.

    As a State Man, Atta-Mills changed the face of Ghana hockey by supporting the construction of the first ever water-based Astro-turf hockey pitch in 1999, and an ultra-modern world-class National Hockey Stadium which was built in 2009.

    He is also a founding member of the Veterans Hockey team in Accra which was established in 1972.

    John Dramani Mahama – football

    Just like John Agyekum Kufuor, John Dramani Mahama was also a talented footballer but his father Emmanuel Adama reportedly made him ditch football to focus more on his education.

    Though John Mahama couldn’t pursue a career in football, his son Sharaf continues from where his father left off to become a professional footballer.

    Sharaf Mahama has played for several clubs in Eurpe inclduing Tempo Overijse, KV Mechelen, Charleroi and Rostocker FC.

    As President, John Mahama’s love for football was seen through the government’s sports policies.

    He built the Cape Coast Sports Stadium to ease the pressure of the four existing stadiums in Ghana. Mahama also built Ghana’s only boxing arena in Bukoum to promote the sport which sold Ghana to the world after football.

    Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo – boxing

    The current president is a football fan but his love for boxing precedes every sport in the world.

    Young Akufo-Addo played football in his high school days and was in the University of Ghana, Legon’s hockey team together with the late John Evans Atta-Mills.

    Akufo-Addo was an all-around athlete amongst all the presidents we have seen in the 4th Republic.

    As the president, Akufo-Addo has invested heavily in sports infrastructure with the building of the multi-purpose sports complex in all the 16 regions in Ghana.

    He will also be the 4th president to taste a FIFA World Cup after Kufuor, Mills, and Mahama.

    Author: Joel Eshun

  • Countryman Songo renews attack on Otto Addo

    Broadcast journalist, Patrick Osei Agyemang, popularly known as ‘Countryman Songo’ has said it’s a joke that Borussia Dortmund’s talent coach, Otto Addo, is leading Ghana to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    According to him, Mr. Otto is not equipped become a Black Stars coach let alone lead Ghana to the World Cup.

    Speaking on Asempa FM, Songo said he is shocked that a football powerhouse like Ghana would consider a ‘trainer Scout’ to lead the country to the biggest international showpiece.

    “I’m shocked that from the 70s, 80s, 90s and now we are in 2022 and Ghana, who have won African Cup, produced top players have decided to take trainer scout to the World Cup. We are joking. We have the money to hire top coaches but you’ve allowed the politician to misuse the money. Then in this modern world, not in the olden days, even the 60s and the 70s and 90s, Ghana we were hiring top coaches…But in the modern days is a trainer scout who will be leading Ghana to the World Cup,” Songo said.

    Otto Addo serves as a transitional/talent coach at Borussia Dortmund with his duty centred on ensuring young players get a smooth transition from the academy to the first team.

    The former Black Stars winger steered Ghana to qualify for the World Cup after eliminating Nigeria in a two-legged play-off.

    Following the qualification, the Ghana Football Association extended his month interim role to six months, which will come to an end after the World Cup in Qatar.

    At Borussia Dortmund, Otto Addo told the BBC in an interview that he holds four major roles at the club which includes managing talent, analysing games of each player in the talent group to identify their strength and weaknesses, individual training, and getting to know the players through meetings and digging into their lives.

    The former Dortmund man penned a new three-year deal with Borussia Dortmund in June 2022 as he looks to develop many young talents for the German side.

  • Meet Ghanaian who has been appointed coach of Bristol City’s women’s team

    Ghanaian descent, Anita Asante of Bristol City, have been chosen as first team coach ahead of the 2022/23 season.

    The appointment of the former British footballer comes after calling time on her 19-year professional career when the 2021/2022 Women’s Premier League season came to a close.

    Asante enjoyed a formidable career as she won the quadruple with Arsenal in 2017 together with making 71 appearances for England and featuring for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics.

