Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu Bio, has stated that his department has instructed the Lands Commission to take necessary measures to eradicate intermediaries commonly referred to as ‘goro boys’ from their activities.
Benito Owusu Bio mentioned that this directive forms a component of the initiatives undertaken by the lands ministry to guarantee the thorough purification of the system from any corrupt activities.
The directive comes in reaction to the 2021 study conducted by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which disclosed that the Lands Commission is one of the most corrupt institutions in Ghana.
The deputy minister reiterated that the ministry is fully committed to ensuring the system gets rid of recalcitrants while speaking at an Editor’s Forum discussing the latest ranking by the UN.
“We are asking the Lands Commission to get rid of those goro boys and the ‘goro’ people in the system. These ‘goro’ people cannot work in isolation, they can only work with the connivance and assistance of personnel within the system of Lands Commission.”
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ has taken the bold initiative to get rid of the recalcitrant and the bad nuts within their system. Likewise, we at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources are also going to follow their example to ensure that we also rid the system,” he said according to citinewsroom.com
Surveyor James Dadson, the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, added that they are putting measures in place to ensure that their operations are digitalized to help combat corruption.
“This is a major challenge on our hands. It is an exception for a document that passes through the hands of a ‘goro’ boy to go ahead of the document that goes through the system. Some of them even take the money and they vanish. The document will be lying there, we will be looking for the person to go for an inspection and nobody shows up. Especially the people abroad, somebody comes to Ghana after two years, shows up at the Lands Commission, and then we find out that indeed these are the steps that if we are able to reach you, you will be cleared.
“We have identified that once we embark on this technological drive, we will reduce the human interface even our own staff will have very little to do with the general office, everything will be done in the back office,” citinewsroom.com quoted him as having said.
A member of the Communications Team for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Margret Ansei, also recognized as Magoo, has strongly criticized the government’s recent implementation of a 10% withholding tax on earnings from betting and lottery activities.
She contends that betting serves as a channel for young individuals to generate initial investment funds, and the imposition of taxes on it would exacerbate their financial struggles.
“I think there should be some consideration around it,” she said.
Expressing her concerns, according in a metrotvonline.com news report, Magoo vehemently opposed the new tax, which the government stated is intended to discourage youth involvement in betting.
“There are no jobs. The rate of unemployment is so high. The Ghanaian youth has nothing doing so when they wake up aside [from] social media and other things, the other means of survival is through this betting.
“I don’t really know how much they do it what they put into it and so ever. But if someone gets a little from betting and can probably use it to start a business (I don’t know how much they get) but if you can get GHS2000, GHS3000 from you can go to farming with it or someone can start an online business or something with it and you are taxing and taxing the gross and taxing 10% we think it is so outrageous and the government must consider it,” she argued.
Magoo criticised the current taxation strategy of the government, asserting that it contradicts the promises made by the Akufo-Addo administration during its campaign.
She emphasised that policies and actions should prioritise the national interest and the well-being of the people, especially considering Ghana’s predominantly young population.
“This is a people-centred democracy so policies and everything should be about the national security and the national interest. Where’s the national interest? The people. This is a country where 60% of its people are below 60 years per the Ghana Statistical Service [report] so, the youth are into it.
“You are taxing the gaming institutions already. The young man who has let’s say GHS50 and has gone to bet and gotten let’s say GHS2,000; I mean taking 10%,” she said.
The 10% withholding tax on gross gaming profits took effect on August 15, 2023. The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) announced that each wager would no longer be subject to the previous 15% Value Added Tax (VAT) rate. Instead, the earnings from each successful bet would be subject to withholding tax.
The GRA’s Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division, Edward Gyamerah, emphasised the enforcement of the new regulations. He stated that gaming corporations must adhere to the updated rules and withhold 10% of the winnings for remittance to the GRA.
Former Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Kwame Owusu, has alleged that the finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has intentionally delayed granting his approval to assume the role of board chair for the Ghana Revenue Authority.
As stated by him, President Akufo-Addo initially nominated him for the position of board chair of GRA. However, the appointment was obstructed due to dissent from certain party members, including the finance minister, who did not support his confirmation.
During an interview with Oyerepa TV on Monday, August 21, 2023, Kwame Owusu attributed his inability to secure the position of board chair for the GRA to undermining strategies employed by certain members within the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“I was mentioned to take care of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) with my 12-year experience in taxation because the president [Akufo-Addo] felt I was the right person to be in charge because they were incurring losses. So I was told to resign from Ghana Maritime Authority and join GRA. After I did, he made the appointment and I went through [the process] and I was approved, notwithstanding the people our own party people because they know when I become the boss I will block a lot of things so they did not want to.
“So when I felt that after four-five months where Ghana has no board chair for GRA, I wrote to the president to make the appointment because the Ofori-Atta’s were not ready and they were delaying, Yes the finance minister delayed approving me [as board chair of GRA]. I resigned as Maritime boss and see whether they [some NPP members] could pave the way for my appointment but it did not happen,” he said on Oyerepa TV in Twi.
The campaign manager for Kennedy Agyapong further stated that he was not approved to become the board chair of GRA because some members of the party knew he would not yield to their demands at the behest of the country.
“I am saying this as an example, so if you see people at the top standing against Ken Ofori-Atta’s appointment, that’s how it is. When they know your capacity to perform and do the right thing that won’t be in the interest of some people, then they begin to frustrate you. They knew what I would do if they make me the board chair of GRA so they were afraid of their own shadow,” Kwame Owusu added.
Officials have reported that a woman from Israel was killed and a man was seriously injured after their car was shot at in the southern part of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
It is said that numerous bullets were shot from a moving vehicle on a road near the town of Beit Hagai.
The woman has been named as Batsheva Nagari. A young girl who was also in the car, said to be her daughter, was not injured.
The Israeli military is saying that their soldiers are chasing after the suspects. They have set up roadblocks in that area.
Palestinian media said they had surrounded Hebron and were stopping and asking Palestinians who were trying to go in or out of the city.
Ms Nigri was a mother with three children and a teacher at a nursery school in Beit Hagai, as reported by the Israeli media.
According to reports, a woman and her six-year-old daughter got a ride home from a man who was driving a car.
The Palestinian group Hamas said they liked the attack because it was a reaction to Israel building settlements in the West Bank.
This is happening at the same time as an increase in fighting in the West Bank.
On Saturday, near the northern village of Huwara, a person suspected to be Palestinian shot and killed an Israeli man and his son while they were at a car wash.
On Friday, the Israeli military shot a 15-year-old Palestinian boy in the head in East Jerusalem, which is currently under Israeli control. The boy was left severely injured as a result. The police say that he attempted to throw a homemade bomb made from gasoline during a search in the Silwan neighborhood.
On that day, a video showed Israeli soldiers shooting a man in the leg during a protest. The man was said to be Palestinian and may have had mental health issues. The protest took place near Israel’s separation barrier in Qalqilya.
This year, the Israeli army has gone into Palestinian cities many times. Israeli settlers have also been violent and targeted Palestinian homes. Palestinian people have also attacked Israelis.
Former Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has criticised the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for their recent stance regarding the Nigerien junta.
The heads of the West African regional group made the choice to deploy military forces to Niger with the intention of compelling the Junta under the leadership of General Abdourahmane Tchiani to restore democratic governance.
Nonetheless, as per Bernard Mornah, the leaders of the West African regional group are not prioritizing the well-being of Africans in their actions.
“You are not acting in the interest of the Africans, and ECOWAS started wrongly,” he said.
Drawing attention to a particular aspect of ECOWAS’s response, Mornah emphasised the organisation’s threat to use force if the junta refuses to hand over power as demanded is counterproductive and undermines the principles of diplomacy and dialogue.
“They said that the junta should hand over power to Bazoum; if they don’t do that, ECOWAS will go there with force. If you start by threatening me, I will harden my stance. If you see a soldier and you tell him that if you don’t give way for democracy, we will come there by force, we are waiting for you.
“As you are threatening to go there with forces, Guinea told you that if you are attacking Niger, they will also attack you. If you are sending forces, Mali is also saying you are fighting us, and even Burkina Faso is also saying you are fighting us. Even me sitting here, you are fighting me because I am a Pan-Africanist,” he continued.
He asserted that any attempt by ECOWAS to use force would be perceived as a declaration of war.
“And so, any attempt by ECOWAS to use force is a declaration of war, and all Pan-Africanists will gather there to protest,” he noted.
Vice President of IMANI Ghana, Bright Simons, has posed significant inquiries regarding both the advancement and financial aspects tied to the development of the Bank of Ghana‘s (BoG) new headquarters.
Dr. Caissel Ato Forson, spearheading the parliamentary minority, has alleged that Dr Ernest Addison, the governor of the Bank of Ghana, authorized the expenditure of $250 million for the central bank’s new office complex while it faced a GHC 60 billion loss in 2022.
They contend that the governor, along with his two deputies, has conspired to undermine the economy and exacerbate the financial challenges faced by the nation.
In a tweet, the vice president of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons voiced his opinions on the evasiveness of the Bank of Ghana in disclosing details about the costs and procurement processes related to its new head office.
“After Opposition MPs went frontal on the Bank of Ghana’s evasiveness on the cost & procurement of its new head office, some facts are emerging.
“But Ghana really needs to get serious! Is BoG seriously saying that after more than $220m spent, the building is still just 50% done???” he quizzed.
In his analysis, Bright Simons raised further concerns about the projected completion and the allocation of resources within the project.
He pointed out that the original budget has been exceeded threefold, leading to a situation where the building remains 50% complete despite being over budget.
He likened the situation to the controversial National Cathedral project.
“That even after completion most of the high-value features like the data center will be postponed. After the original budget has tripled? Effectively, a $220m shell of a building is 3x over budget & still at 50% completion. What kind of project management is that? Another cathedral?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, the minority and some other CSOs have given the governor of the central bank, Dr Ernest Addison and his deputies a 21-day ultimatum to resign or face their wrath.
With the 21 days given, the governor has only 9 days more to the ultimatum given by the minority.
Donald Trump said he will not be in the upcoming debate with the other people running for president from his party.
The former president mentioned that a recent poll indicated that he was significantly more popular than other candidates, making him a top choice for his political party’s nomination in the 2024 election.
It is not clear right now if Mr. Trump will be missing all the debates for the Republican primaries.
The first debate between Republican candidates running for president will take place on August 23.
Voting starts in Iowa on January 15th, 2024.
Recent surveys have consistently found that Mr. Trump, who is dealing with several criminal charges, is currently leading in the race for the Republican nomination.
Trump is needed by Republican competitors to participate in a debate. But, is he going to do it.
MrTrump wrote a message on his Truth Social platform on Sunday. He said that he will not go to the debate and mentioned that a recent poll shows that he is ahead in the race to become the Republican candidate.
MrTrump stated that the public is aware of his identity and is familiar with his successful time as the President. I won’t participate in the debates.
According to a poll conducted by CBS News, the closest competitor to a person is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, but he is significantly falling behind.
Recently, Trump kept saying that he wouldn’t participate in the Republican debates.
The ex-president wants to do an interview with Tucker Carlson, a previous host on Fox News. The interview might be shown during the first debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday. People who know about the planning shared this information with CBS.
Donald Trump said he might not go to this week’s debate, and this made some of his Republican opponents, like former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, upset.
