Five months after joining the Greek Super League winners, Marcelo, a former Real Madrid and Brazil great, has departed Olympiacos.
The five-time Champions League champion left back announced the end of his illustrious Madrid career in September when he signed with Olympiacos on a free transfer.
After signing a purported one-year contract with the possibility of an additional year extension, Marcelo made just five appearances in the Greek top division this season and did not start in any of them.
The 34-year-old confirmed his separation with Olympiacos on Instagram on Saturday.
I have lived unforgettable moments in Greece, in which I was warmly welcomed to a new home, not only for me, but also for my family,” he wrote.
“Piraeus and the people have all my heart and this won’t be my last time in this amazing country. I can only express gratitude for wearing the Olympiacos jersey.
“Even though the brief stay, the experience and the friends I made there will be forever marked in my life.
“Today I say goodbye but I’m leaving my affection and respect to the president, my team-mates, all the employees and fans of the club.
“I wish Olympiacos a successful future! Thank you, Olympiacos.”
The Greek Super League side added: “The entire Olympiacos family would like to thank @MarceloM12 for his cooperation and presence in Olympiacos.
“The time he stayed with us was brief but enough to create everlasting bonds. He knows that in Greece, in Piraeus he will always have friends!”
Reports suggest retirement is not on the cards for Marcelo, who remains Madrid’s most decorated player after the 58-cap Brazil international lifted 25 major trophies with the LaLiga giants.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has announced that Christian Atsu’s remains will be transported to Ghana today, Sunday, February 19, 2023.
In a statement, the ministry stated that the remains of the former Black Stars player will be accompanied by his family and Ghana’s Ambassador to Turkey on a Turkish airline flight expected to arrive at 7:40pm in Accra.
His remains will received at the Kotoka International Airport by the family, the Ghana Football Association (GFA), as well as the government upon arrival.
Christian Atsu was confirmed dead on Saturday after he was pulled out of a rubble caused by an earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023.
He was found 12 days after the Turkish rescue mission began searching for surviors.
Currently, Ghana is in a state of mourning as tributes pour in across the world for the late Christian Atsu.
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, lamented his team’s wastefulness in front of goal as Nottingham Forest held them to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
After being ousted by Arsenal earlier on Saturday, the defending champions appeared poised to reclaim first place in the Premier League courtesy to Bernardo Silva’s outstanding first-half goal.
Chris Wood, though, made a late appearance to deny them all three points, allowing Forest to avoid a loss to the reigning champions for the first time since they defeated Manchester United in December 1994.
City squandered a host of glorious opportunities to extend their lead before Wood’s intervention, with Erling Haaland guilty of one particularly glaring miss, and Guardiola was disappointed with his side’s profligacy.
“Congratulations to Nottingham for the point that they got,” the City boss said.
“It was a brilliant performance, we played really good but we didn’t score. We have to score and we didn’t do it and that’s why we dropped points.
“For the goal we could defend better, more energy but the way we played was brilliant.
“In the first half, it should be already be two- or three-zero, we conceded one shot on target and we dropped points.
“It’s sad and disappointing but the way we played was really good.”
The result meant City have failed to beat a promoted side in the Premier League for the first time since April 2021 when they lost against Leeds United – they had won nine such games in a row before the draw with Forest.
City defender Kyle Walker was less diplomatic than his manager, stating that City’s failure to take all three points back to Manchester was “unacceptable”.
“First and foremost, we go to the Emirates [where they beat Arsenal in midweek] and play the game we did and then come here, it [the performance] is unacceptable,” he said.
“If we want to compete with teams near the top, we need to win. We missed a few chances and we need to do better as a team.
“Sometimes it’s football and sometimes it’s emotion. Every game should be treated the same, like a cup final. What can I say other than it is unacceptable. We have to stick together as a group.
“The senior members of the team need to put our thoughts across. That is just not acceptable. We have to give credit to Nottingham Forest. They dug in and hung on. We have to do better.”
Nick Pope’s hopes of competing in the Carabao Cup final were dashed as Liverpool defeated Newcastle 2-0 to reclaim fourth-place contention.
The England goalkeeper was sent off for handling outside of his penalty area 22 minutes into a thrilling Premier League game at St. James’ Park, and he will be sidelined for Sunday’s match at Wembley against Manchester United.
With Karl Darlow on loan at Hull and Martin Dubravka already having played for United in the tournament during his loan stint earlier this season, former Liverpool keeper Loris Karius appears set to have a debut he never could have imagined.
However, the Magpies’ hopes of extending their unbeaten league run to a club-record 18 games had already been fatally wounded by goals from Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo inside the opening 17 minutes as the visitors – the only side to beat Newcastle in the league this season – ruthlessly exploited the space behind central defenders Fabian Schar and Sven Botman to run out 2-0 winners.
Referee Anthony Taylor’s whistle signalled a breathless start by the home side in which Miguel Almiron’s poor first touch from Alexander Isak’s well-weighted pass allowed keeper Alisson Becker to smother his attempt before Allan Saint-Maximin slashed a shot across the face of goal after his initial cross had been repelled.
But it was Liverpool who took the lead after 10 minutes when Nunez controlled Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb ball over the top and fired past the stranded Pope with his strike surviving a VAR check for offside.
They doubled their lead seven minutes later when Gakpo timed his run to meet Mohamed Salah’s ball over the top to perfection and beat the stranded Pope with the Magpies’ hopes of a reprieve at the hands of the video assistant once again coming to nothing.
A bad evening for Eddie Howe’s men took a disastrous turn after 22 minutes when Pope raced from his goal in an attempt to prevent Salah from reaching Alisson’s clearance and having misjudged the flight, dived to head clear but diverted the ball on to his arm.
The referee had little option but to produce a red card which ended the keeper’s Wembley dreams as well as any realistic chance of recovery in the game.
Dubravka was called from the bench in place of Elliot Anderson, whose first Premier League start had lasted just 24 minutes, but it was opposite number Alisson who had to be at his best to tip Saint-Maximin’s 31st-minute shot at the end of a superb solo run on to his crossbar.
The bar came to the Reds’ rescue once again three minutes before the break when Dan Burn’s header from a Kieran Trippier corner cannoned back off it to safety.
Liverpool retained possession with ease for long periods after the restart knowing their job was all but done against the 10 men.
But Saint-Maximin, in his best form for some time, ensured the Reds could not relax too much with the Frenchman feeding Isak to shoot over on the turn with 52 minutes gone.
Schar headed wide from another Trippier corner, but Dubravka had to dive full-length to turn away Nunez’s 57th-minute attempt as Jurgen Klopp prepared a quadruple substitution.
Alisson denied Newcastle Callum Wilson with eight minutes remaining, before the Reds almost added to their lead in a late flurry of chances.
As Southampton, the bottom team in the Premier League, defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s season reached a new and scary low.
James Ward-free Prowse’s kick was converted on the stroke of halftime, moving the Saints captain one goal behind David Beckham in the competition’s all-time standings and sending Graham Potter’s squad to its fourth straight league game without a victory.
Potter saw his team struggle to find any inventiveness against a Saints side put up by interim manager Ruben Selles to frustrate the hosts’ expensively constructed attacking cavalry, despite having five of the club’s eight January arrivals in the starting Lineup.
Victory in their first match since the sacking of Nathan Jones was everything they deserved.
The game started ominously for Potter. Benoit Badiashile, so impressive until now in Chelsea blue, was caught out by Kamaldeen Sulemana as the ball dropped over his shoulder, only for Southampton’s January signing to be denied a first Premier League goal by the foot of Kepa Arrizabalaga. From the follow-up, Kalidou Koulibaly steered Stuart Armstrong’s effort to safety from in front of the goal line.
Southampton’s game plan hinged on frustrating Chelsea by slowing the play down wherever possible, but there was little in the first half to suggest the hosts’ advanced midfield three of Mason Mount, Noni Madueke and Joao Felix held the key to unlocking Saints.
Five minutes before half-time, David Fofana – in for his first Chelsea start – snatched at a shot from 20 yards that revealed more about his team’s first-half frustrations than their attacking ambition.
Southampton took the lead in a familiar fashion. Ward-Prowse’s free-kick, the 17th he has now scored in the Premier League, could not have been more finely placed, arcing over Chelsea’s wall and dropping crisply into the bottom corner beyond Arrizabalaga’s despairing dive. Stamford Bridge, quiet until now, made its displeasure known.
The required response almost arrived within minutes of the second half starting. Raheem Sterling, on as a substitute to make his return from injury, shoved Ainsley Maitland-Niles off the ball near the touchline and whipped in a cross that Mount, rising highest, failed to connect with.
It heralded a change in intensity for Chelsea’s attack. Minutes later, Cesar Azpilicueta found himself unmarked inside the box but could only side-foot his shot wide as the ball dropped. On the hour mark, Graham Potter sent on Kai Havertz and Mykhailo Mudryk to try to harness his side’s newly acquired energy, as the game shifted permanently into Southampton’s defensive half.
Chelsea were getting closer. Havertz escaped down the left and delivered for Sterling, arriving at the back post to fling his head at the ball – he was denied first by a flying block from Romain Perraud, then again on the rebound by Romeo Lavia. The pair celebrated as if top-flight safety had already been secured.
Arrizabalaga saved at the feet of Armstrong as Saints threatened to extend their lead on the break. There was yet more worry for Chelsea when Azpilicueta was carried from the field on a stretcher with an oxygen mask after being struck in the head by the boot of Sekou Mara as he attempted to clear.
But inspiration for Chelsea would not strike. Southampton held on for a deserved win.
Ghana and the UK have reaffirmed their dedication to preserving and protecting biodiversity.
