Renowned Nigerian singer and entrepreneur Mr. Eazi, finally unveils his highly anticipated debut solo album after a decade in the making.
The 16-track masterpiece is set to hit the airwaves on October 27, and fans can already pre-order it. Alongside the exciting announcement, Mr. Eazi treats us to the lead single “Chop Time, No Friend,” along with a captivating music video shot in Dakar, Senegal, directed by Allison Swank Owen.
“Chop Time, No Friend” is a playful return to the Banku Music sound Mr Eazi pioneered and popularized with his early singles and mixtapes.
“Chop Time, No Friend is a very common Ghanaian saying, something you will see written on the front or side of buses,” Mr Eazi says.
“It means when you are eating, you don’t think about anybody. You are just focused on your enjoyment.”
For Eazi, the track’s lyrics are a way to express how he doesn’t let haters distract him from enjoying the fruits of his success.
“It is touching on how people chitchat on me, but I am still focused on my enjoyment,” Eazi says. “It is a declaration, a celebration of self. I am saying everything I touch turns to gold. You can’t trouble me.”
“Chop Time, No Friend” was produced by Andre Vibez, the beatmaker behind Rema and Selena Gomez’s Billboard Top 10 single “Calm Down,” and Ghana’s Killbeatz (Ed Sheeran), a key contributor to Mr Eazi’s breakthrough 2017 mixtape Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1: Accra to Lagos.
Allison Swank Owen, who previously collaborated with Mr Eazi on 2019’s “Lagos to London: The Documentary,” directed the video, inspired by the incredible creative energy of Dakar, Senegal.
“We wanted to feature the fine artists, fashion designers, and everyday activities that make Dakar an inspiring place to be,” Mr Eazi said.
While the title of the forthcoming album remains under wraps for now, Mr Eazi has shared the full list of producers who contributed to the project.
In addition to Andre Vibez and Killbeatz, these include Kel-P (Nigeria), Knucks (U.K.), Michael Brun (Haiti), M.O.G Beatz (Ghana) E Kelly (Nigeria), Type A (Nigeria), Stikmatik (U.K.), Yung Willis (Nigeria), Nonso Amadi (Nigeria/Canada), Phantom (Nigeria), Beat Butcha (U.K.), Venna (U.K.), KDream (Nigeria) and Mr Eazi himself.
In a first-of-its-kind fusion of African music and art, Mr Eazi has commissioned a different African visual artist to create a unique, physical art piece to represent each track on the album.
For “Chop Time, No Friend,” he tapped Sinalo Ngcaba, a Johannesburg, South Africa-based visual artist whose work also graces the cover of Chop Life, Vol. 1: Mzansi Chronicles, Mr Eazi’s new album with his group, ChopLife Soundsystem.
Nollywood actress Judy Austin has firmly refuted rumors suggesting that she cheated on her ex-husband with her current partner, Yul Edochie.
In a video shared on her Instagram page, Judy Austin clarified that her marriage had already come to an end long before she even met Yul Edochie, let alone marrying him. The actress emphasized the importance of setting the record straight and putting an end to the false speculations surrounding her personal life.
She said that anyone spreading rumours contrary to this fact is lying to tarnish her and Yul’s name.
“My previous marriage ended in March 2013. And I set my eyes on Yul Edochie for the first time, years after my marriage was completely dissolved.
“If I’m lying, if I saw Yul while in my previous marriage, let all the curses that people have been heaping on me, let it happen to me billion times over,” Judy Austin said.
“But if for any reason, I’m saying the truth, if I saw Yul for the first time years after my marriage was completely dissolved, let all the curses go back to the people laying the curses a billion times over,” she added.
This comes after Judy Austin called out blogs for continuously publishing supposed fake news about her relationship with the actor and the public for always reigning insults at them.
She blamed the general public for believing in any rumours they read online so they could attack her and Yul on their pages stating they (Judy and Yul) are adults with the right to live their lives the way they choose.
“I have had enough of all this nonsense going on on social media. Are you people going to tell me how to live my life or the decisions to make for myself? I had had enough of all of this rubbish,” Judy Austin said.
In their Florida home, a three-year-old who was operating a golf cart ran over his elder brother.
The tragic incident took place in Fort Myers on Monday afternoon.
The child, who was seven years old, was transported to the hospital with serious injuries but later died, according to WFLA.
It is still unknown if the children’s siblings were at home alone themselves and how the young kid got into the golf cart.
The three-year-old boy was driving the cart at a home on Orange River Boulevard (Picture: WFLA)
It is understood he was not wearing a seatbelt, but was not injured in the incident.
Further details about what happened remain scarce, and both youngsters remain anonymous in local reports.
‘We are still sorting through this, what led up to the tragedy,’ Florida Highway Patrol’s Lieutenant Greg Bueno told Fox 4.
‘Whether the seven-year-old was always outside of the cart, or was he initially in the cart with the three-year-old.’
He stressed that this is a tragedy and the department’s thoughts and prayers are with the family, but confirmed that an investigation is underway ‘because a little boy lost his life’.
‘We are wanting to know where the adults were, who was on property who was outside, who was inside,’ Lt Bueno added.
This comes after Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill in May raising the age for golf cart drivers.
Ghanaian actor Adjetey Anang revealed that he purposefully omitted graphic details about his infidelity in his memoir. He explained that his intention was to keep the focus on the ultimate purpose of the book, which is to inspire and empower “young people” to learn from their mistakes, overcome failures, and strive for improvement.
The revered actor confronted by Thelma Tackie on the national broadcaster’s GTV Breakfast programme, had insisted he physically and emotionally cheated on his wife, as said in his book, but it involved no sexual intercourse.
“…the experience [cheating] was hard-hitting [during] the early years of marriage,” he also revealed.
“For me, intentionally, I left it at that,” he stressed, adamant to give details concerning the “physical” range of his cheating escapades.
It is “because the moment you expand that, we lose focus of why this book was set out in the first place,” he noted.
“There is a culture of glorifying negativity,” he said, indicating he had no desire to feed this culture.
“It is high time we moved away from that,” he added.
Africans “do worse” than the West when it comes to painting unpleasant pictures about the continent, Anang asserted, thereafter.
The belief is “negativity sells,” he said.
“How does that develop a nation? How does that develop our society?” he worriedly quizzed.
Anang went further to identify one of the blowbacks of sensationalising people’s private challenges.
“…when you do that when people are going through issues that are real [and] need attention and help, they won’t seek the help – they [rather] cower,” he bemoaned.
Anang desires a society that encourages people, especially those in the limelight “to really search deep [within] and say: ‘Look, these are my weaknesses, I need to confront them to become a better person’.”
The purpose of his memoir, he said, is to speak to struggling individuals, especially “the young people,” that: “Look, what you’re going through is not new. I have been through that… These were the structures that I put in place to get out of it – that’s the resilience – and I fought it. These are the things you can do as well to get out of it.”
He further explained that Adjetey Anang: A Story of Faith, Imperfection and Resilience was published in hopes that it would stop “people from replicating what [wrongdoings] we have done”.
Adjetey and Elom have been married for 16 years and have a son called Ryan.
Ghanaian rapper Medikal in an effort to reignite the rivalry between himself and fellow rapper Strongman, took to social media with a shady post. On Tuesday afternoon, he decided to add some spark to the relatively calm Twitter atmosphere by sharing a picture of Strongman during a gym session, seemingly aiming to taunt him.
Known for his slender physique, Strongman was captured struggling to lift weight and work out his arm with a dumbbell.
While the video has sparked rib-cracking reactions, Medikal has added to the fun, teasing Strongman for his deficiency in strength.
He sarcastically described Strongman as a work of art.
A total of 60 out of 80 unaccredited undergraduate courses at the University of Ghana, have now received accreditation, authorities at the institution have said.
Responding to questions at a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, authorities at the institution said measures have been taken to ensure that all unaccredited programmes were properly accredited.
“After we had these audit responses, we’ve put in place a lot of treasures. So for instance, currently, we have a total of 220 programs in the whole university. We have put in place measures to ensure that all of these programs are properly accredited.
“Currently, we have 132 programs which are fully accredited and this cuts across all levels. Mr Chairman, what we have done is put in place systems to ensure that all of these programs are properly accredited,” she noted.
It was revealed in the 2021 Auditor-General’s report that a total of 374 academic programmes offered by the University of Ghana were unaccredited.
Of the 374, 14 are Diploma programs, and 80 are undergraduate programmes. Postgraduate programmes are 213 and 67 are PhD programmes.
“We noted that the University advertised 374 academic programmes on the various web portals that had the accreditation expired or required re-accreditation during the period under review,” portions of the report indicated.
But in a latest update, the school has stated that it is in the process of ensuring all courses are registered.
“Out of the 80, I’ll say that currently we have 60 of the undergraduate programs fully accredited and the tests are in the process of being accredited,” Madam Agudu noted.
Black Stars captain Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew and his legendary father Abedi Pele Ayew displayed their father-son bond during a heartwarming display.
In an Instagram post, both of them were seen in stylish white outfits.
Dede wore a trendy sleeveless top and shorts, while Abedi Pele wore a white t-shirt and shorts. The iconic father wore a baseball cap to complement his look, while both wore sleek sunglasses.
The 76-year-old singer, actress, and fashion icon Jane Birkin has passed away.
The actress passed away on Sunday, July 16, 2023, at her home.
The English-French actress was well-known for her close friendship and collaborative artistic partnership with lyricist Serge Gainsbourg, with whom she co-wrote the well-known song “Je T’aime…moi non plus.”
She also inspired Hermès’ Birkin handbag, which is popular around the world.
Birkin was born in London but found fame singing in French, relocating there in the 1970s.
Her relationship with Gainsbourg made her internationally famous following their hit song “Je t’aime… moi non plus”, which he originally wrote for former girlfriend Brigitte Bardot.
The duet was recorded in 1968, months after they met on the set of the film Slogan.
It was banned on radio in several countries and condemned by the Vatican because of its overtly sexual lyrics but introduced the pair to a new international audience.
French President Emmanuel Macron described Birkin as a “French icon” and a “complete artist” who “bequeaths us tunes and images that will never leave us”.
France’s Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said she “transcended generations”.
Birkin and Gainsbourg were together for 12 years but remained friends after their split, with Gainsbourg – who was 18 years older than Birkin – still writing songs for her years later.