Last week, Mr. Christie said that if someone thinks they should be chosen, if they think they have done really well before, if they think they are the best person to compete against Joe Biden, then they should come to the event on Wednesday and stop being scared.
Republican candidates who want to participate in the debate need to have received donations from at least 40,000 people and have a support of at least 1% in reputable polls.
Up until now, we know that Vice-President Mike Pence, Mr. Christie, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott have all been approved.
The first Republican debate is happening this week, at the same time when Mr. Trump has to give himself up willingly in Fulton County, Georgia.
He has to go to the state by 25 August to deal with charges of attempting to change the outcome of the 2020 election in the state.
Donald Trump is being accused of many crimes and will have multiple trials in the next year and a half. Meanwhile, he is also running for president in the 2024 US election.
In addition to the charges against Mr. Trump in Georgia, he has also been charged in Florida. The charges are for unlawfully keeping secret documents at his property called Mar-a-Lago. When he was asked to give them back, he refused.
His third accusation was revealed this month in Washington DC. Prosecutors say he kept saying he won the last presidential election when that wasn’t true.
He has often said that the charges against him are like a political “witch hunt”.
Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, is currently engaged in efforts to enhance the enrollment of students in science-oriented subjects within Senior High Schools (SHS) nationwide.
In pursuit of this objective, the Free Senior High School Secretariat is spearheading a campaign named ‘Operation Double Science Enrolment’ aimed at informing and raising awareness among the public regarding the advantages of opting for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields of study.
This initiative is designed to educate, raise awareness, and demystify science education, ultimately leading to higher enrolment rates in respective SHSs across the country during the upcoming Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the education minister, disclosed that enumerated interventions and plans have been put in place to ensure that this year’s CSSPS records at least 25 percent Science enrolment, as opposed to the current 12 percent at the SHS level.
He also spoke of a comprehensive nationwide radio sensitization campaign by various stakeholders as well as the sensitization of Junior High School teachers and candidates about the emerging job market opportunities that strongly advocate for learners to select science during the school selection exercise.
The education minister hinted at the introduction of Virtual Laboratories in certain SHSs by the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS) to allow schools to conduct laboratory practicals without physical lab equipment.
Dr. Adutwum further emphasized that in addition to expanding the number of science labs, efforts have been made to enhance the capabilities of science teachers and lab technicians, enabling them to effectively teach science in their respective schools.
Dr. Adutwum appealed to various stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and institutions, to dispel the misconception that the study of science is exclusively for academically-inclined students.
He added that to ensure that Senior High Schools are prepared to accommodate increased enrolment in the sciences, several initiatives have been launched, including the construction of 300 new laboratories and the renovation of existing laboratories in select SHSs nationwide.
A Deputy National Coordinator for the Free Senior High School Secretariat, Vera Asantewaa Andoh, who is leading the project, hinted at an upcoming broadcast of a video documentary highlighting the importance of choosing Science.
This documentary which will soon be aired on television stations across the country will also provide information to parents, candidates, and other stakeholders about the school selection process set to begin soon.
Background
A perception exists regarding who qualifies to pursue Science/STEM programs, along with a stigma associated with it, implying that these programs are only suitable for the ‘sharp-minded,’ disregarding the importance of science/STEM education in light of emerging global job market trends.
It is against this backdrop that the Ministry of Education is launching the ‘Science/STEM Enrolment Drive Initiative,’ aiming to achieve the 60/40 Science/STEM-Arts ratio as outlined in the Education Strategic Plan 2018-2030.
South Africa’s electricity minister has raised concerns about the failure of municipalities to settle their bills with the state-owned power company, Eskom.
According to Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, municipalities owe Eskom 63.2 billion rand ($3.3 billion; £2.6 billion).
He claimed that doing so damages Eskom’s “bottom line” and puts it “out of a position” to address the nation’s electrical problems.
In addition, Mr. Ramokgopa noted that in the previous year, the debt had grown by 4.7 billion rand.
According to Mr. Ramokgopa, we are burdening Eskom with increasing amounts of debt and reducing its capacity to invest its funds in generation, transmission, and distribution.
In March, President Cyril Ramaphosa named Mr. Ramokgopa as South Africa’s first electricity minister, amid mounting public resentment over how the government had handled a power issue that had led to protracted power outages.
Corruption and poor management are to blame for South Africa’s electricity issue.
On Sunday, August 20, 2023, a man armed with a machete was fatally shot by police officers after he reportedly attempted to attack them.
The occurrence took place in the Eastern Region, specifically at Adeiso.
According to witnesses, the event unfolded as the police endeavored to disarm Paa Kwasi, a mentally challenged 35-year-old individual, in order to prevent him from inflicting additional harm on innocent individuals. This transpired after he had fatally attacked his grandmother with a machete.
Reports indicate that the individual in question was initially restrained with chains at a prayer camp in Adeiso due to his aggressive conduct.
On Sunday however, he managed to take off the chain after which he headed straight to the house.
Paa Kwasi then grabbed a machete and butchered the hapless grandmother to death.
During the course of the attack, a cousin of Paa Kwasi by the name Agbesi, who attempted to save the deceased was also butchered in the process. He, however, survived.
It’s unclear what triggered the attacks.
Police were subsequently called to the scene to intervene but after failing to get the assassin to drop the weapon, discharged their guns, killing him on the spot.
Yaa Ameyawo’s body and that of Paa Kwasi have been deposited at the mortuary of the Nsawam Government Hospital where Agbesi is also receiving treatment.
Police have launched investigations into the incident.
In a similar incident, a mentally unstable man, Eric Narh, aged 28, brutally murdered his 78-year-old blind uncle using a machete.
The incident occurred on Sunday, August 13, 2023.
The assailant, unemployed and seemingly mentally disturbed, attacked his elderly uncle with a machete, inflicting fatal wounds to the victim’s neck and arm, resulting in his immediate death.
GhanaWeb in an 18th July, 2023 article titled, public express concern over increasing number of mentally deranged persons on the streets, expressed concern over the increasing number of mentally deranged persons on the streets.
According to them, such persons ought to be taken off the streets and communities and housed in psychiatric hospitals to prevent any harm they might pose to society.
Here are the most essential vitamins and minerals that every woman in her 30s needs.
Vitamin B Complex (Especially B9 and B12) B vitamins play an important role in your metabolism. Besides regulating energy, these vitamins also help in the formation of blood. Complex B vitamins also help regulate brain functions and are important in preventing depression.
Doctors usually recommend folic acid (B9) during the early stages of pregnancy. This vitamin basically helps the body make new cells. Getting enough folic acid can prevent major birth defects in the baby’s brain and spine.
Good food sources include leafy green vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas, nuts, cereals, and other grains. Even if you eat these products regularly, including a good folic acid supplement is a must.
B vitamins are also water-soluble, which means that whatever the body doesn’t use is easily lost through fluids. For that reason, you need to have a regular supply of these vitamins.Make sure you add foods like eggs, milk, meat, fish, dark green veggies, kale, and spinach to your diet.
Iron Iron is one of those major minerals needed for women’s health, especially during the fertile period. As women, we lose iron during our menstrual cycle. Therefore, it’s vital that we eat enough iron-rich foods.
Anemia is a common iron deficiency in women. This happens because of a poor diet.
According to the World Health Organization, 30% of non-pregnant women are anemic and 40% of pregnant women are anemic. Anemia causes tiredness, insomnia, headaches, and overall loss of energy. Other symptoms include hair loss and low energy.[7]
Believe it or not, women are low in iron levels. So, it’s crucial that you check with your doctor. You should also follow a healthy diet that includes enough iron.
You can include iron-rich food sources in your diet like spinach, liver, legumes, red meat, quinoa, and turkeys. Take iron supplements if your levels aren’t between 40-70 mcg/L.
Vitamin D This vitamin is known as the sunshine vitamin.The reason is simple: You can get vitamin D by being exposed to some sunlight.
Vitamin D works as a hormone and unlocks most body functions. This vitamin is essential for brain, muscles, bones, and teeth health.
However, compared to other nutrients, a vitamin D deficiency is unlikely. The best sources, besides sunlight, are eggs, dairy products, meat, poultry, as well as fortified foods.
Omega-3 Omega-3 (EPA and DHA) are considered essential fatty acids. Since our bodies cannot produce enough on their own, we need to get omega-3 from food or supplements
Omega-3 helps fight depression and anxiety. Moreover, it helps improve eye health and reduces heart disease and chronic inflammation.
Salmon and other cold water fish are rich in omega-3. You can also find them in avocado, olive oil, and nuts. To ensure enough omega-3 intake, doctors usually recommend supplements.
Calcium Calcium is important for our bone health, muscles, and nerves. It also helps protect against certain cancers, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
However, if you’re a woman who avoids eating dairy products, you could be at higher risk of calcium deficiency like osteoporosis. That’s the reason why every woman of childbearing age should eat enough calcium.
The good news is that you can get calcium in rich foods like dairy, green vegetables like broccoli, and certain fortified products.
Calcium supplements can be risky, though. Excess calcium is associated with high kidney stones, hardened blood vessels, and heart disease. So, experts recommend taking calcium with vitamin K, which helps to avoid blood clots.
Magnesium Magnesium aids calcium in blood, bone, muscles, and nerve health. A diet poor in this mineral leads to magnesium deficiency, which is very common.
Also, eating too much processed food blocks magnesium in your body. You may experience muscle cramps, unexplained fatigue, mood disorders, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, nausea, and muscle weakness.
Make sure you eat foods like legumes, whole grains, leafy greens, and nuts.
Prenatal Vitamins Doctors usually prescribe prenatal vitamins to childbearing women. But you don’t need to wait until you are pregnant to take them. These types of vitamins are packed with folic acid and iron since they are vital for baby development. This extra boost of nutrients will make the baby healthy.
Some of these vitamins also have good levels of zinc, copper, iodine, and vitamin D.
Probiotics Technically, probiotics are neither vitamins nor minerals, but they play an important role in our health.
Probiotics are essential for gut health, especially since our gut is constantly exposed to toxic substances and agents.
An example is certain medications can cause a leaky gut. Apart from that, an unhealthy gut will slow down your body’s digestion. So, consuming probiotics will stimulate the healthy bacteria in your gut.
Women over 30 usually experience gut health issues like constipation, food sensitivities, allergies, and diarrhea. You can find probiotics in yogurt, kefir, and other fermented products. Also, you can find them in the form of supplements.
Final Thoughts Some of the best vitamins for women in their 30s are easily accessible. All you need to do is follow a healthy eating lifestyle that includes quality whole foods that are packed with vitamins and nutrients.
Get enough sunlight exposure as well, and make sure you check with a professional before getting supplements.
Luisa Gonzalez, a left-wing person, is winning in Ecuador’s presidential election. The election has been affected by the murder of one of the candidates.
With almost 80% of the votes counted, electoral officials report that she has 33% of the votes, while her main competitor Daniel Noboa, who is a businessman, has 24% of the votes.
The two best candidates will now have another competition on 15 October.
The poll and referendum were held together, and people voted to stop drilling for oil in the Amazon.
The decision, which was agreed by almost 60% of the people who voted, means that the government-owned oil company will have to end its activities in a specific area of Yasuní National Park. This park is known for its rich variety of plant and animal life and is one of the most important places for biodiversity in the world.
The place has many different kinds of birds, amphibians, and reptiles. It is also where indigenous people like the Tagaeri and Taromenani live, and they choose to live away from others.
