The Ghana Universities Journal recently organized a virtual discussion that delved into the subject of premarital sex.
The two-hour discussion featured relationship expert Rev Regina Boakye and guest speaker Mr. Daniel Fenyi.
Rev Regina Boakye highlighted that engaging in sex before marriage is against biblical teachings.
She believes that the moment two opposite sexes engage in sex before marriage, their souls are tied together and it takes God’s intervention for their deliverance.
On the other hand, Mr. Daniel Fenyi argued that although it is morally and spiritually not right, it is logically important to engage in sex before marriage to comprehensively know your partner’s sexual health status.
Fenyi stated that it takes two individuals to know each other well and for partners to know who they are getting married to, it’s essential to engage in sex before marriage.
However, he stressed the importance of being responsible for one’s sexual life to avoid negative effects such as sexually transmitted diseases.
Rev Regina Boakye also advised participants to look out for specific qualities before selecting a life partner.
She mentioned that a hospitable, honest, and supportive partner with the same faith and shared values is essential.
She also emphasized that relationships should be built on strong communication since communication is the foundation of a strong relationship.
The Ghana Universities Journal is a group of tertiary students who engage industry players, stakeholders, and the government to offer constructive criticism and solutions to impact the generation.
The virtual discussion was an opportunity for young adults to explore different perspectives on the topic of sex before marriage and gain insights into building strong relationships.
Ukraine claims to have successfully intercepted a Russian hypersonic missile using a Patriot air defense system for the first time.
The commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleshchuk, posted on Telegram on Saturday, “Yes, we have intercepted the ‘unmatched’ Kinzhal,’” adding an emoji of the Ukrainian flag.
Oleshchuk said the interception had place on May 4 during a nighttime raid over Kyiv.
Hypersonic ballistic missile Kh-47 Kinzhal. It is challenging to intercept since it moves at a speed ten times that of sound and can be shot from a distance away from the battlefield.
Ukraine has received at least two Patriot systems, one from the United States and one from Germany, to enhance its air defenses, which have previously been unable to intercept more modern Russian missiles such as the Kinzhal.
If it is confirmed that Ukraine successfully shot down Kinzhal it raises questions about Russian capabilities.
Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Inhat said Saturday that the Russians said “the Patriot is an outdated American weapon, and Russian weapons are the best in the world.”
“Well, there is confirmation that it effectively works against even a super hypersonic missile,” Ihnat said, adding that intercepting the Kinzhal is “a slap in the face for Russia.”
Last month Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that Patriots would be critical in defending Ukrainian infrastructure against ballistic missiles.
“Building a multi-level air and missile defense system as soon as possible is our priority,” he declared. “This is to protect peaceful cities, critical infrastructure, and our people in the rear and at the front. Patriot systems create a capability that did not exist before – to defeat ballistic targets.”
In the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, officials told CNN that at least 400 people had perished as a result of flooding and landslides last week.
According to South Kivu’s Kalehe territory’s provincial governor Theo Kasi, last week’s heavy rains led to rivers overflowing and mudslides that wreaked havoc on the communities of Bushushu and Nyamukubi.
Kasi reported that there had been 401 fatalities in the Kalehe territory’s Bushushu and Nyamukubi villages.
Videos from the area show buildings swept away in the water and mud, with debris strewn across the villages.
Valet Chebujongo, an activist in Kalehe, told CNN that rescuers have been unable to clear the muddy roads, leaving residents with the dangerous option of wading through lakes.
“The Congolese government and its partners should find a safe place where the victims will be relocated and ask the population not to use the flowing waters and the lake during this period,” Chebujongo said, adding that there are “no machines to clear the mud and clear the landslides in the road to allow the population to circulate Bushushu-Nyamukubi villages. People are crossing the lake, another danger.”
Kasi said rescue operations were ongoing in spite of difficulties. “We are in a disaster. We work despite difficult conditions,” he said.
The provincial government said Saturday it was relocating residents affected by the floods to safer sites. It also said the government was funding medical care for the injured, including funeral costs for the deceased.