This was revealed at the Nature Action – Private Sector Mobilisation Event, which was held in London on Friday, February 17, 2023.
The event was organised by the Government of the United Kingdom to catalyse and show the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Speaking at the event, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, said the Government of Ghana is fully committed to biodiversity protection and preservation for a healthy planet.
This, he said is because biodiversity provides many benefits, including food, medicine, energy, clean air and water, security from natural disasters, as well as recreation and cultural inspiration.
He noted that Ghana endorses the ten-point Plan of the Global Biodiversity Framework, and is committed to working with other governments and partners to protect and conserve biodiversity.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is a landmark international agreement adopted by the fifteenth (15th) session of the Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15.2), held in Montreal, Canada.
The Framework seeks to galvanize urgent and transformative action by governments, subnational and local governments, and with the involvement of all of society, to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and contribute to the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Protocols.
Mr Abu Jinapor, therefore, called on the developed countries to work with developing countries to protect the world’s forests and biodiversity.
“The duty to protect biodiversity is a collective one, and we must all work together to ensure a safe and healthy planet for current and future generations,” the Minister said.
To empower developing countries to continue with their work on biodiversity protection, Mr. Jinapor said developed countries should not adopt policies that will continuously impoverish developing countries.
He stated that although the value of the chocolate industry is over US$130 billion, Ghana and Ivory Coast, which produce over 60% of the cocoa used in the chocolate industry, get less than 5% of the value of the chocolate market.
The world’s biodiversity is deteriorating at unprecedented rates, thereby posing a serious threat to the survival of the human race.
To tackle this, the Nature Action – Private Sector Mobilisation Event, therefore, brought together governments, indigenous peoples, private sector and civil society to support the delivery of the Framework’s ten-point Plan for financing biodiversity and shift towards a nature and climate-positive economy.
The event held at the Lancaster House in London followed a working reception hosted by the British Monarch, King Charles III, at the Buckingham Palace.
To protect the safety of Ghanaians, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has destroyed expired and unregistered products to a sum of GH₵124,271 at Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western North Region.
The Western North Regional Office of the FDA burnt to ashes items such as soft and energy drinks, a variety of Aphrodisiacs, unregistered herbal products, cereals, milk, noodles and fake schnapps at the Wiawso dumping site.
The Regional Director of the FDA, Mr Albert Ankamah, while speaking to the media revealed that his outfit got hold of those harmful products during their routine market surveillance in shops in the past three months.
The seized items were mainly from the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai and Wiawso Municipalities, he indicated.
Due to the dangers expired and unapproved products pose to the health of individuals, Mr Ankamah, has therefore advised consumers to be vigilant and always read the labels and to look out for the FDA registration numbers on products produced in Ghana.
Chief Environmental officer Wiawso Municipal Assembly, Mr Samuel Darkwah, who supervised the exercise at the Wiawso dumping site, lauded the leadership of the FDA in the region for ensuring food safety through their supervisory duties, especially among food vendors.
The Food and Drugs Authority established the Western North Regional Office in October 2022, and has since been making a huge impact in the region.
It is the mandate of the FDA to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of human and veterinary drugs, food, biological products, cosmetics, medical devices, household chemical substances and clinical trials, and the control of tobacco products through the enforcement of relevant standards to protect public health.
Christian Atsu was scheduled to travel to see his family before the tragic earthquakes in Turkey, according to Fatih Ilek, the administrative manager of Hatayspor.
Following his effort that helped Hatayspor defeat Kasimpasa in the Turkish top flight, Atsu, who had planned to leave Turkey to visit his family, canceled his travel.
After going days without being located following the earthquake on February 6, the 31-year-death old’s was officially declared on February 18 after his remains were discovered.
Atsu had intended to leave Turkey, but he changed his mind after scoring the winning goal in his final match for the team, according to Ilek.
“Christian Atsu told the coach that he wanted to take more time before our match with Gaziantep FK. ‘Can I leave if I find a team?’ he said. Volkan Demirel also accepted this request,” he told Radyospor.
“He didn’t play against Gaziantep FK, but scored a last-minute goal in the Kasımpasa match. Actually, he was going abroad to visit his family. But when he played well and scored, he cancelled his ticket. The earthquake happened on his happiest day. He had a flight at 11 pm. Cancelled the ticket. There was an earthquake at 4 am. Absolutely a tragedy.”
Since the confirmation of his death, tributes have been pouring in for the former Black Stars international from his former teammates, clubs as well as some of the football associations.
In an effort to push the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to submit the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) for approval to Parliament, the Minority has submitted a private members’ motion.
The NDC MPs are asking that the whole government’s debt restructuring package be brought before the House for additional discussion in a motion filed on Friday, February 17.
They hold the opinion that in their capacity as Ghanaians’ representatives, they must necessarily contribute to the program.
Already, the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has said his side will also file a motion to compel government to exempt individual bondholders from the programme.
Speaking in an interview with JoyNews on Thursday, the Ajumako Enyan Essiam legislator said they will do whatever is possible to ensure investors are protected.
“Our intention today was to serve notice that tomorrow the NDC Minority will be filing a motion to compel the government to exempt individual bondholders and pension funds and pensioners from the domestic debt exchange.”
Dr Ato Forson explained that the decision to file the motion is to ensure that an issuer exemption is granted to bondholders who had faith in the NDC government to invest in risk-free bonds.
This, he asserted, is because “the Constitution is clear that before you go for a loan, the terms and conditions must be approved by Parliament.”
Following an economic downturn and difficulties in servicing its debt, the government implemented the domestic debt exchange programme to give itself more time to meet its fiscal obligations.
However, the programme upon its announcement faced stiff opposition from groups and individuals.
Without the debt exchange programme, the government warned that the nation’s economy would collapse.
Ghana is currently requesting a $3 billion bailout from the IMF to bolster the struggling national economy.
Before the Bretton Woods institution’s board would evaluate Ghana’s request, one of the requirements is the domestic debt restructuring scheme.
A staff-level agreement between Ghana and the IMF was achieved in December, opening the door for the $3 billion rescue.
The government of Japan has confirmed that North Korea has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
It was launched on Saturday, soared for 66 minutes, and landed in the Sea of Japan, according to the defense ministry.
That follows a demonstration in which Pyongyang displayed its impressive military prowess while displaying more than a dozen ICBMs.
On Friday, North Korea pledged to respond to any military exercises between South Korea and the US with a “unprecedentedly strong” retaliation.
The annual springtime exercises, which are due to start next month, are designed to help fend off North Korea’s increasing nuclear threats. But Pyongyang has long insisted the drills are in preparation to invade North Korea.
Saturday’s missile, which is the first to be launched since new year’s day, splashed down west of Hokkaido, in Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) at 18:27 (09:27 GMT), Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. An EEZ is an area of the sea that a country has jurisdiction over. Japan’s is a 200-nautical mile area off its coast.
It landed some 900km (560 miles) away, and reached an altitude of 5,700km, government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said in Tokyo. While that is incredibly high – the edge of space is about 100km – it is not the highest a North Korean missile has flown.
In November, an ICBM reached an altitude of 6,100km. Previously, in January 2022, North Korea released extraordinary photos of the Earth that it claimed were taken from a missile launch that reached 2,000km.
ICBMs are particularly worrying because of their long range, including mainland United States.
Japan’s Defence Minister Hamada Yasukazu said Saturday’s missile would have been able to do this, with a possible range of 14,000km.
“This series of actions by North Korea threatens the peace and stability of Japan and the international community, and is absolutely unforgivable,” Mr Matsuno said.
South Korea’s military reported the missile was launched from the Sunan district, north of Pyongyang, where the international airport is located. It is also where North Korea has launched most of its recent ICBM tests.
North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes are banned by the UN Security Council. But this has not stopped Pyongyang from continuing with its weapons development, and holding elaborate military parades to show them off.
Just over a week ago, Pyongyang showed off its largest display ever of intercontinental ballistic missiles in a midnight military parade which was attended by leader Kim Jong-un.
But now, Wakaso is left with just memories that he shared with Christian Atsu. His brother is no more.
Atsu was confirmed dead on Saturday, after being pulled of a debris he was stuck under for 12 days since the devastating earthquake struck Turkey and Ukraine.
It is far-more devastating for Wakaso since he first embraced reports that Atsu had been found.
But with no iota of doubt about his death, Wakaso now has to embrace the painful truth.
Paying tribute to his brother, Wakaso wrote “Rest Well,” while indicating his pained heart with a shattered love emoji. It is believed that he sobbed while saying his goodbye.
According to rumors, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has made a bid to purchase Manchester United through his chemicals business INEOS.
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Al Thani of Qatar will compete against Ratcliffe, a lifetime United supporter.
The son of a former Qatari prime minister and chairman of the Qatar Islamic Bank, Al Thani, recently acknowledged he had submitted an offer without any debt and promised to spend all earnings made under his leadership back into the group or society.
Just two hours before an alleged “soft deadline” of 22:00 GMT on Friday, Al Thani made his offer public, albeit the precise sum was not made clear.
Ratcliffe had previously been the first to formally lodge an interest last month after the incumbent owners – the Glazer family – announced in November the club had been put up for sale.
The Telegraph quoted a source close to INEOS as saying: “His aim is to be a long-term custodian of Manchester United and set the standard for a progressive approach to club ownership.
“As locally born, he wants to put the Manchester back into Manchester United.”
The Glazers have been deeply unpopular among supporters during their 18 years as stewards, predominantly down to their initial takeover coming in the form of a leveraged buyout, which saddled the club with huge debts.