The result is a big setback for the former President Guillermo Lasso, who believed that money from oil drilling was very important for Ecuador’s economy.
The Waorani indigenous people are participating in a group of travelers who are advocating for a “yes” vote in a referendum that aims to prevent oil drilling.
The Waorani tribe is against drilling for oil in the Yasuni reserve.
About 100,000 police officers and soldiers were sent to protect the first round of voting on Sunday.
The snap election happened because Mr. Lasso, who used to work in banking and is politically conservative, dissolved parliament to prevent his own removal from office.
The voting on Sunday was calm, which made the people of Ecuador relieved because they were scared of the political violence happening in the country.
But, before the vote, there were a few times when someone used a gun and hurt people.
The new president will start working on 26 October and will be in power for only 18 months, which is the remaining time of Mr. Lasso’s term
Ms Gonzalez, who is 45 years old and a supporter of leftist ex-President Rafael Correa, was seen as the most likely winner among the eight politicians running for president.
But when candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed on 9 August in the capital city, Quito, it became hard to know who would win the election.
Ms Gonzalez has promised to bring back helpful government programs that support people in Ecuador. This is very appealing to Ecuadoreans who have been struggling with a difficult economic situation.
Many voters view Daniel Noboa as a candidate who supports and promotes business interests.
But, people who vote have different political beliefs.
Mr Correa is still a powerful figure in the country. He reduced poverty when he was in charge, but he was involved in corruption scandals and had to leave the country. He is currently living in exile in Belgium.
People who want to stop his influence in Ecuador will support candidate Daniel Noboa, who is 35 years old and supports businesses.
The only thing that brings Ecuadoreans together is their desire for peace and safety. Everyone wants a calm and peaceful campaign before the run-off.
Mr Villavicencio was a journalist who spoke out about corruption and exposed connections between organized crime and government officials. He was 59 years old.
Six men were arrested for being involved in his killing, and all of them are from Colombia. Media caption means a short description or text that provides information about a media file, such as a video or image. It helps viewers understand what the media is about before deciding to watch or view it.
Fernando Villavicencio got shot when he was leaving a gathering in Quito.
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Haruna Yusif, has chastised leaders of West African states within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), especially President Akufo-Addo, for opting to use force in addressing the Benin coup.
He stated that these West African leaders have not effectively addressed the crucial challenges facing their own countries, yet they want to assert authority in external matters without first addressing domestic issues adequately.
He also accused Presidents of some member states of lacking a solid grasp of democratic principles, adding that some are also complicit in undemocratic proceedings.
“I think the ECOWAS leaders made a hasty decision by declaring the use of force. They are calling for restoration of democracy but I want to ask them if they actually believe in democracy. Democracy is about the will of the people but let’s look at these West African Leaders,” he asked.
He chastised Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé who changed the country’s constitution in 2019 to cap the presidential mandate at two five-year terms ostensibly in response to opposition calls for an end to a political dynasty that started when Gnassingbe’s father seized power in a 1967 coup.
“Look at Togo, can Faure Gnassingbé tell us that he believes in democracy? We are all aware of how he became a president so for someone like that, he’s totally disqualified from talking about someone who has led a coup,” he said.
He also slammed Ivory Coast’s Alassane Ouattara who since 2010 assumed power and claimed the adoption of a new constitution in 2016 would allow him to run for a third term in the 2020 presidential race because a new constitution would mean the first two terms did not count. He has not yet said if he will stand for re-election.
President Akufo-Addo was not left out of the matter as Hon Yusif slammed Ghana’s President for not being able to address the Bawku crisis, yet has agreed to support ECOWAS in the deployment of troops to Niger to restore democratic rule through force.
“I think the ECOWAS leaders made a hasty decision by declaring the use of force. They are calling for restoration of democracy but I want to ask them if they actually believe in democracy. Democracy is about the will of the people but let’s look at these West African Leaders. Look at Togo, can Faure Gnassingbé tell us that he believes in democracy?
“We are all aware of how he became a president so for someone like that, he’s totally disqualified from talking about someone who has led a coup,” he said.
“Tinubu has also not been able to deal with terrorism in his country, his citizens have no peace, they are wallowing in poverty, yet he’s leading the commission and issuing orders. Even our President, Akufo-Addo has not been able to address election violence cases in the country. He has not been able to ask our neighbouring countries to assist them address the conflict in Bawku, yet he is willing to send troops to other countries,” he added.
He holds the belief that employing dialogue and mediation is the most effective solution to tackle this issue. Therefore, he urged the leaders to initially explore this approach.
More than 1,200 people who were reported missing have been found and are safe, according to Mr. Bissen. He also mentioned that the number of missing people might change.
One hundred and fourteen people have been confirmed as dead.
President Joe Biden will be going to the island for the first time after the dangerous fires happened there earlier this month.
The fire destroyed a lot of the old part of Lahaina, a town in Maui. It is now considered the worst natural disaster in the history of Hawaii.
Mr Bissen said in a video on social media that our lives have been permanently altered and things will never be as they used to be. “The way we support and comfort each other as we grieve and tackle this situation together will remain unchanged. ”
So far, they have identified 27 of the people who died and have told 11 families about it.
Information about the identities of the victims has started to become known recently. So far, the victims include a person who loves playing music, as well as caring grandparents and fathers.
Mr Bissen said that it was somewhat good news that only 850 people were missing. This is because it is a smaller number compared to the over 2,000 people who were missing right after the fires.
He requested people who were missing their loved ones to give a DNA sample to help find them. Explanation: The caption of the media reads, “Media caption,”
Experts say that it may take many months or even years to find and identify the victims because of how big the damage is and the state that most of the remains are expected to be in.
Mr Biden is going to visit the people affected by the fires on Monday, along with his wife Jill Biden. They will meet the victims, as well as the residents of Lahaina, the first responders, and the local officials.
The president promised to do everything he could to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragic event.
Republicans are criticizing Mr. Biden, saying that he didn’t do enough to fix the damage caused by the crisis.
Local officials have also received negative feedback. The person in charge of emergency management in Maui quit last week because people were angry that the agency didn’t turn on the alarm system after the fire.
The president wants to choose someone to help with the recovery on the island for a long time. They will be in charge of dealing with emergencies.
According to a report by Human Rights Watch, Saudi border guards allegedly killed many Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers who were trying to cross the Yemen-Saudi border from March 2022 to June 2023.
The organization talked to 42 people from Ethiopia who moved to another country or asked for protection, and looked at more than 350 videos and pictures shared on social media. They also used pictures from satellites up in space. HRW said they found proof of people who were killed or injured on the migrant route, in camps and medical buildings. They also discovered burial sites and noticed that Saudi border security infrastructure was growing.
There are videos on TikTok and Facebook that claim to show dead bodies on the path where migrants go near the Yemen-Saudi border. The same videos also seem to show migrants who have injuries that look like they were caused by explosions or gunshots. A specialist in studying dead bodies and their causes of death, called a forensic pathologist, has said this. HRW said they found and checked the videos.
Some videos that were supposedly taken near a camp where migrants live show buildings where Saudi border guards work and fences that have recently been put up. HRW also mentioned that pictures taken from space by the nonprofit organization showed that graveyards were getting bigger near the area.
Saudi border guards have been using explosive weapons without caring about who gets hurt. They have also been shooting people from a close distance, even if they are women or children. This behavior is happening a lot and in an organized way. According to HRW’s report, if the Saudi government is intentionally killing migrants as part of their policy, it would be considered a crime against humanity. HRW also mentioned that the violence seems to be continuing.
A person from the Saudi government told CNN that the claims in the Human Rights Watch report about Saudi border guards shooting Ethiopians at the Saudi-Yemeni border are not true and are not from reliable sources. The person did not give more details and wanted to remain anonymous because of how the government communicates with the media.
For a long time, people from Ethiopia have been trying to travel through a dangerous path called the “Eastern Route”. This path goes from the Horn of Africa, across the Gulf of Aden, into Yemen, and finally to Saudi Arabia, according to HRW.
In November 2022, a peace agreement was signed between the fighting groups in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. This agreement stopped the conflict that caused the death of many people and made millions of people leave their homes. However, even though there have been fewer cases of mistreatment, organizations that protect human rights still report that violence has not stopped. Some migrants who were interviewed by HRW said that they had left their homes because of ongoing fighting. There is still violence and insecurity happening in different areas of the country, like in the Amhara and Oromia regions. This is making people leave their homes to find safety.
According to HRW, migrants from Djibouti get on dangerous and crowded boats to go to Yemen. In Yemen, smugglers separate them based on their ethnic group and keep them in camps. These camps are in Saada, near the border with Saudi Arabia, and have many other migrants who are waiting to be smuggled into the country.
The people who moved from one place to another had bad experiences, like being hit, being sexually attacked, and being asked for money by the people who illegally moved them. People who couldn’t give money to the smugglers were sent to small, overcrowded detention centers run by the Houthi group. These individuals have reported being mistreated and forced to give money. Human Rights Watch (HRW) provided this information.
Yemen has been in a civil war since 2014. Houthi forces took over the capital, Sanaa, and removed the internationally recognized and Saudi-supported government. In 2015, the situation became a bigger war when a group of countries led by Saudi Arabia stepped in to try and stop the Houthis.
The group of nations, led by the United States, has received a lot of criticism, including from Human Rights Watch, for attacking and damaging areas where regular people live in Yemen. After eight years, the coalition has been unsuccessful in removing the rebels. The Saudi military says that the rebels have fired more than 1,000 rockets and drones towards Saudi cities as revenge.
The war has caused a very bad humanitarian crisis in the world. Many people have died and some parts of the country are facing food shortage because Saudi Arabia has blocked the ports controlled by the Houthi rebels.
The latest report from HRW states that smugglers transport 200 migrants together from Yemen to Saudi Arabia. If someone cannot pay the full fee to the smuggler, they are often made to lead the group. HRW said that the migrants who were in the front of the group were the ones most likely to get hurt or killed in attacks with explosives or shootings.
The group interviewed 27 individuals who experienced 28 different attacks with explosive weapons. These incidents occurred on the Saudi side of the border after the individuals had crossed from Yemen into Saudi territory. Some of these attacks lasted for hours or even days. People who were interviewed talked about being attacked by Saudi border guards. They explained that the guards were wearing specific clothes, and they also mentioned that the weapons used in the attack were powerful, like bombs.
We were shot at many times. I witnessed something very shocking and horrific. People were being killed in a way that I never thought was possible. I saw 30 dead people right there. I crawled beneath a big stone and took a nap. I felt the presence of people sleeping near me. I noticed that the people I thought were asleep near me were actually dead. I opened my eyes and there was nobody else around me, said Hamdiya, a 14-year-old whose name was changed to hide who she really is, told HRW.
Ten people were asked questions and they said that there were 11 times when a group of more than 1,200 people tried to cross the border. Unfortunately, during these attempts, at least 655 of them died. Nine more people died during failed attempts to cross the border, according to migrants who were interviewed. They were too occupied with escaping or dealing with trauma, so they couldn’t count how many exactly died. However, they made an estimation based on the number of people who came back to the camps. One person being interviewed told HRW that out of 150 individuals, only 7 individuals managed to survive that day. There were body parts of people all over the place, scattered in different directions.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it spoke to survivors who were asked by Saudi border guards which body part they wanted to be shot in, before being shot up close.
