The Ghana Police Service says it has commenced efforts to arrest some suspects in a viral video where a woman is captured being subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment by a group of people.
In a statement issued on Monday, 12 June 2023, the Police Service said it has commenced an investigation into the incident said to have occurred in the Upper East Region.
“The Police have commenced investigation into a viral video believed to have originated from the Upper East Region, in which a female victim is seen being subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment by a group of people.
“We wish to call on the public to remain calm as efforts are underway to get the perpetrators arrested to face justice,” the statement said.
In the video, the woman is at one point half-naked, before she is completely stripped of everything she is wearing, exposing her nakedness, even as some men gathered around her to beat and molest her.
Meanwhile, security analyst, Adib Saani, has raised a worrying concern about a disturbing video of a woman who has been identified as a Fulani woman being sexually molested in public by some men.
But reacting to the video, which he said emanates from Zebilla in the Upper East Region, Adib Saani said that this is the kind of things that motivate terrorist narratives.
He explained that when things like these are encouraged, it becomes easy for terrorist groups to capitalise on them to infiltrate communities, and eventually, countries like Ghana.
“This is a very dangerous move by the youth of the area as it feeds into the terrorist narrative. Terrorists love to see these because they exploit them to create a motive to stage attacks.
“This incident is more or less a VIP invite to terrorists. Attacking women and children amounts to crossing the red line.
“I am concerned as a security stakeholder because this could cause reprisals,” he stressed.
Adib Saani also stated that he has learnt that the woman is married with children, and has since relocated with her family.
He stressed that the Fulani community leadership in Ghana has been looking for the woman since the incident but without success.
The security analyst, therefore, called on the Ghana Police Service to effectively identify and arrest the perpetrators involved in this atrocity.
“I call on the police to effect an arrest ASAP and prove that we are governed by law and would not countenance such acts of barbarity,” he added.
People who were stranded as a result of the cancellation “chaos” were forced to sleep in airports.
Flight cancellations because from extreme weather affected more than 15,000 easyJet travellers.
Due to storms, the airline cancelled 54 flights that were set to depart or take off from Gatwick Airport on Sunday. On Monday, another 55 flights were cancelled.
Hot temperatures has led to unpredictable weather and a wave of weather warnings.
Gatwick warned that more storms are expected on Monday.
One passenger, Sharon Spark, said she was left ‘scrambling’ with 200 other passengers after their flight from Prague was cancelled.
On Monday morning, she told Metro.co.uk: ‘I’m still at Prague Airport hoping to fly home tonight.
‘One member of easyJet staff here whose only answer to all questions was “I don’t know” and the easyJet app kept crashing.
‘All passengers on our flight experienced the same lack of support from easyJet and airport staff.’
On social media, furious travellers demanded answers from the airline as they struggled to leave or return from holidays.
Jayne Thompson wrote: ‘Total chaos in Gatwick tonight! Multiple cancelled flights, no support, no local hotels with availability, login to manage booking jammed, two staff on the floor swamped by thousands of panicking travellers. Totally unacceptable.’
An easyJet spokeswoman apologised for the situation and added that weather conditions had disrupted travel.
She said: ‘Thunderstorms in the Gatwick area which restricted the number of arrivals and departures on Sunday unfortunately resulted in disruption at London Gatwick Airport, including some diversions and cancellations which is having a knock-on impact this morning as a number of aircraft are out of position.
‘We are doing all possible to minimise the impact on our customers, providing those on cancelled flights with options to rebook or receive a refund as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required.
‘The safety and wellbeing of customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and, while this is outside of our control, we would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.’
Affected passengers are not entitled to compensation under UK consumer law as the cause of the disruption is outside the airline’s control.
But they must be offered new flight options and assistance such as food and drink, as well as overnight accommodation if required.
A Gatwick airport spokeswoman said: ‘Due to unsettled weather conditions and thunderstorms across the south of England and Europe yesterday, temporary air traffic restrictions were put in place, which resulted in some flights being delayed and cancelled.
‘London Gatwick apologises to passengers for any inconvenience.
‘Further thunderstorms are expected today, so passengers should contact their airline for further information.’
Meanwhile, Gatwick Express, which runs non-stop trains between the airport and central London, was suspended on Monday.
The operator said this was due to ‘urgent repairs to the track’ after a set of points – which allow trains to move from one line to another – were damaged in the East Croydon area.
Passengers travelling to or from the airport were advised to use Southern and Thameslink services, which are slower as they stop at intermediate stations.
Jo Rhodes, deputy editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: ‘Thousands of travellers will be frustrated to have had their plans thrown into disarray as a result of thunderstorms over Gatwick.
‘While easyJet does not have to pay compensation for these cancellations, it must offer affected passengers the option of a refund or to be rerouted at the earliest opportunity – even if this means booking seats with a rival carrier to ensure minimal delay.
‘If delayed for more than two hours, passengers will be entitled to assistance such as free meals or refreshments, and overnight accommodation if required.’
As the water level recedes, the Ukrainian dam that fell as a result of bombing has exposed its grisly secrets.
Both Russia and Ukraine have denied any responsibility for the dam’s collapse and have accused the other of using it to promote their respective military objectives.
Following damage to the Nova Kakhova dam last Tuesday, thousands of homes were inundated, forcing a large-scale evacuation and resulting in at least 14 fatalities.
72% of the water the dam contained has drained and flooded the Dnieper River – and the newly lowered shoreline has revealed human skulls.
One skull appears to still be wearing a World War II-era German helmet – but others also seem to be wearing Soviet helmets.
The area of Soviet Ukraine which contains the Nova Kakhova reservoir was liberated from the Nazis in 1943.
The Battle of the Dnieper took place in 1943 and was one of the largest operations of World War II.
Multiple skulls were found (Picture: Social media/East2West News)The water line of the dam has reduced dramatically (Picture: Social media/East2West News)It’s not known how many human remains are yet to be found (Picture: Social media/East2West News)One skull was found still wearing a German helmet (Picture: Social media/East2West News)
It involved almost four million troops and at one point stretched over an 870-mile front.
Over four months the eastern bank of the Dneiper was reclaimed from German forces.
The reservoir itself was built 15 years later, in 1956.
After growing ill on a journey from Istanbul to New York, an 11-year-old kid passed away.
About an hour and a half after takeoff on Sunday, the Turkish Airlines aircraft made an emergency landing in Hungary.
According to Hungarian media accounts, the infant was first given help by cabin crew before receiving CPR from a doctor who just happened to be on board.
When the jet touched down atBudapest International Airport, medical personnel were waiting to board, but the kid was beyond saving.
It’s thought the 11-year-old was a US citizen with a disability and was travelling with his family.
A spokesperson from the airport said: ‘Airport Medical Service (AMS), the medical service operating at Ferenc Liszt International Airport, was alerted to the aircraft and continued to resuscitate the child
‘Despite the rapid and professional intervention, unfortunately, his life could not be saved. The aircraft continued its journey to its original destination.’
Officials have not commented on the cause of death.
Pictured is an 11-year-old British girl who was shot and killed in France while having fun on a swing.
On Saturday night, as her family was enjoying a BBQ at their Saint-Herbot, Brittany, home, Solaine Thornton was shot and killed in front of her sister.
Rachael Thornton, 49, and Adrian Thornton, 52, her parents, were also hurt, and the father is still in critical condition.
A Dutch national, 71, who lived next door to the family and was regarded by locals as a recluse was detained with his wife and is still being held.
Investigators said on Monday he had tested positive for a narcotic substance.
They have not publicly confirmed the drug involved, though a source close to the investigation told the AFP news agency a large amount of cannabis was found at his home when it was searched by police.
Local officials and neighbours suggested the Dutch couple had feuded with Solaine’s parents over issues including a plot of land which borders both their properties.
Solaine is believed to have been killed in front of her sister, who escaped
Local resident Yannick told Le Télégramme de Brest: ‘We heard the bangs and we thought it was children playing with firecrackers.
‘Then the kid ran into a neighbour’s house saying: “My sister is dead, my sister is dead.”’
Marguerite Bleuzen, Mayor of Plonévez-du-Faou, which covers Saint-Herbot, said officials had intervened in the ongoing dispute in 2020 but that no major issues had arisen since.
Quimper prosecutor Carine Halley said: ‘An investigation has been opened into the murder of a minor under 15, and two attempted murders.’
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: ‘We are providing consular assistance to a British family following a shooting in France and are in contact with the local authorities.’
Following recent murder threats, Ricky Gervais is reportedly stepping up his security ahead of his upcoming UK tour.
The 61-year-old British comedian and TV writer has established a name for himself in the world of stand-up comedy by using contentious and politically incorrect jokes and routines.
The creator of The Office and After Life recently toured the United States and was advised to dramatically increase his security detail due to threats of being shot.
It is also likely that the on-stage attack on veteran comedian Dave Chappelle, when he was accosted by a man holding a handgun, has resulted in his decision.
Chappelle, 49, was attacked during a live performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles by Isaiah Lee, who was sentenced to 270 days in prison.
Earlier this month, Gervais celebrated an upcoming Australian remake of The Office for being the first to feature a woman as its lead character.
After the success of the British version, remakes were commissioned in Finland, Greece, Saudi Arabia, and, most famously, the United States.
‘I’m very excited about Australia remaking my little show from the turn of the century,’ Gervais said of the show which will star Aussie comic Felicity Ward.
He continued: ‘Office politics have changed a bit in 20 years, so can’t wait to see how they navigate a modern-day David Brent.’
A woman who used drugs to illegally plan her own abortion has been sentenced to prison in the United Kingdom.
Before getting pregnant again in 2019, the unnamed woman already had three sons.
She was ’embarrassed’ and didn’t talk to her doctor, Stoke-on-Trent crown court was informed on Monday.
During the coronavirus lockdown in May 2020, she called the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and lied about how far along she was. Then the BPAS delivered her abortion-inducing medication.
The woman made a number of internet searches between February and May 2020, including ‘how to hide a pregnancy bump’, ‘how to have an abortion without going to the doctor’ and ‘how to lose a baby at six months’.
Five days after the call to BPAS, on May 11 2020, a 999 call was made saying the woman was in labour, and the child was born during the phone call.
The baby wasn’t breathing and despite the efforts of paramedics the baby girl was pronounced dead at hospital 45 minutes later.
The child was between 32 and 34 weeks’ gestation when born and her cause of death was recorded as stillbirth and maternal use of abortion drugs.
The woman was initially charged with child destruction, to which she pleaded not guilty. She later pleaded guilty to administering drugs or using instruments to procure abortion, which was accepted by the prosecution.
Judge Mr Justice Pepperall acknowledged it is an emotive case and said it was made more ‘tragic’ because the woman did not plead guilty earlier, adding he may have been able to consider suspending the jail sentence if she had.
He said the woman, who was given a 28-month extended sentence, will serve 14 months in custody and the remainder on licence after her release.
She’s been prosecuted under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, sparking calls for abortion reform in the UK.
Following her sentencing, the BPAS said: ‘Today, a mother-of-three has been jailed for 28 months after using abortion pills to end her own pregnancy. No woman can ever go through this again.
‘We need abortion law reform in Great Britain NOW.’
A spokesman for the TUC added: ‘Every woman should have the right to choose. Time for abortion law reform now.’
The producer of the renowned United Showbiz program, Fadda Dickson, and Mzbel, the show’s presenter, have been actively spreading positive vibes and fostering a vibrant atmosphere on various social media platforms.
Fadda Dickson and MzGee have gone on their first assignment together.
After appearing online, photographs of the two prominent figures drew an outpouring of responses.
Fadda Dickson showed MzGee photographs and complemented her appearance as if they were partners.