The couple had a daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who is an award-winning actress and singer.
Their relationship has been frequently described as “tumultuous”, and Birkin wrote about violence between the two in her 2020 diaries, as well as the challenges of Gainsbourg’s alcoholism.
But she frequently defended the man she became so closely associated with – including against charges by one singer that he was a “harasser” in an interview in the Times in 2020 – and continued to promote his work long after his death in 1991.
Asked by the same newspaper about their lifestyle last year, she said: “I don’t know how easy it was for the children to have a mother who was naked in magazines and a father burning 500 franc notes. I hope one did some things right.”
Image caption,She starred in around 70 films in an acting career spanning six decades
The pair split in 1981 and Birkin continued her acting and singing career, releasing albums including Baby Alone in Babylone in 1983 and Amour des Feintes in 1990.
She was also a model and came to be widely seen as a fashion trendsetter, inspiring the Birkin handbag, a style put into production by luxury French brand Hermès in 1984.
In a chance encounter on an Air France flight, Birkin happened to be sitting next to Jean-Louis Dumas, the then-CEO of Hermès, when she spilled the contents of her bag.
While bemoaning the lack of large bags on the market, especially for mothers, Dumas “immediately sketched a supple and spacious rectangular holdall with a burnished flap and saddle stitching”, according to the Hermès website.
And thus, the Birkin was born. One of the most exclusive bags, some styles cost many tens of thousands of dollars and have waiting lists of months, if not years.
The style became a fashion hit and has spawned several imitations – but in 2006, Birkin told the Guardian: “I love it, but I lug so much stuff around in it that I believe it is part of the reason I have tendonitis.”
Birkin campaigned for numerous causes throughout her life – including asking Hermès to drop her name from its product in 2015 over animal welfare concerns.
Prior to moving to France and meeting Gainsbourg, Birkin was married to the British composer John Barry until the late 1960s.
Russians who are’silently shocked’ by Vladimir Putin‘s conflict in Ukraine have been asked to join the British intelligence community as spies.
In a rare public address, Sir Richard Moore persuaded individuals who were unhappy with the invasion and their country’s way of life to divulge their information in order to stop the slaughter.
The head of MI6 revealed that’many’ had already made this decision in the previous 18 months.
In a speech in Prague, he said: ‘There are many Russians who are silently appalled by the sight of their armed forces pulverising Ukrainian cities, expelling innocent families from their homes and kidnapping thousands of children.
‘They are watching in horror as their soldiers ravage a kindred country.
‘They know in their hearts that Putin’s case for attacking a fellow Slavic nation is fraudulent, a miasma of lies and fantasy.’
Sir Richard stressed ‘many Russians are wrestling with the same dilemmas and the same tugs of conscience’ as their predecessors did in 1968 when the Soviet tanks crushed the Prague spring uprisings.
‘I invite them to do what others have already done this past 18 months and join hands with us. Our door is always open,’ the veteran intelligence officer said.
‘We will handle their offers of help with the discretion and professionalism for which my service is famed.
‘Their secrets will always be safe with us. And together we will work to bring the bloodshed to an end.’
His appeal comes just months after the US foreign intelligence service posted a recruitment video on Telegram, telling Russians how to get in touch with them anonymously and securely.
Kitava Yvettlana Fosuwaa Amankwaa, a captivating Ghanaian-Cambodian, achieved the prestigious title of Miss Grand Ghana 2023 in a vibrant ceremony held in Accra on Sunday,
The Miss Grand Ghana pageant is an integral part of the globally acclaimed beauty competition known as “Miss Grand International.” This esteemed franchise’s primary mission is to advocate for peace and combat violence on a global scale.
In addition to physical beauty, the pageant emphasizes inner beauty, intelligence, and a strong commitment to humanitarianism and peace.
“As I begin my reign as Miss Grand Ghana 2023, I will like to focus on empowering ladies through education,” said Kitava. “Education they say is the key to success. However, having the ability to identify and understand your roots through education makes you empowered as a person and that is the true feeling of success and pride.”
“On my journey to empower, I will educate the girl child in Bishop Bowers School, The Kotobabi Catholic School, Dominase Method School, and others on the need to empower and immerse themselves in knowledge, intelligence, culture, good health and ethics- the right tools they will need to achieve greatness.”
Kitava was crowned after she was appointed by organisers.
“Our appointed queen has a great background in pageantry, she embodies the definition of grand and is passionate about the honour, pride and grace,” said organisers.
About Kitava
Kitava was born in Bangkok (Thailand) and grew up in Sisaket Province (Thailand). She was raised in a Khmer-Thai family. She is one of those who lack educational opportunities and finds it difficult to further her education. This has inspired her to support education.
She is one of the people who have always pushed for equality in education. Kitava Yvettlana Fosuwaa Amankwaa studied exclusively fashion design. She is now a fashion designer, beauty queen, model, speech, and model coach. She aspires to grow and inspire people.
“Dare to dream and believe in yourself,” is a statement she choruses in order to inspire herself and others.
Kitava is the winner of Best Introduction to Miss Grand Thailand 2023. She was also part of the Top 20 Miss Grand Thailand, and Top 7 Miss Grand rising star 2023. As the winner of Miss Grand Krabi 2023, she received the Best Speech award from Miss Grand Suphanburi and Miss Grand Chachoengsao.
It celebrates outstanding women who have contributed to the development of society and the welfare of humanity.
Chief Executive Officer of ASKOF Productions, organisers of the awards, Mrs Afua Asantewaa Aduonum, said “another beautiful year to celebrate and Award women who are devoted to the welfare of humanity.”
She entreated applicants to visit www.gowa.askofproductions.org or send nominations to ghowomenawards@gmail.com.
Inflation dropping less than anticipated will relieve pressure on mortgage holders, according to financial analyst Martin Lewis.
This morning, the Office for National Statistics verified that in the year ending in June, the inflation rate dropped to 7.9%.
In comparison to May’s 8.7%, this represents a larger decline than anticipated. Most experts had anticipated a result of 8.2% for this month.
Crude core inflation, which increased mortgage rates, was 7.1% and was predicted to remain there, according to Mr. Lewis. It now stands at 6.9%.
‘This takes a little pressure off the Bank of England and hopefully the money markers, there’s a chance (no promises) new mortgage fix rates may ease off a touch.’
The new rate is the lowest reading since March 2022, indicating price rises may finally begin to be slowing down.
But everyday spending will not see much relief.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Mr Lewis said: ‘For the first time in a long time we are seeing better than expected inflation figures.
Martin Lewis gave mortgage holders some hope on Good Morning Britain (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
‘In terms of the amount in your pocket it isn’t going to be make that much difference.
‘But some of the pressure will be relieved from borrowers.’
ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said after the announcement: ‘Inflation slowed substantially to its lowest annual rate since March 2022, driven by price drops for motor fuels.
‘Meanwhile, core inflation also fell back after hitting a 30-year high in May. Food price inflation eased slightly this month, although it remains at very high levels.
‘Although costs facing manufacturers remain elevated, especially for construction materials and food items, the pace of growth has fallen across the last year, with the overall cost of raw materials falling for the first time since late 2020.’
But experts have warned the nation is ‘far from being out of the woods’ amid the cost of living crisis.
Adam Bullock, UK director at TopCashback warned that for millions of people, the cost of living is ‘still a crisis’.
‘Inflation may have dropped but with a year-on-year increase of 7.9%, we are far from being out of the woods,’ he added.
‘The dipped average figure, while better than a rise, must not mask the soaring prices we are still seeing every day.
‘Recent ONS figures revealed food and soft drink costs were up 18.4% year-on-year, while the price of flights soared by 20% and the cost of things like live music tickets, toys and package holidays have climbed by nearly 7% year-on-year.
‘These hikes will be a big blow for families in the coming months.’
The Metropolitan Police has expressed regret to the family of private investigator Daniel Morgan, whose 1987 murder is still unsolved.
In Sydenham, southeast London, Morgan, 37, was discovered with an axe embedded in his head.
His family has long held the belief that Morgan was ready to reveal police wrong doing to the media, and for advocacy groups, his passing has come to represent this.
The investigation, which spanned decades, was, according to the London Police, “marred by a cycle of corruption, professional incompetence, and defensiveness.”
In his apology, Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley confessed the Met ‘prioritised its reputation at the expense of transparency and effectiveness’.
‘No words can do justice to the pain and suffering that has been a feature of the family’s lives for more than three decades as they have fought for justice, a fight which no family should have to endure,’ he said.
Morgan was killed outside the Golden Lion pub (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)
‘Their tenacious campaigning has exposed multiple and systemic failings in this organisation.’
The commissioner said he has met with Morgan’s loved ones and listened to their ‘vivid and moving accounts of the devastating impact those failings have had on their lives’.
‘They have explained how their trust in policing has been eroded,’ he added.
‘The personal commitment I made to tackling corruption in this organisation when I took over as Commissioner has never been stronger.’
On Monday, the Met reportedly hashed out a settlement of around £2,000,000 with Morgan’s family.
Morgan’s family was set to sue Sir Mark but the two sides struck a deal through formal mediation earlier this month.
For the Met, the commissioner’s statement is the latest in a long line of apologies for police failings, both decades-old and recent.
A series of crises has seized the Met in recent years, with issues around the Met’s handling of Morgan’s death being among them.
His death’s grisly and baffling details – how papers he had on him were stolen but his wallet was left or a suspect being an investigator who worked on Morgan’s murder case – have kept the pressure high for answers.
The Met’s approach raised serious questions about the quality of policing, exasperated by Morgan’s own investigation into the Met in the weeks before his death.
Morgan and his business partner at the time of his death, Jonathan Rees, ran an investigation agency called Southern Investigation that carried out work for the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid News of the World.
In 2007, the Met said the motive for Morgan’s murder was likely that he ‘was about to expose a south London drugs network possibly involving corrupt police officers’.
What happened to Daniel Morgan?
Daniel Morgan, 37, was a private detective living in south London.
The father-of-two worked for a company called Southern Investigations, which he had set up with his business partner Jonathan Rees.
He was found with an axe embedded in his skull in the dimply-lit car park outside the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham on March 10, 1987.
That night, he had met with Rees for a drink before leaving together at 9pm – Daniel, however, was found stabbed 40 minutes later.
He had been struck four to five times with the Chinese-made axe.