In United’s most recent financial figures, released in September, the club revealed their net debt increased from £419.5million to £514.9m in the year up to June 30, 2022.
Speculation over the past few months has run wild with regard to prospective buyers, with Elon Musk, Apple, Jeff Bezos, and a Saudi Arabian consortium all credited with varying degrees of interest.
But talk of Ratcliffe and a separate Qatari-backed bid had long gathered the most traction in the media, and it is the former many United fans are thought to favour.
Ratcliffe’s company INEOS already owns Ligue 1 side Nice and has been routinely linked with Premier League clubs in recent years, even tabling an offer for Chelsea in 2022 prior to their sale to Todd Boehly and his Clearlake consortium.
His long-held affinity for United is an understandable positive for fans hoping for a return of the glory days.
Though, for many fans, siding with Ratcliffe comes as much from a place of uncertainty due to the Qatari bid’s potential ties to Qatar’s state.
The 2022 World Cup host nation has been widely derided for its human rights record ever since being given that tournament in 2010.
President Akufo-Addo has paid tribute to the late Black Stars player, Christian Atsu, who was reported dead today after being rescued from the rubble in Turkey.
Prior to his demise, there were reports that the player could still be alive under the debris following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake which hit Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023.
Responding to such news, President Akufo-Addo prayed for Christian Atsu, to be found “safe and sound.”
Unfortunately, the 31-year-old kicked the bucket and has left Ghanaians in a state of mourning.
Reacting to his demise, the president comforted himself and Ghanaians by recalling Job 1: 21, which he said states: “The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away.”
On behalf of Ghanaians, he extended his sincere, heartfelt condolences to the widow, children and family of Christian Atsu.
According to him, “Ghana football has lost one of its finest personnel and ambassadors, one who will be difficult to replace” adding that “he will be sorely missed.”
President Akufo-Addo concluded by stating that “May his soul rest in the Bosom of the Almighty until the Last Day of the Resurrection when we shall all meet again. Amen!”
With a 2-1 victory over Al Taawoun, Cristiano Ronaldo assisted on both of Al Nassr’s goals as they climbed to the top of the Saudi Premier League.
The Saudi champions will compete in the Club World Cup later this year as a representative of the host nation, it was announced this week.
Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, followed up his four-goal performance against Al Wehda with another game-winning goal on Friday. Ronaldo will undoubtedly be anxious to play in FIFA’s premier club competition.
Having teed up Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s 17th-minute opener, Ronaldo supplied his second assist of the game to set up Abdullah Madu for Al Nassr’s winner with 12 minutes of normal time remaining.
Ronaldo’s first assist was a wonderful, first-time, sweeping pass into the path of Ghareeb, who still had work to do to shrug off his marker and beat Al Taawoun’s goalkeeper.
The 38-year-old Ronaldo might not have known too much about his touch for the winner as he, perhaps unintentionally, cushioned a team-mate’s shot back for Madu to drill into a gaping net, with the VAR awarding the goal after Ronaldo was initially flagged for offside.
The victory took Al Nassr back above Al Ittihad on goal difference.
“Top of the league and three important points,” Ronaldo tweeted after the match. “Great team work!”
The mother of a six-year-old son who carried a gun to his elementary school in Virginia has been detained; this is the most recent occurrence of its kind to occur in the US state.
On Thursday afternoon, workers at Little Creek Elementary School in Norfolk alerted the police, who were then given the firearm by the school.
Although nobody was hurt, a mother claims the youngster threatened to shoot her daughter in class.
Another six-year-old shot and injured his teacher in the state last month.
In the most recent incident, the boy’s mother was accused on Friday of enabling the boy’s misbehavior and giving him access to a loaded gun.
Another mother told a local news station that the boy had brought a loaded gun to school in his backpack and threatened to shoot her daughter during physical education class on Thursday. But the woman only found out about the threat from another parent.
Her daughter did not tell her because she thought she might get in trouble. The girl told the broadcaster that after coming home from school she went to her bedroom “and tried to play but couldn’t”.
The incident echoes the case of a six-year-old boy who brought a gun to class nearby in Newport News, Virginia, on 6 January with near-fatal consequences.
He shot and seriously injured his teacher, 25-year-old Abby Zwerner, who is now suing the district that runs Richneck Elementary School.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has revealed that its Embassy in Turkey is working to have the remains of Christian Atsu transported to Ghana.
Christian Atsu, a former player of the senior national team, Black Stars was confirmed dead today.
He was found lifeless after being pulled out of the rubble 12 days after an earthquake struck Turkey and Syria.
According to the ministry in its statement, “the elder brother and twin sister of Christian Atsu and an Officer of the Embassy were present at the site when the body was recovered.”
The government has extended its condolence to the bereaved family and fans of the player.
The sad news has taken many aback since they hoped and prayed for Atsu’s safety.
Unfortunately, the former Black Stars player is no more to net more goals for Hatayspor.
He was confirmed dead on Saturday morning after the Turkish rescue team managed to pull him out from the debris he was under after the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023.
Millions across the world are currently in a state of mourning following his passing.
Reports say former Black Stars player, Christian Atsu could not survive the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023.
The former Chelsea player had been missing for close to two weeks after the incident. On February 7, there were reports that the 31-year-old had been found.
But barely 48 hours later, contradictory reports emerged. Since then, authorities have been searching for him.
Unfortunately, emerging reports look gloomy for Ghanaians and fans of the Hatayspor player.
Murat Uzunmehment, Chrisitan Atsu’s Turkish agent is said to have said: “We found Atsu. He lost his life. Sorry for your loss.”
Also, the player’s manager, Nana Sechere, on the matter, has said: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well-wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning.”
While her classmates with lower grades have been assigned to schools, her daughter, who took the 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and received an aggregate of 35, is not in school.
The BECE applicant selected Aggrey Memorial, Mfantsiman, and Aburi Girls but was unsuccessful in getting any of them.
Her mother entered the GNAT Hall seeking aid after becoming concerned about the situation. She gave off the impression of being irritated and angry in a viral video shared on social media.
“We are here to change it. Since the results were results, my daughter has not been happy. She told me that she was going to excel in the 2022 BECE.
She says she understand how she landed that results. Her friend with aggregate 39 has even been placed,” she said.
How would you rate her confidence. “My daughter got aggregate 35 but she didn’t get any of her choice, she selected Aggrey Memorial, Aburi girls and Mfansiman girls” pic.twitter.com/Uz5FfVIdvD
According to the Ghana Education Service (GES), “Out of the 547,329 candidates who sat for the examination, 538,399 qualified for school placement. out of these, 372,780 candidates have automatically been placed into various schools.”
Social medial reactions:
“My Daughter Had Aggregate 35 And Didn’t Get A School But Her Friend Who Got Grade 39 Got A School”. pic.twitter.com/zSVqLOy4uY
Measures need to be put in place to improve the quality of students the free education is producing. The school be free if you go repeat JHS 2 3 years before you go pass make them repeat them. Cos aggregate 35, 39 and Co dier ɛnyɛ
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has received overwhelming support of more than two-thirds of the NPP’s Majority Caucus members in Parliament, positioning him to lead the party into the general elections in 2024.
According to data compiled by DAILY GUIDE, more than 102 of the NPP’s 138 MPs firmly believed that Dr. Bawumia should succeed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo if the party is to end the eight-year curse of having only one party in power since the Second Republic’s founding.
MP for Sefwi Akotombra and a former Deputy Minister of Western North, Alex Tetteh Djornobuah, made the audacious disclosure in an interview on Accra-based Peace FM while commenting on a survey report which put Dr. Bawumia far ahead of his other competitors in the NPP presidential race.
The Alan Kyerematen camp has already rubbished the poll results which gave the Vice President overwhelming lead, in all the 16 regions of the country.
According to Mr. Djornobuah, the Vice President possesses all the qualities to lead the party to set a new record by breaking the eight-year cycle of two consecutive political terms of parties in the country’s political history.
“This survey conducted is correct because the Vice President has been endorsed by 102 MPs so far. The MPs believe that Dr. Bawumia is the best bet to lead the party, and I have no doubt in my mind that he will emerge victorious,” he said.
The Sefwi Akontombra MP dropped a hint that all the MPs canvassing support for the Vice President will soon come forward to unveil the cloak of anonymity for the public to know and recognise them.
“We’ll be addressing a press conference to declare our support as MPs for the Vice President very soon. Dr. Bawumia is a Vice President who has shown majority and capability that he is the only person who can lead the NPP to break the eight,” he disclosed.
Touching on the delegates, Mr. Djornobuah mentioned that about 80 per cent of the delegates would vote for the Vice President.
“I know and believe that Western North, we’ll not disappoint the Vice President because it is time for us to reciprocate what he has done for us. And if we want more of such development then we need to vote for the Vice President,” he added.
The lawmaker pointed out that Dr. Bawumia is the right person to battle former President John Dramani Mahama in the Northern regions, adding that “with the support of our strongholds in Ashanti, Eastern and other regions, we can break the eight.”
He mentioned that the ruling NPP government has done marvelously well considering the challenges confronting nations across the world as a result of COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, yet the government is still embarking on infrastructure development, sustaining social intervention programmes such as Free Senior High School (FSHS), One District One Factory (1D1F) among others without Ghanaians experiencing power crisis unlike under the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He, however, admitted that the NPP has made some mistakes in terms of governance, but was quick to add that Ghanaians are safer under NPP than NDC in terms of hardship.
The declaration is coming after about 40 of the MPs and the NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, accompanied the Vice President to the funeral of Lepowura Alhaji Mohammed Nuru-Deen Jawula, who was a stalwart of the party.