The photographs ooze wealth, partnership, and friendship.
Since then, social media users have heaped praise upon them!
MzGee has recently stated that she will not be influenced to support MCbrown’s position on the United Showbiz program.
According to her, she would rather fail at being original than become a copy of another person.
She continued by warning the trolls who revel in comparing her to actress Nana Ama McBrown.
Ghanaian actress and entrepreneur, Victoria Lebene, recently shared a photo on social media commemorating her four-year journey as a married couple with her husband, Eugene Osafo-Nkansah, popularly known as Nkonkonsa.
In June 2019, Victoria and Eugene began a marital relationship, and for the four years they’ve spent together, they have been blessed with two children.
To celebrate their anniversary, the actress shared a picture of her husband and herself, dressed in an all-white outfit, on her Instagram page on June 12, 2023. In the post, she stated how they have been able to go through the four years and wished for both of them the grace to celebrate more years.
“I don’t know what your spiritual life says, All I know is God is in this story!… 4 years came within a twinkle of an eye, blessed with many things and 2 beautiful and Angelic children of our time. Happy more years to come in JESUS NAME. Happy 4th Anniversary” she wrote.
Some netizens shared their joy and commented on the post. One netizen wrote: “Happy 4th Anniversary to You Too. May God Continue to Bless your Union.”
“already ooo GOD IS GOOD. GOD BLESS YOU AND HONOURABLE,” another netizen commented.
Kumawood actor Oboy Siki has reportedly commenced preparations for his own funeral after predicting that he will not survive beyond 2024, indicating his awareness of the limited time he believes he has left.
During an earlier interview, the actor confidently predicted that he will die in a peaceful manner, “I won’t die through an accident, I will die peacefully. You will come to find me lying cool in my room.”
Speaking on the supposed prophecy at that time, Oboy Siki said it is based on a personal covenant and plea he made with God, adding that he believes God will honour it.
However, giving updates on that particular subject on Adom FM’s Entertainment Hall, the actor said he has commenced plans for his funeral scheduled for next year.
Expressing a sense of fulfilment in his spirit, Oboy Siki believes he has achieved everything he was meant to do on Earth and feels it would be better to pass away rather than to linger on unnecessarily.
However, Oboy Siki declared that should he live beyond 2024, he would lead a life of indiscipline, causing trouble and annoyance to everyone who knows him.
Touching on his involvement in a number of controversies in recent times, a remorseless Oboy Siki said the years after 2024 will be worse.
Immediate past Commissioner for Works in Osun State, Mr. Remi Omowaye, donated a sum of N100,000 to the chef Hilda Baci and commended her world record for longest cooking time.
Omowaye in a statement obtained in Osogbo on Sunday said rather than discouraging the chef with of barrage of criticisms that have trailed her efforts to break a record set by another Nigerian for the longest cooking hour, Adeparusi should instead be encouraged to fulfil her dream.
The statement further read in parts, “I throw my weight behind the Ekiti-born chef, Miss Damilola Adeparusi with a cash support of N100,000 in her quest to break the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon.
“Adeparusi, who is currently a student of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) is currently cooking at an apartment in Ilupeju-Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area.
“Records are made to be broken. Damilola did not commit any crime by attempting to break Hilda’s record. The sky is wide enough to accommodate different types of birds. Let her spread her wings and fly. I think she is also trying to make a name for herself too. Healthy competition is not bad.
“Even if the lady doesn’t break the record, at least, we have known her now, like we knew Hilda and I think Hilda should also be happy to have been able to motivate someone to try to do the unthinkable.”
He, however, chided the Ekiti chef’s poor planning for the exercise, saying provision should have been made for a standby medical personnel in case of emergency but commended her for cooking local food.
He also advised the chef to prepare more traditional Ekiti meals like Feregede, Otili, Pakala, Usu Eura, Usu Olo, Ewa Alagbado, Eusaa, and Egbo among others, during the cooking marathon.
Ghanaian hiplife musician, Kwabena Kwabena, has revealed that the key to his success on stage is simply having fun and enjoying what he does.
In an interview with Graphic Showbiz, he shared that the only thing that matters to him when he’s performing is himself, as he believes that when he’s having a good time, the audience naturally follows suit.
“The secret behind my success on stage is that I have a lot of fun while performing regardless of whatever I am going through, and I get the applause for a good show when I am done,” Kwabena Kwabena explained.
And many agree that this approach has proven to be effective for him throughout his career, with audiences being able to connect with his energy and passion for music.
Born George Kwabena Adu, Kwabena Kwabena first rose to prominence in 2004 with the release of his debut album, ‘Aso.’ Since then, he has consistently impressed fans with his musical talent.
His second album, ‘Dabi,’ released in 2007, further solidified his position in the industry. Kwabena Kwabena has collaborated with notable artists such as Kontihene, Asem, Sarkodie, and Samini, among others, showcasing his versatility as a musician.
His third album, ‘Daakye,’ released in 2013, featured hit songs like ‘Bue Kwan,’ ‘Adult Music,’ and ‘Bye Bye,’ which resonated with audiences and further established his artistry.
Recently, Kwabena Kwabena launched his latest album, ‘Fa Me Saa,’ which includes tracks like ‘Afraid to Lose You,’ ‘Focus,’ ‘Awero,’ ‘Minpina,’ ‘Regina,’ ‘Fingers,’ ‘Sweetie,’ and ‘Ride Or Die.’
The album showcases his continued dedication to creating music that resonates with his fans.
Beyond his musical endeavours, Kwabena Kwabena is known for his strong passion for philanthropy and his belief in making a positive impact in his Ghanaian environment.
This led him to establish the Kwabena Kwabena Save a Life Foundation, through which he contributes to various charitable causes.
Throughout his career, Kwabena Kwabena has been recognized with numerous local and international awards, including the VGMA Best Vocal Performance and Best Songwriter of the Year awards.
These accolades are a testament to his musical talent and the impact he has made in the industry.
Effective tomorrow Monday, June 12, 2023, the National Identification Authority (NIA) will begin premium registration services in five of its regional offices.
The regions are Bono, Bono East, Western North, Volta and Nothern.
The NIA in a statement said these services at the selected centres would operate in addition to the ones being conducted at NIA headquarters and CalBank head offices in Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, and Western regional offices.
The centres according to the NIA would offer fee-paying services including first-time registration and issuance of Ghana cards (GhC 280), replacement of lost, missing or damaged cards (Ghc110) and update of records that require printing of new cards (Ghc110).
The statement issued by the NIA further indicated that updates of records that will attract the fee include change or correction of the applicant’s name, change or correction of the order of the applicant’s name, correction or addition of the applicant’s name or maiden name, correction of applicant’s date of birth, change or correction of applicant’s nationality, correction of applicant’s gender and change or correction of applicant’s height.
Applicants who would want to request the premium services are to note that the system would be done online and walk-in, the NIA said.
Ghanaian dancehall artist Stonebwoy has also hoped on the ‘new cat’ conversation.
He asserted that popular Nigerian Grammy-award winner Burna Boy isn’t a ‘new cat’ in the music industry as purported.
Davido, in an earlier interview, tagged Burna Boy as ‘new cat’ and this has since stirred mixed reactions from netizens on social media.
However, sharing his two cents on the issue, Stonebwoy has stated that the assertion isn’t entirely true and that Davido, perhaps, did not mean his comments literally.
Speaking in a recent interview with GoldMyne TV, the ‘Apotheke’ hitmaker, while citing reasons, explained that Burna Boy has been in the music scene for over a decade.
“Burna Boy is not a new cat to me because Burna has been there for more than a decade. If Davido said that, I honestly do not believe that he meant that outrightly. New cats would be Rema and Ruger them. So, I don’t believe Davido meant that, but also if you ask me, I think Wizkid and Davido have had a fair share of international appeal earlier than Burna,” Stonebwoy explained.
Stonebwoy remains good friends with both Nigerian stars; Davido and Burna Boy.
A mobile money vendor has allegedly taken his own life following the discovery of a significant sum of money missing from the business.
The 22-year-old who has been identified as Abdul Rahman Acquah is said to have committed suicide after he found out that GHC 3,500 of the money he was using to run the business has gone missing.
This tragic incident happened at Assin Kruwa in the Assin South district. Reports indicate that the deceased went missing on Tuesday, June 8, at about 03:00 pm and was never found.
Kwaku Quansah, uncle to the deceased, in an interview, said a thorough search was conducted within the community and district but was to no avail.
He further said all efforts to reach and find him proved futile until officers of Kakum wildlife division intervened.
A search party was therefore conducted to trace the whereabouts of the deceased. Through the search party he was found dead in a thick forest near the community. He was reported to have hanged himself on a tree with a copper wiring cable in the bush.
The Police, upon the tip-off, rushed to the scene, and the body was then moved to the Abura Dunkwa Hospital morgue for autopsy and preservation.
However, reports by the hospital revealed that there were no signs of body violence.
Quansah disclosed that the boss of the deceased was demanding for the missing money or he would get him arrested hence, suggested his death might be out of frustration.
An autopsy is set to take place shortly to determine the boy’s cause of death.
Chief Inspector Ronald Lungu, of the Bath Neighbourhood Team, said: ‘This is a tragic incident and our thoughts this morning are very much with the family of the boy who has died.
‘They were informed of what happened as soon as possible and are understandably devastated.’
He added: ‘We’ve identified a number of witnesses and we’ll be taking formal statements from them in due course but we’re also keen to hear from anyone who was at the address at the time who hasn’t yet spoken to police.
Ghanaian dancehall and reggae singer, Abdul Razak Issahaku popularly known as Iwan, has shaken the tables with the release of 64 Battalion Riddim Album Vol. 1……
The 42-track album is a spectacular exhibition of talents and gifted artistes from all parts of Ghana and the world. A lot of beautiful stories have been told in the album, and a lot of beautiful melodies have been sung to soothe souls.
The 64 Battalion Riddim is one of the best productions I have heard in quite a while, and its uniqueness has drawn the interest of artistes of different genres and backgrounds. From the budding, up-and-coming, already exposed, and mainstream.
The title of the album (64 Battalion) is inspired by the 64 Infantry Regiment, formed from the FRB at Gonda Barracks, Burma Camp, on July 1, 1993. It is arguably the toughest and one of the most disciplined military regiments in the country, located at Asutsuare. With the motto “Honour in Sacrifice”. The always gallant 64 soldiers inspire discipline, resilience, and a good sense of responsibility, carrying an air of self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
This brainchild of Iwan and the Gideon Force is to put all artiste in a good light and also create revenue. Artistes on the album are entitled to a 50/50 split with the producer for all royalties accruing to each song performed by them.
I am certain these beautiful songs and their videos will take over the airwaves in the coming days. I am looking forward to the songs “Nuh Give Up” by Renner, “Never Look Like Your Problems” by Trey La, “Mad Over Gal” by Burning Faya, and other very spectacular ones.
Congratulations to Iwan and all artistes that have made it to the album! Let us show our support by streaming these songs.
A suspected double homicide claimed the lives of an 11-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, according to Staffordshire Police.
On Sunday, police were summoned to the scene in Flax Street, Stoke, and an alley was blocked off.
The bodies were found in a nearby residence.
Police were called to a car wash on Campbell Road on Sunday at 2.04pm after a man was stabbed, according to an update from this morning.
Paramedics later transported him to the hospital, but he has since been discharged.
Officers then went to a home on Flax Street and arrested a 49-year-old woman from Stoke-on-Trent in connection with the stabbing.
While police were at the address, two children were found unresponsive with significant injuries inside the property.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, both of them died at the scene.
Their next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers at this tragic time.
The woman was further arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody, Staffordshire Police confirmed.