His watch and notes he had written earlier that day had been swiped but his wallet and money were untouched.
Rees, his brothers-in-law Glenn and Garry Vian and Met Officer Sid Fillery, who knew Rees and had previously moonlighted for the agency were arrested a month later before the charges were dropped.
Fillery had actually been assigned to investigate Daniel’s death but was later removed just days later.
No one has ever been brought to justice for Daniel’s killing, even after five police probes between 1988 and 2006 and an inquest.
Charges would come and go before being dropped, often due to a lack of evidence.
Many theories about why Daniel was murdered have been thrown around.
His family say Daniel was on the brink of exposing police corruption, with a Sunday paper offering him £250,000 for it.
Another pointed to how Daniel had worked as a bailiff and, the day before, handed a court summons to a man with previous violent convictions.
The final police investigation saw four people – including Rees, Glenn and Garry Vian, as well as builder James Cook – arrested in 2008.
However, prosecutors dropped the case in 2011 due to a lack of evidence.
Then-Home Secretary Theresa May launched a probe into the killing and the quality of policing in 2013.
Rees and the Vian brothers would win a case against the Met for malicious arrest in 2019, being awarded £400,000 in damages, five years later.
His family filed a civil suit over allegations of misfeasance in office and violations of the Human Rights Act on the part of the Met in December 2021.
The legal claim stretches back to 1987, cataloguing what the family see as alleged wrongdoing and shortcomings.
Five investigations and an inquest costing some £40,000,000 failed to find Morgan’s killer, with no suspects ever convicted.
Two probes into the investigation – one from the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel report and another by Hampshire Constabulary – accused the met of ‘a form of institutional corruption’.
‘Concealing or denying failings for the sake of the organisation’s public image is dishonesty on the part of the organisation for reputational benefit and constitutes a form of institutional corruption,’ the panel wrote in 2021.
‘The multiple police failures over many years, the death of witnesses and the passage of time, mean that it is most unlikely,’ the report added, ‘there will be a successful prosecution for Daniel Morgan’s murder.’
After a client reported that the employee’s hands were down his trousers while speaking to a child, the shop owner beat the employee to death, according to court testimony.
Last year, Abdul Rahman, 59, was “savagely beaten” before being dumped to die in the Aldi doorway next to Norwood Junction station.
Owner of Counter News Agash Jeyanandam, 24, told his fiancée the following morning that he had taken Mr. Rahman to the basement of his store and beat him with a rod-shaped object because he was so furious, jurors learned.
Darren Parchment, 21, and Vijay Pethuru, 24, were also in the shop at the time of the attack, it was said.
Jeyanandam, Parchment and Pethuru, all deny murdering Mr Rahman.
Prosecutor Paul Cavin, KC, told the Old Bailey: ‘We allege that all three are jointly responsible for a severe beating that Mr Rahman received in a shop owned by Mr Jeyanandam in the late evening on 6 August 2022.
‘He was then led to and left in the doorway in the nearby branch of Aldi and died sometime thereafter.’
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He added: ‘The day after Mr Rahman’s body was found, on 8 August, a woman, Sarveswari Selvaseelen, contacted police.
‘She told them that her ex-boyfriend Agash Jeyanandam had telephoned her and told her that he had beaten someone who had then died.
‘She said that around 11am that morning she realised she had some missed calls from Mr Jeyanandam. He told her there had been an incident the day before.
‘He said an ex-employee of his had been the subject of a complaint by a customer to the effect that he had his hands down his trousers when talking to a child and the mother had complained to Mr Jeyanandam.
‘He said he had been so angry he took the ex-employee to the basement of the shop and beat him with a weapon.
‘And he named two other people as having been present in the shop at the time of the beating.
‘The man was then left outside Aldi and when Jayanandam tried to return to the shop the following morning he saw Station Road was blocked off and it was only then he found out that someone, Mr Rahman, had died.’
Mr Rahman’s body was found at 5.36am by a taxi driver who found his trousers were ripped and he was not breathing.
Paramedics attended and examined him, they found also that his body was lying face down in a doorway.
He wasn’t wearing shoes although one shoe was lying nearby and his left trouser leg was torn open exposing heavy bruising on his leg.
There were signs of severe blunt trauma to the head and torso. It was suspected that his Hairline was also singed, and he was clearly dead, the court heard.
Mr Cavin added: ‘There were lacerations and bruises all over his body from his face down to his shins.
‘All the injuries were consistent with what he termed blunt force trauma. In many cases deep blunt force trauma and fractures to the wrist.
‘May have consisted of punches and kicks and also noted tramline bruising marks to the left thigh which strongly suggested successful strikes with a smooth service rod-like object.
‘As to the actual mechanism of death, he described it as multi-factorial.
‘Death could have occurred for a number of reasons, for example, multiple rib fractures would have caused significant pain that would likely impair Mr Rahman’s ability to breath.
‘The Crown’s case is he died as a result of an attack upon him.
‘To put it bluntly this man received a savage beating that is perfectly capable of killing someone and that, we say, is what happened.’
Jeyanandam was arrested at his home the following day and told police: ‘I swear the guy got murdered’.
Parchment and Pethuru were arrested three days later.
The alleged killers were caught on CCTV evidence close to the location of the attack, jurors heard.
Mr Cavin said: ‘CCTV picked up three males leaving a shop called Counter News and turning a corner into Station Road.’
Outlining Jeyanandam’s defence case his barrister Alison Morgan told jurors: ‘On that date on 6 August, the deceased Mr Abdul Rahman was working in Mr Jeyanandam’s shop, Counter News.
‘The CCTV shows that Mr Rahman, the man who died, left the shop at one point in the evening and began to follow a young girl.
‘That young girl had been with her friend but then was isolated on her own.
‘The overwhelming inference from what Mr Rahman, the man who died, was doing was that he was deriving sexual gratification from following and chasing that young girl.
‘You saw the footage of him running across the road as that girl crossed the road.
‘The mother of that young girl came in, firstly to the kebab shop, then to Counter News, Mr Jayanandam’s shop when she learned of Mr Rahman’s behaviour and those moments are also captured on CCTV.
‘When Mr Jayanandam, the man I represent, heard what the deceased, Mr Rahman had been doing, he became angry and he hit the deceased.
‘Mr Jayanandam accepts that he assaulted Mr Rahman in his shop that night. There’s no dispute about that and he told his former partner, Ms Selvaseelen.
‘He told her all about what happened the next day.
‘What Mr Jayanandam does not accept, the key issue he does not accept, is that he killed the deceased Mr Rahman that night.’
Ms Morgan added: ‘Mr Jayanandam and Mr Pethuru left Mr Rahman in the entrance of that Aldi supermarket.
‘The time they did that was about 11:43pm.
‘Mr Rahman was alive at that time, it was nearly five-and-a-half hours later that he was found dead.
‘And there are many many people who walked past the entrance of that Aldi supermarket in that period.
‘But there are also some people who spent time in the area where the deceased had been left.’
Jeyanandam and Pethuru, both of Croydon, and Parchment, of Norbury, south London, all deny murder.
Per to reports, a government attempt to forbid trans youngsters from changing their name or donning a different school uniform was defeated when attorneys cautioned that such a prohibition would be illegal.
Rishi Sunak was supposed to provide new transgender guidance for schools by the end of the week, but it’s understood that as a result of the advise, the announcement has been postponed.
The Times reported that a previous version of the guidelines let kids to socially transition with their parents’ permission, which would allow them to change their name or pronouns at school and wear a different uniform.
But the newspaper said that an effort by Sunak and Kemi Badenoch, the women and equalities minister, to ban the behaviour instead has run up against legal advice.
Attorney-general Victoria Prentis is believed to have been asked whether such a ban would be possible, and to have come to the conclusion it would not under current legislation.
A government source described social transition to The Times as allowing children to ‘act as though they are the opposite sex’.
They said: ‘We have consistently said that this is about protecting children, empowering parents, and supporting teachers and school leaders by providing guidance for them to implement.
‘It’s a complex and sensitive area and it’s right we get it right.
‘More information is needed about the long-term implications of allowing a child to act as though they are the opposite sex and the impact that may have on other children too.’
Social transition can involve someone using a different name, getting a haircut or wearing clothes to match their gender identity.
Earlier this month, Tory backbencher Miriam Cates told the Sun on Sunday: ‘I really think that anything other than a ban on schools socially transitioning children is wrong.’
But Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has previously described efforts to stop social transition from taking place in schools as ‘unreasonable’ – particularly when parents have given their consent.
She told The Times last month: ‘It’s a tricky subject but I think parental consent is the key driver for this. Schools aren’t there as doctors or parents. They are there as educators.
‘Parental consent is the most important thing. Parents are responsible for their child.’
As the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Australian state of Victoria has withdrawn, raising doubts over whether the event will still take place.
In making his decision, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews noted the event’s soaring costs, noting that the original estimate of $2.6 billion (£1 billion) had grown to $7 billion (£3.6 billion).
The Commonweath Games Federation (CGF) called his comments “hugely disappointing,” and one official called the premier’s numbers “gross exaggerations.”
The organisation claimed it had received only eight hours’ notice of the cancellation and said it was committed to finding an alternative host for the event.
Labor politician Mr Andrews said: ‘What’s become clear is that the cost of hosting these games in 2026 is not the $2.6bn which was budgeted and allocated.
‘It is in fact at least $6bn and could be as high as $7bn, and I cannot stand here and say to you that I have any confidence that even [the] $7bn number would appropriately and adequately fund these games.’
Australian Prime Minister and Labor leader Anthony Albanese told reporters the decision was ‘made by the Victorian government’, and hailed the country’s ‘fine record of hosting events’ when asked if he was embarrassed about the situation.
However, the announcement was met with almost universal condemnation by the heads of Australian sporting bodies.
Australia came top of the medal table at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (Picture: David Ramos/Getty Images)
Kieren Perkins, a four-time Olympic medallist in swimming and chief executive of the Australian Sports Commission, said the day had been a ‘difficult’ one.
He added: ‘For many of our athletes, coaches and support staff, Victoria 2026 was going to be an important stepping stone ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and for others it was to be the pinnacle of their careers.’
On the prospect of finding a new host, he said: ‘To be able to put it together is going to be quite a significant task, and I think this is going to be a very big test for the Commonwealth Games Federation.’
Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips said: ‘I would be very careful if I was an international sporting body coming and doing business in this state in the future.’