    Asante joins Bristol City’s coaching setup after earning her UEFA B coaching badge.

    The ex-footballer who last played for Aston Villa before retiring will assist Bristol City’s head coach Lauren Smith at the helm.

    Bristol City women finished third in the Championship last season with head coach Lauren Smith at the helm. The club is looking forward to qualify for the topflight in the upcoming season.

    Here is a look into her 19 years of professional career

    Clubs career

    Anita Ama Asante, born on April 27, 1985, turned 37 years on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.

    She was born and bred in the UK and thus spent a chunk of his career in the European country.

    Asante started her club career at Arsenal. She joined the youth team in 1998 and made her debut for the first team in 2003.

    The centre-back played for 9 different clubs, amongst them, Arsenal was her longest-serving club. She spent 5 spells with the team, where she achieved most of her successes.

    Asante joined rival London club, Chelsea in 2008 before travelling abroad to join US-based Sky Blues.

    During her time in the US, she played for Saint Louis Athletica, Chicago Red Stars, Washington Freedom, and back to Sky Blues all in the space of two years.

    She then moved to Sweden in 2012, spending five seasons in the Swedish league- one season at Goteborg and four seasons at FC Rosengard/Malmo.

    She then returned to England, joining Chelsea in 2018 before a move to Aston Villa in 2020, where she called it a wrap.

    International career

    Anita Asante served the English national team for 11 years after playing at all levels in the youth team, including being named as the captain of the U19.

    She made her senior debut in 2004 when she came on as a substitute in a game against Iceland.

    She played at four different major tournaments for England, namely Euros- 2005, 2009, 2013, and the World Cup in 2011.

    She made a total of 71 appearances for England. Her 50th game was a 1-0 win over Japan at the 2011 World Cup.

    Anita scored one goal in her international career, her goal gave England a 1-0 win against Norway in a friendly in 2005.

    Honours

    Asante is one of the most decorated female British players. She is a Quadruple winner and a double winner.

    At Arsenal, she won the UEFA Women’s Cup (Arsenal) in 2007 the FA Women’s Cup 3 times -2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, the FA Women’s National Premier League 4 times 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and FA Women’s Premier League Cup 3 times 2005, 2005, 2007.

    She won the quadruple with Arsenal in 2007 (UEFA Cup, League, League Cup and FA Cup) and a double in 2006 and 2008 all at Arsenal – League and FA Cup.

    Her spell in Sweden also landed her four trophies, the Svenska Cupen in 2012 and Svenska Supercupen in 2013 while at Göteborg. She won the same trophies with FC Rosengard/Malmo in 2015 and 2016.

  • Ghana begins installation of e-visa system at missions abroad

    A technical team of Orell Füssli Security (OFS) Printing Limited, in Switzerland has arrived in the country to install latest e-visa equipment at the Ghana Immigration Service and designated Ghana Missions abroad.

    The installation of the new e-visa system corresponds with the present best practice regarding the enhancement of greater efficiency, data security, accountability of consular revenues and for the safety of national security.

    Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, said this on Tuesday at the opening ceremony for the Site Acceptance Test visit by the technical team of the company for the implementation of the e-visa system.

    The test is expected to be performed on Thursday July 21, 2022, at the Ghana Immigration Service headquarters.

    Ghana, in February 2020, signed a Technical Support Agreement with OFS and TGN Digital Security Limited for the supply of machine-readable visa stickers and the deployment of an e-visa hardware personalisation system for the installation of the system.

    Madam Botchwey said in furtherance of the implementation of the agreement, following the Factory Acceptance Test visit, the existing service providers had successfully integrated their systems with that of the OFS for the deployment of the new visa system.

    “There were initial pilot runs of the system at our Berne and Copenhagen Missions (smaller Missions) following the integration exercise,” she added.

    With the arrival of the technical team for the installation of the system, the Minister said the country was ready for the deployment of the system at the designated Missions abroad, starting with the bigger Missions in London and Berlin.