Detective Chief Inspector Cheryl Hannan said: ‘Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the children. I cannot image the pain and shock they are feeling.
‘We also understand the concern felt locally around this incident and the speculation around what has happened.
‘We can now confirm that the two people who lost their lives are an 11-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl.
‘Our priority was to inform the family before confirming the ages of the children. They are currently being supported by specially trained officers.
‘The woman arrested is known to the children. We don’t believe there to be any wider threat to the public at this time.
‘Our focus remains on finding out more about what happened yesterday and supporting the family at this deeply distressing and tragic time.’
A voluntary referral will be made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to recent police contact.
Three British citizens who were on a boat that caught fire in the Red Sea are being sought by police.
In Marsa Alam, twelve visitors were saved from a boat carrying 27 people. According to local authorities, the boat was carrying 15 British tourists, 10 crew members, and two guides.
Authorities say that 26 passengers, including 12 British nationals, were confirmed to be safe, but they are still seeking for the other three.
Around 6.30 a.m. local time this morning, the fire was reported to have caught fire. This alerted the rescue services to the situation.
The boat left from Port Ghalib in the eastern city of Marsa Alam on June 6 and was due to return back home today.
According to local media, the boat was taking part in a cruise in the Red Sea that was planning a diving trip.
Tourist boat bursts into flames during diving trip in Red Sea
Rescue services were alerted to the fire after reports part of the boat had caught alight.
It added that initial reports suggested the fire was the result of an electrical fault.
Footage on social media appeared to show the boat almost entirely engulfed in flames and smoke.
‘We saw smoke from the boat, it was around 9km from the beach, said Ahmed Maher, a diving manager at Marsa Shagra village, according to Reuters.
Police said the crew rescued suffered no injuries and were taken to shore in good health.
A spokesperson for Tornado Marine Fleet, the company which owns the boat, said: ‘Today at 6.30am at Elphinstone, while doing the diving briefing, Hurricane caught fire.
‘We do have three missing British passengers and all others… reached the nearest land safely.
‘Now we are bringing the boat back to the marina under authority supervision.’
The fire was spotted on Sunday morning and in a statement from the Red Sea Governorate, its secretary general Major General Mohamed Bandari confirmed the accident was the result of a fire on the boat, which was named the Hurricane.
The statement added: ‘He [Mr Bandari] pointed out that the crew and passengers were rescued by the boat named Blue and returned to central Marsa Alam, and a search is still underway for three British passengers by the concerned authorities and other boats, stressing that the Ambulance Authority and the Directorate of Health Affairs have been notified to raise the level of readiness and follow-up is under way.’
The Tornado Marine Fleet, which owns the Hurricane vessel, said the boat caught fire at 6.30am ‘while doing the diving briefing’.
It said it was now bringing the boat back to the marina under authority supervision.
An FCDO spokesperson said: ‘We are in contact with local authorities following an incident aboard a dive boat near Marsa Alam, and are supporting British nationals involved.’
The Red Sea Governorate said: ‘The initial examination resulted in an electrical short circuit in the engine room, and the investigation authorities went to conduct an inspection and investigation.’
A hangover usually refers to a set of symptoms that occur as a consequence of drinking too much. Typical symptoms include fatigue, weakness, thirst, headache, muscle aches, nausea, stomach pain, vertigo, sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety, irritability, sweating, and increased blood pressure.
So, you go out with your friends and you start from one shot, then another, before you know it, you are completely drunk. The next day when you wake up, and you do not remember how you got home.
Drinking too much alcohol is bad for your health and you should drink in moderation.
The most common disadvantage of drinking too much is the effect it has on your liver. Your body would find it quite difficult to digest alcohol.
Research has also shown that alcohol leads to some heart problems as well as different types of cancer.
But say it happened that you got drunk. You went out for a fun Friday night with the guys or girls and by the time you woke up on Saturday morning, you had the worst hangover. Here are a few ways you can feel better.
1. Drink a lot of water or electrolyte drinks
Drinking water helps to overcome the side effects of a hangover. Alcohol leads to dehydration and a loss of electrolytes in the body. You should drink water to restore the PH level. Electrolyte drinks like milk and coconut water can also help.
2. Eat a lot of carbs and take some coffee
You need your blood sugar up so just eat a nice healthy breakfast and take coffee, black tea, or green tea. You should feel like yourself soon enough. Cure
3. Take antioxidants
Alcohol causes oxidative stress. This is when the free radicals in the body are out of balance with antioxidants. Antioxidants would help to clean up these free radicals in your body. Sources of antioxidants are grapes, carrots, ginger, cherries. You can blend this all to make a smoothie.
4. Use painkillers
Hangovers always come with headaches, be sure to take some painkillers for some relief. If you have stomach ulcers stay away from anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen.
Hopefully, one bad hangover helps you stay away from too much alcohol, if it doesn’t be sure to come back to this article.
After human remains were discovered, a missing person investigation was transformed into a murder investigation.
Chloe Mitchell, age 21, of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, was last seen on camera on June 3 in the early morning hours in Ballymena town centre.
After suspected human remains were discovered, the Northern Ireland Police Service revealed on Sunday evening that it had opened a murder investigation.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Millar said: ‘Sadly, today detectives have recovered suspected human remains in Ballymena, and while there has been no formal identification, we have now launched a murder inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of 21-year-old Chloe Mitchell, who was a high-risk missing person.
‘Earlier this week, we launched a criminal investigation into Chloe’s disappearance. Tragically, we now have reason to believe that Chloe was murdered.
‘Our thoughts this evening are very much with Chloe’s family and we have specialist officers providing them with support at this heartbreaking time.
‘I would like to thank the community in Ballymena and the search and rescue teams for their help in trying to find Chloe.’
Her brother Phillip Mitchell said he was broken by her disappearance and appealed for information, the BBC reports.
Forensic officers attended a flat in the James Street area of Ballymena on Sunday evening. The property had been cordoned off by police earlier in the week.
Two men have been arrested in connection with Chloe’s disappearance.
A 26-year-old man was arrested in County Armagh on Thursday, and a 34-year-old was arrested on Saturday morning.
Yesterday officers were granted a further 36 hours to question the 26-year-old.
Police and the Community Rescue Service (CRS) have been searching in and around Ballymena since Thursday evening, including in the Harryville area, the River Braid, parklands, undergrowth, river banks and even inside bins.
A CRS statement released on Sunday evening said: ‘The CRS would like to thank the people of Ballymena, those who live and work in the Harryville area and especially Chloe’s family and friends for their exceptional support during our operations.’
Remember that time she wore that dress with the teasingly low neckline? You called her sexy.
You also called her sexy on that day she wore those sexy jeans and she was all shades of hot.
You’ve also used the word on many other occasions. It gets tiring after a while.
Women are moved by what they hear, and you need to upgrade from saying the same compliment all the time if you want that flirtation between you both to become even better.
When you see that drop-dead gorgeous lady you have been crushing on, and you’ve run out of words to describe her, simply because she always finds new ways to blow your mind to bits, here are extra words you can turn to.
1. Tell her she’s enticing. After all her very presence draws you in effortlessly, doesn’t it?
2. Tell her she’s captivating. It’s not just about her curves and smoking-hot body, there’s something about the entire package, the entirety of her femininity that totally captures your imagination.
3. Tell her she’s alluring if you feel her sexiness actually drawing and luring you to her. This is not as bland as just saying she is sexy.
It gives it an extra meaning.
4. Call her sensuous when the flirtation gets really deep and it is only a matter of time before you both seal the deal.
Calling her this shows her the picture that you do not find her sexy just for the sake of it. You find her sexy and you’d probably give anything to unravel that sexy.
5. Call her fascinating. This is another word that shows that she is sexy to you not just because of her impressive body features. It’s more than that.
6. Call her ravishing. This portends a sexiness that is at least three times more intense.
7. Call her charming if her sexiness holds you spellbound. Enchanting works just fine here too.
8. Call her Sultry if you need a direct word to replace sexy.
9. Call her irresistible. The word explains itself and she will get the point that you really do try but her sexiness is too potent and keeps pulling you back.
Following the discovery of the deaths of a ‘funny and loving’ married couple inside a home, a man has been charged with two counts of murder.
On Friday night, Josh Bashford, 33, and Chloe, 30, were discovered dead at their house in Newhaven, a town some nine miles to the east of Brighton.
According to Sussex Police, officers responded to the home on Lewes Road at around 7 o’clock after receiving a murder report.
Two counts of murder have been brought against Derek Martin, 64, also known as Derek Glenn, of Moulsecoomb Way in Brighton.
He was known to the victims, who had four children together, county police said.
Martin has been remanded in custody and will appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court today.
Police found their bodies Friday evening (Picture: PA)
A post-mortem is scheduled to take place this week, police said on Saturday.
George Last, a niece of the couple, said the death of Josh and Chloe has left the family ‘heartbroken’.
‘The most funny and loving pair, you loved each other so much it was just amazing to see what true love looked like,’ she wrote on Facebook.
‘You were the most amazing parents to four beautiful, intelligent, and loving children.’
Stephen Glenn added: ‘Taken cruelly from us, far too young leaving four beautiful children behind.’
‘You were and will always be our baby sister, we will miss you dearly and you will be forever in our thoughts and prayers RIP,’ Stephen said.
Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey, of the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, added: ‘Our thoughts remain with the families of the two victims at this extremely difficult time.
‘While our work to establish the exact circumstances of what happened are ongoing, we are not seeking anyone else in connection with the matter.
‘I’d like to thank the public for their understanding and remind them not to speculate or comment on anything which could jeopardise our investigation in the meantime.’
The local prosecutor claims that an 11-year-old British girl was killed by gunfire on Saturday in Saint-Herbot, a hamlet in western France’s Brittany.
The shooting left the girl’s parents with significant injuries. She managed to get away, and her 8-year-old sister was discovered “unharmed but in a state of shock,” according to a statement made by Quimper prosecutor Carine Halley on Sunday.
Authorities claim that the family was in their garden when their 71-year-old Dutch neighbour came over carrying a gun and began firing several times in their general direction before locking himself and his wife inside their home.
Police intervened at 10 p.m. local time. The 11-year-old was found dead and her father sustained a life-threatening head injury, while her mother was also injured but is not in critical condition, Halley said.
An hour later the Dutch man and his wife surrendered and were taken into custody.
“We thought they were playing with firecrackers,” Yannick, a neighbor who heard the gunfire, told CNN affiliate BFMTV.
“The youngest girl came running to the neighbors shouting: ‘My sister is dead, my sister is dead,’” Yannick said.
Halley said Sunday “the motives for the tragedy are not yet known.” But, according to the initial investigation, “it appears there had been a dispute between the two neighbors for several years over a piece of land adjoining the two properties.”
The Quimper prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation on charges of voluntary manslaughter of a minor and attempted murder.
Marguerite Bleuzen, the mayor of Plonévez-du-Faou, a town bordering Saint-Herbot, told BFMTV Sunday she had been made aware of a dispute between neighbors several years ago.
“I intervened with my deputies when we were elected. There was a problem with the land, noise complaints,” Bleuzen said.
Ghanaian businessman and Youth President, Abass Sariki, has made a revealing statement about his relationship with Ayisha Modi, widely recognized as ‘She loves Stonebwoy’, shedding light on the nature of their connection for the first time.
A couple of years ago, Shatta Wale told Aisha Modi to desist from making claims that Abass Sariki is her husband because it was not true.
According to Wale, Abass is a respected man, their godfather and he has two wives. So, it is disrespectful for Aisha to chase a married man like that.
Ayisha called the bluff of Shatta and indicated she is married to the GIWA foundation boss. She released photos to prove her claims.