Vice President Bawumia and his entourage rode in a bus for about two hours from Tamale to Salaga in the Savannah Region to attend the solemn ceremony.
One of the MPs, Kofi Okyere-Agyekum, representing the people of Fanteakwa South in the Eastern Region confirmed that more than 100 of their colleagues fully endorse the Vice President to lead the party to victory in the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
“We believe that it is Dr. Bawumia who can lead NPP to ‘break the 8’ in 2024. He is a gentleman, very intelligent and a highly competent personality who will be loved and supported by NPP faithful for us to retain power in 2024,” Mr. Okyere-Agyekum, who is a Ranking Member on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament told the media.
The governing NPP is working tirelessly to be maintained in power for more than eight years to break the jinx of successive political parties winning and losing elections after eight years.
At least eight NPP stalwarts have so far declared their intentions to contest in the governing party’s presidential primaries, which will be held hopefully before the end of the year.
David Harrison has been named the director of football operations at Manchester United.
Harrison joins from Everton, another Premier League club where he spent the previous 27 years of his career.
Alan Dawson, who is leaving United after 11 years, will be replaced by him, and he will be in direct contact with John Murtough, the director of football.
“David is known as one of the most able and respected operators in football and we are delighted that he has chosen to join Manchester United,” Murtough said.
“He will bring deep experience and knowledge to this important role, and add further strength to the support structure we are building around our football teams, to give our players and staff the best chance of success.”
Harrison, who started his career working in United’s ticket office, said: “I’m excited to be taking this role at a time of such opportunity and promise for Manchester United.
“I will always cherish my memories of 27 years at Everton and wish everyone at Goodison and Finch Farm all the best for the future.
“Now, my focus is on helping Manchester United create the best possible operating environment to support success on the pitch.”
We can confirm Director of Football Operations, David Harrison, will leave at the end of this month to take up a new role at Manchester United.
Best of luck for the future, Dave, and thank you for your service over the past 27 years.
The US claims that during a combined operation with the Somali government, it killed five al-Shabab fighters in Somalia.
The air strike, according to the US command in Africa (Africom), was carried out in Bacadweyne, a town in central Somalia, roughly 460 kilometers (285 miles) from the capital Mogadishu.
Initial evaluations indicated that five extremists had been killed, but it added that additional inquiries were ongoing. No reports of civilian injuries have been made.
More than 300 al-Shabab extremists were reportedly slain in southern Somalia on Thursday, according to Somali authorities.
It comes as Somali federal troops, backed by the US, clan militia and African Union troops, continue a counter-insurgency against the al-Qaeda affiliate.
This has turned the tide in favour of Somali forces, which have in recent months retaken huge territories that had been held by al-Shabab for years.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has made the fight against al-Shabab his top priority as he bids to end the 15-year insurgency by the group.
Despite the fact that energy prices rose to previously unheard-of heights, 2022 was a dismal year for France’s state-owned power provider EDF, which suffered record yearly losses of €17.9 billion (£16 billion).
Energy price caps for French consumers had a significant negative impact on EDF’s profits, as did the forced shutdown of many of its nuclear power plants for maintenance.
The losses are the worst in more than 20 years and rank third in the history of French corporations.
Debts owed by EDF have risen to €64.5 billion.
The losses are in marked contrast to EDF’s UK-based business, which made an underlying profit of £1.12bn supplying electricity and gas to five million households.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron’s government responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by imposing a tariff “shield” for consumers, limiting energy companies to a 4% rise in 2022 followed by 15% in 2023, keeping inflation lower than in other European countries.
But it meant that EDF had to sell power to French consumers at a loss, while UK consumers paid far more for their energy. EDF has around 80% of France’s electricity market.
French industry has not seen such poor results since 2002, when Vivendi Universal and France Telecom both posted losses above €20bn for the previous year.
“The 2022 results were significantly affected by the decline in our electricity output, and also by exceptional regulatory measures introduced in France in difficult market conditions,” said Chief Executive Luc Remont, who said EDF’s priority was now to put the company back on track. He said core earnings would be significantly higher in 2023.
EDF’s nuclear output in France fell by 30% to its lowest since 1988 as more than half of its 56 ageing nuclear power stations went offline for repairs, which had been delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. France has the biggest fleet of nuclear plants in Europe.
The outages meant that France became a net importer of electricity for the first time in decades.
EDF’s financial woes have various causes, but another major factor is an obligation it has to sell a quarter of its production at a fixed price to its competitors.
The system known as Arenh (Regulated Access to Historic Nuclear Electricity) was devised in 2010 in order to satisfy the EU, which was worried about EDF – with its massive nuclear capacity – becoming a monopoly provider.
It meant the French electricity market was able to open up to competition, but EDF says it has forced the company into the absurd situation of subsidising its competitors.
In 2022 things became “surreal” in the words of one former CEO. Because of the soaring cost of electricity on the European market, EDF’s own generating capacity hit by technical problems, and with the government extending the low price guarantee to customers – EDF was having to buy in electricity at €100 a unit, and sell it to rivals at €46.
And many of these competitors, EDF argues, aren’t real players at all but simply market traders.
Three former CEOs have described the system as “a poison pill” and have blamed the EU and Germany for rigging the system against France’s interests.
Although the French state already controls 84% of EDF, the government has begun a process to fully nationalise the company. Major changes are likely, not least to Arenh.
President Macron has spoken of a renaissance in the nuclear industry, with plans for six new reactors to help France reach carbon neutrality by 2050, in line with EU aims.
After being rescued from her earthquake-damaged home in Turkey ten hours earlier, a Yemeni mother who had escaped the war in her homeland gave birth to a baby girl.
When the quake struck Faten Al Yousifi’s flat in Malatya, Turkey, just after 4 a.m. on Monday, she was 39 weeks pregnant, had decorated her baby’s nursery, and was prepared to give birth.
She was extracted from the wreckage by a family friend named Hisham and rescue workers after 10 hours of squatting, when she was bewildered, dehydrated, and worried about the safety of her unborn child.
“I did not believe I was still alive,” Faten told the BBC via WhatsApp on Thursday.
She was rushed to the hospital where the doctors carried out a Caesarean section to deliver her baby girl Loujain, meaning “silver” in Arabic.
But then came tragedy. Hisham returned to rescue Faten’s husband, and was shocked to see a nearby building had collapsed on top of their flats.
Faten’s husband, 29-year-old Burhan Al Alimi, had died. His body was recovered three days later. He was in his final year of chemical engineering studies at Inonu University in Malatya.
Like any new mother, Faten is sleep deprived and trying to adjust to her newborn’s feeding and sleep routines.
“The beginning was very difficult, especially with the circumstances,” she said.
Yemeni doctor Mohammed Al-Ara’awi, who arrived Turkey before the war, said he lost his wife, 16-year-old son and young daughter.
When the quake hit, he was in Adana city, but his family were in Hatay. After desperately trying to reach neighbours, he travelled to Hatay and was devastated to learn about his family trapped under the rubble.
“Waiting on the rubble was like the Yemeni war that people lived through,” he said from Istanbul.
Idris Aqlan, a 25-year-old student at Gaziantep University, was visiting Istanbul when the earthquake hit. He told the BBC that two Turkish friends died.
“I lived through many difficult situations in Yemen because of the war, but this one was much more difficult,” he said.
The sudden nature of the earthquake did not give people time to prepare, he explained. In war, he said, at least there is time to hide in cellars, in the desert, or in the mountains.
Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to the Saudi side Al Nassr, Cameroon captain Vincent Aboubakar said the Portuguese star tried to persuade him not to leave Al Nassr.
The 31-year-old was fully aware that a foreign player would need to be given up for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, and he had six months left on his Al Nassr deal.
Aboubakar chose to return to Turkish club Besiktas by signing a two and a half year contract in January, despite the former Man United and Real Madrid star’s best efforts to prevent him from departing.
“We talked a bit and his [Cristiano’s] opinion was that he wanted me to stay – I told him no, that I will leave for family reasons,” Aboubakar told Talents d’Afrique on Canal+.
“He asked me where my family was, I told him they are in France and so I prefer to go to Turkey, it’s closer.
“And he told me ‘it’s better if your family is really far away, it’s more complicated’. I was firm, I wanted to leave.”
A 2022 to remember
Saudi Arabia’s restrictions on the number of foreign players in the league meant Aboubakar knew his playing time would be limited by Ronaldo’s arrival
Aboubakar, who scored twice at the 2022 World Cup including an historic strike against Brazil, had joined Al-Nassr in July 2021 from Besiktas.
Despite scoring 13 goals and providing six assists in 39 appearances for the Riyadh outfit, he admitted it was only logical to depart following the arrival of Ronaldo.
“I left a little angry because it was not easy,” he added.
“When Cristiano arrived, [Al Nassr] coach Rudi Garcia called me into his office and told me that normally an international player has to leave, it’s either me or Jaloliddin Masharipov [from Uzbekistan], either me or Pity.
“I told him that I already wanted to leave before and, honestly, as Cristiano was coming, my playing time would be reduced and it was better for me to leave.
“I had offers, including one from Besiktas. They wanted me to stay until the end of the season. I said ‘no honestly president I prefer to leave’.
“It was a bit complicated but finally they let me go.”
Aboubakar finished top scorer at the delayed African Cup of Nations on home soil in February 2022, by producing eight goals, the best tally since 1998 when Benni McCarthy (South Africa) and Hossam Hassan (Egypt) got seven apiece.
Nine months later, he stole the headlines in Qatar by scoring an “outrageous” goal for Cameroon in their Group G match against Serbia at the World Cup.
He also scored a late winner against Brazil for Cameroon to claim historic 1-0 win but his goal was not enough to send them through and he was sent off for removing his shirt in the goal celebration.