    Madam Botchwey welcomed the on-site training of the Ghana Immigration officers on the management and operation of the system.

    “It is my expectation that the visit would pave the way for the smooth deployment of the new hardware systems in our Missions abroad to ensure efficient delivery of visa services to applicants,” she added.

    Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, the Controller General of the Ghana Immigration Service said the Service had taken delivery of the visa stickers, three visa issuing stations and the server equipment for the project.

    The visa stations and server equipment, he stated, would be installed by the close of the week at the Airport and the Service’s Data Centre.

    Mr Geoffray Raymond, Head, OFS Team, expressed happiness about the partnership and was confident that the installation would be completed by the end of the week.

    Malawi, Benin, Nigeria, Botswana, Ethiopia, Morocco, Djibouti, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, among others are implementing the e-visa system.

  • Ghana ranked second most peaceful African country, 40th globally – 2022 GPI report

    Ghana has been recognized as the second most peaceful country in the sub-Saharan Africa region just beyond the island nation of Mauritius.

    This was revealed last week by the 2022 edition of the Global Peace Index, GPI, report.

    The score also placed Ghana as the 40th most peaceful country on the global ranking of 163 countries, however the country’s overall score was 1.759 as compared to 1.715 in 2021

    The global rank means Ghana dropped two steps from the 38th spot in 2021. Per the 2021 global scores, Ghana is sandwiched between Kuwait and Albania.

    Completing the top five most peaceful African countries are The Gambia (45th globally), Botswana (48th) and Sierra Leone (50th) in that order.

    Ghana is currently dogged by an economic downturn that has seen government turn to the International Monetary Fund for an economic rescue programme. Government partly blame the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia Ukraine war.

    Some of the security challenges that Ghana has faced in the past few months have been clashes between protesters and Police, with the most recent being the clash between Arise Ghana protesters and the Police in late June.

    There is however a looming threat of terrorist violence being imported from across the Sahel, more so with neighbouring countries having recorded attacks in recent months.

    As of last year, the report came out at amid rising insecurity with most citizens expressing grave concerns about rising insecurity following the murder of a bullion van police escort and a hawker in Jamestown plus a series of robbery incidents across the country.

     

     

  • Ghanaian woman shot dead by unidentified persons in US

    The police have confirmed the death of a Ghanaian woman, 41, who was shot dead by unidentified persons on Cambridge Street in Worcester, Massachusetts.

    According to Asaaseradio.com report, the woman was one of two Ghanaian women shot at 7PM on Saturday. The victim was pronounced dead at the hospital she was rushed to.

    The second victim, also a woman who suffered from gunshot wounds was taken to the hospital but was less injured.

    Neighbours confirmed the two women were from Ghana and active members of the West African business community in Worcester adding that the victim had two young children who lived with her at the Cambridge Street home.

    But the police did not release the identity of the woman in its statement.

    Meanwhile, the police say they are looking for a red Toyota Camry that was seen leaving the scene while they investigate what led to the shooting.

    Source: mynigeria.com

  • Government wants airlines to allow passengers with Special Authorization Permit travel to Ghana

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has written to the management of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) to notify all airlines operating in the country to allow passengers with Special Authorization Permit issued by a Ghana Mission Abroad to travel to Ghana on their airlines.

    The Ministry explained in a letter that Ghana Missions abroad are encountering serious system challenges with the issuance of visas for potential travelers to Ghana, a situation that has worsened over the past two weeks.

    The letter written on her behalf by the Chief of Protocol at the Ministry, Ambassador Emmanuel Antwi, to the GACL dated 15th July 2022 said “Ghana Missions abroad are encountering serious system challenges with the issuance of visas for potential travelers to Ghana.

     

    “The situation has worsened over the past two weeks creating more chaotic scenes some of the Ghana missions.”