But, in an interview by blogger Sammy Kay with Abass Sariki, he stated he is not officially married to Ayisha Modi. But, admitted he has two wives which Ayisha Modi is not part.
President Akufo-Addo has expressed his determination to continue being a dependable and trustworthy partner to the Judiciary even as a new Chief Justice has been appointed.
He made the pledge during the swearing-in of the newly appointed Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkonoo.
“I want to assure Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo that just as I did with her predecessor, I will be a dependable and trustworthy partner of the judiciary,” he said. The President, during the address noted that this is to ensure that: “the Executive and the Judiciary work together in the spirit of mutual respect to consolidate the tenets of good governance for the benefit of the Ghanaian people.”
Justice Gertrude Trokonoo was sworn into office as the 15th Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana today, June 12, 2023, by President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House, with dignitaries including Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in attendance.
She was nominated in April 2023 to succeed Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, who retired from the position on May 24.
Her swearing in followed the official approval of her nomination as the Chief Justice of Ghana by Parliament.
Parliament’s decision also came after the Appointments Committee unanimously endorsed her candidacy following her vetting on May 26, 2023.
Addressing the gathering and Ghanaians during her swearing-in ceremony, President Akufo-Addo expressed confidence in the Chief Justice.
He emphasised the importance of a strong and independent judiciary as a cornerstone of a thriving democracy. He acknowledged the vital role played by the judiciary in upholding the rule of law, safeguarding justice, and protecting the rights of all citizens and expressed the hope that the Chief Justice will execute her duties with diligence in order to ensure a strong Justice system.
Furthermore, the President expressed his unwavering commitment to supporting the judiciary in its quest for excellence and efficiency.
“I congratulate her warmly on her appointment and I wish her the best of luck and Godspeed in the discharge of her duties of her high office,” he said.
Wife of Kanye West, Bianca Censori, was spotted holding hands with the rapper’s eldest daughter at his 46th birthday bash in Los Angeles over the weekend.
In the photos of the bash which happened Saturday night, June 10, Censori and North were all smiles, holding hands as they made their way into the private party together.
North – whom West shares with ex-wife Kim Kardashian – wore a gray sweater with shorts and black boots. The 9-year-old also had visible red markings on her face while Censori wore a black leather trench coat with matching heeled boots.
The US State Department has confirmed that American Travis Leake was detained in Russia and that US embassy representatives were present for his arraignment on Saturday.
A US citizen had been seized on drug-related accusations, according to a statement the Moscow courts of general jurisdiction previously posted on the social media app Telegram.
On Saturday, Leake was taken into custody after “the Khamovniki District Court of Moscow took a preventive measure against an American citizen,” according to the statement.
“The former paratrooper and musician is accused of engaging in the narcotics business through attracting young people,” the statement said.
It added he had appeared at the Khamovniki District Court of Moscow on June 10 and will remain in custody until August 6, 2023.
On Sunday, the US State Department confirmed Leake’s detention.
“We can confirm that Michael Travis Leake was arrested and is detained in Moscow. Embassy officials attended his arraignment on June 10,” a spokesperson told CNN.
“We will continue to monitor the case closely.”
“The US Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas,” they said.
“When a US citizen is detained overseas, the Department pursues consular access as soon as possible and works to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”
Leake’s mother Glenda Garcia says she has yet to hear from US government officials regarding the current status of her son and is worried about what he’s going through.
“Of course, I am worried. Of course, I am concerned, ” she told CNN on Sunday. “He’s in prison in a foreign country, that is a concern.”
Garcia said she doesn’t know if her son has an attorney and she doesn’t know what to do herself.
“I have not heard from the State Department. If I don’t hear from them tomorrow, I will try to call them,” she said. “I don’t really know anything other than what I heard on the news.”
Garcia last spoke with her son on Mother’s Day, she said, noting they typically talk every few weeks.
Regarding her son’s time in Russia, Garcia said, “I know he was in a band, I know he taught English.”
Video of Leake’s arrest from his home and a mug shot from a Russian police station were published by Russian media outlets on June 8.
Ren TV, a tabloid outlet, reported Leake’s statements to police in which he reportedly said: “I don’t understand why I’m here. I don’t admit guilt, I don’t believe I could have done what I’m accused of because I don’t know what I’m accused of.”
The arrest comes amid Russia’s war with Ukraine, which has seen already poor relations between the US and Russia plummet.
In March, Russian security services arrested US journalist Evan Gershkovich, accusing him of spying, which he denies.
CNN filmed with Leake in 2014 for an episode of Parts Unknown in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Host Anthony Bourdain had personally hand-picked Leake to participate in the show.
In the episode, Leake talked about his frustrations with censorship and relayed an incident involving his band and MTV. “This was a documentary series about musicians standing up and risking their lives in some cases, to stand up against government abuse of power, government corruption,” he said. “And yet, a foreign government was able to editorially control what Americans viewers see on their TV screens. That to me is a scandal of epic proportion.”
Darya Tarasova, who had produced the episode, said the “band wasn’t that famous but Travis and his friends had been very vocal about the freedom of speech and state oppression in Russia. Bourdain really liked that interview,” she said.
“Travis was a showman; very articulate and he loved Russia,” Tarasova added. “Bands from the Moscow rock scene would go to him to write songs in English for them and proofread their lyrics,” she said.
“The last time we spoke was in 2018 and he seemed depressed and upset, but Travis would never do the things he is being accused of. He is an American in Russia and is very aware of the situation he’s in. But I’m surprised he stayed after the war started, as it was very risky for him.”
Social media accounts and videos confirmed by a CNN reporter show Leake as a frontman in Lovi Noch, which translates to “Catch the Night.”
He was also a music producer for other Russian music groups during his time in Moscow.
British national was stopped and turned over to police, according to South Korean authorities, after climbing more than halfway up the building’s façade on Monday.
A press release from the Songpa Fire Station stated that the man, who was in his twenties, was forced to give up his free ascent of the 123-floor Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea.
Without using any equipment, he reportedly climbed the skyscraper’s exterior to its 72nd storey before fire officers stepped in.
The man was “rescued” by being placed in a maintenance cradle and brought inside the building, according to the Songpa Fire Station, at 7:56 a.m. local time.
The man was identified as George King-Thompson, a well-known urban climber, Lotte Property & Development, the parent company of Lotte World Tower, told CNN over the phone.
He was spotted by a security officer who was working on the 42nd floor and called the police, Lotte said.
Police are investigating how he approached and climbed the tower, and the company said it will review whether to make structural or system changes so that unauthorized climbing from the ground is not possible, Lotte added.
King-Thompson was previously prosecuted and jailed for climbing the London skyscraper The Shard in 2019, according to UK court documents.
He also BASE-jumped off Europe’s tallest roller coaster in Spain in 2022, resulting in a suspended sentence, according to British media.
A verified Instagram account appearing to belong to King-Thompson features images and videos of those two stunts as well as multiple other hair-raising adventures.
A Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson told CNN it was “aware of the arrest of a British national in South Korea on 12 June. We are in touch with local authorities and stand ready to provide consular assistance.”
At 555 meters tall (1,820 ft), the Lotte World Tower is the tallest tower in South Korea and fifth highest in the world, towering above the metropolis of 9.7 million people.
In 2018, police arrested “French Spiderman” Alain Robert as he was more than halfway up the skyscraper, according to Reuters.
Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister of Scotland, was detained by the police earlier on Sunday as part of an inquiry into financial irregularities by the Scottish National Party (SNP), according to UK’s PA Media. She was later released without being charged.
A 52-year-old woman who was detained earlier today, Sunday, June 11, 2023, as a suspect in relation to the ongoing inquiry into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party, has been released without charge pending additional investigation, Police Scotland said in an updated statement.
The arrest had already been confirmed by a spokesman for Sturgeon, who also told PA Media that “Nicola has consistently said she would cooperate with the investigation if asked and continues to do so.”
Sturgeon’s husband and former SNP chief executive, Peter Murrell, was arrested and released earlier this month, followed by the group’s treasurer, Colin Beattie, and officers have raided the party’s headquarters in Edinburgh.
Sturgeon abruptly announced her resignation as first minister in February after a nine-year stint in which she became the figurehead of the movement for Scotland’s independence from the United Kingdom.
She cited the demands of public life and the “brutality” of frontline politics for her surprise decision.
But since standing down, the party she led for almost a decade has descended into chaos amid a widely publicized police investigation. Officers have been probing the SNP’s handling of money that was slated for Scottish independence campaigning, according to PA Media.
The group has dominated politics north of the border for more than a decade and has pushed for a repeat of a 2014 referendum on independence, in which voters rejected the chance to split from the UK by 55% to 45%.
Sturgeon enjoyed a series of significant electoral wins in Scotland, which has a devolved government that the SNP has led since 2007.
But momentum behind the push for independence which Sturgeon fronted has stalled in recent months, with polling showing dips in support and the Supreme Court blocking her effort last year to unilaterally call a referendum without the backing of Westminster.
Sturgeon was replaced as leader this year when Humza Yousaf narrowly won a bitter leadership election that exposed divisions within the party.
The chaos and legal questions surrounding the party could put its stranglehold on Scottish politics at risk, with the pro-union Labour Party eying a resurgence in the nation.
A member of the Colombian military’s special forces claims that the use of cassava flour contributed to the survival of four children who were discovered alive in the Amazon rainforest more than a month after their plane had crashed.
According to spokesperson Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez Suárez, the kids consumed “three kilogrammes (six pounds) of farina,” a coarse cassava flour that is frequently consumed by native communities in the Amazon region.
Days after the crash, they consumed the farina they had brought with them. However, they soon ran out of food and made the decision to search for a location where they could survive, according to Suárez.
“They were malnourished but fully conscious and lucid when we found them,” he added.
“Their indigenous origins allowed them to acquire a certain immunity against diseases in the jungle and having knowledge of the jungle itself – knowing what to eat and what not to eat – as well as finding water kept them alive – which would not have been possible (if they) were not used to that type of hostile environment.”
The four children – 13-year-old Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy, 9-year-old Soleiny Jacobombaire Mucutuy, 4-year-old Tien Ranoque Mucutuy and infant Cristin Ranoque Mucutuy – are currently recovering in a hospital in the Colombian capital Bogota after being taken there by air ambulance flown by the Colombian Air Force on Saturday, officials said.
Medical reports say they are dehydrated and still “cannot eat food” – but are well and out of danger. “What’s required now is to stabilize (their health),” Colombian Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez told reporters who were gathered outside the hospital.
The children’s mother Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia was killed in the plane crash on May 1, leaving them alone and stranded in the Amazon jungle. The plane’s pilot Hernando Murcia Morales and Yarupari indigenous leader Herman Mendoza Hernández were also killed in the accident.
The children’s disappearance sparked a massive military-led search operation that saw more than one hundred Colombian special forces troops and over 70 indigenous scouts combing the deep forest.
The four were eventually found in an area clear of trees.
They told officials that they had found a dog – a Belgian Shepherd search dog named Wilson that belonged to special forces. The dog had gone missing on May 18, Suárez said. “The kids told us that they spent three or four days with Wilson and that they (found) him quite skinny,” he added.
Hopes for the children’s survival waned as the weeks went on.
Their relatives shared that they endured “many sleepless nights worrying” until the children were found.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who visited the children in hospital on Saturday, celebrated their return and said their survival “would be remembered in history.”
“They are children of the jungle and now they are children of Colombia,” Petro said.
Authorities said that about 13,000 people were evacuated from the southeast of the main island of the Philippines after the country’s most active volcano started spewing lava and sulfuric gas on Sunday.
Due to the risk of rockfalls, landslides, and ballistic debris, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) advised everyone within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius or “danger zone” of the Mount Mayon volcano to evacuate.