President Felix Tshisekedi declared Monday a national mourning for victims of the floods, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said, adding that a national government delegation had arrived in Kalehe to assist local response efforts.
The DRC is located within the River Congo Basin where flood disasters are frequently reported. According to a World Bank report, climate-related disasters, including flooding “are likely to increase in frequency and magnitude” in the Central African country due to climate change.
The DRC continues to grapple with devastating effects of flooding across the country. In December, more than 120 people were killed after heavy rains caused severe flooding in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa, authorities said.
In 2020, more than 15,000 homes were destroyed and at least 25 people killed by floodwaters in South Kivu, a province already ravaged by armed conflict, the UN Refugee Agency reported at the time.
Months earlier, around 39 people died when torrential rains triggered landslides in Kinshasa.
Pero Adeniyi, one of the baby mamas of musician 2face, has unveiled her lover to the public on his birthday and revealed that she has been married for years.
The mother of three has taken to Instagram to celebrate a mystery man for his selfless love and care for her and her kids in a sweet birthday post.
She shared a compiled video of herself and the unidentified man, appreciating him for always standing by her.
“Thank you for loving me and the kids unconditionally, against all odds you stood by me, You are and will remain the best part of me.
“From my heart to God’s ears, I love you forever!! Happy birthday, my own!!!!” She wrote.
Pero’s post has since elicited mixed reactions as fans thronged the comment section to pour out their opinions.
A fan claimed in the comment section that Pero and the mystery man had been secretly married for years.
She wrote, “If your enemies open your eyes well, you will see this isn’t a day relationship. They have been married for years. Maturity and showoff ain’t the same.”
Another fan countered her, “Which years? 2 or three? A! A! Stop lying ooh.”
But responding, Pero confirmed that she has been married for years.
She wrote, “Not a lie”.
Pero has three children — two girls and a boy with 2face.
Government have been given a five-day ultimatum to implement a proposal submitted by the Judicial Council on salary increment.
According to the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG), the Council submitted the report in 2021 for approval, however, nothing has been done about it.
In an interview with Citi News, JUSAG’s General Secretary Abdulai Yakubu revealed that members are unhappy with the delay.
He added that the current economic condition has intensified the suffering of many of its members, thus, the need for government to attend to the urgency of their demands.
“Our COLA has been withdrawn, and we don’t have any new salary compelled to our colleagues, we go to the market with the same public workers, and the new taxes have been hit by everyone,” Abdulai Yakubu General Secretary of Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana said.
In a separate statement, the association said, “We refer to our letter dated 5 May 2023 with reference number JUSAG/HQ/NP/052/2023 addressed to the President of the Republic of Ghana seeking approval of the recommendation/advice of the Judicial Council on the review of salaries and related allowances for staff of the Judicial Service in accordance with Article 149 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
“Even though our economic situation has deteriorated due to the adverse economic situation in the country coupled with the withdrawal of the cost of living allowance in December 2022, we have been patient for four months now.”
“The rank and file of our members are very much aggrieved and agitated. We have given the president of Ghana up to Friday, 12th of May 2023 to approve and implement reviewed salaries with all the arrears from January 2023”.
Buildings like homes, companies, and even bridges have all been constructed using 3D printing in recent years. The first 3D-printed mosque will soon be built in Dubai.
According to Ali Mohammad Alhalyan Alsuwaidi, head of engineering at the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) of the Dubai Government, the building would include 600 spaces for worshipers and 2,000 square meters across two floors. Construction is scheduled to start by year’s end and be finished in the first quarter of 2025. It will be composed of a concrete mixture.
“We elected to 3D-print the mosque because it’s a new and innovative technology that can potentially save time and resources compared to traditional building methods,” Alhalyan Alsuwaidi said. IACAD declined to name the company that will be responsible for the construction.
Constructing buildings using 3D-printing requires large printing machines that are programmed with the design information. They squeeze out the construction material from a nozzle, building up the structure in layers. The vast majority of 3D-printed structures are made from concrete, but it is possible to print using other materials, such as clay.