He continued: ‘The stated costs overrun, in our opinion, are a gross exaggeration and not reflective of the operational costs presented to the Victoria 2026 Organising Committee board as recently as June.’
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the money that was going to be spent on the Games would go towards regional housing and sporting infrastructure instead (Picture: AAPIMAGE)
The CGF, meanwhile, argued that the increase in expense was not its responsibility.
In a statement, it said: ‘Since awarding Victoria the Games, the government has made decisions to include more sports and an additional regional hub, and changed plans for venues, all of which have added considerable expense, often against the advice of the CGF and Commonwealth Games Australia.’
The competition was last held in Australia when Gold Coast hosted in 2018.
Cities around the country will hold games for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will begin on Thursday, and Brisbane is set to host the Olympic Games in 2032.
Brisbane chief executive Cindy Hook told ABC News she was confident those Games would go ahead as planned.
She said: ‘I’m absolutely focused on the budget, the organising committee will be self funding and we have a long run way and more time than they did to plan, and I think that time if used well, will be very much to our advantage and I’m confident in our model.’
Following the collision of their truck with an alligator that was crossing a highway, a pregnant woman and her unborn child perished.
Authorities informed STexasNews that on Sunday morning, 33-year-old Gabrielle Breaux was travelling on State Highway 35 in Refugio County, Texas, when she struck a sizable alligator.
According to the Refugio County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a vehicle that was travelling on a highway close to Farm-to-Market Road 775 when it “hit an alligator and then rolled over.”
The truck was carrying two adults and three children. All of them were rushed to nearby hospitals.
The accident happened on State Highway 35 in Refugio County, Texas (Picture: Refugio County Sheriff’s Office)
‘We pray that these people are all okay,’ wrote the sheriff’s office.
Deputies were dispatched to the scene shortly after 5am.
Breaux, of New Iberia, Louisiana, was taken to DeTar Hospital in Victoria. She was pronounced dead around 5.45am, according to Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Sgt Harold Mallory.
Attempts to save Breaux’s unborn baby were not successful.
The four other people in the truck are expected to recover, Mallory said. Their identities have not been disclosed.
Their relationship to Breaux was not immediately known.
Images from the scene shared by the sheriff’s office showed a dark-colored pickup truck tilted on its right side in a grassy area near bushy trees. Several sheriff’s and fire vehicles were stationed nearby with their lights flashing.
Another photo showed a dead alligator lying on its back on a road.
The accident happened north of Corpus Christi, which is at the east end of Texas on the Gulf of Mexico.
American alligators are ‘common in swamps, rivers, bayous and marshes of the southern US, including the eastern third of Texas’, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The incident happened more than eight years after a man allegedly hunted down a crocodile that he believed ate his wife who was two months pregnant. Mubalak Batambuze spent almost two months looking for the 24-foot crocodile and speared it, according to officials at Lake Kyogain in Indonesia.
According to state news agency Xinhua, Xi stated at a national conference on environmental preservation that China’s commitment to its twin carbon targets of achieving a carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 is “unwavering.”
However, he added, “the way, means, speed, and intensity by which we pursue this goal should and must be decided by ourselves, and will never be influenced by others.”
The comments came as Kerry met China’s Premier Li Qiang and top diplomat Wang Yi Tuesday, with Washington and Beijing – the world’s two largest polluters – resuming their long-stalled climate talks amid scorching heat waves across much of the globe.
In the meeting with Li, Kerry stressed the “need for China to decarbonize the power sector, cut methane emissions, and reduce deforestation,” a spokesperson for the US State Department said in a statement.
He also urged China to “take additional steps to enhance its climate ambition in order to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis.”
China has invested heavily in clean energy in recent years. Its solar capacity is now greater than the rest of the world combined, and the country is also leading the world in wind capacity and electric vehicles.
On the other hand, it has accelerated the approval of new coal plants due to a renewed focus on “energy security,” sparking concerns from environmentalists that these new projects will make the shift away from coal slower and more difficult.
But Xi’s remarks at the conference suggest that China has no desire to be pushed, or be seen to cave to pressure – especially from the United States.
China and the US are the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, so any attempt to address the climate crisis will need to involve deep emissions cuts from these two powerhouse nations.
China’s emissions are more than double those of the US, but historically, the US has emitted more than any other country in the world.
China and other fast developing nations have long argued that the world’s richest countries, especially those in the West, were able to become wealthy while churning out huge carbon emissions for decades.
Relations between the US and China are at their worst in years with the world’s two largest economies feuding over a host of issues, from geopolitics to trade and technology.
The US has said climate cooperation with China should be a standalone issue, separate from their disputes.
But Beijing views it differently. Last year, it cut off climate talks with the US in protest at then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan – in the middle of the worst heat wave China had seen in six decades.
It also halted cooperation on other common causes issues, including communications between military and law enforcement.
That difference in views has been on full display in Beijing, even as the two sides return to the table to restart talks.
When meeting Wang, China’s top diplomat, on Tuesday, Kerry stressed the two countries “cannot let bilateral differences stand in the way of making concrete progress” on climate cooperation.
But Wang insisted this cooperation “cannot be separated from the overall environment of Sino-US relations.” He urged the US to pursue a “rational, pragmatic and positive policy toward China” and “properly handle the Taiwan issue,” referring to the democratic self-ruled island that Beijing claims sovereignty over.
On Wednesday, Kerry reiterated his message to Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng that climate should be handled separately from broader diplomatic issues, Reuters reported.
Acknowledging the diplomatic difficulties between the two sides in recent years, Kerry said climate should be treated as a “free-standing” challenge that requires the collective efforts of the world’s largest economies to resolve, according to Reuters.
Following nearly ten years of tumultuous military-backed government, Thailand’s constitutional court has prohibited leading prime ministerial candidate and election winner Pita Limjaroenrat from serving as a lawmaker. This is the latest setback for his wildly popular progressive opposition party.
The Move Forward Party leader was temporarily suspended as a result of an Election Commission complaint accusing him of breaking election regulations by reportedly owning stock in a media company.
Pita has already charged the Election Commission with hurrying the case to court while denying he violated any election laws.
Move Forward Party had pledged deep structural reforms to how the Southeast Asian country of more than 70 million people is run: changes to the military, the economy, the decentralization of power and even reforms to the previously untouchable monarchy.
The president of Ukraine has issued a warning that the withdrawal of Russia from the grain deal in the Black Sea will lead to future international crises.
“Last year, we were able to stop a price catastrophe in the global food market thanks to our Black Sea Grain Initiative,” President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in his evening address on Tuesday that political and migration crises would have unavoidably followed a price explosion, especially in African and Asian nations.
Numerous nations will be affected, he claimed, and Ukraine is “working without partners to prevent this.” On Monday, Russia backed out of the agreement.
Ukraine is developing options for action and agreements “to preserve Ukraine’s global role as a guarantor of food security, our maritime access to the global market, and jobs for Ukrainians in ports and the agricultural industry,” he said, adding Kyiv is “fighting for global security and for our Ukrainian farmers.”
Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s permanent representative at the United Nations headquarters, said that if Moscow‘s criteria are addressed by international partners, Moscow would be willing to resume the Black Sea grain agreement.
In comments made in response to a query from Reuters and posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Telegram channel on Tuesday, Gatilov charged that the arrangement had strayed from its “intended humanitarian purposes.”
Gatilov did say the UN “tried on its part to urge the Western governments and business structures to implement the Russian-UN Memorandum.”
“However, despite the efforts, the leadership of the UN Secretariat could not overcome the resistance of the Western countries and private companies, on which depended the fulfillment of our demands,” he said.
Gatilov also claimed that Ukraine “repeatedly used the Black Sea humanitarian route for provocations and attacks against Russian civilian and military vessels, as well as infrastructure.”
Wednesday morning saw the second consecutive night that Russia attacked the southern port city of Odesa.
According to a representative of the Ukrainian military administration in Odesa, Ukraine’s air defences were thwarting a Russian attack.
A CNN crew in Odesa saw a consistent barrage coming from the air defence in the general area of the port. At least three loud fringe were also heard by the team.
Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa region’s military administration, urged people not to come close to windows.
Russian forces launched airstrikes on Odesa on Tuesday in retaliation for Kyiv’s attack Monday on the strategic and symbolic Crimean bridge linking the annexed peninsula to the Russian mainland.
In British Columbia, a 9-year-old kid passed away last week after suffering an asthma attack while watching the continuing wildfires in Canada.
Carter Vigh’s parents, James and Amber Vigh, told CNN’s Canadian partner, CBC, that their son has had asthma his entire life and has always carried an inhaler.
According to Carter’s parents, their kid passed away on July 11 after going to the emergency department for an asthma attack.
While his cause of death has not been determined yet, the BC Coroners Service said in a Monday afternoon bulletin that it is investigating his death as “related to an existing medical condition aggravated by wildfire smoke.”
“The sudden and unexpected death of this young boy is a heartbreaking loss for his family and community,” the coroner’s service said.
Carter was at a water park with friends earlier in the day when the air was clearer and then went to a birthday party, his parents told CBC. “He had a great day,” said Amber Vigh. “I had no indication he was struggling in any way.”
Carter began coughing in the evening, and his parents gave him his inhaler and advised him to concentrate on his breathing.
The coughing worsened, so they took Carter to the hospital where they said he later lost consciousness.
“I’m hoping that people realize how quickly it can turn because we had his asthma under control. We were so diligent,” his parents told CBC.
“They tried everything,” Amber told CBC. “I just stood there and just told him that I loved him and just to breathe.”
His parents described Carter as “perfect” and the “most loving boy.”
“Our communities are now becoming more aware of the risks presented by wildfire smoke and the measures that can be taken to reduce those risks,” the coroner’s service said.
Children can have a harder time breathing when the air quality is bad due to how small their airways are, CNN previously reported. The lungs in children are not fully developed either, which adds to the difficulty.
As of Tuesday, more than 900 wildfires are burning across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre’s website. So far, at least two firefighters have died battling the wildfires.
The Canadian government put out a special air quality statement for British Columbia on Monday that will carry over to Tuesday. The statement says that smoky conditions will be “intensified” by Tuesday morning in the 100 Mile and Williams Lake area.
While his cause of death has not been determined yet, the BC Coroners Service said in a Monday afternoon bulletin that it is investigating his death as “related to an existing medical condition aggravated by wildfire smoke.”