88% of the people residing in the danger zone have been evacuated since the volcano’s alert level was increased to 3 out of 5 on Thursday, and efforts to transfer the remaining people are still ongoing, according to the Philippine Provincial Information Office.
Situated on Luzon island about 330 kilometers (205 miles) southeast of Manila, Mayon is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
Images showed families in Albay province carrying children and their belongings, boarding trucks and military vehicles and taking shelter at evacuation centers in local schools.
Phivolcs warned that a “hazardous eruption is possible within weeks or even days” after detecting a “relatively high level of unrest” at the volcano.
Within the past 24 hours, the Mayon Volcano Network recorded 21 weak volcanic earthquakes, and 260 rockfalls, as well as lava flow activity from the crater, according to Phivolcs.
The agency also detected three pyroclastic density currents – hot, fast-moving flows of ash, hot gases and debris that rush down volcanic slopes – and warned of possible ashfall on the south side of the volcano.
Albay province was placed under a state of calamity on Friday allowing the government to release response funds to support affected residents, CNN affiliate CNN Philippines reported.
Speaking to CNN Philippines, Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol said they were closely monitoring the situation at the volcano and could raise the alert level to 4 if there is an increase in volcanic earthquakes and inflation of the volcano’s edifice.
Bacolcol said there was an effusive eruption Sunday night with lava flows observed to reach 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the volcano’s summit.
“Lava flows are slow moving and effusive eruptions are generally less violent and produce less ash and volcanic gases than explosive eruptions,” he told CNN Philippines.
Dramatic photos taken at night showed glowing rivers of molten lava spewing from the top of the volcano and scattering down its sides.
Philippine authorities also evacuated 10,000 farm animals, including cows, goats and pigs threatened by the volcanic eruption, to feeding camps and shelters outside the danger zone.
Mount Mayon last violently erupted in 2018, displacing thousands of villagers and coating nearby towns in thick layers of ash.
LutherKing Adinkrah, a versatile broadcast popularly known as Kwame Adinkrah, has been acknowledged by the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) for his exceptional and remarkable contributions to the media industry in Ghana throughout the years, as reported by Purefmonline.com.
The GJA has nominated Kwame Adinkrah for ‘Exellence Awards’ over his contribution to the media development in Ashanti Region and beyond, a statement from the association noted.
In a letter signed by Kingsley Hope, Ashanti Regional (A/R) President of the GJA, communicating the nomination, the Association expressed that Kwame Adinkrah’s contributions to media development in the country are appreciated and are important to the continued growth of the media.
“The Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) writes to congratulate you on your nomination for its Excellence Awards for your contributions to media development in the Region and beyond.
Your nomination was carefully considered among others in an excellent slate of nominees.
Your contributions to media development are appreciated and are important to the continued growth of the media.
Once again, congratulations.” The statement reads in part.
For years, LutherKing Kwame Adinkra, also referred to as ‘Apotiti Mati’ has served as the biggest voice on Morning Radio in the Ashanti region and its capital, Kumasi.
He is the face of radio and entertainment in the Garden city.
He serves as a Singer, Philanthropist and a Public Speaker.
Kwame is the Business Manager of Kumasi-Based Pure FM and host of the station’s ‘Pure Morning Drive’ program.
He doubles as the Chief Operating Officer of the Angel Broadcasting Network (ABN) which manages over 22 radio stations nationwide and 3 television stations.
In 2015, Kwame was adjudged the Best Morning Show Host in Ghana by the Radio and Television Personality Awards (RTP).
In 2012, the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards crowned Kwame Adinkrah the winner of the Record of The Year Category for his ‘Abena Dansoaa’ song which featured sensational artist, Kwabena Kwabena. He has released a new album titled ‘Kosopre’ available on all streaming platforms and his official YouTube channel under the name ‘Kwame Adinkra’.
Kwame Adinkrah respects tradition and culture and has a firm root at the Manhyia Palace.
He was a member of the Five-member planning committee set up by His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II (King of Ashanti Kingdom) to work out the modalities for the Otumfuo’s Charity Foundation Teachers Award.
He is almost a permanent MC for the King and has traveled with him on many occasions, with a recent one being the Royal Majesty’s visit to King Charles II coronation in the United Kingdom.
Kwame is the first choice favourite and most reliable personality to MC all State and Corporate functions in the region and beyond. He is affectionately referred by many as ‘The Presidential MC’.
He has also featured as a prominent judge on reality shows on TV such as TV3’s Mentor, Ghana’s Most Beautiful and the maiden edition of Coca-Cola Hit Single.
Kwame was the Chairman of the entertainment committee of the Kumasi Venue Organizing Committee for CAN 2008.
Kwame believes in life and is very passionate about perfecting the well-being of society. He is generous and a philanthropist who regularly visits Homes to make useful donations.
Several families have named their kids after him. He has set up the Adinkra Heritage Foundation (AHF) to train young kids who are talented in music and arts, which was influenced by his background as a Graphic Designer and a recording artist.
He is an honorary member and advocate of Breast Care International, a non-governmental organization, creates awareness of Breast Cancer and organizing free screening.
Kwame Adinkrah is a PhD candidate at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in the area of Communication Design.
Artiste of the year the just-ended VGMA23, Black Sherif, has delved into the prevailing economic and political difficulties encountered by Ghanaians, particularly the youth, in recent times.
During an interview with OkayAfrica, he expressed his concern about the hardships endured by Ghanaians, emphasizing the economic struggles caused by the rising inflation.
He also highlighted how the increase in prices of goods and services have made it difficult for people to afford basic life necessities such as food, fuel and so on.
“There’s so much hardship going on in Ghana, economically, and politically. People are suffering from inflation. They can’t afford petrol or food,” he stated.
However, in the of the economic woes, Blacko said netizens usually console themselves by participating in the country’s vibrant nightlife.
He observed, “But then when the sun sets, everyone comes out in a crowd like, ‘yeah, man, we’re outsiddee!’ So, it’s like there are so many complaints, but from night to dawn we are in the moment.”
According to Black Sherif, he has since faced countless struggles but in spite of everything, he chooses to remain resilient and inspire fans with his experiences.
“I kind of talk for a frustrated figure in the city, a frustrated boy. I’m not from the city, but I live in the city. I came to chase life and dream there. From love to entertainment to survival. Driving out there, I’m testing my limits,” he added.
He also touched on some of his self-taught skills, such as skating and mastering BMX freestyle within a short period.
“I learned how to skate in 30 minutes. I taught myself BMX freestyle in an hour. I feel like nothing is impossible in this world,” he said.
Kumawood actor, Aka Ebenezer popularly known as Ras Nene was trending on social media a few days ago.
The actor, famous for shooting comedy skits, featured Ghanaian socialite, Efia Odo, in one of his acts at the Achimota Mall in Accra. However, the team was stopped from shooting and denied access to the mall.
But according to the YouTube skit creator, he had sought permission to shoot his video at the mall, so he was astonished the security personnel at the mall prevented him from using the premises.
Ras Nene, his team, and the security guards got into a heated dispute because they did not understand why he was prohibited from using the public area as a Ghanaian.
Some media personalities who chanced on the video were also shocked to see such a thing happen in Ghana. One of these personalities was the YouTube content creator, Wode Maya.
He took to his Twitter page to share his take on the matter. He asked his followers from across the globe if shooting at public places was prohibited. Maya also went ahead to share his experiences.
He tweeted: “Is there any other continent apart from Africa that you need to ask for permission to shoot a video around a Shopping Mall, train station, Airport & so called public areas? When I was based in China, I literally filmed everywhere & sometimes you even get paid to film in such areas”.
His tweet led a number of social media users to also share their varied opinions on the matter.
A comment by Noble Eagle indicated that the right thing to do to avoid such happenings is to seek permission from management because the mall is a private property.
“Each Country with its reality. Shopping Malls are private business properties. The ideal thing to do was to go to the management and ask for the protocol in place. That is the right thing to do. Let’s not compare it to any other place to get frustrated easily. Adapt 2 ur surrondings,” he wrote.
Another netizen disagreed with how the security personnel handled the situation. He was of the view the mall stands to gain from Aka Ebenezer and his team shooting their video, as a form of advertisement.
ICE tweeted: “Whoever stopped Aka Ebenezer and his team from filming ain’t serious! This is a nice way to advertise Achimota mall for free! Do you know ppl can hear the news and rush to the scene just to see Aka Ebenezer and even patronise from the mall”?
Ghana’s Parliament will this year, 2023, mark thirty years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy.
To commemorate the milestone, series of activities have been earmarked throughout the year under the auspices of the Speaker of the Eighth Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.
This is contained in a press release issued by Mr Mr Ebenezer Ahumah, Director, Coordinator, 30™ Anniversary Celebrations Committee and copied the Ghana News Agency.
“These activities will be celebrated in four regional zones, beginning with the Northern Zone namely Wa,Tamale and Bolgatanga, and will include Mock Parliament, Public Forum and Peace Walk,” it said.
The activities, it said would foster civic engagement and enhance public awareness of parliamentary democracy.
The commemoration, themed: “Thirty years of parliamentary democracy under the Fourth Republic: The Journey thus far”, will provide an opportunity for Parliament and Ghanaians to reflect on Parliament’s achievements, acknowledge challenges and recommit to the principles of democracy, justice and equality that have guided the nation over the years.
It said to kick start the celebrations, three key programmes would be held in the Northern Zone; a Mock Parliament in Wa in the Upper West Region on Thursday, June 15, 2023 at the Regional Library Complex.
The Mock Parliament, it said, would bring together five selected tertiary education institutions in the northern zone.
A public forum would also be held at Tamale in the Northern Region at the University of Development Studies (UDS) campus on Friday June 16, 2023.
That, it said would be followed by a peace walk and sporting activities would also take place at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region the next day to climax the activities.
The converging point for the event would be the Regional Coordinating Council in Bolgatanga, it added.
Ghana’s 30th anniversary of parliamentary democracy is a significant milestone for the country and testament to its commitment to democratic governance.
It also serves as a reminder of the progress made in the past three decades and the need to continue to strengthen democratic institutions and processes.
A television broadcast will showcase the parliamentary journey thus far, with particular emphasis on the pivotal role and significant contributions of women in the history of Parliament.
“Parliament encourages all Ghanaians to actively participate in the 30th anniversary as we reflect on the past and forge ahead, let us strengthen our resolve to preserve and enhance Ghana’s parliamentary democracy, safeguarding it for generations to come,” the release said.
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has cautioned that many coastal communities in the Central Region risked being washed away by sea waves due to increasing sand winning activities usually carried out at night with impunity.
It indicated that although the menace had persisted for many years, the trend in recent times was scary and posed a threat to coastal inhabitants and monumental structures.
“The beautiful beachfront with undulating sandbars and sandy beaches on which many communities sit are fast vanishing as a result of sand winning among others,” Mr. Shine Fiagome, the Central Regional Director of the Agency, said in an interview with the GNA.
Researchers have warned that coastal communities risk tidal invasions as the global coastline loses an average of 1.5 metres annually, he told the Ghana News Agency.
This was on the sidelines of a clean-up exercises held in Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality to mark the World Environment Day celebration.
The Day, celebrated annually, was observed on the theme: “Solution to plastic solution”, with the campaign slogan: #BeatPlasticPollution, ‘Ecosystem Restoration’.
Supported by the Municipal Assembly, Hotels Association and Zoomlion Ghana, the team cleared the beaches and roadsides of weeds and desilted choked gutters, among others.
The celebration served as a reminder that people’s action on plastic matters, as the material was slowly seeping into the oceans, soil, and forest and causing irreparable damage.
Mr. Fiagome said despite the importance of the sea to tourism development, fishing and marine resources were being desecrated with open defecation, sand winning and plastic waste.