Aboubakar had starred in the final of the 2017 Nations Cup, netting Cameroon’s second goal to seal a 2-1 win over Egypt and a fifth continental title for the Indomitable Lions.
The former Lorient and Valenciennes striker has 39 goals in 95 appearances for his Central African nation.
In the first leg of their Europa League knockout stage play-off match, Manchester United and Barcelona drew 2-2 at Camp Nou.
Marcus Rashford appeared to have been fouled, and Erik ten Hag was incensed when the referee did not award Manchester United a free-kick for the apparent foul.
When Rashford came through on goal just outside the penalty area with United leading 2-1, Jules Kounde appeared to have taken him out, but referee Maurizio Mariani allowed play to continue. Rashford was a constant thorn in Barca’s side.
Later in the second half, the England international forced a Kounde own goal to give United the lead after having earlier leveled Marcos Alonso’s opening goal. Raphinha then restored parity with 14 minutes left to play.
Despite the generally positive performance and result, Ten Hag felt a need to focus on the incident involving Kounde’s tackle on Rashford, as the Frenchman would likely have been dismissed if a foul was given.
Ten Hag told BT Sport: “I think the referee had a big influence on this game. It was a foul on Rashy.
“You can discuss if it was in or outside the box, but then [either way] it is a red card because [Rashford] was one-on-one with the keeper.
“So it’s a big influence, not just for this game, in this round. It can’t be, referees can’t much such mistakes.”
Rashford himself was similarly baffled by Mariani’s decision.
“It’s a massive moment in the game,” he said. “I’ve not watched it back but in the moment I don’t understand why the linesman thinks I’m going down there.
“I’ve touched it past him and my foot’s in front of the ball, [Kounde] hits my leg and it’s clear contact. It’s not a penalty but it’s 100 per cent a foul for me.”
Nevertheless, Ten Hag acknowledged the overall quality of the thrilling encounter and was impressed with the amount of chances United created.
“I think we dictated the game,” Ten Hag continued. “Apart from maybe 15 minutes in the first half we had some difficulties, but for the rest we dictated the game.
“We had so many chances, so I was a little disappointed at half-time it was 0-0, we should have scored, and the opportunities they had we created by ourselves.
“But I think it was a great game, two attacking teams, I think it was really Champions League [quality], so I really enjoyed the game… in the end 2-2, we have to finish it at Old Trafford.”
Rashford, who has now equalled his best ever goals return (22) for a single season, seemed a bit more frustrated than his manager.
“It feels like a loss,” he added. “I think we did well to get back into the game. The first half was a little bit in favour of them, but we stayed calm and composed and tried to create chances when we could.
“The second half we scored two goals in quick succession and felt in control of the outcome, but they’re a good team with top players and they got an equaliser.”
The two European giants will do it all again at Old Trafford next Thursday.
President Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has announced Belarus’ readiness to join the Russia-Ukraine war.
It is however on the condition that Ukraine attacks Belarus.
President Lukashenko made this known while interacting with international media during an interview on Thursday, February 16, 2023.
“I’m ready to provide [territory] again. I’m also ready to wage war, alongside the Russians, from the territory of Belarus. But only if someone – even a single soldier – enters our territory from there (Ukraine) with weapons to kill my people.”
Military cooperation between Russia and Belarus has been on the increase, with joint drills and the formation of a joint military grouping. But so far the Belarusian leader has avoided sending his troops into Ukraine to fight alongside Russian forces.
The UK, EU and the United States do not recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus. In 2020 Belarusians poured on the streets to accuse him of stealing the country’s presidential election. The protests were brutally suppressed.
Mr Lukashenko used Thursday’s event to blame the West for the war in Ukraine. He accused Western governments of fuelling the conflict and engaged in a touch of Putinesque nuclear sabre-rattling.
“If you continue this escalation, you will get nuclear weapons and Russia has more than anyone,” he said.
“So, you should stop this. If a nuclear war starts, Belarus will cease to exist. We need to sit down at the negotiating table, because nuclear war will wipe out the USA too. No-one needs this.”
Having facilitated the Russian invasion of Ukraine one year ago, the Belarusian leader now claims he can help negotiate peace.
Mr Lukashenko suggested that next week would be a good time to start, with US President Joe Biden due to visit Poland.
“I invite [President Biden] to Belarus,” Mr Lukashenko said. “It’s not far from Warsaw, Thirty minutes and he’ll be in Minsk. He could land his plane here. I will persuade the president of Russia to come. I invite him too to Minsk, as well as Biden. We will sit down and reach an agreement.”
The authoritarian leader of Belarus is a firm Kremlin ally and backer of what Mr Putin refers to as the “special military operation” – what most of the world calls Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Mr Putin hasn’t sat down with Western journalists.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has ruled out ceding any land to Russia as part of a future peace agreement.
In an interview with the BBC to commemorate a year since Russia’s invasion, he cautioned that giving up land would allow Moscow to “keep coming back,” while Western weaponry would advance the cause of peace.
A expected spring offensive, according to Mr. Zelensky, has already started. “Russian attacks are already happening from several directions,” he said.
He does, however, believe Ukraine’s forces can keep resisting Russia’s advance until they are able to launch a counter-offensive – although he repeated his calls for more military aid from the West.
“Of course, modern weapons speed up peace. Weapons are the only language Russia understands,” Mr Zelensky told the BBC.
He met UK and EU leaders last week in a bid to bolster international support and to ask for modern arms to defend his country. When Ukraine’s president asked for modern fighter jets, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “nothing is off the table”.
But Kyiv has become increasingly frustrated with the speed with which Western weapons have arrived. Deliveries of battle tanks – promised last month by a swathe of Western countries, including Germany, the US and the UK – are still thought to be weeks away from arriving on the battlefield.
President Zelensky also addressed a threat by Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko to wage war alongside Russian troops from his territory if a single Ukrainian soldier crossed the border.
“I hope [Belarus] won’t join [the war],” he said. “If it does, we will fight and we will survive.” Allowing Russia to use Belarus as a staging post for an attack again would be a “huge mistake”, he added.
Russian forces launched part of their full-scale invasion from Belarus 12 months ago. They drove south towards Ukraine’s capital Kyiv but were fought back and made to retreat within weeks, after suffering heavy casualties.
When asked if he was surprised by Russia’s tactics in the war, Mr Zelensky described them as “valueless”.
“The way they destroyed everything. If their soldiers received [and carried out] those orders, that means they share those same values.”
Ukrainian data released this week suggested Russian troops in Ukraine were dying in greater numbers this month than at any time since the first week of their invasion. The figures cannot be verified, but the UK’s Ministry of Defence said the trends were “likely accurate”.
“Today, our survival is our unity,” said Mr Zelensky on how he thought the war will end. “I believe Ukraine is fighting for its survival.” His country was moving towards Europe economically, as well as through its values, he said.
“We chose this path. We want security guarantees. Any territorial compromises would make us weaker as a state.”
“It’s not about compromise itself,” he said. “Why would we be afraid of that? We have millions of compromises in life every day.
“The question is with whom? With Putin? No. Because there’s no trust. Dialogue with him? No. Because there’s no trust.”
A Kusasi Chief in Bawku, Thomas Abiladziu, claims that the Kusasis will sacrifice themselves to maintain their control over Bawku.
During a conflict between two tribes about who should be in charge of the Bawku community, a significant chieftaincy dispute broke out in Bawku.
The Kusasis, who already control the chieftaincy in Bawku, are not willing to give up their position to the Mamprusis. Moreover, the Mamprusis have vowed not to submit to Kusasi control.
This conflict has been going on for a very long time, costing people their lives and destroying their property.
There have been several appeals and negotiations between the government and the people of Bawku to allow peace to reign by settling on one tribe to rule them.
For the umpteenth time of appeal from the government after a series of clashes a curfew was imposed in Bawku in August 2022.
Security measures to deal with the situation were extended to neighbouring communities, with an outright ban on the use of tricycles in Bawku and its environs.
Heads of Basic schools in the area, therefore, requested the Ghana Education Service to shut down schools for fear of their lives.
Speaking on Morning Starr Mr. Thomas Abiladzi said,” The whole area is tensed up and we will die for our right. Why did Ghana fight for independence, will the British come back and say that we want to continue ruling because we are misruling ourselves, even if they think so? That is a dream, they have started a process that is likely to lead to failure. We don’t want any so-called newly appointed chief to come to Bawku and rule. Rule over who? Rule in the jurisdiction of the Mamprusi or does he think he can rule over even one area outside the enclave of the Mamprusi in Bawku,” he asked?
He added that they will not accept a chief from the Mamprusi tribe to rule over them.
“We the Kusasis’ will never surrender to become a servant to a Mamprusi. We liberated ourselves in 1967, we are stronger today than that time. We will resist any attempt to impose a seat in Bawku on the Kusasi people. Everybody knows that we have matured long time ago. They shouldn’t take us for granted”, he explained.
He added, “What they have done is to trigger violence and we have advised our people to remain calm and see what these law enforcement agencies will do. If some people can disregard the law and act these impunities without any reaction then we are entitled to also defend ourselves. Nobody can impose a traditional ruler in Bawku. If the Mamprusi overlord says that he is the overlord of the Kusasis’ in the past then he is living in some wonderland. Kusasi area is made up of 6 administrative districts just as he has. He cannot come to impose any chief on us”.
Tesla, a manufacturer of electric vehicles founded by Elon Musk, has refuted reports that it has fired staff members after they attempted to organize a union in the state of New York.
Workers in Buffalo, New York, allegedly lost their jobs a day after the union made its plans known to the public, according to organizers there.