    It added “In this connection, the Ghana Airport Company Limited is being requested to urgently notify all airlines operating in Ghana to allow passengers with Special Authorization Permit issued by a Ghana Mission Abroad to travel to Ghana on their airlines (Only passengers with such authorization should be allowed to board as such authorization will be required for the processing of visa-on arrival.

    “All such passengers will be issued visas on arrival (at a fee) at the Kotoka International Airport.”

    Sources: 3news.com

  • Greece aircraft crash: Footage shows cargo plane on fire before hitting ground

    People living near the site of a crashed cargo plane in northern Greece have been told to stay indoors amid fears over toxic material.

    The Antonov-12, operated by a Ukraine-based company, was flying from Serbia to Jordan when it went down on Saturday close to the city of Kavala.

    It was not immediately known whether there were any survivors.

    Greece’s ERT state broadcaster reported that the aircraft had been carrying a 12-tonne cargo.

    It has been described as potentially dangerous. On Sunday morning, emergency services were using a drone to survey the site of the wreckage out of caution. State-run TV reported the army, explosives experts and Greek Atomic Energy Commission staff would not approach until it was deemed safe.

    “The (air) measurements at the moment have not shown anything but nonetheless instability in the field was observed,” Lieutenant General Marios Apostolidis, of the Northern Greece Fire Brigade, told reporters.

    crash site

    “In other words, intense smoke and heat, as well as a white substance that we do not recognise, so a special armed forces team has to inform us what it is and whether we can enter the field.”

    The pilot had reportedly requested an emergency landing at Kavala airport due to an engine problem but was unable to reach the runway.

    The plane was noticed at about 22:45 local time (19:45 GMT) by local residents. Footage appears to show it was already on fire as it descended.

    Aimilia Tsaptanova – who saw the plane come down – said she was amazed it hadn’t crashed into their homes.

    “It was full of smoke, it had a noise I can’t describe and it went over the mountain,” she said. “It passed the mountain and turned and crashed into the fields.

    “There were flames, we were scared. A lot of cars came, but they couldn’t approach because there were continuous explosions.”

    Some reports say eight people may have been on board the aircraft.

    Local officials said seven fire engines had been deployed but they could not initially approach the crash site because of continuing explosions.

    Greece’s special disaster response unit was also investigating the scene, Reuters reported.

    So far there has been no public comment from Ukraine, Serbia or Jordan.

  • COLA may be suspended in future Govt tells organized labour

    The government has served notice that the 15 percent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) for members of organized labour would be suspended when the conditions that necessitated it are no more.

    The various worker unions declared an indefinite strike in demand for a 20 percent cost of living allowance to cushion them against the current economic hardship.

    However, the government reached a consensus with them for the payment of 15 percent of the allowance effective July 1, 2022.

    Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Bright Wereko Brobby spoke on the possibility of the non-payment of the allowance in the future.

    “We have agreed that the Cost of Living Allowance will be paid effective 1st July. As the name applies, it is an allowance which is a result of certain factors that have arisen in the course of the year so as and when these factors are no longer there, there will not be the relevance to still continue with it.”

    Government and organised labour have agreed on a 15 percent cost of living allowance for members of organised labour.

    The various worker unions, including the four teacher unions, the Ghana Medical Association, and the Public Sector Workers Union, among others, demanded the payment of 20 percent of their basic salaries as Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) due to the current economic situation in the country.

    Negotiations dragged on for over two weeks, compelling CCT, GNAT, NAGRAT, and TEWU to embark on industrial action to insist on their demands.

    But after a crunch meeting on July 14, 2022, both parties came to a conclusion on a 15% COLA, which will take retrospective effect from July 1, 2022.

    The Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, reading out the terms of the agreement, said “We agreed with the labour unions that the COLA will be paid at the rate of 15% of base pay, that the effective date for the payment of the COLA will be 1st July 2022.”

    “We also agreed that all industrial actions underway and threats of same will be called off immediately and that labour will return to work.”

    Source: CitiNews