According to him, more than 400 million tons of plastics were produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications, with at least 14 million tons of plastic ending up in the ocean.
He also decried the practice where people took things for granted and treated water bodies anyhow as marine species ingested or were entangled by plastic debris, which caused severe injuries and death.
That, Fiagome said, threatened food safety and quality of human health, coastal tourism, and contributed to climate change.
Therefore, he rallied the unalloyed support of coastal communities to rid the beaches of all environmental breaches to serve their meaningful purposes.
The protection of the ocean, he said, must be seen as a collective responsibility by all but not limited to institutions as it remained an important resource for nation building.
Mr. Alvin Mensah Robertson, the Municipal Environmental Officer, called on Ghanaians to observe environmental cleanliness to enable them to stay healthy.
He noted that the attitude of some people throwing garbage into gutters and defecating in open places did not augur well for the environment and must be stopped.
Nana Kwamina Eku IV, the Chief of Mbofra Nkyinim, a suburb of Elmina, who participated in the exercise, pledged to collaborate with stakeholders to ride the coastal stretch of insanitary conditions.
He, however, appealed for refuse containers to be placed at vantage locations to stop people from indiscriminate waste disposable.
The number of marriages in China last year was the lowest since public statistics have been kept, adding to a roughly 10-year downturn in matrimony that has corresponded with declining birth rates and sparked government worry about a demographic crisis.
According to information made public on Friday by China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, there will be 6.83 million weddings in 2022. According to official media, it represents a record-low since 1986, when the ministry started disclosing figures, and is down roughly 10.5% from the 7.63 million marriage registrations in 2021.
The data reflects marriage during a year that was exceptionally difficult for Chinese citizens because to the government’s rigorous Covid-19 controls, which resulted in the closure of numerous cities and districts nationwide and numerous restrictions on daily life.
But it also extends what has been a steady decline in people choosing to enter into marriages since a 2013 peak, when more than 13 million couples tied the knot – nearly double the 2022 nuptials.
Falling numbers of marriages – and a marked decline in births – have garnered significant attention from authorities in Beijing amid expert predictions of a severe economic impact from a shrinking workforce and aging population.
China’s population shrankin 2022 for the first time in more than 60 years, with just 6.77 births per 1,000 people – the lowest level since the founding of Communist China in 1949. The country is now the world’s second most populous with its 1.4 billion people falling behind India, according to the United Nations.
Chinese officials see a direct link between fewer marriages and falling births in the country, where social norms and government regulations make it challenging for unmarried couples to have children.
Authorities have taken steps to try and reverse the decline, which comes amid financial pressures impacting China’s young adults, including high unemployment and the rising cost of living.
A sweeping crackdown by the ruling Communist Party on private industries from tech to education, as well as zero-Covid controls during the pandemic, have amplified these challenges.
The party’s stringent response to Covid-19 also crystallized simmering political frustrations among some young people, with the catchphrase, “We are the last generation” – a refusal to bear children into the rigidly controlled Chinese state – becoming a rallying cry during Shanghai’s punishing two-month lockdown last spring.
Changing gender norms and expanding career opportunities for women, as in other places in the world, are also widely seen as driving the marriage age higher and impacting attitudes about the institution.
That attitude shift is especially apparent among younger women, some of whom are growing disillusioned with marriage for its role in entrenching gender inequality, experts say.
A report on the new statistics in the state-run Global Times on Monday pointed to the rising marriage age, declining number of young people overall in China and the country’s gender imbalance as factors contributing to the latest decline, citing independent demographer He Yafu.
The average marriage age for first marriages was 28.67 years old in 2020, up from 24.89 years old a decade prior, according to census data.
Efforts from Chinese officials in recent years to reverse trends of falling marriages and births have yet to see results amid the looming economic and social issues at play.
Measures have included relaxing the sweeping policy that for decades controlled the number of children married couples could have, as well as attempting to find ways to incentivize childbirth and marriage.
When it comes to marriage, these have ranged from mass blind dating events held by the Communist Youth League – the party’s youth branch – to officials seeking to reduce the value of “bride price,” the amount paid to a prospective partner’s family that the government has suggested could be a barrier to marriage in rural China, where it’s more common.
Last month, the government-affiliated China Family Planning Association extended a 2022 pilot program advocating “a new concept of marriage and childbearing.”
The program – which was rolled out to 20 cities or municipal-level districts last year, with another 20 localities added this year – focuses on motivating young people to get married at a “proper age” and encouraging couples to share child-rearing responsibilities, officials have said.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs’ recent data release also showed a slight fall in divorce registrations, with 2.1 million couples divorced in 2022, down from 2.13 million couples the previous year.
China has mandated a 30-day “cooling-off” period for people filing for divorce since 2021, despite criticism that it could make it harder for women to leave broken or even abusive marriages.
China isn’t the only country facing the problem of falling birth rates and shrinking populations. In recent years, Japan and South Korea have also introduced measures to encourage births – such as financial incentives, cash vouchers, housing subsidies and more child care support – with limited success.
Adelaide the Seer, the talented musician, has recently unveiled her most recent single, a captivating track entitled “Count on You.”
“Count on You” is a heartwarming song about God’s unfailing nature.
Adelaide’s soulful vocals and poignant lyrics make for a powerful and uplifting listening experience.
“The song, ‘Count on You’ is from within. And I wrote this song because people break promises and fail us, but God remains reliable and unfailing at all times. I hope this song is received strongly by listeners and loved ones, and make a positive impact in their lives”, Adelaide stated.
COUNT ON YOU” IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF SO MANY INSPIRING, ENCOURAGING, THRILLING, AND COMFORTING SONGS AHEAD. Believe Me, I am touching on different angles this time around and I Know the chain of Songs that will be coming for my CAMP will touch one need or another of my listeners please keep supporting and loving me,” Adelaide said.
The song is now available on all streaming platforms and for more information kindly visit ‘Adelaide the Seer’s website.
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has joined hands with relevant stakeholders to commemorate this year’s World Day Against Child Labour.
The World Day Against Child Labour was first instituted in 2002 by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to raise awareness of the plight of children engaged in child labour and to rally global support for its prevention.
This year’s celebration had the theme, ‘Social Justice for All. End Child Labour,” Mr. Joseph Whittal, CHRAJ Commissioner, stated in a document to the Ghana News Agency in Tema to mark the day.
He said the theme aimed to highlight the link between social justice and child labour; the need to ensure children everywhere were given a fair opportunity of education and grow into adults with decent income and stable employment.
“There is an urgent need to prevent the occurrence of child labour, as it deprives affected children, especially from poor households, of the equal opportunity of education for a better future and to prevent intergenerational poverty.
Mr Whittal encouraged the government to evaluate and review social protection policies and especially increase resource allocation to aid in their effective implementation in alleviating poverty and reducing cost opportunities to primary and secondary school enrolment and retention.
“This will ensure all children, especially from households with limited or declining household incomes, the equal opportunity to access quality education and be protected from physical and psychological abuse,” he said.
In addition, CHRAJ calls on the government and relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to work assiduously towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 target to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.
These include the recruitment and use of child soldiers, as well as ending all forms of child labour by 2025.
He also urged the government to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography to help protect children from commercial sexual exploitation; which is categorised as the worst form of child labour.
Mr Whittal explained that globally, an estimated 160 million children are engaged in child labour, that is one in every ten children, stressing the situation in sub-Saharan Africa is even dire.
“Every one in five children is in child labour with an absolute number of 72 million children, followed by the Asia and Pacific region with 62 million children engaged in one form of child labour or the other.
“In Ghana, 21 percent of children aged 5 to 17 years which translates to approximately 1.9 million children are child labourers. Out of this number, 14 percent are engaged in hazardous labour.
Former Italian Prime Minister and flamboyant billionaire Silvio Berlusconi, who famously referred to himself as the “Jesus Christ of politics,” passed away on Monday at the age of 86 in a Milan hospital, his press office announced.
According to Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital, Berlusconi, who had a recent history of health problems, had just received a leukaemia diagnosis. He had previously been hospitalised to the hospital for breathing issues, and on Friday he went in for a checkup.
The politician, who was for a long time regarded as Italy’s most colourful public personality, was three times elected prime minister and held the position for nine years in all, the longest tenure since fascist leader Benito Mussolini.
Affectionately nicknamed “Il Cavaliere” (The Knight), his career was marked by a series of political, financial and personal scandals, many of which landed him in court.
He was tried on charges ranging from tax evasion and bribery to corruption and having sex with an underage prostitute. But only one case stuck – a 2012 conviction for tax evasion in a deal involving television rights.
Berlusconi was voted out of parliament in 2013. But never one to give up the fight, he re-emerged in early 2018 as a kind of grandfatherly elder statesman, the kingmaker of a right-wing alliance involving his Forza Italia party.
After the Court of Milan granted him “rehabilitation” later that year, effectively lifting the ban on him re-entering politics that was in place following his 2012 tax fraud conviction, he announced he would run for a seat in the European Parliament.
He was elected in May 2019, at 83 years old, and remained in office as a Member of the European Parliament at the time of his death.
Berlusconi also led his Forza Italia party, which he revived in 2013 after leaving the People of Freedom party, to victory with the center-right coalition with Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini in September 2022, though he did not have a government portfolio.
In pictures: Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
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Beppe Severgnini, a columnist and author of a book on Berlusconi, described the politician as a “protopopulist” whose success had paved the way for leaders like Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Britain’s Boris Johnson and former US President Donald Trump.
“Berlusconi was actually less arrogant and less obnoxious than most but nonetheless he started it all,” Severgnini said.
“The legacy of Berlusconi was he could read the weaknesses and temptations of a nation. That’s what he really is a master of. He absolved us of all our sins, we were acquitted even before we committed those sins, and he was not a leader, he was a follower in a way, he followed the ‘pancia’ – the guts of Italy.”
A state funeral will be held Wednesday, according to the state-owned public broadcaster RAI, citing the president of the Senate.
Italy’s current Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, said on Monday that her longtime ally was “above all a fighter.”
“He was a man who was never afraid to stand up for his beliefs. And it was exactly that courage and that determination that made him one of the most influential men in the history of Italy,” Meloni said.
Born in Milan in 1936, Berlusconi was first to make his name as a business tycoon, at one point becoming the richest man in Italy.
He gave notice early of his showman side by working as a lounge-room crooner aboard a cruise ship to help attend university, where he studied law.
Various low-level commercial enterprises followed before the fledgling entrepreneur enjoyed his first real success in property development in the late 1960s when he was involved in a project to build Milano Two – nearly 4,000 flats – outside Milan.
After amassing a fortune from his property portfolio in the 1970s, he diversified his interests by setting up a TV cable company, Telemilano, and buying two other cable channels in an effort to break the national TV monopoly in Italy. In 1978, these channels were incorporated into his newly formed Fininvest group, which included department stores, insurance companies and even AC Milan – one of the world’s biggest football clubs, which he owned for 31 years.
Berlusconi turned his attention to politics in 1993 when he formed the center-right Forza Italia Party, named for “Forza, Italia!” (Go, Italy!), a chant heard at Italian national soccer team games.
The following year, in a snap election, he became prime minister. However, a dispute with his right-wing coalition partners from the Northern League Party, as well as an indictment for alleged tax fraud, ended Berlusconi’s tenure in the job after barely seven months. He was acquitted on appeal in 2000 after the statute of limitations had expired.
After defeat in the 1996 election to his political nemesis, Romano Prodi, he became embroiled in other financial scandals, including a charge of bribing tax inspectors. He denied any wrongdoing and was cleared again on appeal in 2000.
His fortunes turned again in 2001 when he was sworn in as prime minister for a second time. But Prodi – a former European Commission president – ended Berlusconi’s more successful reign with his center-left Union coalition victory in 2006. At that time, the tycoon had presided over the longest-serving post-war Italian government.