To try to stifle the campaign, they claimed Tesla fired more than 30 employees.
The workers, who were a part of a 675-person team responsible for labeling the Autopilot system, were laid go, according to a blog post by Tesla.
The company said it had laid off 27 staff for “poor performance” and that they “were identified… well before the union campaign was announced.”
The firm said it only learned in hindsight that one of the 27 impacted employees “officially identified as part of the union campaign.”
“The employees let go as part of this process received prior feedback on their poor performance from their managers over the course of the review period. Despite feedback, they did not demonstrate sufficient improvement,” it added.
Mr Musk has been outspoken about his opposition to unions in the past.
“I strongly feel this is in retaliation to the committee announcement and it’s shameful,” said Arian Berek, a fired member of the union’s organising committee.
In the complaint filed with government labour officials, the union cited 18 people it said the company had fired “in retaliation for union activity and to discourage union activity”.
Organisers said, based on a company chat, they believed more people had been fired and expected to add names to the complaint. They said they were still confirming how many of those fired had been directly involved in the campaign or had just indicated their support.
The Buffalo facility employs about 2,000 people, according to organisers from Tesla Workers United, which is backed by the same union that launched organising efforts at Starbucks.
The group is now seeking support from Tesla workers in Buffalo to hold a vote about joining a union. It sent a letter to the company on Tuesday outlining its plans and asking leaders to agree to ground rules for a “fair” election.
A day later, campaigners said, Tesla fired more than 30 workers and sent an email informing staff of a policy that bars recording of workplace conversations without the consent of all parties.
Organisers said the rule violated their rights under federal and state laws.
The National Labor Relations Board has previously found that Tesla violated labour rules during an organising effort at its car manufacturing plant in California.
“We’re angry. This won’t slow us down. This won’t stop us. They want us to be scared, but I think they just started a stampede,” said Sara Costantino, current Tesla employee and organising committee member.
Parts of East Legon in Accra have been designated as a high-security zone by the Greater Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC).
As a result, the REGSEC is the only entity with immediate authority over all security-related issues.
Henry Quartey, the Minister for Greater Accra, made this announcement following an urgent REGSEC meeting.
This, he continued, is the result of information it gathered regarding the escalating hostilities between Top Kings Limited and Empire Builders, two significant feuding factions in the region.
“The entire area under dispute has been declared a security zone. Effective today, Thursday, 16th February, 2023, REGSEC has taken over security of the area.
“These decisions have been taken considering the fact that the situation has become a recipe for disaster and a cause for security concern in the region,” the minister said.
The REGSEC has effectively also ordered for an immediate ceasure of all landguards activities in the area.
Henry Quartey stated that, by these new directives, it is not challenging the decision of the court in the ensuing matter.
Background
Empire Builders Limited has been seeking to take possession of acres of land owned to Top Kings Limited, a Ghanaian owned registered real estate company, seeking to restrain Top Kings Limited, its agents, workmen and assigns from entering, selling, or having anything to do with the 456 acres of land situated at Borteyman, Tema, which is the subject of many years of litigation.
According to a Ghanaian Times report of August 2, 2021, Justice Fred Kwasi Awuah, presiding over the case in court, observed that the conduct of the defendant amounted to abuse of the court process as the matter had already been dealt with from the lower court to the Supreme Court.
Noting that the case had travelled more than two decades, Justice Awuah said: “Litigation must end at one point or the other.”
On December 16, 2020, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court presided over by Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie said: “In the circumstances, we find that there is no sufficient basis in law for any appellate interference with the findings of fact made by the Trial Court as affirmed by the Court of Appeal and consequently no reason to disturb the order giving effect to those findings and conclusions made by the judgement of the Court of Appeal. Save the variation made with respect to the order of the Court of Appeal which reduced the term of plaintiff’s lease, we affirm the said judgement, and hereby dismissed the appeal.”
In the writ filed before the Adenta High Court, the plaintiff averred that it is the proprietary owner of all that piece or parcel of land situated at Borteyman in the Tema Municipal District Assembly of the Greater Accra Region of the Republic of Ghana in extent of 62.466 acres.
The plaintiff stated that by a certificate of title dated March 7, 1940, and registered at the Deeds Registry as No. 214/1940, two pieces or parcels of land containing a combined area of 2,570.05 acres more or less referred to as the “the Nungua Farms Land” situated at north of Nungua was compulsorily acquired by the then Government of Gold Cost from Nungua Stool.
It is the case of the plaintiff that by a lease date August 12, 2010, the President of Ghana, acting through the Lands Commission, leased all that piece or parcel of land forming part of the Nungua Farms Land, and containing an area of 976.44 acres more or less, to the Nungua Stool, for a term of Ninety-nine (99) years with effect from April 16, 2009 to the Nungua Stool subject to the rent thereby reserved and to the performance and observance of the covenants and stipulations therein contained.
The plaintiff further averred that by a Deed of Assignment dated August 13, 2010, Nungua Stool granted the unexpired term of the head lease dated April 16, 2010 over all that piece or parcel of land in extent of 62.466 acres to Empire Limited subject to the terms, conditions, covenants and stipulation.
Based on that, the plaintiff asked the court to declare the land in dispute as site for Empire Builders Limited.
Empire Builders also wanted the court to injuct Top Kings, its assigns and workmen to stop working, selling, disposing off, mortgaging in addition to costs (including counsel’s fees), award cost in damages for trespass as well as an order for recovery of possession.
The defendant had at all material times in the course of litigation denied that the land in dispute belonged to any family from Teshie and therefore was Teshie land.
It claimed that the land belonged to the Nungua Stool Land and stated that it had been in possession of the land since 1994.
It is the case of the defendant that it acquired a total of 62 acres in two lots of 40 acres and 22 acres and registered the title deed in respect thereof at the Land Title Registry as No.777/ 1999.
The defendant stated further that it had to re-acquire 8 acres out of the 40-acre lot from the Nii Whang Family of Nungua because the said family was in possession of the portion of land.
According to the defendant, it registered the said land as AR 3222/1999 and that it paid monies to other persons claiming interest with respect to the 22 acre parcel of land to enable it register same as No.646/2000 with Land Registry No. GA 15801.
Before Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the NDC’s member of parliament for North Tongu, appears in court on February 21, 2023, the Volta Regional Caucus of the opposition National Democratic Party (NDC) has issued a harsh warning to the ruling party.
The MP is being sued by the Secretary of the National Cathedral, Reverend Victor Kusi Boateng, who is citing a number of publications and improper conduct claims the politician has made.
The NDC’s Volta Caucus claims that the government’s attempt to silence and persecute its legislative representation is the true purpose of the entire affair.
In a statement signed by the party’s regional communication officer, Sorkpa Agbleze, the NDC has warned that the government would be held responsible if the North Tongu MP is treated unjustly.
“We intensely call on this government not to embarrass this nation further by doing anything untoward to Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa because currently its popularity is extremely low and that burning desire for the ordinary Ghanaian to vent their anger is ubiquitous.
“We want to loudly and clearly once again warn that should anything unjust happen to Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa in his bid to heed the invitation to appear in court on 21st February, there certainly will be a furious spark of reactions, not only in the Volta Region, but across the Country”, portions of the statement read.
Supporters of the NDC in North Tongu have also backed their leaders and warned that they will not take lightly any harm done to their MP.
According to them, there is an attempt by the government to heckle the MP over his quest to hold the government accountable and fight corruption.
Since using satellites to measure it in the late 1970s, there is currently less sea ice surrounding the Antarctic continent than at any other period.
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, this year is exceptional even though it is the summer in the southern hemisphere, when you would expect less sea ice.
On February 13, coverage was only 1.91 million square kilometers (737,000 square miles) because to winds, warmer air, and water.
However, this summer’s melt still has a ways to go.
Last year, it took until 25 February to achieve the previous record-breaking minimum of 1.92 million sq km (741,000 sq miles).
Three of the last record-breaking years for low sea-ice have happened in the past seven years: 2017, 2022 and now 2023.
Research, cruise and fishing vessels are all reporting a similar picture as they make passage around the continent: most sectors are virtually ice-free.
Only the Weddell Sea remains dominated by frozen floes.
Scientists consider the behaviour of Antarctic sea-ice to be a complicated phenomenon which cannot simply be ascribed to climate change.
Looking at the data from the last 40-odd years of available satellite data, the sea-ice extent shows great variability. A downward trend to smaller and smaller amounts of summer ice is only visible in the past few years.
Computer models had predicted that it would show long-term decline, much like we have seen in the Arctic, where summer sea-ice extent has been shrinking by 12-13% per decade as a result of global warming.
But the Antarctic hasn’t behaved like that.
Data sources other than satellites allow us to look back at least as far as 1900.
These indicate Antarctic sea-ice was in a state of decline early in the last century, but then started to increase.
Recently it has shown great variability, with record satellite winter maximums and now record satellite summer minimums as well.
In winter, the floes can cover 18 million sq km (6.9 million sq miles), and more.
How much ice is a million sq km?
It’s broadly what this year’s summer ice pack is missing compared with the longer-term average. That’s enough to cover the British isles.
It will start growing again very soon and it’s important that it does… for a host of reasons.
Freezing seawater at the surface of the ocean expels salt, making the water below denser, causing it to sink.
This is part of the engine that drives the great ocean conveyor – the mass movement of water that helps regulate energy in the climate system.
Sea-ice is also hugely important for life at the poles.
In the Antarctic, the algae that cling to the ice are a source of food for the small crustaceans known as krill, which are a basic food resource for whales, seals, penguins and other birds.
The sea-ice is also a platform on which some species will haul out and rest.