One migrant who is 23 said that guards dressed in Saudi military clothing, which had different colors like green and brown, shot at our legs. A lot of people got shot in different parts of their bodies. The bullet went in my mouth and came out through my neck. I was attacked and shot.
The human rights organization said that the Houthi group in Yemen, which is supported by Iran, has been involved in mistreating migrants on the migration route. They have allowed smugglers and migrants to cross the border, held and made money from migrants, and also committed serious crimes like torture, unjust imprisonment, and trafficking.
HRW asked the United Nations to start an inquiry into the killing of migrants and asylum seekers.
The HRW report is released almost one year after a team of UN experts made claims that they had received information about Saudi security forces killing around 430 migrants and injuring 650 during cross-border attacks from January 1 to April 30, 2022. The experts said it seemed to be a repeated and organized way of killing many people across borders without choosing specific targets.
Ghanaian actress and television personality Xandy Kamel is savouring motherhood after enduring a rocky journey that included a divorce, numerous miscarriages, and a triumphant new beginning.
The celebrity, who had previously struggled in her personal life, has now been blessed with her first child, signalling a turning point in the story of her life.
Along the way to becoming a mother, Xandy Kamel, who was previously married to Kaninja, the sports presenter Kwaku Mensah, encountered significant obstacles.
Despite the issues that plagued her relationship with her ex-husband, she remained steadfast in her desire to have a child.
Xandy’s prayers for a child have now been granted, despite the troubled past, giving her a renewed sense of happiness and hope.
The actress encountered many obstacles on her journey to parenthood. During her relationship with her ex-husband, Xandy Kamel went through the heartbreak of having four miscarriages, a journey filled with suffering and loss.
In a recent revelation that touched many people’s hearts, it was revealed that Xandy Kamel had successfully concealed her pregnancy from the public by choosing to maintain a low-key online persona.
The actress shared a touching video of her pregnancy journey with her fans and followers, celebrating the happy event, and this helped to lift the veil of secrecy.
The video not only showcases the radiant glow of an expectant mother but also encapsulates the triumph of resilience and the realization of a dream that was long in the making.
As the news of Xandy Kamel’s miraculous birth continues to spread, well-wishes and congratulatory messages are pouring in from fans and well-wishers alike.
Manhyia Palace in Kumasi intends to create a unique Midwifery Training Institute to enhance healthcare provision.
Otumfuo Asantehene’s Mawerehene, Baffour Osei Hyeaman Brantuo, revealed this during the commencement of the 14th Biennial Meeting of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association (GRMA) in Kumasi.
The gathering occurred during a period when Ghana Midwives Association members are grappling with difficulties such as unfavorable employment terms, insufficient provisions, and imbalanced allocation of midwives across medical facilities, particularly in underserved regions.
The scientific session discussed modern trends in determining causes and treatment of diseases and efficiency in addressing challenges involved in neonatal and postnatal delivery.
The meeting further looked into how to address challenges in maternal mortality, which is currently on the increase.
The National President of the GRMA, Netta Forson Ackon, said the current distribution of midwives across health facilities in Ghana is skewed toward urban communities.
She called on the government to equip the health facilities with adequate and modern healthcare equipment to enhance safe delivery.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, assured members of the government’s determination to provide infrastructure to enhance the delivery of services.
He commended health practitioners for their role in helping to address the impact of the covid19 pandemic.
The Dean, Faculty of Allied and Health Sciences at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Professor Veronica Dzomeku, gave statistics on the maternal mortality situation in the country and called on midwives to do more to reduce the figure.
Otumfuo Asantehene’s Mawerehene, Baffour Osei Hyiaman Brantuo, who is a medical practitioner expressed the importance of midwifery in healthcare delivery and disclosed Manhyia’s intention to establish a Special Midwifery Training Institute to complement the government’s effort at meeting universal health coverage.
After communication with the robotic spacecraft was cut off, the incident—which dealt a setback to Russia’s aspirations in space—took place.
Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, said that it lost contact with Luna 25 on Saturday at 2:57 PM Moscow time.
The space agency reported that efforts made on August 19 and 20 to locate the object and make contact with it were unsuccessful.
Luna-25 “switched to an off-design orbit” prior to the collision, per a “preliminary analysis,” Roscosmos reported.
What precipitated the collision was not immediately known.
The agency noted that a specially created commission will look into the circumstances behind Luna 25’s disappearance.
The information was released a day after the spacecraft, according to Roscosmos, reported a “emergency situation” as it attempted to enter a pre-landing orbit.
Roscosmos explained in a Telegram post on Saturday that “during the operation, an emergency situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the manoeuvre to be performed with the specified parameters.”
Russia’s first lunar landing mission in 47 years was to be accomplished by the spacecraft. On August 18, 1976, Luna 24, the nation’s final lunar lander, touched down on the moon’s surface.
On August 10, the Luna 25 probe blasted off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Amur Oblast, beginning a quick journey to the moon.
Due to its trajectory, Luna 25 was able to reach the lunar surface before India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander, which was launched in mid-July.
The Luna 25, also known as the Luna-Glob-Lander, spent a year travelling in order to investigate the makeup of the lunar soil and the moon’s tenuous atmosphere, or exosphere.
Due to its trajectory, the mission was able to outperform India’s mid-July-launched Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander.
The south pole of the moon was the destination of both spacecraft.
The fact that it is still one of the moon’s least explored regions accounts for a large portion of the region’s appeal. Additionally, scientists think that water is frozen solid in gloomy craters sheltered from the sun in this region, where it is thought to be kept on the lunar surface as ice.
According to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, a researcher at the Centre for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, claims that descriptions that India and Russia were competing for the lunar south pole weren’t totally correct. Both of the projects, he noted, have been in development for more than ten years.
Initially, Luna 25, Luna 26, Luna 27, and the ExoMars rover were all going to be jointly developed by Roscosmos and the European Space Agency.
But after Russia invaded Ukraine in April 2022, this collaboration came to an end, and the ESA Council decided to “discontinue cooperative activities with Russia.”
Eight scientific tools, including specialised equipment known as spectrometers, were aboard Luna 25. According to NASA, one was supposed to investigate the lunar soil, and the other to find surface water.
Russian spacecraft did not have the lander, propulsion module, or rover that India’s Chandrayaan-3 had. The tiny robotic vehicle is capable of navigating the lunar surface.
The landing of Chandrayaan-3 might be the nation’s first successful lunar touchdown. India’s most recent effort, Chandrayaan-2, which crashed-landed in September 2019, was unsuccessful.
The landing attempt for Chandrayaan-3 is expected to happen as soon as August 23.
Roscosmos viewed Luna 25 as a testbed for upcoming robotic lunar exploration missions. The same design was intended to be applied to a number of upcoming Luna spacecraft.
If Luna 25 had been successful, it would have been a significant step forward for the nation’s civil space programme, which some analysts claim has been plagued by problems for years, and shown that it was still capable of carrying out high-profile, high-stakes missions.
“They were having a lot of problems with quality control, corruption, and funding,” said Victoria Samson, the head of the Secure World Foundation’s Washington office, in an interview on Friday. The organisation advocates for the peaceful exploration of space.
The space world responded with sympathy when it was revealed that Russia had problems with its spacecraft.
Former NASA science chief Thomas Zurbuchen claimed on social media that nobody in the field “wishes bad onto other explorers.”
He wrote on X, the social networking website that replaced Twitter, “We are reminded that landing on any celestial object is anything but easy & straightforward.” “Success today is not guaranteed simply because others succeeded decades ago.”
Senior Presidential Advisor to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, has expressed concern that the alarming level of unemployment among graduates in Ghana is evolving into a significant national security concern.
He attributed the situation to the education system, which has shifted away from practical skills training in favor of a more theoretical approach.
“Anytime I look at tertiary education I become nervous. When I was Minister of Education, there were five or four universities belonging to government and one private but as I speak we have 95 universities almost a 100 training people but no hand on skills fundamentally very few will come out with hand on skills so what is going to happen it’s scary. We need to do some serious retrospection about the education system”.
The Senior Presidential Advisory said he is not comfortable how Universities almost all universities in Ghana continue to offer humanity courses rather than technical program.
“I am very uncomfortable about what I am seeing from tertiary education system and the outcome on the unemployment arising out of the educational system .You can’t go from five to about 100 universities in about 15 years and none of the universities is technical “
“We’ve converted all our Polytechnics into universities the reasons I don’t understand.We had Polytechnics which were doing far more humanity subjects than even technical subjects and as Minister for Education I invited all the Polytechnics and wanted to question why they were doing certain courses , when I went through the exercise with them I withdrew my complain because this was what was happening , all those who have done very well in maths and science want to do Engineering and other Science and Medicine so at the end of the A level of O level you hardly have any very good maths or science students left , they’ve all gone to other places so if you want people with maths background you won’t get “.
He therefore lauded initiative by Education Minister DrYaw Osei Adutwum to introduce students with no science background to pre-enginering programs .
Yaw Osafo Maafo suggested that stakeholders particularly churches and government need to meet over the situation to find solutions through a paradigm shift of the education system.
” the government and the churches need to sit down on the drawing board and think again we can’t continue like this, because unemployment is a serious problem and it is becoming a security problem we need to resolve it”.
The former Finance, and Education Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo said this Saturday August 19,2023 during the 23 General Meeting of Presbyterian church of Ghana at Kwahu Abetifi.
He said Presbyterian Church of Ghana having established about 2,500 basic schools, 36 senior high schools and two universities has the locus standi to sit with government address challenges making Ghana Education system counter productive.
“We need the church and the government because of your experience both in and out of Ghana to sit with government to look at education the Presbyterians are good at this because you have been the middle of good education systems in this country so when we are in difficulty in our education and we need to fall on one Christian unit it is going to be the Presbyterian Church, you have the know how you have the experience we need to sit and think again we can’t continue like this otherwise we will create a security problem for ourselves.”
The unemployment rate in Ghana is expected to reach 5.00 percent by the end of 2023, according to Trading Economics’ global macro models and analysts’ expectations.
In the long-term, the Ghana Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 4.70 percent in 2024 and 4.50 percent in 2025, according to our econometric models, Trading Economics said.
According to Ghana’s 2022 Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (AHIES) Third Quarter Labour Statistics released on Wednesday 3rd May 2023 by Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicated that,about 1.76 million persons were unemployed in the third quarter of 2022.
Within this population, two out of every three unemployed persons were females. Across the three quarters, about 157,000 persons experienced an unemployment spell i.e. they were unemployed in all the quarters.
Close to 7.5 million persons remained employed throughout the three quarters out of the about 11 million persons employed in each quarter.
This indicates that across the three quarters about 3.5 million persons were moving in and out of employment depicting vulnerabilities.
Deputy Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Ako Gunn, holds the opinion that the Electoral Commission’s (EC) choice to conduct voter registration solely in district offices for individuals aged 18 and above is an unfavorable decision.
He contended that the move is essentially a form of voter suppression intended to hinder and suppress votes.
This week, the Electoral Commission announced that voter registration for individuals aged 18 and above will take place from Tuesday, September 12 to Monday, October 2, 2023.
The EC further announced that the exercise will be conducted at all 268 district offices across the nation.
The commission said that the District Level Elections will be held on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.
Apart from the Nkoranza North and Nkoranza South districts in the Bono East Region where the elections will not take place, all other Electoral Areas totalling 6,272 will have their elections on December 19.