Despite having a pacemaker implanted to regulate his heartbeat after he collapsed during a political rally, he refused to slow down. Sporting a hair transplant, cosmetic surgery and a tan, Berlusconi returned to power for a third time in 2008 under the banner of the newly created People of Freedom party, which he left in 2013 when he created his Forza Italia party.
The next year proved to be one of extremes for the veteran politician. He was praised for his handling of the devastating earthquake that struck the Italian town of L’Aquila in April 2009, and survived criticism after urging survivors to see their plight like “a weekend of camping.”
But the following month, Berlusconi’s second wife, Veronica Lario, filed for divorce – alleging her then 73-year-old husband had an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old aspiring model whose birthday party he had attended. Berlusconi said she was the daughter of a friend and that he had done nothing wrong.
In December that year, a man with a history of mental illness hit Berlusconi in the face with a replica of Milan’s cathedral at a campaign rally, breaking several of his teeth and fracturing his nose. Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the irrepressible Berlusconi continued to shake hands with supporters for “a couple of minutes” after being hit.
With the country’s economy reeling amid the financial crisis, pressure on Berlusconi grew. Gianfranco Fini – a former party ally – lashed out, accusing him of a lack of attention to the economy and structural reforms that Italy needs. The PM survived three votes of confidence in Parliament during 2010 and 2011, winning one by just three votes, but his authority continued to ebb.
Economists said Berlusconi commanded neither sufficient political authority to push through spending cuts nor the moral high ground to squeeze more taxes out of Italians while he faced trial on various charges. Other European leaders criticized him for failing to implement economic reform with sufficient urgency.
He resigned in November 2011, hours after the Italian lower house of parliament approved a series of austerity measures demanded by Europe to shore up confidence in the country’s economy.
Meanwhile, the politician faced a serious personal challenge with charges of sex with an underage nightclub dancer at his lavish “bunga-bunga” parties.
He was found guilty in 2013 of paying for sex with a minor, 17-year-old Karima el Mahroug, and abuse of power. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, but an appeals court later overturned the conviction.
Following his tax fraud conviction in 2012, Berlusconi was given a four-year prison sentence. However, he got away with a year of community service because in Italy, those over 70 do not generally go to jail.
Berlusconi also made headlines in 2022 when he disclosed he had reestablished a friendship with Vladimir Putin after the Russian president sent him 20 bottles of vodka for his birthday. He later criticized Ukraine president Volodymr Zelensky for “starting the war,” which put him at odds with his coalition partner and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Perma-tanned and with a whiter-than-white smile, Berlusconi was never shy of the camera, or of blowing his own trumpet. Besides comparing himself with Jesus Christ at a dinner with supporters in 2006, he also once said he was “the best political leader in Europe and the world.”
According to Severgnini, Berlusconi was the ultimate salesman and knew that Italians had long been sympathetic to the idea of “il signore,” the powerful man.
“He also realized you can use religion and God in a certain way, he did that too. He also realized that women and sexual attraction is a powerful fuel and can be used in politics, he did that,” Severgnini said. “If there was a Nobel prize for salesmanship he would have won.”
Throughout his political career, Berlusconi’s penchant for much younger women was overlooked by his often traditionally Catholic support base. His most recent partner, Francesca Pascale, was nearly 50 years younger than him.
But in Severgnini’s view, the politician paid a price for his apparent inability to resist attractive young women.
“The thing with young women was what brought him down. Always younger, like young dancers out of nowhere, TV girls, all those people – he had no discipline and he was tempted. He was totally out of control. This was his downfall,” he said.
Severgnini believes Berlusconi’s 20-year spell in power – particularly from 2001 to 2006, when he held a majority – should be considered as a time of wasted opportunity both for him and for Italy.
But, he said, the former prime minister will not be forgotten.
“The period between 1994 and 2011 will be marked by Berlusconi. Italians never forget that there is an operatic quality of politics: we cheer our tenor until we boo him off stage,” he said.
“But we do remember our great tenors, Del Monaco, Pavarotti, (and) so we will remember our tenor of politics. It’s impossible to forget him.”
Berlusconi leaves behind five children: Piersilvio and Marina from his first marriage to Carla Dall’Oglio, which ended in 1985, and Luigi, Eleonora and Barbara from his marriage to Veronica Lario, which ended in 2012.
The Eastern Region recorded a total of 14 deaths from malaria in 2022 as against 29 deaths recorded in 2021
There was a total of 31,489 admissions at the various health facilities across the districts in the region due to malaria in 2021 and 36,285 admissions of malaria in 2022.
Ms Naomi Hagan, Eastern Regional Focal Person for malaria told GNA there was a significant improvement in malaria control in the region including deaths due to several factors.
There is improvement in case management, social and behavioural change communication, usage of the Insecticide Treated Bed nets (ITNs) as well as other activities to improve malaria situation in the region.
The point of mass distribution of the ITNs has been very successful in all the districts as well as the continuous distribution of the ITNs at Ante natal clinics and Child Welfare Clinics to ensure every household owed a bed net to prevent mosquito bites.
As part of activities to further reduce the malaria burden in the region, she indicated that 10 districts in the region had been identified for Larvae Source Management (LSM) as well as environmental management to reduce malaria infections in those areas.
The districts are, New Juaben North and South, Abuakwa South, Akuapem South, Asuogyaman, Lower-Manya Krobo, Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Suhum, West-Akim and Yilo Krobo.
In collaboration with the Zoomlion company Limited, 100 spraying operatives had been trained for the LSM exercise to get rid of mosquitoes scheduled from June this month until the end of the year.
She noted that that all other activities such as the Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) for pregnant women was steadily ongoing and appealed to people to sleep under the treated bed nets in addition to keeping their environments clean to complement efforts of the Ghana health Service to be able to eliminate malaria.
Open-source intelligence analysis shows that 16 US-supplied armoured vehicles have been lost by Ukraine in recent days. This comes after the Ukrainian military declared that three Russian settlements had been taken during an attack in the eastern Donetsk region.
According to Jakub Janovsky of the Dutch open-source intelligence website Oryx, which has been gathering visual proof of military equipment losses in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began on February 24, 2022, the 16 US Bradley infantry fighting vehicles either destroyed or damaged and abandoned in recent days represent nearly 15% of the 109 that Washington has given Kyiv.
The Bradley fighting vehicle, which moves on tracks rather than wheels, can hold around 10 troops and is used to transport personnel into battle while providing supporting fire.
When the first batch of more than 60 Bradleys were sent to Ukraine at the end of January, US Army Lt. Col. Rebecca D’Angelo, commander of the Army’s 841st Transportation Battalion, said the armored vehicles would be important to Kyiv’s offensive operations.
“This is going to hopefully enhance their capabilities to provide forward advancement in the battlefield and regain lost ground, by having equipment that matches or exceeds what the Russians have,” D’Angelo said in a US Army report.
But when Washington announced in January it would supply to Bradleys to Ukraine, CNN military analyst James “Spider” Marks, a retired general, said the Bradleys would need the right mix of other abilities, including air support, long-range artillery and incisive intelligence.
“A single piece of equipment like the Bradleys is wonderful, but it needs to be used in conjunction with all those other enablers,” he said at the time.
Air support is one area where Ukraine’s military is lacking, although Kyiv’s forces are expected to get F-16 multi-role fighter jets from Western allies in the future.
The Bradleys are among almost 3,600 pieces of military equipment Ukraine has lost in the war, according to Oryx. Meanwhile, the website says it has documented the loss of more than 10,600 pieces of Russian military equipment.
In a statement in Monday, Moscow claimed it had destroyed multiple Ukrainian armored vehicles in the Zaporizhzhia region.
“Enemy armored forces are currently launching more and more attacks in the [Zaporizhzhia] direction. However, Russian anti-tank troops stand in their way, cold-bloodedly turning Western armored vehicles into scrap heaps,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
The statement did not say what kind of vehicles were destroyed.
Despite the loss of the Bradleys, Ukraine reports it has taken back at least three villages from Russian forces in fighting over the weekend.
Ukraine’s advance south from the front-line town of Velyka Novosilke in the Donetsk region now stretches somewhere between 5 and 10 kilometers (3 to 6 miles), according to information released by Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar.
Writing on Telegram Sunday evening, Maliar said the village of Makrivka had been recaptured from Russian control – the third in a string of settlements that sit along the Mokri Yaly River to be declared liberated by Ukrainian forces over the course of the day.
Earlier, videos emerged showing soldiers hoisting the Ukrainian flag from buildings in Neskuchne and Blahodatne.
CNN military analyst Mark Hertling said the situation was positive for Ukraine from both morale and battlefield perspectives.
“It reinforces the fact that they are moving forward,” Hertling told CNN’s Jim Acosta.
Meanwhile, “every single piece of land Ukrainian forces can pull back to their sovereign territory is going to be part of a march toward operational success,” Hertling said.
Reporting on developments, Russian military bloggers offered a pessimistic assessment of the situation facing the Kremlin’s forces in the area. The Rybar Telegram channel suggested late Sunday that Ukraine’s offensive looked set to continue, adding that Russian forces “should expect the pressure to intensify in the near future.”
Fighting is taking place near the village of Urozhaine, slightly further down the river, Rybar reported. The channel added that heavy cloud and rain were also limiting Russian forces’ ability to use drones to repel the Ukrainian advance.
A Ukrainian army spokesman said Russian forces had blown up a dam on the river, adding that there was flooding on both banks but saying it “would not affect our counteroffensive actions.”
On Monday, Ukraine accused Russia of blowing up another small dam along the border between Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, near the village of Novodarivka.
Floodwaters spilled over both banks of the Mokri Yaly River after the dam of a small reservoir near the village was destroyed, according to Ukraine’s Military Media Center.
Novodarivka is one of several villages in the area that Kyiv’s troops have claimed in recent days.
In its most recent battlefield roundup, Russia’s Ministry of Defense made no mention of retreats but said its forces had “destroyed the concentrations of manpower and equipment” of three Ukrainian brigades operating in the same area.
Further west, in neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, Russian airstrikes and artillery fire by the Vostok brigade had succeeded in pushing back three Ukrainian advances south of Orikhiv, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian army spokesman told CNN that Kyiv’s forces have been counterattacking around the eastern city of Bakhmut for a week but downplayed its importance saying, “this is not a major offensive.”
“These are counterattacks where we take advantage of the fact that the enemy is rotating, that the enemy has not fully reconnoitered, has not fully coordinated its units, has not fully dug in. We take advantage of this and counterattack them,” Serhii Cherevatyi told CNN by phone.
He said Russian forces continue their shelling towards Ukrainian positions but said Ukraine’s forces had advanced up to two kilometers (1.25 miles) in places.
Cherevatyi said Russia’s presence in Bakhmut was maintained by airborne troops, with support from infantry personnel and mercenaries from several smaller private military companies.
While Russian forces continue to hold the city, Ukraine’s forces have concentrated their efforts on areas to the northwest and southwest.
Hertling noted that Ukraine has been using a “deep-strike capability” to disrupt Russian supply lines well back from the front lines.
“Ukraine has been very good in terms of striking deep targets that effect the logistics support,” Hertling said.
Real Warri Pikin, the Nigerian comedian also known as Anita Asuoha, and her husband joyfully marked their 10th wedding anniversary by renewing their marriage vows in a ceremony that took place on Saturday, June 10.
The ceremony, which she has since intended to be her dream wedding, was held in Lagos.
Several friends, family, and colleagues graced her second wedding to her husband, Ikechukwu.