Warm air increasing melt
It’s likely this year’s record sea-ice minimum has been influenced by the unusually high air temperatures to the west and east of the Antarctic Peninsula.
These have been 1.5C above the long-term average.
There’s also something called the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), which is a key player in the region.
It describes variations in atmospheric pressure around Antarctica which in turn influence the continent’s famous encircling westerly winds.
The mode is said to be in a strongly positive phase at the moment.
This strengthens the prevailing westerlies and drags them poleward.
Increased storminess helps to break up floes and push them north into warmer waters to melt out.
Researchers think the more positive trends seen in the SAM over the longer term are probably linked to the presence of an ozone hole over Antarctica and the rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
How does this compare to Arctic ice melt?
It’s important to understand the differences between the poles.
The Arctic is an ocean hemmed in by continents. The Antarctic is a continent surrounded by ocean.
The divergence in geography means ice growth in winter in the Antarctic is much less constrained. The floes can develop as far north as conditions will allow.
This explains the much larger extents than in the Arctic, where the maximums rarely now get above 15 million sq km (5.8 million sq miles).
But the geography also means summer warmth can chase the sea-ice all the way back to the Antarctic coastline in many places.
And because the Antarctic has difficulty retaining ice from year to year, its floes are thinner than in the Arctic – generally just one metre or less, versus 3-4m for long-lived ice in the polar north.
Sophia Akuffo, a former Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, has expressed her annoyance at the association of her name Akuffo with that of President Akufo-Addo.
Speaking on JoyNews, she said people make a linkage “as though I have no merit or capacity, yes that irritates me but I dont let it bother me”.
The former Chief Justice (CJ) claimed she finds it “irritating” that people refer to the President for whom she was appointed as a family member.
The previous chief judge also discussed her “ideology.”
“If you insist on ideology… the ology ology which I thought was outdated after Communism… Maybe I can say I am egalitarian…” she revealed.
She said she was first appointed to the Supreme Court straight from private practice by late former President John Rawlings before President Kufour appointed her to the African Court and President Akufo-Addo made her Chief Justice. She said she cuts across as a “friend of everyone and an enemy to none”.
The National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) National Communications Bureau has severally accused the Akufo-Addo government of running a family members and friends government.
The party released at the bureau’s 6th edition of the Moment of Truth, a forum the party has used to comment on important issues of governance and government policies since 2018.
But Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo later replied that he has only two family relatives in his Government.
According to the President, all allegations levelled against him to be running a family and friend Government are not true.
Nana Addo disclosed that, one of the family relatives in his Government is Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta – the Finance Minister of the Republic of Ghana. “Mr. Ken Ofori Atta is my cousin.” He said and added that Amoako-Atta, Roads Minister is also related to him.
According to minority leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, seventeen banks could fail if the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) is carried out as planned.
He claimed that the proposal will rather blame people and financial entities, mainly banks, for the government’s bankruptcy.
As Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta spoke to the House about the DDEP, the former minister made this declaration on the floor of the legislature.
Given that the nation is insolvent due to its high levels of debt, Ofori-Atta stated that the initiative was essential to the recovery of the economy.
He said despite stiff opposition from some Ghanaians, including pensioners, the programme has been successful as over 1,300 pensioners and individual bondholders have willfully subscribed to it.
But debating the issue, Dr Ato Forson said the programme will impoverish Ghanaians and cripple some banks.
He stated that some “17 banks in the country are at risk as a result of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.”
He said despite the government saying persons such as pensioners who didn’t subscribe to the DDEP will be exempted, the Minority Caucus will push for a bill which will prevent the government from touching the funds of pensioners in the programme.
“We won’t allow you to shift the burden to the ordinary Ghanaian,” he said to the Minister who was seated in Parliament.
Despite Marcus Rashford’s valiant efforts, Manchester United was unable to overcome Barcelona’s improbable goal in the first leg of their Europa League knockout stage play-off, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
In the enthralling contest on Thursday at Camp Nou, in-form Rashford equaled his greatest season goal total with his 22nd goal, canceling out Marcos Alonso’s opening strike.
Nine minutes after falling behind, United took the lead thanks to some more excellent play from Rashford, whose quick thinking from a short corner resulted in Jules Kounde sending the ball into his own net.
However, Barcelona, who lost crucial midfielder Pedri to an injury in the first half, came back against the odds in the 76th minute when Raphinha’s cross went all the way through to put the tie in a tight position going into next week’s second leg.
In the game’s first significant opportunity, Wout Weghorst was given a clear path to the goal by Bruno Fernandes, but he was stopped by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who was also up to the task of stopping Casemiro’s header.
Ter Stegen made another excellent save to deny Rashford, and David de Gea stopped Jordi Alba’s shot after Aaron Wan-Bissaka dragged out his step.
Four minutes into the second half, Alonso found the back of the net after eluding his defender and heading in a corner from Raphinha, but the visitors quickly drew even.
Fred surged forward and played in Rashford, who blasted past Ter Stegen at his near post to keep his hot streak going.
Rashford was key again just before the hour, driving into the box and delivering a cross that went in off Kounde after Fernandes flicked it on.
United looked good value for another goal but were instead pegged back soon after — Raphinha’s right-sided cross evading Robert Lewandowski and nutmegging Raphael Varane before nestling in the bottom-left corner.
Barca went particularly close to finding a late winner as Casemiro hit his own post amid a scramble, before De Gea superbly denied Ansu Fati in a gripping conclusion that also saw the hosts have a penalty appeal rejected for a possible handball against Fred.
On Thursday, the Accra High Court ordered both former National Service personnel of First Atlantic Bank, Deborah Seyram, the bank’s Chief Financial Officer, Ernest Kwasi Nimako, to file written submissions.
Deborah Seyram Adablah has sued Ernest Kwasi Nimako, who she claims to be her ‘sugar daddy’ for allegedly breaching an agreement to take care of her.
The two are expected to present their submissions before Thursday, February 23, 2023.
In an application dated January 24, 2023, the bank, requested that seven paragraphs of the writ be dismissed “on the ground that they disclose no reasonable cause of action”.
Paragraphs 7,8,9,10,11,31,32,33,34,36 and 37 which were requested to be excluded comprise portions of the writ that accuse the bank of watching on for female workers being harassed sexually by senior male officers of the bank.
In a suit dated January 23, 2023, the plaintiff contends that her ‘sugar daddy’ agreed to buy her a car, pay for her accommodation for three years, give her a monthly stipend of GH¢3,000, marry her after divorcing his wife and also give her a lump sum to start a business.
She said the ‘sugar daddy’ bought the car but registered it in his name.
According to her, he denied her access to use it after about a year of enjoying the ¢120,000 Honda Civic while he also paid for only one year of accommodation.
Deborah Seyram Adablah, whose national service period ended in July 2021, admits to being in a relationship with Ernest Kwasi Nimako following the fact that her happiness at the workplace was under threat had she failed to give in to the relationship.
She also accused the defendant of abuse, sexual harassment, maltreatment, exploitation and also lowering her reputation.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has revealed that the Ministry of Finance has officially written to the Pensioner Bondholders Forum over their exclusion in government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, February 16, 2023, the minister said he had presented the said letter to the group’s convener, Dr Adu Anane Antwi.
“Mr Speaker, in seeking to understand the concerns of our Senior Citizens, I have met with them on three occasions. The most recent was yesterday 15th February 2022, where I explained the terms of the new bonds.”
“Mr Speaker, I subsequently wrote to their Convener, letting him know that all pensioners who did not participate in the exchange are exempted and therefore there will be no need for our Senior Citizens to picket at the Finance Ministry. Mr Speaker, I would like to thank all those who helped in those discussions,” he said.
However, it is reported that Dr Adu Anane Antwi is yet to receive the said letter.
“Meanwhile, Myjoyonline.com’s checks with the convenor, Dr Adu Anane Antwi, reveal that he is yet to receive any letter to that effect from the Minister,” MyJoyOnline reported.
The Pensioner Bondholders Forum has held intense protest at the forecourt of the Finance Ministry over the past week over the programme, which they believe will cripple their finances.
Among the protesting pensioners is former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, who has also condemned the programme.
The Ghana Health Service’s (GHS) National Leprosy Central Programme (NLCP) has identified a rise in new leprosy cases among the children in the country.
In an article that appeared in the Ghanaian Times on February 15, 2023, the NLCP said that over the previous five years, at least 200 new cases of leprosy have been reported annually in the nation.
In addition, the NLCP reports that as of September of last year, 221 new cases of leprosy had been reported, seven of which included children.
Leprosy was endemic in all 16 of Ghana’s regions, while the Upper East and Upper West recorded the most new cases each year.
Cited in the article, the Programmes Manager of NLCP, Dr. Benedict OkoeQuao, is quoted as saying that,
“This tells us that transmission is ongoing and we are all at risk. The only luck is that a lot of us have strong immunity and our body naturally fights the organism; else we would have had a huge problem on our hands,” he said.
According to him, the risk of spread among the population has resulted in the revision of the Programme control strategy, which further aligns with the World Health Organization (WHO) vision to ensure that countries all over the world declare “Zero Leprosy” by 2030.
“Therefore, in line with the new NTD roadmap, 2021-2030, the international health organization targets that in the next seven years, there will be zero-leprosy infection, zero disability and zero-stigma and discrimination associated with persons diagnosed with leprosy,” he noted.
While these objectives are achievable, Dr. Quao, admitted that stigma and discrimination against persons diagnosed or suffering from the effects of leprosy could be the greatest hurdle to overcome.
He said a lot of cruelty meted out to patients are based on myths, misconceptions and low public knowledge about the disease.