A rendering of the 3D-printed mosque, which will be built in Bur Dubai. Credit: JT+Partners and IACAD
Modernizing the construction industry
Dubai has set out to become the 3D-printing capital of the world, and in 2018 it launched a “3D Printing Strategy” that planned for 25% of the emirate’s new construction to be 3D-printed by 2030.
By 2019 it held the world record for the largest 3D-printed structure — the Dubai Municipality building (standing 9.5 meters tall with an area of 640 square meters) — as well as being home to the world’s first 3D-printed office, and a 3D-printed drone research laboratory.
But new 3D-printed buildings are popping up across the world — from housing for refugees in Jordan and for homeless people in Austin, Texas, to whole complexes of buildings, such as the 3,800 square foot (353 square meter) Camp Swift military training center, and entire neighborhoods, like the New Story project in Tabasco, Mexico, which will provide homes for families living in poverty.
Theo Salet is dean of the Department of the Built Environment at Eindhoven University of Technology, in the Netherlands. He is an advocate for modernizing the construction industry through technology such as 3D-printing.
“A vast amount of construction work needs to be done in the coming decades, in the context of a lack of skilled construction workers, an energy transition and a need for the industry to become more sustainable,” he said.
“Digital design and construction will save time … reduce construction costs and costs of failures, solve the problem of a lack of construction workers and allow us to rethink our designs in terms of sustainability,” he added.
He believes that a project like Dubai’s proposed mosque is the next phase in 3D-printed architectural design, but anticipates it will face challenges.
“Realizing a large and eye-catching project like this is quite a task, of a scale yet unknown,” he said. “Without any doubt the 3D printing will work — however, rendered drawings make promises that must be (possible) to meet in practice … A project of this scale and ambition is, in my opinion, a project to learn from and mistakes should be possible.”
Newly-crowned 2023 VGMA Artiste of the Year Black Sherif, has revealed that he was expecting to win the Album of the Year.
however, the Album of the Year was won by King Promise’s 5 Star.
In an interview on TV3 he said “Obviously, I was waiting to hear my name, but when my name wasn’t mentioned, I said, ‘Yawa’, ” he revealed.
According to ‘Kwaku The Traveller’ hitmaker, he wasn’t disappointed because every nominee in that category deserved an award.
His album ‘The Villain I Never Was’ competed with the likes of ‘Jamz’ by Sarkodie, ‘My Diary’ by Gyakie, ‘Son of Jacob’ by Kwesi Arthur, ‘Kadosh’ by Joe Mettle and eventual winner ‘5 Star’ by King Promise.
King Promise’s win already spiced up some controversies on social media as most people and fans of Black Sherif were certain it was a win for their camp.
From Best Hip-hop Song of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Hip-life/Hip-hop Artiste, Most Popular Song to the ultimate win of the night, Artiste of the Year, he expressed how happy he was about winning most of the awards he was nominated for.
He disclosed that when the time is right, he will collaborate with other artistes.
At the coronation concert on Sunday, Prince William praised his “Pa,” King Charles III, adding, “We are all so proud of you,” evoking the memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
At the celebration held on the grounds of Windsor Castle, the Prince of Wales remarked, “I know she is up there fondly watching over us and she would be a very proud mother.” He continued by mentioning how his grandmother had described coronations as a “declaration of our hopes for the future.”
A day of street festivities and community luncheon celebrations of King Charles III in the UK came to an end with the coronation concert.
The concert line-up was certainly fit for a King, featuring global superstars, classical music maestros and an eclectic mix of celebrity faces, from Tom Cruise to “The Muppets’” very own Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
William kicked off his speech on a humorous note, making a promise to the crowd that, unlike singer Lionel Richie, who performed at the event, he wouldn’t “go on all night long” with his address.
Instead, William said he simply wanted to “say a few words about my father and why I believe this weekend is so important.”
He went on to pay a heartfelt tribute to the King, outlining his commitment to service over the years.
“For all that celebrations are magnificent, at the heart of the pageantry is a simple message: Service. My father’s first words on entering Westminster Abbey yesterday were a pledge of service,” Prince William remarked.