The Electoral Commission is hoping to register 1,350,000 new voters by the close of the Registration exercise this year.
In response, Ako Gunn remarked that this is a big challenge because it will prevent some new unregistered voters from registering.
He told Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm that the best method would be for the EC to facilitate registration in all polling centres across the country.
He stated that some villages have residents who live far from the district offices and must travel by boat, bus, or other methods to go to the district offices.
He stated that “only in Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi and other cities are district offices closer to the people.” However, in certain Ghanaian communities, residents must travel by boat, canoe, or bus to reach the district offices. We have not registered new voters for the past three years, so you can anticipate the number of new voters who will participate in the election.
These are some of the issues we’ve had with the EC, and our point is that we shouldn’t be doing this. The registration exercise should extend to all centres rather than just their district offices. Even if we organise the registration process in a week, it must include all of the centres.”
“Sometimes they make things so difficult for political parties that it’s as if they (EC) don’t care,” he continued. All of this has been planned on purpose to prevent more voters from voting because the candidate for whom they are working would not be defeated.”
He stated that the NDC has spoken to branch and constituency executives to conduct meetings and ensure that Ghanaians are informed about the registration since the EC will not do so.
“These concerns we have raised are not about the NDC or the NPP,” he stated. This will not happen if you have no malevolent intentions or believe in justice. That is the pitiful aspect of the current EC Commissioner.”
We all yearned to be adults and take advantage of the freedoms that come with it. However, there are times when one might feel compelled to question whether the rush to mature was actually worthwhile. But not to fret, here are four bright sides to becoming a young adult.
We become more self-conscious
When looking into the mirror every day, you begin to question, who you are? Who you have been? and most importantly, who you are becoming?.
You understand the value of work and money
Unlike the juvenile days when money was free, as adults, money no longer bears the same definition. In order to provide for basic necessities, it is critical to have jobs that will compensate us financially. For this reason, money is now seen as a return for value; And for this worth, we appreciate and cherish the job more especially when it brings personal fulfillment.
We can now vote
Unlike when we could not contribute our voices to political issues and governance, now, as adults, we can. Considering legally adult citizens have the right to choose who occupies public offices, it becomes a civic duty every adult is privileged to perform.
We can know what and who is important
As children, one of the biggest flexes was having a ton of friends to play with. But as adults, you come to understand the need to keep your circle small and the importance of making the right connections. Unlike feeling the overwhelming pressure to be everybody’s friend. As adults, we also come to terms with what is more important. We begin to set priorities regarding overall health, finances, relationships, etc. Unlike when everything was vague as kids, as adults, things become clearer.
After yet another challenging performance in a Chelsea jersey, Mauricio Pochettino backed Mykhailo Mudryk and insisted the £88.5 million acquisition would finally succeed.
An injury to Carney Chukwuemeka’s knee caused the teenager to leave the pitch just before halftime against West Ham on Sunday. The teenager had earlier evened the score with a goal from Nayef Aguerd.
Chelsea had many fantastic chances to take the lead during the match, but they were undone on the break when Michail Antonio gave the hosts the lead again soon after the interval. Chelsea also missed a first-half penalty.
Chelsea’s dominance of the game intensified after Aguerd was sent off in the 67th minute, but they were still unable to break through. Lucas Paqueta converted a late penalty awarded to Chelsea by rookie Moises Caicedo to secure a 3-1 victory.
Mudryk, who has yet to score for Chelsea, failed to have an impact on the game. He only made 28 touches, matching the number of touches made by Robert Sanchez, the goalkeeper, and he mishandled a close-range volley attempt so badly that it fell outside the area.
Since going to Stamford Bridge, the 22-year-old has had difficulty living up to his hefty price tag, but Pochettino still believes the young winger is still adjusting to the team.
When asked what he thought of Mudryk’s performance and what was wrong, Pochettino said, “Well, I think he needs to be more in the spirit to score.
Pochettino responds to his first defeat as Chelsea manager following the 3-1 loss to West Ham.
However, he usually needs continuity, and today he played 45 minutes. However, he must first establish continuity and trust during the weekday training sessions.
“He’s a young player who needs to earn our trust. We need to have faith that he will build this bond with the team and with us.”
He has a tonne of potential and quality, so I believe it will only take a little while for him to fit in more comfortably with the team and then he will undoubtedly find a way to deliver the results we are looking for.
In contrast, Chukwuemeka will require evaluation in the upcoming days: We need to evaluate Carney, the Chelsea manager remarked. We need to wait while we await the doctors’ assessment, which will be available tomorrow.
Regarding Caicedo’s performance, he continued, “I believe we decided to play with him in the last 30 minutes because I believe he was ready to play 30 minutes.” He might not have been prepared to play right away, but after 30 minutes, definitely.
“He did well.” positive things in plenty. We only let in one goal in the dying seconds, so we can’t really blame ourselves. I believe he had a great impact, but we are all dissatisfied since, in my opinion, we deserved more and ultimately did not have the outcome we desired.
A collaboration between the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has resulted in the apprehension of a 19-year-old individual from Niger and a Ghanaian accomplice on suspicion of theft of fiber optic cables owned by the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), as reported by The Chronicle newspaper.
An insider disclosed that Simon Kwamena Atta, a Ghanaian cocoa farmer, and Osama Adamu, a Nigerien operating as a scrap dealer, were apprehended on Saturday, August 19, 2023, in Mpeasem, situated close to Half Assini in the Jomoro District.
The group, consisting of NIB and police personnel, recovered a portion of the stolen items from the homes of the detained individuals. Additionally, they uncovered a mud-brick structure where a significant portion of the stolen materials had been stored.
All the stolen materials were conveyed in three trucks and are currently in the custody of the Half Assini Police, awaiting investigations, The Chronicle newspaper added.
Recently, criminals have targeted electricity cables and transportation signals because of the profitability of these items, the report added.
But these thefts result in serious repercussions, including power outages, communication disruptions, and transportation delays that negatively affect the economic growth of the country in the long run.
There have been reports of theft convictions in past years, for instance at Odumase-Krobo when the Circuit Court convicted a man, William Ntow, to a 7-year prison sentence, after he was found culpable of stealing cables belonging to Vodafone.
The Electricity Company of Ghana has appealed to the general public to help end cable stealing as it creates an unending burden on society.
Member of Parliament for Asawase Constituency, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, has asserted that the Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, along with his colleagues, employed their numerical advantage to intimidate the Minority during the 7th Parliament.
Muntaka, who held the role of the Minority Chief Whip in the 7th Parliament, disclosed that the ruling government’s absolute Majority status during that period granted them unprecedented authority, which they (the Majority) employed to mistreat the Minority legislators on a daily basis.
The outspoken Member of Parliament made these remarks during a private discussion with Prince Ade (D. O. K Cash) on OTEC 102.9 FM’s afternoon political program “Dwabrem” on Friday, August 19, 2023.
According to him, the governing New Patriotic Party NPP amassing 169 members in the 7th Parliament gave them excessive power, which allowed them to do anything they want including approving some unpopular loan agreements and bills.
“That 169 members they had in the 7th Parliament was a serious problem to Ghana’s development, they enjoyed excessive comfort doing everything they wanted without effective checks from us the Minority because we couldn’t face them with our 106 members”.
“Because they needed only 139 members to form a quorum, the Majority Leader and his colleague call for a sitting on odd hours including Sundays to take any decision they want”.
“Our numbers then were so useless to the point that they wouldn’t even care whether or not minority members will show up or not, that was when I realized the NPP government was going to fail”, he narrated to the host.
After challenging Ryan Christie, Mac Allister received a straight red card, and Jurgen Klopp’s team won 3-1 at Anfield.
Referee Thomas Bramall’s first call was not overturned when VAR reviewed the decision.
Mac Allister’s three-game suspension for receiving a red card means he will miss Liverpool’s Premier League games against Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Wolves.
The Football Association has received an appeal from Liverpool under the heading of “wrongful dismissal,” nevertheless.
Following the game, Klopp responded to questions about the judgement by saying, “It’s harsh, this shouldn’t have been a red card.”
“It’s a mistake, and playing 40 minutes with 10 men is already a punishment enough,” the coach said. We must speak with the authorities.
There was contact, but it happens frequently in sports. Nobody would point out that they should take another look at something if he issued a yellow card.
We’ll probably talk about it again because of how frequently I’ve already been questioned about it.
When I questioned Macca, he responded, “He touched him, but not really.” There are no other boxes checked aside contact if we have a list of things you need to do to get a red card.
Former Communications Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, has provided insight into his perspective on the underlying reason for Ghana’s economic challenges.
Dr. Boamah’s comments coincide with a period of financial turmoil in the nation, while simultaneously endorsing Ghana’s support for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decision to deploy troops to counter the junta in Niger.
He believes that the present government’s misaligned priorities are exacerbating the economic difficulties experienced by the people of Ghana.
“Broke country beating war drums! This should tell Ghanaians our suffering is due to poor priorities; and that the government can find the money if…” he said in a tweet.
It can be recalled that the deputy minister for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, said that if the government decided to contribute troops to support the ECOWAS to deal with the coup situation in Niger, it will do so based on its capacity to fund the deployment.
She stated that no country can give what it does not have hence Ghana’s contribution will depend on its capacity.
Ghanaian Highlife and Afrobeats musician Mr. Drew has disclosed that, as a gesture of gratitude, he will be giving his former record label, Highly Spiritual, his share of the royalties generated by his music.
He revealed this on August 18, 2023’s episode of Showbiz 360 with Giovanni Caleb, where he also expressed his sincere gratitude to his former label, Highly Spiritual, and manager Kaywa.
“I want to use this platform to thank highly spiritual music, especially Papa Kaywa for working with me for 5 years. It’s not been easy and I want to say thank you to him. I am even leaving my share of royalties with them. I feel like that should be part of my way of being grateful and saying thank you to highly spiritual. I leave everything to him,” he said.
Mr. Drew left his highly spiritual after his five-year contract expired, but controversy quickly followed when the singer claimed that if he had a clear understanding of the contract’s legal implications, he would have rejected it.
Players in the industry reacted negatively to his statement and accused him of being disrespectful and unappreciative of the label. Mr. Drew later stated that there is no bad blood between him and his former label and that they’re still on good terms.
Watch video
🚨WATCH🇬🇭🎶: Ghanaian singer, Mr. Drew says he is leaving his share of royalties with his former label, Highly Spiritual.
According to him, that’s his gratitude to his former label. @mrdrewofficial
Dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale, has lambasted entertainment pundits, particularly, United Showbiz panelists.
Shatta took to his Instagram to attack media personalities, especially, Sally Mann, who is fond of dishing out ‘harsh ‘ criticisms.
Recently, Sally has consistently attacked Shatta, raising the question of whether they still have unresolved issues.
Reiterating his position on the matter, Shatta has stated that from this point forward, no discussion of him should be made in the media.
He emphasised that only successful and wealthy people should be allowed to discuss or criticise him.
“Sally Mann thinks all men are wicked, but men are not wicked, She has been used by men that’s why she thinks that way. All those people on that UTV. apart from A-plus, they don’t have sense. They shouldn’t be brought on that show, they are not even rich, if you are not a rich man you can’t talk about me.
“Only Despite can do that. Sally Mann doesn’t have money or dreams, she lacks sex, and that’s why she’s a man-hater. They are all pained by poverty” he said
He went on to say that he does not treat people disrespectfully and that he only responds to those who do.