“The sudden and unexpected death of this young boy is a heartbreaking loss for his family and community,” the coroner’s service said.
Carter was at a water park with friends earlier in the day when the air was clearer and then went to a birthday party, his parents told CBC. “He had a great day,” said Amber Vigh. “I had no indication he was struggling in any way.”
Carter began coughing in the evening, and his parents gave him his inhaler and advised him to concentrate on his breathing.
The coughing worsened, so they took Carter to the hospital where they said he later lost consciousness.
“I’m hoping that people realize how quickly it can turn because we had his asthma under control. We were so diligent,” his parents told CBC.
“They tried everything,” Amber told CBC. “I just stood there and just told him that I loved him and just to breathe.”
His parents described Carter as “perfect” and the “most loving boy.”
“Our communities are now becoming more aware of the risks presented by wildfire smoke and the measures that can be taken to reduce those risks,” the coroner’s service said.
Children can have a harder time breathing when the air quality is bad due to how small their airways are, CNN previously reported. The lungs in children are not fully developed either, which adds to the difficulty.
As of Tuesday, more than 900 wildfires are burning across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre’s website. So far, at least two firefighters have died battling the wildfires.
The Canadian government put out a special air quality statement for British Columbia on Monday that will carry over to Tuesday. The statement says that smoky conditions will be “intensified” by Tuesday morning in the 100 Mile and Williams Lake area.
The famed Taj Mahal has been affected by devastating floods ravaging northern India, a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence that experts fear may turn into the norm as the climate crisis delivers even more extreme weather.
On Tuesday, as seen in videos and pictures posted on social media, floodwaters from the Yamuna River lapped at the compound walls of the monument, a popular tourist destination.
There were also floodwaters visible in a garden that was placed behind the Taj Mahal. The heritage site is not threatened by the present floods, according to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which looks after it, CNN affiliate CNN-News 18 reported.
Experts said it is rare for floodwaters to reach the outer walls of the complex, which was built near the city of Agra in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in the 17th century by a Mughal emperor to honor his wife who died in childbirth. Millions of tourists visit the site each year.
While floods occur regularly in the area during India’s monsoon season from June to September, experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.
The Yamuna River – a tributary of the Ganges – has reached its highest level on record, authorities said last week, prompting mass evacuations as northern states report dozens of deaths from the heavy flooding.
The Yamuna, which flows about 855 miles (1,376 kilometers) south from the Himalayas through several states, rose to 208.57 meters (about 684 feet) as of last Thursday, officials said.
India, the world’s most populous nation, is one of the countries worst affected by the climate crisis, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – potentially affecting 1.4 billion people nationwide.
Several parts of northern India, including Agra, remain at high risk of flooding in the coming weeks due to continuous heavy rainfall and water being released from barrages, according to Indian authorities.
Scientists have long warned about the damaging impacts of climate change, which has brought deadly combinations of extreme erratic weather – scorching summer heat followed by record rainfall resulting in severe floods and landslides across much of Asia.
“There is no stronger sign that climate breakdown is here,” NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus told CNN.
“The rest of this summer should serve as a huge wake up call – everything gets worse from here and every summer will be worse than the one before. Billions of lives remain at risk.”
The Taj Mahal has already endured years of air pollution, insects and tourist crowds that have damaged its iconic mausoleum and caused parts of its exterior to turn yellow-green.
Meanwhile, dozens of World Heritage sites face the risk of floods and erosion as extreme weather becomes more intense and frequent.
Ancient Buddhist cave murals and statues along China’s Silk Road, dating back to the 4th century, are under “direct threat” from extreme rainfall brought by climate change, researchers found. Artworks in some caves are already showing signs of deterioration and some artifacts could be gone in a few years, they warned.
And in South Korea, heavy rain has damaged dozens of cultural heritage sites, the country’s Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said Tuesday.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea have reported that North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles that have landed in the water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
JCS said that the missiles were fired early on Wednesday local time from North Korea’s Sunan region. The missiles fell in the water after travelling roughly 550 kilometres each, it continued.
Japan’s government also described the two missiles in a statement, saying that they fell outside of its exclusive economic zone.
The launches follow a period of heightened tensions on the peninsula.
On Tuesday, a nuclear-capable US Navy ballistic missile submarine made a port call in South Korea. The presence of the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine in the South Korean port city of Busan was announced by the country’s Defense Ministry.
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a senior official in her own right, said in a statement Monday the deployment of a US ballistic missile submarine to the peninsula would damage already fractured lines of communication between the two sides.
The arrival of the submarine comes after North Korea last week tested what it said was an advanced long range missile and threatened to shoot down US military reconnaissance aircraft engaging in what it called “hostile espionage” activities near its territory.
South Korea and the US also held their inaugural meeting in Seoul on Tuesday of the Nuclear Consultative Group, a joint panel set up by the countries’ leaders at a summit in Washington in April.
In an alarming development, an individual whose identity remains unknown has transmitted a video message directly to the Bank of Ghana, publicly announcing his plans to carry out a robbery at the institution. The man not only disclosed his intention but also issued a warning to the Ghana Police and Soldiers, urging them to be prepared for his impending arrival.
The alarming video, which has since gone viral on social media, shows the man making daring threats as he directly addresses the Bank of Ghana.
In the video, the yet-to-be-identified man said; “Tell the Ghana Police and the soldiers that, I am coming to the Bank of Ghana, I am coming with my squad to rob.
“So, they should prepare themselves to await our coming,” he said.
The man’s boldness is evident as he delivers his threatening message with noticeable confidence.
He concludes the video by urging viewers to share his message with the security services.
“We are coming with all our guns and ammunition to take all the monies they have gathered.
So, share it with the soldiers, they should be alert. I will not say when I am coming but I have said it that we are coming to the bank of Ghana,” he added.
This follows series of robberies witnessed in recent times.
The recent of a robbery case occurred on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Two unsuspecting individuals on a motorbike entered a Star Oil filling station at Ablekuma and robbed a bullion van. The incident sadly led the death of the police officer who was accompanying the van.
With a memorable debut performance held at the venerable Town Hall in New York City on July 15, 2023, Ghanaian rap sensation Sarkodie elevated his current Jamz world tour to new heights.
The overwhelming success of his debut performance in New York has fans ecstatic and anticipating his future appearances.
Sarkodie’s debut concert at Town Hall in New York City was nothing short of spectacular. The renowned venue, known for its rich musical history, provided an exquisite backdrop for the electrifying performance.
From the moment the first beat dropped, Sarkodie had the audience in the palm of his hand. His seamless blend of rap, Afrobeat, and infectious melodies had concertgoers on their feet, singing along to every word.
Backed by a talented live band, Sarkodie’s high-energy performance left an indelible impression on the New York crowd.
The concert was a showcase of Sarkodie’s impressive catalog of hits, including fan favorites like Adonai, U Go Kill Me, Can’t Let You Go, and Lucky.
Additionally, Sarkodie surprised the audience with special guest appearances from the legend Kojo Antwi and Kranium, adding an extra layer of excitement to an already incredible night.
“Sarkodie’s concert was a celebration of music and culture. The artist’s ability to connect with his fans and create a sense of unity was palpable throughout the event was just amazing,” Terry Masson – organizer of the event said.
With the New York concert setting the bar high, Sarkodie’s Jamz world tour promises to be an unforgettable experience for fans across North America.
The tour will continue to captivate audiences in major cities, including Toronto, Atlanta, Houston, and Los Angeles, among others, culminating in a grand finale on September 3rd with which stop on the tour is anticipated to deliver the same level of energy, excitement, and outstanding performance.
The Sarkodie Jamz World North America tour [New York concert] was beautifully executed by TM Entertainmentz & Nayasa Entertainment.
Displaced residents in six Jomoro communities have receive aid and financial assistance from MP for the area, Dorcas Affo-Toffey.
The communities are Nzulezu, Elubo, Ghana Nungua, Cocoa Town, Nsuano, and Zongo Community in Elubo. Also affected were basic schools, especially the Nzulezu Primary School.
The school was destroyed by the floods, affecting pupils, since teaching and learning were halted.
Some residents in Nzulezu have been evacuated on boats to Beyin, a nearby community in the area, to seek shelter.
The community, which is entirely made up of stilts and houses over 500 inhabitants, almost submerged after it rained continuously for seven days.
Properties worth thousands of Ghana cedis were destroyed in these communities.
The MP was at these six communities to assess the extent of damage to the residents and property and sympathize with the victims.
Madam Affo-Toffey, apart from the relief items to all these communities, also donated an amount of money to them.
Residents in Nzulezu received an amount of GH¢10,000 to be used to resolve the unsanitary situation due to the floods.
Madam Affo-Toffey, in an interview with the media, said “It’s all about education, zoning and planning because elsewhere, before someone would build, you have to go to the Town and Country Planning Department to seek approval and permit”.
“They will ensure the buildings are built in a place that would not disrupt running water. What we can say for now is for them to stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse. We have a long way to go but I am sure with time, things will change,” the MP.
Madam Affo-Toffey added that “provisions are being made to support those who do not have places to sleep. These places are flood zones areas so there is nothing that could be done.”
The Abusuapayin of Nzulezu, Abizi Kojo, also revealed that the walk-ways and toilet facilities which are used by tourists have also been destroyed.
He, therefore, called on the Tourism Ministry and the Ghana Tourist Board to urgently help in fixing their slipways and the tourist toilet facility since despite the flooding, the community is still receiving tourists.
Augusta Osedion, a popular Nigerian influencer also known as, was killed by her boyfriend Benjamin Best, also known as Killaboi.
Best confessed to the murder on his Instagram page, writing that he “mistakenly stabbed” Osedion during an argument.
He said he then fled the scene and has been suicidal ever since.
Osedion’s body was found at Best’s apartment in Lagos. Police are investigating the murder, but no charges have been filed yet.
Augusta was a popular social media influencer with over 100,000 followers on Instagram. She was known for her lavish lifestyle and her posts about fashion, beauty, and travel.
Her death has shocked and saddened her fans and followers. Many have taken to social media to express their condolences and to condemn violence against women.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued a directive to all regional executives of the party, instructing them to cease demanding unauthorized fees from parliamentary aspirants.
A statement signed by the party’s general secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong indicated that though the intentions of the regional executives may be positive, it is only the national executive of the party that can direct such charges and therefore called on them to cease such charges with immediate effect.