“It was a pledge to continue to serve. Because for over 50 years, in every corner of the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world, he [King Charles] has dedicated himself to serve others, both current and future generations, and those whose memory must not be neglected,” the prince continued.
William highlighted the King’s commitment to environmental causes, saying the King “warned us of the risks to our planet’s health long before it was an everyday issue.”
He also commended the King’s charitable contributions through his foundation, the Prince’s Trust, which William said “has supported over a million young people, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, to realize their ambitions.”
“Pa, we are all so proud of you,” the prince said, addressing the King directly.
Prince William wrapped up his brief speech by thanking the “millions of people who serve in the forces, in classrooms, hospital wards and local communities,” giving his own pledge to “serve [them] all.”
King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday, and well-wishers packed the streets of the British capital.
After the service, the King and selected members of the royal family made the customary appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony, but a flypast of military aircraft was scaled back due to bad weather.
Police arrested dozens of people during the coronation, after controversially promising a “robust” approach to protesters.
The Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA) has threatened to close down unlicensed churches operating in the Volta Region.
EPA’s Director in the Volta Region, Hope Smith Lomotey, said some of the churches deliberately start operating before applying to be regularised.
He warned they will not tolerate the illegality regardless of the institution involved.
Mr Lomotey said they’ll strictly enforce the required standards for operating a church under the EPA’s regulations.
He explained that the move is also to address complaints of excessive noise caused by the unauthorised churches.
“Some [Churches] have applied for permits, others have not, so we are regularising those who have not. The challenge we have is that most of these churches, they establish before they apply for regularisation.
“But you are supposed to apply, and then after the application, we check and see if the place is conducive enough for such a facility.”
They then learned that the 69-year-old driver had never passed his test or received a license, meaning he had been operating a vehicle unlawfully for fifty years.
He had been deceiving auto insurance companies into believing he had a license the entire time, and it appears that he had been bragging about his elaborate scheme, which ultimately brought him to justice.
A statement from the unit shared on Twitter said: ‘The driver of this vehicle has never passed a test despite being 69 years old and having been driving for over 50 years.
‘He has systematically provided details to insurance companies indicating that he had a licence but the flaw in his dastardly plan was bragging.
‘His long reign came to an abrupt end once we found out. Vehicle seized and driver reported for numerous offences.’
Paul Farley, of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, commented: ‘Finally, brought a totally unacceptable reign to an end.
‘The bit he was missing was had he been involved in a collision and we paid out on a claim, we would’ve come back to him for the total cost of that claim.’
The statement has drawn mixed reactions, with some questioning how the driver managed to get away with it for 50 years.
Steve said: ‘It’s not a good look for the system, he’s managed to carry out his entire life without being caught before, even in todays ANPR world he’s evaded the system for years. Sadly, this one may encourage other chancers as odds of being caught are low.’
In contrast, Joe said: ‘Probably a far better driver than many road users, he’s avoided the police for 50 years… the UK would benefit from having more drivers like this on the road!’
At the 24th Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, rapper Medikal, a rapper delivered an exceptional performance to the audience.
The rapper who had hopes of winning an award ended up with nothing. He has described the situation as one of the biggest ‘yawa’ or flop of the night adding that he truly deserved to pick up an award.
His nominations included, ‘Best Rap Performance’, ‘Best Hiplife/Hiphop Artiste’, ‘Best Hip Hop Song’, and ‘Best Hip Life Song’.
Sharing his sentiment, he narrated how his colleague, Eno Barony has made him a laughing stock despite his nominations.
In a tweet dated May 8, Medikal shared his experience while congratulating organizers of the award scheme for having him onboard.
“GREAT PRODUCTION BY VGMA, YALL REALLY SPOIL THERE, IM WATCHING THE SHOW ON TV & ITS AMAZING, GHANAIANS SHOULD CLAP FOR VGMA. THE ONLY YAWA FOR THE SHOW BE SAY DEM NO GIVE ME & MY SLAY QUEEN EX ENO ANY AWARD! WHY,” he quizzed.