“When I am on the streets, no one ever tells me I’ve disrespected anyone, I don’t disrespect anybody. But you people are always on the radio and TV disrespecting me. What did you do before I insulted you? What did you do? You can’t answer, but if I insult you, you will echo it everywhere” He added.
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Haruna Yusif, has alleged that, Member of Parliament for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has let down the residents of Kumasi due to the incomplete state of the Suame interchange.
He said the project has been abandoned, ensnaring the Kumasi populace in a cycle of unrealized expectations.
Mr. Yusif was puzzled by the fact that shops owned by traders operating in the vicinity had been demolished under the assumption that the interchange would be built. However, the interchange’s status remains unchanged.
“I used the Suame interchange when I was coming and I must confess, the Majority Leader has really failed the people of Suame,” he stated.
He, thus, appealed to the MP to fulfill his earlier promises of completing the project.
In the first half, Sarina Wiegman’s team performed far below expectations, and Spain deservedly took the lead through Olga Carmona on the half-hour mark.
Salma Paralluelo attempted to score from close range but somehow missed, despite Mary Earps’ spectacular save keeping the score even.
The finest opportunity for the Lionesses in the first half fell to Lauren Hemp, but her curving shot from the edge of the box was stopped by the woodwork.
On the verge of halftime, Paralluelo came near to extending Spain’s lead but the post stopped her.
At the half, Wiegman changed England’s formation from a 3-5-2 to a conventional 4-4-2 thanks to that error.
Alessia Russo and Rachel Daly were replaced at halftime by Chloe Kelly and Lauren James, who had been suspended for the previous two games following her red card against Nigeria in the last-16.
This offered England greater width, and it nearly immediately paid off when Kelly sent a beautiful cross towards Hemp, but the Manchester City attacker missed the target.
The pressure from Spain had been reduced thanks to Wegiman’s adjustments, and England’s performance after the half greatly improved.
However, just as England began to gain control of the game again, the Lionesses let up a contentious penalty when Kiera Walsh was found to have handled in the area following a VAR review.
With 20 minutes remaining, Jenni Hermoso had the opportunity to give Spain their first World Cup victory, but Earps stood in her way as she made the correct judgement call to stop Hermoso’s effort.
After Cata Coll made the save, England gained momentum, and James immediately tested the Spanish goalie. Coll made a deft save at the front post to preserve England’s lead.
The ball was hardly in play for the final 10 minutes of regulation time due to Alex Greenwood’s injury and a string of incidents that stopped play.
Fortunately, there was 13 minutes of stoppage time, during which England gave the Spanish everything they had in an effort to draw level.
However, despite pressing Millie Bright into attack, England was unable to create the kinds of opportunities they had hoped for.
In actuality, this simply gave Spain more room, and they had multiple opportunities to seal the victory, but Earps once more stood in their way.
It was not to be for England, who battled through every obstacle on their route to the final and faced a fantastic Spain team.
A recent scandal involving Maxwell Mensah, the husband of Media Personality Nana Ama Mcbrown, and his alleged sidechick Maame Serwaa, the CEO of Prikles hair, has ignited the social media sphere in Ghana.
The shocking allegations have sparked revelations, heated debates, and a flurry of responses from the general public online.
The controversy came to light when Ohene Phrah, a prominent figure in Ghana, took to Snapchat to make a series of explosive claims against both Maxwell Mensah and Maame Serwaa.
Ohene Phrah accused Maame Serwaa of having relationships with several men, even while they were engaged, in a lengthy post that quickly went viral on social media.
Ghanaians respond to allegations that Mcbrown’s husband chopped Maame Serwaa
He further dropped the bombshell of mentioning Maxwell Mensah as one of the individuals allegedly involved in this secret affair.
He gave Maame Serwaa a stern warning, demanding that she not mention his name, expressing his frustration and anger.
The allegations and the ensuing backlash have sparked a public outcry, particularly among admirers of Maxwell Mensah’s wife, actress Nana Ama McBrown.
The allegations against Maxwell Mensah are not entirely novel.
The figure has been previously linked to extramarital affairs, with past rumours involving individuals like Sheena Gakpe.
However, these allegations have often been met with denials from the parties involved, leaving room for speculation and uncertainty.
Recently also, a viral voice note that went viral alleged that Maxwell also subjects Nana Ama McBrown to physical abuse.
Following this revelation, Mcbrown’s fans have taken to the Internet to share their two cents about the whole issue.
Most of the comments and sentiments gathered from the brouhaha are pieces of advice to Mcbrown to immediately divorce Mr Maxwell.
According to these fans, Mr Maxwell keeps bringing disgrace to Mcbrown hence it’s only prudent that the star actress cuts him from her life.
Maame Serwaa and Maxwell Mensah have not yet addressed the matter directly.
Two days after a terrible performance for Wrexham in a 5-5 tie with Swindon Town, Ben Foster announced his second retirement from football.
Following the game, Foster was made fun of online, with one supporter advising him to “stick to YouTube” in reference to his well-liked channel and podcast series.
Since Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney acquired control of the Welsh club, Wrexham has attracted attention from all over the world. The ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary has only served to heighten interest in the League Two team.
Foster, a former Manchester United custodian who spent significant stretches of his career at Watford and West Brom, was persuaded last season by Reynolds and McElhenney to come out of retirement, and he was crucial to their promotion.
The 40-year-old custodian joined Wrexham in March as a replacement for injured Rob Lainton. Initially signed for the duration of the season, he saved a penalty in stoppage time of a 3-2 victory over Notts County that all but assured Wrexham’s promotion to the fourth division of English football and lifted them out of non-league.
Because of his outstanding performance in that game, Foster received a new one-year contract from Wrexham in June, who wanted to keep him for their League Two season.
Foster, though, has had a terrible season thus far as Wrexham has already given up 13 goals in just four league games.
He committed a number of errors in Saturday’s 5-5 draw with Swindon, which left Wrexham 4-1 behind at the break.
The honest fact is that my performances this season haven’t been at the level I demand of myself, therefore I feel that the time is right to retire. Foster has now opted to end his career for a second time.
“I made this decision with the Club’s best interests in mind as well as my own, as making the choice now provides the Club ample time to weigh their choices before the window closes.
I shall always hold a particular place in my heart for Wrexham.
‘He built memories I’ll never let go of for as long as I live,’ Wrexham owner Reynolds wrote on Twitter. I adore this man. Ben, I appreciate everything.
Ben has been the epitome of a professional while at Wrexham, and he has completed all of our requests, said Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson.
‘With the timing of his choice, it takes a large person to make the decision he has, one who genuinely understands this football club.
‘When I congratulate him for his contribution, which went well beyond that one outstanding penalty save against Notts County to help us win promotion last season, I’m sure I speak for everyone.
Ben Foster’s presence at the club made Wrexham AFC a better place, according to some.
Veteran Nollywood actor Chinedu Ikedieze, also known as Aki, has explained why he keeps his family off of social media.
He revealed this in a current interview with well-known media figure Chude Jideonwo.
According to the 45-year-old, he made the decision to keep his family private so that they could enjoy freedom.
“I just want them to be free because the moment everybody gets to know them, it would affect them. And I don’t want that,” he said.
He admitted that since his kids were not famous, he decided to keep them out of the spotlight.
“I have children but I decided to put them aside because I’m the celebrity, they are not.”
The actor, who got married to his wife Nneoma Nwaijah in 2011, emphasised the value of keeping his wife’s identity private, saying,
“I hide them, even my wife, apart from our wedding announcement that I made. She can go to the market and do everything without much attention.”
It will be recalled that Chinedu Ikedieze rose to Nollywood prominence in the early 2000s alongside Osita Iheme, who also became popular after the duo paired in the movie, ‘Aki na Ukwa’, in 2002.
Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, Kingsley Nyarko, for the umpteenth time justifying why Dr Bawumia is the best candidate to be elected as flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In an interview on Peace FM, he stated the Vice President has both the country and the NPP at hand.
“I’m for Baumia because of the future of this party, because of the stability of this country, and I also believe that the man is competent and can win the race for us, going to face Mahama,” he said.
He asserted that the race is between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) whom he said is being represented by Goliath – John Dramani Mahama, and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who is being represented by the David – Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and shared the strong conviction that Dr Bawumia will emerge winner of the presidential primaries and well as the 2024 general elections.
“I believe David, Bawumia, will defeat Goliath, Mahama,” he added.
With exciting and innovative initiatives planned to entertain Ghanaians and honour DJs, this year’s event has some fresh and exciting twists to increase excitement and participation.
These activities encompass regional and campus roadshows, educational and empowerment workshops, the Smirnoff Ice Dome – a remarkable event taking place across different university campuses, showcasing Campus DJs and offering other interactive chances for engagement.
Stella Gyimaah Larbi, the Executive Secretary of Merqury Republic, spoke at the event and mentioned that Guinness Ghana, a brewery, has joined as a partner this year.
She emphasised the significance of the partnership by announcing that it will last for three years. She pointed out that this is a sizable investment in Ghana’s music and creative industries.
“Over the years, Africa’s DJ scene has seen remarkable growth and has been at the forefront of promoting Africa’s diverse music scene bringing to the fore the ingenuity and creativity of our music talents while promoting our music and culture.”
“Despite the sector’s extensive contributions to the growth of Africa’s creative, music and entertainment industry, DJs have not received the attention and recognition they deserved. Thus, the Ghana DJ Awards was initiated by astute Ghanaian DJ, Merqury Quaye and was launched to celebrate DJs, provide support, nurture, and unlock the immense and untapped potentials of the sector.”
“We are happy that Guinness Ghana has partnered with us to take the Ghana DJ Awards to further heights. We believe this collaboration will go a long way to promote Ghana’s DJ and creative arts scene, identify opportunities for growth, and harness the talents of upcoming DJs,” Madam Gyimaah said.
At the event, Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited’s Marketing Manager for Spirits and RTDs, Yaa Amoah-Owusu, stated that the company “remains committed to the growth and development of Ghana’s entertainment and burgeoning creative economy. We think that one way we can do this is by helping Ghana’s DJ industry, which has over the years gotten very little to no attention.
We are excited to celebrate and honour DJs’ contributions to the entertainment industry and beyond through this partnership. The promotion of inclusion and diversity within the industry, along with spotting and developing the talents of aspiring DJs, is crucial to us at Guinness Ghana, she continued.
Through the collaboration, Guinness Ghana will give DJs the tools they need to succeed at the annual DJ Clinic and capacity-building workshops, empowering campus DJs to discover and use their talents through the campus DJ challenge. There will also be Regional and Campus roadshows among others.
The international player from the Netherlands moved to Germany from Ajax in 2022. The agreement for the transfer was made before Erik ten Hag was hired by Manchester United.
Ten Hag would have made an effort to sign Gravenberch during his first summer at Old Trafford if the midfielder had not already decided to transfer to the Allianz.
However, the midfielder’s move to Germany has not gone as expected; in fact, Gravenberch started just six games in his debut season with the team.
The Dutchman has now been forced to think about his future with the team, especially in light of the upcoming summer’s European Championships.
Ten Hag and Jurgen Klopp, who is eager to bolster his midfield following the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, were alerted by this.
In an effort to sign the midfielder, Gravenberch has reportedly received contract offers from both Liverpool and United, according to the Mirror.
Bayern wants to keep the Dutchman, but they will consider loan offers to satisfy his desire to depart.