“While the national executive body acknowledges and appreciates the otherwise good intentions behind these decisions, you are hereby reminded that directives governing the conduct of elections of the Party can only be issued by the National Executive Committee, the appropriate body constitutionally mandated to do so.
“Accordingly, all Regional Executive Committees are, by this letter, directed to cease forthwith, the issuance of any directives on the conduct of parliamentary primaries unless and until same have been approved by the National Executive Committee in accordance with the Constitution of the Party.”
Below is the party’s full statement.
The attention of the national executive body of the Party has been drawn to various directives issued by some Regional Executive Committees to aspiring candidates on the conduct of the Party’s upcoming parliamentary primaries in “Orphan Constituencies”,
The directives include, but are not limited to the fixing of tentative dates for the conduct of the parliamentary primaries, and charging of ‘development levy’, among others.
While the national executive body acknowledges and appreciates the otherwise good intentions behind these decisions, you are hereby reminded that directives governing the conduct of elections of the Party can only be issued by the National Executive Committee, the appropriate body constitutionally mandated to do so.
Accordingly, all Regional Executive Committees are, by this letter, directed to cease forthwith, the issuance of any directives on the conduct of parliamentary primaries unless and until same have been approved by the National Executive Committee in accordance with the Constitution of the Party.
Again, it is directed that all monies taken from prospective parliamentary candidates pursuant to these unauthorized and unapproved directives be refunded to them in line with the letter and spirit of this communication.
The National Executive body anticipates your usual cooperation.
Spouse of well-known Ghanaian actor Adjetey Anang, Elom Anang, has revealed her apprehension about the potential loss of her husband and expressed her desire for him to quit acting as a result.
Making the revelation in the intro of Chapter 10 of her husband’s memoir, Adjetey Anang: A Story of Faith, Imperfection and Resilience memoir, she said she did that out of selfishness and not to lose him to acting.
“When I realised I was attracted to Adjetey, I decided to be selfish as I was scared I could lose him to acting.
“So I actually tried to discourage him from it, telling him acting didn’t pay much among other things. He actually listened to me and for a while went off acting into a completely different field. However, he wasn’t happy with the new direction I was pushing him in.
“He started working with a packaging company and it was clear he wasn’t cut out for that. He was obviously getting results but fulfilment wasn’t evident in his life,” she mentioned in the memoir.
Elom and Adjetey have been married for 16 years, with a son called Ryan. They seem to be the perfect couple.
However, that perfection was called to question when Adjetey Anang revealed in his memoir that he cheated on his wife a number of times.
The confession was not taken lightly by his followers and admirers who criticised him for the confession.
The Things We Do For Love actor however, later came out to explain during an interview with GTV Breakfast Show that he didn’t have any sexual encounter with his cheating partners.
“And when I say cheating… for the most part, people think… we conclude that there were sexual affairs. Even the good book tells that, when a woman walks and you look at them lustfully, in your mind, you have sinned, that’s cheating. There is emotional, there’s mental, and the physical as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oJ9ly9F7iY
“So in my bid to explain, that covers a whole spectrum, of ‘I hug you for example’ and my mind is like…I am thinking lustfully of you, that’s cheating. You can’t limit it, otherwise, we get away with some things.
“…that thought should run through me with only my partner… no no no, I may not going to say that I slept with anybody. In my thought processing that is where cheating happens,” he disclosed during an interview with GTV’s Breakfast Show,” he stated.
Second Deputy Majority Whip, Habib Iddrisu, has urged food suppliers across the country not to be influenced by political factors in organising protests at the National Food Buffer Stock Company concerning the outstanding debts owed to them.
During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, Iddrisu emphasized the significance of the suppliers and urged them not to allow their sentiments to be manipulated for political gain.
“I want to tell the suppliers that they are not just ordinary and they are not just poor people so they should not just allow people to play with their sentiments and politics of this,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Food and Agriculture reassured the food suppliers that 50% of the outstanding payments owed them would be disbursed by the end of Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
According to the Minister, a sum of ¢100 million, representing 50% of the total debt of ¢203 million, was already transferred to the accounts of the food suppliers on Monday, July 17, 2023. The remaining amount is expected to be credited to their accounts by Wednesday.
“Since 2017, Buffer Stock has done great business with the suppliers to the tune of ¢2.7 billion. In 2017, was ¢81.1 million, in 2018, ¢296 million, in 2019, ¢431 million, in 2020 ¢467million, 2021 ¢692 million, in 2022 ¢726 million. Buffer stock has made payments since it started in 2017, 2018,2019, 2020 and 2021 in full. Mr Speaker in 2022, of the ¢726, 617,881, ¢500 million have been paid to the suppliers. So we owe the suppliers a little more of ¢203 million.”
“Last week, we received ¢100million which is 50% of what is due to the suppliers’ and we have supplied the same to the Buffer stock. We are hoping that by midweek this week that 50% will be sent to suppliers. I have also assured you that by the 17th of August, the remaining 50% will be paid,” he stated.
The National Food Suppliers has early on in a media interaction on Monday threatened to resume their picketing on Thursday if the monies were not credited to their accounts by the government.
Meanwhile, the minority caucus has again boycotted business activities to accompany the Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson to the court thereby forcing the house to vary the order of business.
A manhunt has been initiated by the Police for twin brothers accused of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old boy at a well-known drinking establishment in Berekum, located in the Bono Region.
According to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, July 16, 2023, and the lifeless body of the victim, Alhassan Sulemana, has been taken to the Berekum Holy Family Catholic Hospital mortuary for preservation and further examination through an autopsy.
A source at the Berekum Divisional Police Command confirmed the incident to the GNA but declined to make further comments on the incident.
The deceased and the suspects, only known as Harus and Farouk, were friends and they were said to have attended a night party with others at the drinking spot where a misunderstanding ensued between them.
During the melee, one of the suspects pulled a pair of scissors and stabbed the deceased instantly in the chest.
Hajia Safia Sulemana, the mother of the deceased who could not control her tears was shocked about the death of his son and appealed to the Police to be expeditious in their investigations.
She told newsmen her son and the suspects had been childhood friends and wondered how the incident happened.
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor is not dead as speculated on social media, reports indicate.
According to a Graphic Online report, the former President is healthy and going about his normal activities.
It follows stories gaining currency on social media that the former President has passed on.
Late last week and throughout the weekend, there were discussions in some circles around the passing of the former President and on Monday and Tuesday, the conversations continued.
However, checks by Graphic Online indicate that the former President is healthy and doing well.
Reports on social media suggested that the 84-year-old former President had passed on
But the public has been urged to disregard the rumour and falsehood.
Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama, has expressed his resignation in the search for the company’s stolen vehicles.
According to him, his outfit has been assisting the Police Service to locate and retrieve the vehicles.
Mr Mahama, who was updating the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on the progress of the investigation into the robbery incident, added that his Director of Legal Affairs made contact with the Police about four months ago to ascertain the status of the investigation.
“We have reported the matter to the police. We have assisted the police in their investigations. They are going to wrap up and then advise us accordingly.”
“Where I sit as the Managing Director, I’ll just say I am not looking forward to receiving those vehicles again. I’m just waiting for the final report of the Ghana Police Service on the matter,” he said.
Briefing the Committee on how the vehicles got stolen, the ECG Managing Director said that “the full investigative report is not here, but it was taken from the person at gunpoint …at different times, not all at the same time.”
Mr Mahama noted that none of the drivers involved in the robbery incident got injured.
He, however, told the Committee that he is certain that the drivers are still employees of the company but are not assigned to drive.
Commenting on whether it was coincidental for all the three vehicles to be snatched at gunpoint, Mr Mahama said, “It didn’t happen on the same day, it happened around different times. There’s time-space in different locations. I think two of them were at gunpoint, and one, the vehicle was parked at home.”
Background
Three vehicles belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) were snatched at gunpoint in the Ashanti region.
The vehicles, including a Toyota Landcruiser, were stolen by gunmen under strange circumstances.
The separate incidents that took place last year are yet to be solved by the Police.
The concerning trend of mentally ill individuals wandering the streets of cities, towns, and communities across Ghana continues unabated, with no visible efforts being made to tackle this issue.
A growing population of mentally unstable individuals, encompassing both genders and spanning various age groups, can be observed aimlessly wandering on the streets, often partially or completely unclothed. This concerning phenomenon is on the rise, with individuals resorting to begging for food from vendors, consuming unsanitary substances, and scavenging for food from garbage dumps. They frequently carry bulky bags filled with refuse.
Though mental illness according to experts can be genetic and could run in a family with history of mental illness and members have higher chances of catching the disease, it could also be triggered by the abuse of drugs especially cannabis, alcohol and perpetuated by various factors including discrimination, isolation, financial issues and some form of accidents.
Some residents have repeatedly expressed concern over the trend. In an interaction with 64-year-old Joseph Batsa, a driver expressed concern over the alarming rate of increase in the numbers of persons with psychiatric conditions wandering on the streets.
The presence of these persons, he maintained, posed danger either to themselves or society and called for swift government intervention as well as support from relatives as the former couldn’t do it alone.
“In my mind, I can say the government must support those people either by finding a place for them where they keep them so that they look after them until they become normal,” said the old fellow.
He recalled an incident where a madman without any provocation once shattered the windscreen of his vehicle which he had parked by the roadside with a stone.
Madam Maku, a farmer shared similar views. “I think the government should send them to Pantang (psychiatric hospital) to avoid loitering,” she answered when her opinion was sought on what she thought should be government’s response to the disturbing phenomenon. “While wandering, they may take something belonging to somebody who could attack them or they may attack the person.”
She urged relatives of such affected persons to seek treatment for the affected relatives.
For a student like Rosina, she could only ascribe the phenomenon to the effects of money rituals gone bad and family-related troubles.
Stressing on the dangers posed by mentally deranged persons towards the general public, the young woman recounted an incident where a madman attacked her with a stone on the streets without any provocation. She recalled: “On my way from school, one madman was coming right away…he took a stone and started chasing me.”
For her, relatives of victims of this condition are financially handicapped and not in a position to ensure proper care for them and therefore called on government to take urgent steps to address the situation.
Threat to society
Though many of them appear harmless, others could be extremely violent with some of them either inflicting wounds on or murdering persons. Reports have also been made about mad men raping women, sometimes in broad daylight.