A Texas gunman opened fire on a train, leaving one passenger dead and two more injured.
An altercation between passengers on the Green Line of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) train resulted in the fatal gunshot.
The shooting happened on Sunday at around 4.30 p.m., according to DART Police. When the shots were fired, the train was close to Hatcher Station in Dallas.
Two people were immediately transported to a local hospital for treatment. One victim, the shooter’s target, died at the hospital.
The shooting took place at Hatcher Station in Dallas (Picture: Google)
The other two victims were identified as bystanders. One was treated and released at the scene, while the other was hospitalized in unknown condition.
The shooter then fled the scene and remains at large.
DART closed the station and rerouted passengers for hours after the shooting took place.
‘Green Line passengers should expect delays and will need to board a Bus shuttle between MLK and Lawnview stations due to police activity in the area,’ the agency said on Twitter. ‘Our apologies for the inconvenience.’
The station was reopened the same night after the investigation ended around 8.30pm.
The shooting culminated a weekend of gun violence in the Texas city home to 1.3million people. The incident took place just under 24 hours after a gunman killed eight people and injured seven at a Dallas-area outlet mall.
The shooter, later identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, opened fire with an AR-15 style rifle into the crowd at the Allen Premium Outlets, located about 30 miles north of downtown Dallas.
Garcia was killed at the scene. Investigators are currently probing his connections to neo-Nazi groups and white supremacist ideology due to a patch he was seen wearing on his chest.
There have been a total of 202 mass shootings in the United States in 2023, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive.
A unit of soldiers is seen repelling a Russian ambush on the outskirts of Bakhmut in dramatic footage from the Ukrainian frontlines.
The 11-minute video depicts valiantly defending Bakhmut’s “Road of Life,” one of the final safe exits from the besieged city, by Ukrainians from the elite “Da Vinci Wolves” corps.
A Ukrainian is seen in helmet-cam film running across a stretch of desolate no-man’s land to meet with a group of soldiers positioned inside a trench bunker to inform them that a colleague has been murdered.
‘Norman….he is dead. Rest in peace’ he tells his squadmates, who respond by saying ‘yes brother, that’s how it is in war’.
The soldiers are seen squatting in a bunker prior to the ambush (Picture: Twitter/ Def Mon)But suddenly a Russian grenade lands at the trench mouth and almost wipes out the unit (Picture: Twitter/Def Mon)
The soldiers take a moment of respite in the trench as one – later called ‘Lekha’ – digs into the ground at the mouth of the dug out.
But seemingly without warning, a grenade goes off nearby and Lekha is blasted off his feet and falls on his stomach.
Lekha’s squadmates scramble to assess their comrade’s injuries, and after he gives a thumbs-up to let them know he is uninjured the rest of the unit scrambles out of the bunker and into position.
‘Orcs jumped into our trenches,’ an ally radios in to inform them. ‘Do you copy?’
‘First trench guys, nearest to you,’ they are told, and spring into action.
The Da Vinci’s are considered to be among the best trained and equipped of the volunteer corps, and with little cover they emerge into the battlefield to suppress the advancing Russians, taking positions around the bunker and gunning down targets as they crawl away.
The cameraman- believed to be the squad leader codenamed ‘Tihiy’- moves around the trench, behind a knoll for cover.
From the high ground, he targets a number of Russian soldiers in the prone position trying to get away, and directs his squadmates around the battlefield in an attempt to suppress the assault and conserve ammo.
After repelling the invaders without sustaining any further casualties, Tihiy can be heard triumphantly exclaiming: ‘What’s up orcs? It’s our field, f*** off!’
The Battle of Bakhmut has become the most bloodthirsty conflict of the war to date, which has seen Russia attempt to grind down the Ukrainian forces with endless ‘human wave’ attacks designed to overwhelm the defenders with their sheer numbers.
It has been reported that up to 42,000 Russians have been killed in their ongoing attempts to take the city, which has seen Ukrainians kill them at a rate of 7:1.