Irene Montero, a Spanish lawmaker, has charged Luis Rubiales, the president of Spain‘s national football team, with’sexual aggression’ against Jenni Hermoso after he kissed her on the lips on Sunday during their celebration of winning the World Cup.
Olga Carmona’s superb first-half goal was enough to defeat the Lionesses as Spain defeated England 1-0 in Sydney to win the Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history.
However, the team’s victory over England was followed by a significant altercation between the players, the Spanish Football Federation, and the team’s coach Jorge Vilda, who was shunned by some of the players.
For supporting Vilda after 15 Spanish players pulled out of the team prior to the competition citing worries for their mental health while on the team, Rubiales has come under fire.
Additionally, the acts of the head of the Spanish FA at the World Cup final celebrations on Sunday have come under increased criticism because he kissed Hermoso on the lips shortly after she received her medal.
The Minister of Equality of Spain, Montero, criticised Rubiales’ choice to kiss Hermoso in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Let’s not assume that sharing a kiss without permission is just something that “happens”. We cannot normalise this form of sexual assault against women that they experience on a daily basis and which has remained hidden up until now, Montero said.
The entire society must work on it. Consent is the main focus. Just yes is yes.
Hermoso expressed her displeasure with Rubiales’ conduct to Spanish TV network La 1, saying: “Eh… yeah, I did not enjoy that.”
Hermoso added in a statement on Sunday night: “It was a completely spontaneous gesture on both sides brought on by the immense joy of winning a World Cup.”
“The president and I get along great; he’s been exemplary in how he’s treated us all, and that was just a natural expression of love and gratitude.”
“We’ve won a World Cup, and we won’t stray from what’s important,” the speaker said. “There’s no need to overthink a gesture of friendship and gratitude.”
When questioned about his behaviour, Rubiales said to Radio Marca: “Idiots are everywhere.
We can’t listen to nonsense when two people make a small display of devotion, she said. What sticks with me is that we are champions.
Nigerian musician Davido has expressed his deepest condolences to his brother Wizkid, who lost his mum over the weekend.
In a Twitter post, he said that he will pray for the ‘Essence’ hitmaker as he adjusts to the tragic news. “Praying for you my brother @wizkidayo Sadness flies away on the wings of time,” the post read.
This comes after Wizkid’s manager, Sunday Aare, revealed on Friday that the Nigerian Afrobeat musician, born Ayodeji Balogun, had passed away.
He broke the news stating: “Yes, she died this morning, at about 1.30 am.”
The 33-year-old Grammy winner has not released a statement about his loss to the public yet.
Mrs Balogun had two other children — Yetunde Balogun and Lade Balogun. In 2014, Wizkid released a song titled ‘Joy’, specially dedicated to his mother.
In 2022, Davido had an encounter with Mrs Balogun, who he describes as amazing, at the airport.
“Such an amazing woman… God bless you ma….D [sic] way I was carrying mummy’s bags today at the airport….Dem [sic] know say nah [sic] First class citizen,” he wrote.
Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, Kingsley Nyarko, has provided justification for why Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is the most suitable candidate to lead the New Patriotic Party to success in the forthcoming 2024 general elections.
Speaking in an interview on Peace FM, he said Dr Bawumia has dutifully served both the party and the nation. As a result, he should be rewarded with a substantial voter turnout from all regions following the NPP special delegates congress and the presidential primaries.
“Bawumia is competent. He has introduced various initiatives and innovations so I am confident that come August 26, he will receive massive endorsement across the regions,” he said.
He unequivocally expressed the hope that Dr Bawumia will be elected flagbearer of the NPP.
“It’ll only take the miracle of Lazarus to stop Bawumia’s Victory,” he said.
Following his ‘horror’ club debut, Moises Caicedo received criticism from Jamie Carragher.
On Sunday afternoon, the team travelled to West Ham, where the midfielder was named on the substitutes’ list.
However, he joined the game at the London Stadium with about 25 minutes left to go, his team losing 2-1 and facing West Ham’s 10-man lineup.
Early challenges were lost by Caicedo, and Pablo Fornals was denied by Roberto Sanchez after the Ecuadorian midfielder gave him the ball close to Chelsea’s box.
However, Caicedo was only left with himself to answer for when, in the 93rd minute, he brought down former Chelsea full-back Emerson in the area.
In order to score the penalty kick, Lucas Paqueta moved forward, giving Chelsea just one point after their first two games.
And according to Carragher, Caicedo’s debut was a “nightmare” as a result of the incident.
Carragher commented on Sky Sports, “That man Caicedo has had a bit of a nightmare since he came on you have to say.”
It’s a weak, sluggish challenge. Emerson is always aware that he will arrive earlier. Each of us did watch it!
The Homowo festival, which featured a vibrant cultural display, good times, and customary rituals, took place on August 19, 2023.
Nii Ayi-Bonte II commenced the festivities with a procession in Ga Mashie, followed by other Ga Mashie states.
The celebrations included the sprinkling of “Kpokpoi,” which is a popular dish of Ga’s.
The procession included a delegation from the UK High Commission, who assisted the elders, queen mothers, and sub-chiefs of Nii Ayi-Bonte II in carrying out the traditional rites while a lively atmosphere was created by singing, drumming, and chanting of war songs.
The chief’s procession started at Ussher Fort in James Town, a traditional starting point for the “Kpokpoi” sprinkling.
Nii Ayi-Bonte II visited ancestral royal homes where he performed the customary rites of dishing the meal with elders, dignitaries, and the community, emphasizing unity and development.
After sprinkling “Kpokpoi” on Accra’s streets, Nii Ayi-Bonte II concluded the festival at his new Palace, urging Ga-Dangbe’s to maintain unity for regional progress.
This year’s celebration showcased the rich cultural heritage of the Ga people as they once again hooted at hunger.
According to the MTTD report, the figure increased by 4.31 percent during the same time period, while the number of fatalities from traffic accidents increased by 30.07 percent in July 2023.
“1,233 crashes were recorded involving 2,099 vehicles with 186 deaths leaving 1328 persons injured in 2023. Reported crashes, vehicles involved, persons killed, and persons injured increased by 4.31%, 5.42%, 30.07% and 8.76% respectively.
“For the same period 2022, 1,182 crashes were recorded involving 1,991 vehicles with 143 deaths leaving 1221 persons injured while pedestrian knockdowns reduced from 224 to 213 in July 2023 compared to July 2022,” it stated.
Between January and July 2023, the MTTD received reports of a total of 8,137 traffic collisions.
Additionally, 10,407 casualties (1,272 fatalities/deaths and 9,135 injuries) were reported in these road crashes, involving a total of 13,862 vehicles, including private, commercial, motorbikes/cycles, etc.
In order to avoid being sentenced for the murders of seven newborns and attempted murders of six more at the UK hospital where she worked, a British nurse neglected to show up in court on Monday.
When Lucy Letby, 33, is sentenced later at Manchester Crown Court in northern England, she might receive a whole life order, which would mean spending the rest of her life in prison. In a case that terrified the nation and branded her the most prolific child serial murderer in recent memory, a jury found her guilty on Friday.
Outrage and efforts to modify the law to require that individuals who commit the most serious crimes face the families of the victims have been brought about by Letby’s reluctance to show up for either the verdicts or her punishment.
Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, referred to Letby’s absence as “cowardly” on Monday. According to PA Media, it is “cowardly” for those who commit such heinous acts to avoid confronting their victims and learning firsthand how their actions have affected the victims’ families and loved ones.
We are considering and have been working on altering the law to ensure that this occurs; we’ll provide that in due course.
According to testimony given in court on Friday, Letby physically assaulted the infants in her care and injected air into their blood and stomachs, overfed them with milk, poisoned them with insulin, and overfed them with air.
Letby was accused of the crimes, and after she was found guilty, there was a government investigation into how she managed to go unnoticed for so long.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in Britain said in a statement on Friday that she surreptitiously attacked 13 newborn babies on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester hospital between 2015 and 2016.
According to the prosecution, Letby intended to kill the infants while deceiving her coworkers into thinking there was a natural cause of death.
In one occasion, Letby attempted to kill a baby boy after killing his twin brother, according to the distressing evidence of the victim’s parents heard in court in Manchester during the trial.
While testifying in court, the mother of Children E and F stated that she “completely” believed Letby’s counsel.
When her infant Child E began to wail in the intensive care unit one night, she claimed she “knew there was something wrong” and that she immediately felt better.
It was discovered that when Letby attempted to assault Child E, he began bleeding before she killed him. The twin of that infant, Child F, later lived through an attempt by Letby to poison him with insulin. Additionally, it was disclosed that police had discovered several handwritten messages by Letby, one of which read: “I am evil I did this.”
Letby was twice detained by police in connection with their probe in 2018 and 2019, according to PA. In November 2020, she was detained once more.
During inspections of Letby’s residence, authorities discovered the notes she had written.
“I’m not worthy of life. She wrote in one memo, “I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them,” and in another, “I am a terrible evil person,” adding in big letters, “I am evil I did this.”
On Friday, the UK government released an independent investigation into the killings, which covered how authorities and the country’s National Health Service handled consultants’ concerns.
According to testimony given in court in Manchester, hospital staff noticed an increase in the frequency of infants dying or suddenly collapsing in the neonatal unit.
However, PA stated that the hospital’s management originally disregarded clinicians’ worries over the elevated mortality rate of patients under Letby’s care.
Attorneys for the relatives of the victims have criticised the inquiry as “not good enough” because it lacks the authority to call witnesses.
Letby won a grievance lawsuit against her employers in 2016 after learning of their first accusations.
She was supposed to visit the neonatal unit again in March 2017, but that didn’t happen. The police were informed by the hospital trust, and they started an inquiry.
Ghanaian musician and entrepreneur, Mzbel, has mentioned that she has missed the former president of Ghana and the NDC presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama.
The musician identified John Mahama as her father and said she had not spoken or interacted with him in a while, adding how much she missed him.
Speaking in an interview on 3FM’s Showbiz927, Mzbel further said he has lost the contact number of the former president but it is not something she would wish to have.
She added that John Mahama would have given his number to her if he had wanted to, so she would not bother pursuing people for it.
She said: “It’s been a while. I miss him; I miss my daddy. I don’t have his number and I guess he has changed his old number. I don’t want it because if he wants me to have his number, he would let me have his number. I don’t have to chase for it. I didn’t chase for it before”.
The female singer was questioned about why she did not want to communicate with the former president.
Mzbel responded by stating that it was due to the contentious incident that had occurred between the two of them.
She continued by saying that she was content with the way things were going and that John Mahama was not a part of her life because she did not want to deal with any drama from Ghanaians or some party members.
“I think it’s fine. Things come and things go. I like it the way it is. I don’t want to have his number. I wouldn’t be involved in any drama or anything. People from my party attacking me, calling me names. So, it is better. I like how things are going for me now”, she told the host.
“The party does not have to welcome me. I am an NDC, you can’t take that away from me. It’s like I am a Ghanaian; you can’t take that away from me. So, they don’t have to welcome me to anything. They never did anywhere because of all these controversies. So, it is fine”, she added.
Mzbel and John Dramani Mahama once shared a close bond, but due to a few disagreements, they had to part ways to avoid any further controversies.
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, will travel to South Africa on Monday in an effort to increase Beijing’s influence among rising and developing countries while relations with the United States remain extremely tense and domestic economic problems continue to grow.