Mental Health situation in Ghana
Mental health care remains an essential part of Ghana’s health delivery chain with the three mental health facilities Ankaful, Pantang, and Accra psychiatric hospitals being in very awful states and confronted with such challenges as inadequate drugs supply, feeding, and other logistical restraints for their care and thus making the delivery of such services very difficult for both patients and health practitioners.
This means the facilities are not in the best of shape to effectively discharge their responsibilities.
The responsibilities of family and relatives
Some relatives of mental patients feel embarrassed associating with their demented relatives. The result is that they abuse, discriminate against, and abandon them on the streets and to their fate.
They deny them care or send them to the psychiatric hospital for professional review.
The superstitious ones prefer sending them to churches and prayer camps where they end up being abused through starvation and assault in the name of healing.
Role of the psychiatric hospitals
Per Ghana’s mental health law, 2012, psychiatric hospitals have the power to arrest psychiatric patients from the streets in order to give them proper care which is also part of their mandate to clear them of the streets.
But is this mandate being executed? The answer is a big no. The concerned residents are thus tasking government to ensure that mentally deranged persons are taken off the streets and given the treatment and care that they need and deserve.
The Ahafo Regional Police Command of the Ghana Police Service has initiated an investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of a fellow officer stationed at a checkpoint in the Bia-Tano Forest of the Ahafo Region.
According to a Newspaper Report by the Ghanaian Times dated July 18, 2023, the investigation will clarify the cause of death of the police officer.
Sergeant Titus Avoka Azasiyande, the deceased officer, was discovered dead on Friday, July 15, 2023, with gunshot wounds on his body at the police checkpoint in Bediako, a suburb of Goaso, situated on the Kasapin-Bibiani Highway in the Ahafo Region.
At the time he was found, the deceased was lying by his Ak 47 rifle at the checkpoint with blood oozing from his lower abdomen.
Sources say a timber truck driver, who was coming from Kasapin, on reaching the Bia-Tano Forest police checkpoint, found the policeman dead and reported to the Goaso Regional Police Command.
It is unclear whether the deceased policeman committed suicide or was shot and killed by someone.
According to the report, the body of Sergeant Titus Avoka Azasiyande has been deposited at the Goaso Government Hospital pending autopsy.
The death of Sergeant Titus Avoka Azasivande adds to the number of service men and women who die while in the discharge of their duties.
Again, it serves as a stark reminder of the risks that these law enforcement officers face in the line of duty.
The family of the woman accused of transforming from a bird to a human being in Gomoa Mampong, Central Region, has contradicted media reports claiming that she is a witch capable of shifting between human and animal forms.
In an interview on UTV conducted on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, the sister of the accused witch disclosed that her sister is suffering from a mental illness and had been unaccounted for three days.
She added that the accused witch is now 39 years old and has been mentally ill since childbirth.
“My sister stays with me. After she went missing someone called me from Senya that she was found there. I went there on Friday but I could not find her. I went back on Saturday, but I could not find her. On Sunday too, I tried but could not find her.
“It was yesterday that one of my sons told me, my sister was on TV and that she was with a woman who captures witches,” she said in Twi.
She said that she managed to find the palace in Gomoa Mampong where her sister was accosted and accused of being a witch.
The report indicated that the sister of the victim spoke to the chief and elders as well as the people who accosted her and explained matters to them.
They took her to the police station where her sister had been detained by the police. The police released her after interrogating them.
She stated that her sister told her that she was brought to Gomoa in a vehicle by a person she did not know.
Some 46 Ghanaian citizens have retracted a petition submitted to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, requesting the removal of Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, as well as her deputies.
According to a report by graphic.com.gh, the 46 citizens are part of the pressure group, #FixTheCountry.
The report added that the group had sent in the petition to the president because they believed that the EC bosses played major roles in how the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe (SALL) were disenfranchised in terms of their representation in the Parliament of Ghana.
However, the group decided to withdraw their petition following the adjournment of the case sine die by the Supreme Court on Wednesday, July 12, 2023.
“After nearly two years of waiting for institutional action on the impeachment petition brought against the chairperson and deputies of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, we the 46 petitioners formally notified the President and the Chief Justice of our intention to withdraw the petition,” they stated in a statement dated Friday, July 14, 2023, the report added.
The group, in the statement, added that the refusal of the EC to act on the petition was due to a deliberate and collaborationist decision by the then Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin Yeboah, in connivance with the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa.
“We the petitioners, after 2 years of seeing various constitutional officers fail to live up to their constitutional responsibilities in this matter, have become convinced of a lack of interest or urgency in pursuing the justice of our plaint and have as such lost faith in the integrity of the process.
“We feel compelled to exercise our democratic right to withdraw this petition, in order that the Constitution will no further be mocked by the indolence of actors who have been assigned the task of its protection. In reaching this decision, we have considered the best interest of our democracy, and taken further account of our refusal to lend ourselves to any process that will ultimately be used to whitewash clear evidence of egregious misconduct. In addition, we see no reason why we should participate in the persistence of what has so clearly become a charade,” the statement added.
Of all the constituencies in the country, the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe (SALL) have been left without a representation in parliament.
Although there have been several calls made for them to get representation, the matter has dragged, with no resolution arrived at yet.
Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Dr Stephen Amoah, has stated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would not have emerged victorious in the 2016 presidential election if it weren’t for the instrumental role played by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
According to him, the role the vice president played in the 2012 election petition cleared the way for the party’s victory in the 2016 presidential elections.
He, therefore, refuted assertions that Dr Bawumia is not a member of the NPP and has done nothing for the party.
“What made me like Bawumia is just one thing. I remember when we went to the Supreme Court, one day we were only 21 in court and the vice president was in the witness box and was being bombarded with questions.
“…. if not for Dr Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, we would not have won the first election that we won (the 2016 elections). He was the one who explained issues for us to get clarity (in the 2012 election petition).
“What he went through made NPP ready for the subsequent election which we won. But today, people are saying he is not a number of the party,” Dr Amoah said in Twi as he was addressing members of the NPP at a campaign event for the vice president.
The deputy trades minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, added that even though all the contenders in the NPP flagbearership race are qualified to lead the NPP, Dr Bawumia is the best among them.
He urged supporters of all the presidential hopefuls to desist from politics of insults and tribalism so that the party would not be fractured after the presidential primaries.
Ten people would be contesting in the NPP presidential primaries which is slated for August and November 2023. A super delegate conference would be held in August 2023 to reduce the number of contenders to five while the primaries proper would be held in November 2023 to choose the party’s presidential candidate for the 2024 elections.
The ten candidates include Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; a former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen; Kwadwo Poku, an energy expert; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey; a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto; a former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong; MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; a former MP for Offinso North, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku; and a former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko.
The High Court in Accra has rejected the plea of Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a prominent convener of the #FixTheCountry Movement, to have his ongoing treason felony trial conducted on a daily basis, reports indicate.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare (Kwaku Azar), a Ghanaian lawyer and scholar based in the United States, revealed that the legal team representing Barker-Vormawor had made a request for their trial to be conducted on a daily basis. However, this request was ultimately rejected.
He indicated that the judge for the case adjured the trial to Thursday, October 12, 2023.
“Osagyefo denied trial on a daily basis as his “treason” trial postponed to October 12. Da Yie!” the post, Kwaku Azar shared, reads.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor, in an earlier post, indicated that his trial was adjourned because the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Dame, was not prepared.
“The Attorney-General has again failed to file the necessary disclosures. Just the usual,” parts of Barker-Vormawor’s post read.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor was slapped with treason felony charges by the state after he was arrested in 2022 for the, “I would organise a coup myself” post he shared on social media.
Meanwhile, the lawyers for the Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, have had their application for a stay of proceedings dismissed by an Accra High Court.
This was during the Tuesday, July 18, 2023, sitting in the criminal case brought against the MP by the state over his deceit of public officers.
The charges being levelled against the MP are forgery and perjury.
This is the second application for a stay of proceedings filed by lawyers of James Gyakye Quayson, following the first one that was also dismissed on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.
The lawyers were requesting the court rescinds its ruling for Quayson’s case to be heard daily.
American rapper 50 Cent‘s career began with a string of bitter disputes that nearly took his life.
He reflected on this period of his life in response to a video Joe Budden posted about 50 Cent’s rise to fame and the disputes he encountered while embarking on a successful mixtape run.
“The ill shit is it’s true,” 50 wrote on Instagram. “I had beef with 3 different guys that had influence, real gangstas they all had crews that caught body’s running around putting in pain. I don’t know, I would just get mad, then say fuck them [n***as]. LOL we all gonna die one day!”
In the clip, Budden described 50 Cent as having, “the greatest run that I’ve ever seen in my entire life. And that will probably remain the same—that answer will never change.”
Budden continued, “I’m very aware of all the people that 50 Cent had beef with. He shouldn’t have beat any of it. They tried to kill 50 Cent for years. He should have died. He did not. He then had to deal with real live street beef with being blackballed. He shouldn’t have beat that. He shouldn’t have beat both of those things.
“He was on the greatest mixtape run that I had ever witnessed,” Budden explained. “Then he signs with [Eminem], [Dr.] Dre. They put out ‘In Da Club.’ It never went off. Never saw nothing like that. He delivered [an] album [Get Rich or Die Tryin’]—classic. I have never seen a n***a do what 50 was able to do and accomplish, and what he had to endure on his way. You’re not gonna beat it.”
50 Cent was shot nine times in 2000. He subsequently signed a publishing deal with Columbia Records while in the hospital before the label dropped him and he was “blackballed”—as Budden put it—by the music industry after his unreleased song “Ghetto Qu’ran” was leaked later in 2000.
He has been in a reflective mood. Over the weekend, 50 discussed his and Eminem’s success, comparing his album sales with the Detroit native and bragging that no one was better than the pair in the early 2000s, when they were both selling millions of copies of their albums.
Em’s The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show earned 1.78 million and 1.32 million in first-week sales, respectively. 50’s sophomore album, The Massacre, brought in 1.15 million, and his debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ sold 872,000 during its first week.
“The funny shit is only @eminem sold more then [sic] me. I made n****s so uncomfortable they don’t want to remember. LOL,” Fif wrote on IG.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture has revealed that a sum of GHC100 million, which accounts for half of the overall debt owed to suppliers totaling GHC203 million, was disbursed to their accounts on Monday, July 17, 2023.