Yet Russia has slowly managed to gain control of the area by exhausting Ukraine’s supplies in a deadly war of attrition, and is now believed to control around 80% of the city.
The ‘Road of Life’ is one of the last areas of the city still under Ukrainian control, and is the only safe passage out of the city into the nearby settlement of Chasiv Yar.
Dr. Maxwell Opoku Afari, the First Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, is hopeful that the introduction of eCedi in Ghana will enhance financial inclusion, particularly in rural parts of the country.
According to him, the implementation of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) will help create a transaction history that commercial players can also use.
Speaking at the Payments Canada Summit 2023, Dr Opoku Afari said central banks must remember that the CBDC is a currency first and foremost, not a wallet for channel with a human-centered design.
He added the design must be within a country’s context with the user-process being resource intensive.
The first deputy Central Bank Governor further stressed on the importance of the CBDC implementation in some African countries and its potential impact on the economy and fintech development.
“Nigeria went straight to CBDC implementation. And I love them for doing that – but we can’t do that. Any currency has to work for all Ghanaians, no matter where they are located. And, while Ghana has seen the percentage of people with formal bank accounts soar in the last decade, nearly a third of the population is still unbanked.”
He concluded that the Bank of Ghana’s cash lite agenda will continue to be an ongoing effort aimed at implementing the Central Bank Digital Currency in a well-conducted manner.
In 2022, Ghana began piloting a retail central bank digital currency, exploring both an online and an offline version of the eCedi.
The eCedi project carried pilots in three locations; Accra, Tarkwa and Sefwi Asafo while the first two locations explored several use cases for online payments and Sefwi Asafo saw the offline experiment.
The Presbyterian University, Ghana (PUG) is to begin PhD programme in Development and Management this year.
Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, President of the University announced this at the 5th Congregation of the School of Graduate Studies at Akropong, where 313 students graduated in various Masters’ level programmes.
The PUG has received indication from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to grant accreditation to run PhD in Development and Management and an MBA in Human Resource Management and Development following inspection of the school’s facilities.
Other programmes under various stages of development and accreditation include PhD in Leadership and Management, a Master of Science in Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies, an MBA in Project Development, and a Master of Science in Information Communication Technology.
Prof. Oduro Owusu said the graduate studies was very crucial and the need to support developmental research that focuses on offering timely and relevant solutions to the many problems facing the country called for providing real-time, goal-oriented tactics for technological advancement.
“It is in the light of this that we have introduced the “The Project in Mind, Product in Hand Concept” to ensure that our students enroll with a project in mind and graduate with a product in hand.” he said.
The President reminded the graduands that having gone through the rigorous study and requirements of the academic programme, what was left was to pay critical attention to issues of integrity, selflessness, emotional intelligence, and hard work to be successful in all endeavors.
Right Reverend Professor JOY Mante, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, and Chancellor of the University, called on the graduands to make a difference in society by exhibiting the high moral standards and discipline associated with every level of Presbyterian training.
“Hard work and discipline are the hallmarks of the proverbial Presbyterian discipline, and we expect nothing short of that from you, who have gone through rigorous academic work to attain these degrees to serve as examples everywhere you find yourself and don’t belittle your Masters degree.”
The Moderator indicated that the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) was working hard to add on to the infrastructure of the university and the programmes to become a center of
excellence churning out hardworking people with high integrity to advance national development.
In all, the 313 graduands comprising of 185 males and 128 females received certificates in Master of Arts in International Development Studies, Master of Science in Environmental Health and Sanitation, Master of Science in Natural Resources Management.
The others were the Master of Science in financial Risk Management, Master of Public Health, and Master of Education in Educational Studies.
The US Embassy in Ghana announced on May 6, 2023, via its social media handles that its “Diversity Visa 2024 selections are now available!”
It meant that applicants accepted to apply for visas under what is widely known as the US Visa Lottery were ready.
The embassy explained, however, that the selection did not guarantee a visa or an interview. Meaning applicants had to go through further processes to get a visa.
“This is the ONLY way to check if you have been selected. Selection does not guarantee a visa or an interview,” the Embassy’s post read in part.