Some entertainment presents include Toyin Abraham, Rita Dominic, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, reality TV stars Nini and Saga, actor Richard Mofe Damijo, Liquorose, Nancy Isime, among others.
Real Warri Pikin was seen wearing a white gown said to cost N10 million.
Confirming her marriage renewal, the comedian wrote on her social media page; “Vow Renewal done Now it’s time to party #ANIIKE2023.”
Friends of Real Warri Pikin also took to social media to congratulate her on her anniversary.
tokemakinwa: “Congratulations honey.”
bimboademoye: “You’re so beautiful.”
ritadominic: “Congrats dear .”
omonioboli: “The most beautiful bride.”
do2dtun: “Proud of you both and God bless your home.”
sk.records2020 “Biggest sist so beautiful congratulation always.”
toyin_abraham: “@realwarripikin we Dey come chopI go eat like 200times, if anyone ask me I will tell them I’m aso ebi girlno time.”
Miss Kathleen Addy, Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has called on Ghanaians not to just say the words of the pledge and the national anthem but do so with commitment.
That, she said, was important because the words of the national anthem and pledge, among others, embodied our values as a people with a destiny.
She cited her favourite line from the national anthem, “Cherish, Fearless, Honesty” as example and urged a, “focus on the words of our national anthem and pledge.”
She made the call at a civic forum to celebrate the 2023 Citizenship Week at Anyanui E.P. Mission, Anloga District, which had in attendance the District Chief Executive, heads of departments, traditional leaders, pupils from Anyanui-Dzita enclave and the public.
Miss Addy told the gathering that fearless honesty had to do with truthfulness, which was an ingredient to becoming a responsible and good citizen and not telling “small lies” to conceal inadequacies, failures, wrongs and others saying, “good citizens just don’t happen.”
She underscored the need for people to remind themselves of their citizenship, saying it had been “30 years of our Republic, Constitution and our institution and together, we’ve been able to hold our country together…we have come far – 30 years of peace and growth.”
The Chairperson also urged people to foster national unity, loyalty to Ghana, volunteerism to address societal ills and, to protect the environment while calling for political tolerance explaining, “partake in all political activities but do not let anyone lead you down the wrong road.”
The forum, which was also held in honour of the NCCE Boss, saw her and other dignitaries plant memorial trees at the school, some presentations and cultural performance and poetry recitals from the pupils.
Dr David Normanyo, Volta Regional Executive Secretary, National Peace Council, talked about the important roles of the executive, judicial and legislature, the traditional authority played in the past, which had now been taken up by government.
He said the chiefs were expected to remain relevant in present times by contributing to education and development of their people towards a peaceful society.
Mr Kenneth Kponor, Volta Regional Director, NCCE, in an interview with Ghana News Agency, thanked the District NCCE Director, Torgbui Hatsu III for his efforts in the organisation of the forum.
He explained it was opened to the public so the adults could also learn about their civic rights and responsibilities.
This year’s Citizenship Week, one of the flagship programmes of the NCCE instituted in 2012 to serve as a platform to actively engage young ones to inculcate in them the spirit of oneness, Ghanaian values and patriotism was on the theme: “30 Years of Consolidating Constitutional Democracy and Building National Cohesion: The Role of the Ghanaian Child.”
Miss Addy and attendees to the Citizenship Week celebration took turns to plant trees as the event coincided with Green Ghana Day.
Former Italian Prime Minister and flamboyant billionaire Silvio Berlusconi, who famously referred to himself as the “Jesus Christ of politics,” passed away on Monday at the age of 86 in a Milan hospital, his press office announced.
According to Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital, Berlusconi, who had a recent history of health problems, had just received a leukaemia diagnosis. He had previously been hospitalised to the hospital for breathing issues, and on Friday he went in for a checkup.
The politician, who was for a long time regarded as Italy’s most colourful public personality, was three times elected prime minister and held the position for nine years in all, the longest tenure since fascist leader Benito Mussolini.
Affectionately nicknamed “Il Cavaliere” (The Knight), his career was marked by a series of political, financial and personal scandals, many of which landed him in court.
He was tried on charges ranging from tax evasion and bribery to corruption and having sex with an underage prostitute. But only one case stuck – a 2012 conviction for tax evasion in a deal involving television rights.
Berlusconi was voted out of parliament in 2013. But never one to give up the fight, he re-emerged in early 2018 as a kind of grandfatherly elder statesman, the kingmaker of a right-wing alliance involving his Forza Italia party.
After the Court of Milan granted him “rehabilitation” later that year, effectively lifting the ban on him re-entering politics that was in place following his 2012 tax fraud conviction, he announced he would run for a seat in the cc Parliament.
He was elected in May 2019, at 83 years old, and remained in office as a Member of the European Parliament at the time of his death.
Berlusconi also led his Forza Italia party, which he revived in 2013 after leaving the People of Freedom party, to victory with the center-right coalition with Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini in September 2022, though he did not have a government portfolio.
Beppe Severgnini, a columnist and author of a book on Berlusconi, described the politician as a “protopopulist” whose success had paved the way for leaders like Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Britain’s Boris Johnson and former US President Donald Trump.
“Berlusconi was actually less arrogant and less obnoxious than most but nonetheless he started it all,” Severgnini said.
“The legacy of Berlusconi was he could read the weaknesses and temptations of a nation. That’s what he really is a master of. He absolved us of all our sins, we were acquitted even before we committed those sins, and he was not a leader, he was a follower in a way, he followed the ‘pancia’ – the guts of Italy.”
Born in Milan in 1936, Berlusconi was first to make his name as a business tycoon, at one point becoming the richest man in Italy.
He gave notice early of his showman side by working as a lounge-room crooner aboard a cruise ship to help attend university, where he studied law.
Various low-level commercial enterprises followed before the fledgling entrepreneur enjoyed his first real success in property development in the late 1960s when he was involved in a project to build Milano Two – nearly 4,000 flats – outside Milan.
After amassing a fortune from his property portfolio in the 1970s, he diversified his interests by setting up a TV cable company, Telemilano, and buying two other cable channels in an effort to break the national TV monopoly in Italy. In 1978, these channels were incorporated into his newly formed Fininvest group, which included department stores, insurance companies and even AC Milan – one of the world’s biggest football clubs, which he owned for 31 years.
Berlusconi turned his attention to politics in 1993 when he formed the center-right Forza Italia Party, named for “Forza, Italia!” (Go, Italy!), a chant heard at Italian national soccer team games.
The following year, in a snap election, he became prime minister. However, a dispute with his right-wing coalition partners from the Northern League Party, as well as an indictment for alleged tax fraud, ended Berlusconi’s tenure in the job after barely seven months. He was acquitted on appeal in 2000 after the statute of limitations had expired.
After defeat in the 1996 election to his political nemesis, Romano Prodi, he became embroiled in other financial scandals, including a charge of bribing tax inspectors. He denied any wrongdoing and was cleared again on appeal in 2000.
His fortunes turned again in 2001 when he was sworn in as prime minister for a second time. But Prodi – a former European Commission president – ended Berlusconi’s more successful reign with his center-left Union coalition victory in 2006. At that time, the tycoon had presided over the longest-serving post-war Italian government.
Despite having a pacemaker implanted to regulate his heartbeat after he collapsed during a political rally, he refused to slow down. Sporting a hair transplant, cosmetic surgery and a tan, Berlusconi returned to power for a third time in 2008 under the banner of the newly created People of Freedom party, which he left in 2013 when he created his Forza Italia party.
The next year proved to be one of extremes for the veteran politician. He was praised for his handling of the devastating earthquake that struck the Italian town of L’Aquila in April 2009, and survived criticism after urging survivors to see their plight like “a weekend of camping.”
But the following month, Berlusconi’s second wife, Veronica Lario, filed for divorce – alleging her then 73-year-old husband had an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old aspiring model whose birthday party he had attended. Berlusconi said she was the daughter of a friend and that he had done nothing wrong.
In December that year, a man with a history of mental illness hit Berlusconi in the face with a replica of Milan’s cathedral at a campaign rally, breaking several of his teeth and fracturing his nose. Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the irrepressible Berlusconi continued to shake hands with supporters for “a couple of minutes” after being hit.
With the country’s economy reeling amid the financial crisis, pressure on Berlusconi grew. Gianfranco Fini – a former party ally – lashed out, accusing him of a lack of attention to the economy and structural reforms that Italy needs. The PM survived three votes of confidence in Parliament during 2010 and 2011, winning one by just three votes, but his authority continued to ebb.
Economists said Berlusconi commanded neither sufficient political authority to push through spending cuts nor the moral high ground to squeeze more taxes out of Italians while he faced trial on various charges. Other European leaders criticized him for failing to implement economic reform with sufficient urgency.
He resigned in November 2011, hours after the Italian lower house of parliament approved a series of austerity measures demanded by Europe to shore up confidence in the country’s economy.
Meanwhile, the politician faced a serious personal challenge with charges of sex with an underage nightclub dancer at his lavish “bunga-bunga” parties.
He was found guilty in 2013 of paying for sex with a minor, 17-year-old Karima el Mahroug, and abuse of power. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, but an appeals court later overturned the conviction.
Following his tax fraud conviction in 2012, Berlusconi was given a four-year prison sentence. However, he got away with a year of community service because in Italy, those over 70 do not generally go to jail.
Berlusconi also made headlines in 2022 when he disclosed he had reestablished a friendship with Vladimir Putin after the Russian president sent him 20 bottles of vodka for his birthday. He later criticized Ukraine president Volodymr Zelensky for “starting the war” which put him at odds with his coalition partner and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Perma-tanned and with a whiter-than-white smile, Berlusconi was never shy of the camera, or of blowing his own trumpet. Besides comparing himself with Jesus Christ at a dinner with supporters in 2006, he also once said he was “the best political leader in Europe and the world.”
According to Severgnini, Berlusconi was the ultimate salesman and knew that Italians had long been sympathetic to the idea of “il signore,” the powerful man.
“He also realized you can use religion and God in a certain way, he did that too. He also realized that women and sexual attraction is a powerful fuel and can be used in politics, he did that,” Severgnini said. “If there was a Nobel prize for salesmanship he would have won.”
Throughout his political career, Berlusconi’s penchant for much younger women was overlooked by his often traditionally Catholic support base. His most recent partner, Francesca Pascale, was nearly 50 years younger than him.
But in Severgnini’s view, the politician paid a price for his apparent inability to resist attractive young women.
“The thing with young women was what brought him down. Always younger, like young dancers out of nowhere, TV girls, all those people – he had no discipline and he was tempted. He was totally out of control. This was his downfall,” he said.
Severgnini believes Berlusconi’s 20-year spell in power – particularly from 2001 to 2006, when he held a majority – should be considered as a time of wasted opportunity both for him and for Italy.
But, he said, the former prime minister will not be forgotten.
“The period between 1994 and 2011 will be marked by Berlusconi. Italians never forget that there is an operatic quality of politics: we cheer our tenor until we boo him off stage,” he said.
“But we do remember our great tenors, Del Monaco, Pavarotti, (and) so we will remember our tenor of politics. It’s impossible to forget him.”
Berlusconi leaves behind five children: Piersilvio and Marina from his first marriage to Carla Dall’Oglio, which ended in 1985, and Luigi, Eleonora and Barbara from his marriage to Veronica Lario, which ended in 2012.
Nigerian afrobeat singer, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly called Burna Boy, on Saturday performed at the UEFA Champions League final.
The 2023 UEFA Champions League final football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan took place at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
Burna Boy performed alongside Brazilian singer, Anitta.
It can be recalled that Burna Boy on Friday received four nominations in the 2023 edition of the Black Entertainment Television, BET, Awards.
This is coming a week after the singer became the first African artiste to sell out the 80,000-capacity London Stadium in the UK.