Bryan Acheampong, the minister, has provided assurance that by the conclusion of Wednesday, July 19, 2023, 50% of the remaining amount owed to the Buffer Stock Company will be paid out.
During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, the minister emphasized the significant business conducted by the Buffer Stock Company with food suppliers over the years, amounting to ¢2.7 billion.
He outlined the payments made in each year, highlighting that payments were fulfilled in full from 2017 to 2021.
In 2022, however, only ¢500 million out of ¢726,617,881 owed was paid, leaving an outstanding balance of ¢203 million.
Last week, the ministry received ¢100 million, constituting 50% of the amount owed to the suppliers, and subsequently transferred it to the Buffer Stock Company.
The minister assured the suppliers that the remaining 50% will be disbursed by August 17, 2023.
Members of the National Food Suppliers Association have suspended picketing at the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO).
This comes after a payment assurance from the Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.
The food suppliers had pitched camp at the premises of the Buffer Stock Company since earlier this month, demanding payment of 270 million cedis owed them.
YouTuber Sweet Adjeley, a Ghanaian based in the United States, has shared how her cooking content helped her solve a marital problem.
One of her viewers confessed that her videos saved his marriage, according to her.
“I think about a year into my YouTube journey, this man contacted me and he was so appreciative of the fact that his wife was cooking so well, something that was about to destroy their marriage. Because of me, the marriage is saved,” she told Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z.
Adjeley said she was also happy that through her content, some men are also in the kitchen, surprising their wives with good meals.
She made this statement while discussing ways of marketing Ghana through vlogging and blogging.
She also added that government institutions responsible for tourism and culture should employ the services of some of these influential bloggers and vloggers to to promote the tourism agenda.
With over 1 million subscribers on YouTube, Sweet Adjeley teaches people how to cook different meals especially Ghanaian food.
A hopeful candidate for the NPP flagbearer position, Alan Kyerematen, has highlighted the substantial political sacrifice he made by willingly withdrawing his candidacy in favor of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the 2008 General Elections.
Alan Kyerematen contemplated on how his decision, driven by the utmost interest of the NPP and the nation, aimed to avoid a runoff election and foster unity within the party.
Speaking to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates in the Volta region, Mr. Kyerematen said;
“I made the greatest political sacrifice in the history of Ghana’s politics by stepping down for Nana Addo. It was in the supreme interest of the NPP and to foster unity,” Graphiconline.com quoted Kyerematen as having said.
He regarded his decision to withdraw from the 2007 Presidential Primaries as a remarkable display of sacrifice, putting the collective interests of the NPP ahead of personal ambition.
Drawing attention to the importance of a candidate’s choice and campaign style in the upcoming 2024 General Election, Kyerematen stressed that these factors would play crucial roles in determining the electoral outcome.
He emphasized the need for a candidate with credibility, someone who can garner trust and support from the electorate due to their strong appeal throughout the country.
“Credibility is a key factor that voters consider when making their decision at the polls. A candidate with a strong track record of integrity, competence, and commitment to the welfare of the people will have a higher chance of winning the support of the electorate,” Kyerematen expressed during his address.
Elaborating further, he added, “It is important for the candidate to articulate a clear vision for the country, addressing the key concerns and aspirations of the citizens. The campaign-style should be inclusive, engaging, and accessible, ensuring that the message reaches a wide range of people across different demographic groups.”
The boycott of parliamentary sessions by the Minority Caucus in solidarity with James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament for Assin North, has resulted in a halt to the parliamentary proceedings.
The current occurrence represents the fourth occasion in which the minority members have chosen to refrain from engaging in parliamentary activities.
Members of the caucus announced their decision to boycott parliamentary sessions during Quayson’s swearing-in ceremony on July 4th.
Their solidarity with Quayson stems from his ongoing criminal case concerning allegations of dual citizenship, which is constitutionally prohibited for Members of Parliament in Ghana.
Despite the Supreme Court annulling his 2020 parliamentary victory, Quayson contested in the subsequent by-election and secured an even larger margin of victory.
As a result of the minority members’ support for Quayson, the attendance in Parliament today was significantly reduced, with only 23 majority MPs present for the sitting.
The boycott by the minority has effectively paralyzed parliamentary business, leading to a disruption in the legislative process as the house is compelled to adjourn.
The name of the teen who was fatally stabbed over the weekend has been released.
The death of 16-year-old Joseph Riches occurred on Coventry Street, Stourbridge, just before 7 o’clock on Saturday.
Joe’s mother paid tribute to her one and only child, adding that all he wanted was to become a father when he grew up.
He will never get the opportunity to accomplish that now, which is extremely sad for a mother.
‘Joe loved going to the gym and was just a happy and loving son. I want to appeal to people to help the police to find out what happened to my son and would ask anyone that can help to come forward with information.’
Four people have been charged with Joe’s murder, including Dray Simmonds and Joshua Edgington, both 19.
Two 16-year-old boys have also been charged but cannot be named for legal reasons.
Detective Inspector Laura Harrison, from the force’s homicide department, said: ‘Our thoughts remain with the family of Joe who are devastated by the loss of their child.
‘Our investigation is still ongoing and we are appealing to anyone who can help us piece together what happened to get in touch with us.
‘We’ve been exploring CCTV and making enquiries and I’d like to thank the public and local community for supporting us so far.’
Actress Gloria Sarfo recently reached out to her colleague, Salma Mumin, in a candid and direct message, urging her to embrace her current body enhancement and avoid making further alterations. This advice was prompted by Salma Mumin sharing pictures of herself that highlighted her confirmed enhanced physique.
In a heartfelt and lengthy message, Gloria Sarfo addressed the trolls and critics, requesting them to be more understanding and supportive. She emphasized that Salma’s desire for a figure 8 body is something she has always aspired to, and thus it should be respected and appreciated.
Salma went as far as saying her sexual partner is content with her body; and she will enhance it as many times as she deems fit.
However, in a recent interview, actress Gloria Sarfo, known for her no-nonsense attitude, advised Salma not to succumb to societal pressures to undergo additional liposuction.
She praised Salma for her body enhancement, stating that Salma’s current appearance is beautiful and doesn’t need further changes.
The actress stressed that the key to confidence and beauty lies in embracing one’s unique features and being content with oneself. She reminded Salma that she is already beautiful as she is and encouraged her not to be swayed by unrealistic beauty standards.
Tuesday saw the International Criminal Court (ICC) reject the Philippine government’s request to stop prosecutors from looking into the brutal “war on drugs” of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The dismissal by the Hague-based court indicates that the Philippines has exhausted all of its appeals options, according to ICC Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.
The choice was made after the ICC said in January that it will resume looking into any “crimes against humanity” committed under Duterte.
More than 6,000 people have been killed in anti-drug operations since Duterte launched his controversial drug war soon after taking office in 2016, according to police data. Many of the extrajudicial killings of suspected drug offenders have occurred in the poorest areas of the country – and independent monitors believe the number of those killed could be much higher.
Kristina Conti, a lawyer for some of the families of drug war victims, said she hoped the decision “will be a turn in the tide against impunity in the Philippines.”
“Victims of Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ are, as always, praying for genuine justice that has not been available for the poor, downtrodden, and powerless in the Philippines,” she said on Twitter.
Duterte’s administration and its successor under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have pushed back against the ICC’s probe into drug war killings in the country, denouncing the investigations as unjust.
The ICC initially announced plans for an investigation in February 2018 but suspended them in November 2021 at the request of Manila after it said it was undertaking its own review.
The Philippines was formerly a signatory to the ICC but Duterte canceled the country’s membership after the court began probing his drug war.
But under the ICC’s withdrawal mechanism, the court keeps jurisdiction over crimes committed during the membership period of a state – in this case, between 2016 and 2019, when the Philippines’ pullout became official.
Marcos Jr., who succeeded Duterte last year, has said the country will “disengage” from any contact with the ICC, as Manila does not recognize its authority over matters of national sovereignty.
A day before the judgment, justice secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Philippine government will not execute arrest warrants issued by the ICC if it proceeds with the investigation, stressing that the country has its own legal system to handle drug crimes.
Remulla accused the ICC of having a “political agenda” to resume the investigation, and is an interference to the freedom and sovereignty of the country.
The ICC ruling Tuesday “marks the next step toward justice for victims and their family,” Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said on Twitter.
“The Marcos administration should back up its stated commitment to human rights and the fight against impunity by following through on its international legal obligation to cooperate with the court’s investigation.”
Senegalese-American singer Akon has acknowledged that he initially made up his background and once pretended to be an African prince during an appearance on Drink Champs.
“I kind of used the excuse that I was a survivor because it made me feel better about it. But there was nothing for me to survive. Because my parents were actually really wealthy. I was living in Jersey. We lived in a three-story house, just me and my older brother. We had the whole house to ourselves! Now when I think about it, we were just bored as hell looking for something to do.”
As he was growing up, Akon saw friends around him selling drugs and he never understood why they would put in so much labour for such little financial incentive.
“I think a lot of my choices came from just wanting to be accepted, you know, amongst the crowd,” he said. “So that’s how I got caught into all the things that I got caught into, including cars. Because cars made me feel special. I was young, I can drive with the most elite vehicles, and I ran with the scenario that I was an African prince.”
Akin shared that the inspiration for the African prince scam came after he watched the 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy Coming to America. “After Coming to America, I was like, ‘Shiiiit!’” he explained. “That’s what motivated it!”
He said he was working at a barbershop when a man introduced him to the scam.
“Before you know it, I just copied and pasted it,” Akon laughed. “Literally like every other month I would come to school in a different car, and they were like… I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m an African prince.’ And they believed it because of the whip that I was driving in
Back in 2010, Akon told MTV on an episode of When I Was 17 that he was a “young hustler” at the time, stealing cars or scamming money out of people.
He told people he was a “prince” so they wouldn’t question where he got all of his money, to which his brother Omar added, “People just didn’t know any better so they believed that we were princes from Africa.”
Akon is no stranger to a good ruse. Last year he admitted that he used to employ his brother Abou ‘Bu’ Thiam to perform as his double when he couldn’t make it to a show.
“Bu was my double. He was my double. This was before internet. If you saw Abou in one place and you saw me, you couldn’t tell the difference,” he said on The Morning Hustle. Asked if Bu can sing, he simply replied, “No.”