“For instance, hugging someone cured of leprosy won’t make you get it. Most of the people with disability, especially, the clawed fingers and toes are cured. They don’t have the disease but the claws is a disability and may remain,” he explained.
He, therefore, stressed on the need for extensive public health interventions about the disease, emphasizing that, presently, there is a need for the establishment of the Public Health Emergency Fund (PHEF), which could help provide sustainable investment and funding into leprosy interventions.
“Currently, we have funding to administer rifampicin in only six regions and that is from foreign donor organizations. If you suspect a case now, you need to send in logistics to do tracing, among other investigations. But at whose cost?” he questioned.
He added, “If we have a dedicated fund where the or Ghanaians could contribute to regularly, we could tap into it to implement preventive measures against such public threats.”
The president discussed the new development with the ministers of defense, interior, local government, and information as well as the directors of the nation’s main security agencies, according to a news report by citinewsroom.com.
Akufo-Addo is said to have stated that his administration would see to the resolution of the chieftaincy conflict.
“Unfortunately, it’s a poor time for us; we have first of all a big crisis on our hands in Bawku as we speak. Things are happening which are causing a lot of problems for the security there, and I was in a meeting with them,” the president is quoted to have said.
The Overlord of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sherigah II, enskinned a new chief for Bawku in the early hours of Wednesday, February 15, 2023.
The new chief, who was enskinned at the Nayiri palace in Nalerigu, is called Alhaji Seidu Abagre, GhanaWeb can confirm.
Jubilations were seen all over the forecourt of the Nayiri palace in Nalerigu, the North East Regional capital, as well as the traditional city of Mamprugu.
Meanwhile, soldiers were at the Nayiri’s Palace to ensure that there is peace and security while the residents jubilated.
The new chief enskinned, Alhaji Seidu Abagre, is expected to be accompanied by some elders from the Nayiri Palace to Bawku after they perform all the traditional activities in Nalerigu.
The Government of Ghana has, however, condemned the installation of a new chief for Bawku by the Overlord of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sherigah II.
In a statement issued by the Ministry for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, the government said that Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II is still the Bawku Naba.
It added that the security apparatus in Bawku has been instructed to arrest anybody who holds himself out as Bawku Naba other than Naba Abugrago Azoka II.
There has been heightened tension in Bawku as a result of renewed sporadic gunshots in the outskirts of the Bawku township.
At least 6 people, according to a Joy News report, were killed, and 10 injured in fresh shootings in Bawku on Wednesday, February 8, 2022.
The Overlord of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Naa Bohagu Abdulai Mahama Sheriga ll, in March 2022, pledged to find a lasting peace to the long-winded Bawku Chieftaincy dispute which has eliminated many lives following the disturbances in the area.
In 1993, during the First Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana, Madam Florence Bedford began working as a staff cook in the legislature and has since done so.
The current Principal Catering Officer, 55-year-old Madam Florence Bedford, claimed she did not anticipate remaining in office for this long.
She revealed in an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb’s Nimatu Yakubu Atouyese that she began working for parliament at the age of 25 under the direction of Justice D.F. Annan and is currently working for Alban Bagbin.
“…I joined parliament at the age of 25, when we to came parliament in 1993, the leadership was Owusu J.H Acheampong, Owusu Agyekum and Justice Annan.
“We started serving the MPs when they were very few, as the other party boycotted parliament. But as you can see, there are now over 200 MPs. I served the leadership in 1993 and I enjoyed everything I was doing,” she said.
“Everybody I served in 1993 to 1996 were friendly open and we could actually go to them and they also come to us when there is a problem. Most of them also took our advice when there is something wrong, for instance, some of them will come out of the chamber furious, then after speaking to us, we advise them and they take it easy,” she added.
Auntie Flo as she is popularly called recounted how Yaw Osafo Maafo, president Nana Addo and former president John Mahama would usually come around and have their breakfast, during which time she would engage them in conversations.
She said the provision of food to MPs was proposed by the former clerk of parliament; Samuel Ntim Darkwa after he noticed MPs were eating from places around, therefore in order to reduce the risk of their exposure, he proposed parliament provided breakfast and lunch to MPs.
This was in place for some time but changed in 1996 when MPs demanded money for their meals rather than parliament providing it for them.
“…the former clerk of Parliament, Samuel Ntim Darkwa did not want the MPs to eat outside as it was very risky. So initiated that MPs should be provided with breakfast and lunch. But in 1996 the MPs said they did not want parliament providing them with meals and wanted their money, so the cafeteria started selling foods for those who wanted to buy from them,” she told GhanaWeb’s Nimatu Yakubu.
Florence Bedford is married with four children and is expected to retire from her work as a caterer in parliament in five years.
Following the reconstitution of the National Hajj Board, Sheik Ibrahim Cudjoe (I.C.) Quaye ceases to serve as its Chairman.
Imams and Muslim Chiefs from all over the country who were concerned about his removal urged President Akufo-Addo to reinstate him.
Since becoming Chairman, they claimed, he has led Ghanaian pilgrims on immaculate, trouble-free Hajj pilgrimages.
However, the President’s newly established Board made it clear that he was no longer in charge since Ben Abdallah Banda, a former member from the Offinso South Constituency, had been appointed as a substitute.
Other members who have been axed from the Board include Abdul Malik Adams Gariba, Kamal-Deen Abdula, Ismaela Ibrahim, Mohammed Osmanu Alidu, Braimah Adams and Dr.Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed.
The new Board now chaired by Alhaji Ben Abdallah Banda has the following members; Habib Iddrisu, Hajia Safia Mohammed, Chief Saddique Jimala III, Sheikh Amin Bonsu, Alhaji Inusah Amadau, Osumanu Yunusah,Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed, Seidu Zakaria Abdul Rahman Alhassan Gomda, Alhaji Musah Akambonga and Hajia Azara Haroun.
All the land borders in Ivory Coast are now open for the first time in three years.
The country’s cabinet of ministers claims that “favourable health and economic developments” following the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak make it safe to abolish this prohibition.
Land borders were reopened on Thursday in order to crack down on unauthorized crossings and divert people to legitimate border crossing points instead.
Ethiopian security forces have killed three individuals after opening fire on demonstrators in the southern town of Wolkite about a water crisis.
Some residents claim that five further persons were hurt during the protests on Wednesday.
Residents protested in front of the city’s water management office because they were upset about the town’s rising water deficit.
“We have waited long to hold demonstrations. We came out today hoping we would get [solutions]. But things have turned into guns and blood,” one resident told the BBC.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s electoral board reports that voter registration has begun in seven provinces in the country’s eastern region, where violence between the army and rebels has displaced millions of residents.
The general elections are slated for December of this year, and this is the final round of voter registration.
Voters will be registered in the unstable provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, as well as in the US and Canada, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Voter registration across the country started in December and has so far seen at least 12 million people register as voters, according to the commission.
The violence in the eastern part of the country is estimated to have displaced some 5.6 million people who are in dire need of food and shelter, according to the UN.
A preacher from Mozambique passed away after fasting for 40 days in an effort to break the world record set by Jesus on the Mount of Olives in the Bible.
The death of Francisco Barajah, the pastor and founder of the Santa Trindade Evangelical Church in the central province of Manica, was confirmed on Wednesday.
He was sent to a hospital in Beira while in critical condition, where he passed away while receiving medical care.
He had dropped so much weight after 25 days of fasting that he was unable to move, stand up, or even take a bath.
Days later, at the insistence of relatives and believers, he was taken to a hospital but attempts to get him back to health were unsuccessful.
Believers at his church and his neighbours have been unsurprised at the turn of events, due to his extreme weight loss and disfigured body frame in recent days.
According to the transport minister, a huge cloud of dust from the Sahara desert is threatening to cover half of Cameroon.
In a press release, Ernest Ngalle Bibehe issued a warning that if the predicted wind conditions hold, the dust could result in traffic accidents since it would limit visibility.
According to Mr. Bibehe, the dust could also lead to respiratory conditions.
The Far North region of Cameroon is currently being crossed by the dust cloud, and four further regions may be affected in the next days.
The minister has encouraged people to drive cautiously and correctly shield their eyes and noses.
Each year Cameroon experiences dust storms from the Sahara that cross the country from north to south.
The FBI has searched the University of Delaware twice in the past month to see if US President Joe Biden donated any papers that might have been classified.
According to CBS, the BBC’s US partner, investigators took multiple boxes from the campus on two different days.
Thousands of cartons of documents from Mr. Biden’s time in the Senate are kept at his alma school, the university.
A criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s handling of sensitive information is ongoing.
Documents marked classified have been found in recent months at Mr Biden’s home in Delaware and offices that he used in Washington DC. The FBI recovered some of the files during a search of his private residence at Wilmington last month.
Sources familiar with the investigation told CBS that the searches at the University of Delaware were carried out at the end of January and beginning of February.
The material recovered did not appear to have classified markings, but the FBI is now reviewing the files, reports CBS.
As with previous searches, Mr Biden and his team consented, meaning no warrant was needed, according to NBC News.
The college received 1,850 boxes of files from Mr Biden in 2012, however, those files have not been available to the public since then.
Mr Biden’s personal lawyer, the US Department of Justice and the University of Delaware have not yet commented.
A special counsel, Robert Hur, has been appointed by the justice department to lead the investigation into how sensitive documents were handled by Mr Biden.
The home of former US Vice-President Mike Pence was also searched last week, after his aides came forward to say that they had discovered documents marked classified during their own search.
Former President Trump is facing a separate investigation after hundreds of papers with classified markings were found by FBI agents executing a search warrant at his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate last year.