A stark contrast to his globe-trotting days of diplomacy prior to the coronavirus outbreak is the three-day state visit, which also includes a summit with the leaders of the BRICS rising economies.
The last time the Chinese leader travelled outside of the nation was in March to meet with his “dear friend” Vladimir Putin in Moscow. There, the two authoritarian strongmen renewed their strategic alliance against the US and outlined their plans for a post-Western world order.
The BRICS grouping’s first in-person summit since the outbreak will give Xi another chance to pursue that ambition.
More than 40% of the world’s population resides in the countries that make up the bloc: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. They both want a more multipolar world and more influence over international affairs.
“Xi Jinping is not attempting to subvert the US’s dominance of the current liberal international order. His long-term objective is to transform the global order into one that is Sino-centric, according to Steve Tsang, head of the University of London’s SOAS China Institute.
Tsang stated that in order to achieve this goal, “it makes sense for China to engage with the Global South, (which is) much more numerous than Western democracies and mostly authoritarian in its governance structure.”
Chen Xiaodong, China’s ambassador to South Africa, praised BRICS as “the backbone of international fairness and justice” and “an important platform for cooperation among emerging and developing nations” ahead of Xi’s arrival on Friday.
The established structure of global governance looks to be dysfunctional, unable to function, and nonexistent. The BRICS will soon “play a leading role in the international community,” Chen told reporters.
A few days ago, US President Joe Biden met with the leaders of Japan and South Korea in a show of power and unity against the growing dangers from China. Now, Xi is travelling to South Africa.
The US and its two closest allies in Asia strengthened their military and economic ties during the Camp Davis meeting, and China was criticised for its “dangerous and aggressive behaviour” in the South China Sea.
According to Paul Nantulya, a research associate at the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, the BRICS have gained increased strategic significance to Beijing as China and the United States are embroiled in an increasingly bitter rivalry.
Vladimir Putin won’t be present in person, so Xi will be the focus of the BRICS summit, he claimed.
Putin, who is wanted internationally for allegedly committing war crimes in Ukraine, will participate by video from Russia.
“Another multilateral platform through which China can exert influence around the world, especially in the Global South,” was how Nantulya characterised BRICS.
But Xi, who is ten months into his historic third term, is also facing a number of domestic difficulties at the time of the summit.
The long-awaited economic recovery of China following its strict Covid lockdowns is struggling. Instead, a slew of issues, including a growing real estate crisis, rising local government debt, and deflationary pressure, plague the second-largest economy in the world.
The youth unemployment rate in the nation, which just reached back-to-back records highs, is so severe that the Chinese government has stopped disseminating data on it entirely.
Hear how other nations may be harmed and helped by China’s economic decline.
According to Yun Sun, director of the China programme at the Washington-based Stimson Centre think tank, Xi’s diplomatic charm offensive is severely hampered by the faltering economy, particularly in the Global South.
“When Xi travels to underdeveloped nations, it’s customary for China to offer sizable aid, financing, and collaboration packages. But Beijing is no longer as prepared to do that given the situation of the Chinese economy, she said.
His ability to portray the great power leader he once was is limited by the economy.
The populace in China has grown considerably more wary of their government’s extravagant expenditures abroad.
Xi’s premier international infrastructure initiative, the Belt and Road Initiative, has received a lot of criticism on Chinese social media, according to Nantulya.
“Chinese citizens are wondering why China is investing so much money abroad when there are so many issues at home.”
According to Nantulya, the Chinese government has become considerably more picky about which international projects it funds as a result of the economy’s slowdown.
Xi’s journey to Africa is his first in five years.
His most recent trip to the continent, which coincided with the BRICS conference in South Africa, included a flurry of stops in Senegal, Rwanda, and Mauritius, covering nearly the whole Sub-Saharan region.
Beijing has not yet confirmed Xi’s further stops this time.
On the margins of the BRICS meeting, the Chinese leader will co-chair the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, according to China’s Foreign Ministry.
The conference has received invitations from 69 nations overall, including all African governments.
Founder of the Liberal Party Ghana (LPG) Kofi Akpaloo has defended the government on its newly introduced tax on betting.
Speaking in an interview, he said the tax is a necessary measure since the government needs revenue to run the country.
He further asserted that once individuals earn from betting, then that constitutes an occupation and needs to be taxed.
“We need money to run the economy and betting is a chosen occupation for some people. Every occupation is an occupation. Betting is an occupation. Once that’s what people have chosen to get money from, it’s an occupation,” he justified his comment.
“Once you stake the bet and win, you need to give the government its commission,” he added.
Mr Akplaoo was making the comment on the back of the government’s introduction of the tax on betting.
The 10% levy slapped on earnings from betting received heavy backlash from the public domain. Regardless, the government ignored the calls for the tax to be withdrawn and implemented it.
There have been various justifications for the move, with one coming from Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who states that betting encourages laziness. Therefore, implementing the tax on it aims to discourage laziness.
Nevertheless, the youth stand firmly by their viewpoint. They argue that the government has not generated sufficient employment opportunities to assert that betting leads to laziness.
Speaking on the development, Mr Akpaloo noted that sensitisation has been low.
“Education on the tax policy is low and the matter has been politicized and so people are not aware of the truth regarding the matter,” he added.
Media personality and show host of United Showbiz on UTV, MzGee, has apologized to producer and artiste manager Mr Logic after the two clashed on live television.
In an earlier episode of the show on August 12, 2023, Mr Logic’s submission was cut short by MzGee, who asked him to round up because viewers were yawning. This sparked a backlash from Mr. Logic and a heated exchange of words between the two.
In a subsequent interview, Mr Logic addressed the incident and asserted that he had done nothing wrong to upset MzGee and that she had been disrespecting him ever since she took over as the show is host.
MzGee apologized to Mr Logic on Saturday, August 19, saying that she did not intend for her actions to be disrespectful to him.
“Last week, I was told I hadn’t apologized properly, so I’m here to offer a proper apology to you, what I said last week offended you, I am sorry, it wasn’t what I meant. I am very sorry,” she apologized
In response, Mr Logic accepted her apology, saying she was like a ‘sister’ to him and there was no bad blood between them.
Getting out of debt and building wealth is a multifaceted process that requires careful planning, discipline, and persistence. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you on your journey:
Assess Your Financial Situation: Start by understanding your current financial state. List all your debts, including credit cards, loans, and mortgages, along with their interest rates and monthly payments. Also, create a budget to track your income and expenses.
Create a Debt Repayment Plan: Prioritize your debts based on interest rates. The “avalanche” method involves paying off the highest-interest debt first, while the “snowball” method focuses on paying off the smallest debts first. Choose the method that motivates you the most and stick to it.
Cut Unnecessary Expenses: Trim down discretionary spending and unnecessary expenses. Identify areas where you can cut back, such as dining out, entertainment, and subscription services. Redirect the money saved towards debt repayment.
Increase Your Income: Look for opportunities to boost your income. This might involve taking on a side gig, freelancing, or pursuing a higher-paying job. The extra income can accelerate your debt repayment and wealth-building efforts.
Build an Emergency Fund: Establish an emergency fund with 3-6 months’ worth of living expenses. This ensures you won’t have to rely on credit cards or loans in case of unexpected events.
Negotiate Lower Interest Rates: Contact your creditors to negotiate lower interest rates on your debts. Many creditors are willing to work with you if they believe you’re committed to repaying your debts.
Consolidate or Refinance Debt: Explore options for consolidating high-interest debts into a single, lower-interest loan. This can simplify your payments and reduce the overall interest you’ll pay.
Stay Disciplined: Stick to your debt repayment plan and budget. Avoid taking on new debts, and remind yourself of your long-term goals whenever you’re tempted to overspend.
Invest in Yourself: Consider investing in your skills and education. Increasing your knowledge and expertise can lead to better job opportunities and income growth over time.
Invest for the Future: Once your high-interest debts are under control, start investing for the long term. This could involve contributing to retirement accounts, like a 401(k) or an IRA, as well as investing in stocks, bonds, and real estate.
Diversify Your Investments: Spread your investments across different asset classes to reduce risk. Diversification helps protect your wealth from fluctuations in any one area.
Seek Professional Advice: If your financial situation is complex, consider consulting with a financial advisor. They can provide personalized guidance based on your goals and circumstances.
Stay Patient and Persistent: Building wealth takes time and consistent effort. Be patient and stay committed to your financial plan, even when faced with setbacks.
Continuously Educate Yourself: Stay informed about personal finance, investing, and money management. The more you learn, the better equipped you’ll be to make informed financial decisions.
Remember that becoming debt-free and building wealth is a gradual process. It requires discipline, hard work, and a willingness to make sacrifices. Stay focused on your long-term goals, and celebrate your progress along the way.
Michael Boadi, the fundraising manager at Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the regional affiliate of Transparency International, has emphasised the importance of regulating political campaign financing in an effort to strengthen the fight against corruption.
“We cannot successfully combat corruption without controlling the financing of political parties. We must establish mechanisms to regulate political campaign finance,” stated Boadi during a session at the Ghana News Agency’s Boardroom Dialogue in the Tema Regional Office.
The conference’s theme was “The Fourth Republic’s War on Corruption: A Mirage or Reality? “
Boadi noted that the funding of political campaigns had grown to be a significant driver of corruption and, if unchecked, frequently results in the misappropriation of the country’s abundant resources.
“The situation is becoming increasingly perilous. According to research by the Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana, winning a parliamentary seat costs approximately US$300,000.00, a figure that continues to rise,” he noted.
Mr. Boadi expressed doubts about transparency and accountability while questioning the source of the sizeable sums needed for political campaigns.
“If a parliamentary seat in a smaller constituency demands $300,000.00, one must ponder the source of even larger sums spent by presidential candidates,” he commented.
Boadi emphasised the need for political parties and their candidates to disclose where their funding comes from, both at the presidential and parliamentary levels.
He warned that the failure to scrutinize funding sources could potentially lead to criminal entities such as money launderers, drug traffickers, and terrorists wielding influence over the country’s political landscape.
Michael Boadi argued that the efficacy of anti-corruption efforts hinges on addressing these challenges and ensuring greater transparency.
According to him, politicizing corruption investigations has impeded some institutions’ functionality and drained public interest in their proceedings.
To remedy this, Boadi suggested that corruption investigations be conducted transparently and without external interference. Such an approach, he believed, would encourage citizens to actively participate in the fight against corruption in Ghana.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has officially confirmed the loss of Private Bayou Roger, a member of the 5 Infantry Battalion, due to what appears to be an accidental discharge of his firearm.
The tragic incident occurred at the Base Ammunition Depot near Michel Camp in Accra.
According to the GAF’s account of the incident, Private Roger, who was part of the platoon stationed at the Southern Command, was diligently carrying out his duties on the morning of Saturday, August 19th, when the unfortunate event transpired.
“Preliminary investigative report indicates that the soldier was seen sitting on his bed, waiting to believe his colleague at a duty post at 8 am when his rifle went off hitting him under his chin; killing him instantly,” a statement from GAF read.
The Armed Forces has indicated that a team from the Homicide Unit of the Gbetsele Police Station is collaborating with the Military Police to investigate the incident.
“GAF takes this opportunity to express its deepest condolences to the bereaved family, colleagues, friends and loved ones of the deceased soldier,” the statement added.
In the interim, the body of the deceased has been deposited at the 37 Military Hospital mortuary.