The embassy also directed applicants to check the status of their application via a US Department of State website, wherein they had to fill in some details to know whether or not they had been successful.
The process of verification is as follows:
▪ Log-on to – Electronic Diversity Visa Entrant Status Check: 5.8
▪ Confirmation number or code issued when you registered for the program.
▪ Surnames as written in the electronic entry form.
▪ Birth year, with all four digits.
▪ Authentication code indicated by the website.
Find a pdf copy of the said webpage below:
Fee hike for certain categories of visas effective May 30
Meanwhile, effective May 30, 2023, non-immigrant visa fees will be revised upwards by the United States of America Embassy in Accra.
This means that B1/B2 visas for business and tourist travel, F visas for international students, J exchange visitor visas, and other visa classes not requiring a petition will increase from $160 to $185.
On the other hand, petition-based non-immigrants who fall within (H, L, O, P, Q, and R) categories will pay fees of $205 instead of the previous $190.
According to the US Embassy, the move, which will take effect at all U.S embassies and consulates worldwide, was established by the Department of State in Washington, D.C.
Persons who apply before May 30 and schedule an interview within 365 days of the day of payment will, however, not be affected by the change.
“Fees are increasing for new visa applications as of May 30, 2023, only. Applicants who pay the visa fee before May 30, 2023, and schedule an interview within 365 days of the day payment is made are not affected by this change.
“There is no requirement for the interview to actually occur during that 365-day period, applicants must just take the step of scheduling an appointment within 365 days,” the US embassy in Ghana said.
Ghanaian artiste, Chief One, has revealed that he changed the language narrative in the music scene.
“I changed that narrative you understand when you hear Chief One even if you can’t hear my language you’ll still vibe with my songs,” he told Amansan Krakye in an interview.
According to the ‘Toyota’ crooner who sings predominantly in the Ewe language, most people don’t even understand his language but vibe well to his songs.
“A lot of people vibing to my songs in USA, Canada, Costa Rica, I mean everywhere and even I think Cape Coast most of the people don’t speak Ewe but they vibe to my songs,” he added on Cape Coast-based Property FM.
Chief One, who believes the ewe language will sell at the right time stated, “I used the Ewe how we’re supposed to use it and I normally say that Ewe will be the ish at the right time so for me it’s a process. Music itself is a language so that’s all I believe in that”.
The ‘Wotelewoe’ hitmaker was nominated for the ‘Best New Artiste’ at the 2023 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) but narrowly missed out to ‘Friday Night’ hitmaker, Lasmid.
Months after his shocking death at age 67, Ray Liotta‘s cause of death was made public.
The Goodfellas legend passed away while filming in the Dominican Republic.
His cause of death was now classified as abrupt heart failure and pulmonary edema, according to paperwork from the nation’s officials that TMZ was able to get.
The star’s arteries have narrowed due to atherosclerosis, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke by making it difficult for blood to flow through them, according to the physicians.
Liotta, who was shooting the film Dangerous Waters, was reported as dying in his sleep.
He was best known for his leading role in Martin Scorsese’s crime film but also starred in Something Wild – for which he scored his first Golden Globe nomination – Unforgettable, Cop Land and Field of Dreams.
The star was filming abroad at the time of his death (Picture: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
He also portrayed singer Frank Sinatra in the 1998 TV movie The Rat Pack, for which he received a Screen Actors Guild award nomination.
More recently, Liotta featured in the Oscar-nominated film Marriage Story, alongside Adam Driver and Scarlet Johansson, as well as The Many Saints Of Newark and No Sudden Move.
A popular performer, many celebrities, including his Goodfellas director Scorsese and co-star Lorraine Bracco, shared emotional tributes to the star following his death.
‘I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray,’ Bracco tweeted.
‘I can be anywhere in the world & people will come up & tell me their favourite movie is Goodfellas.
‘Then they always ask what was the best part of making that movie. My response has always been the same…Ray Liotta.’
The producers of Dangerous Waters also issued a statement expressing their shock and sadness over the news.
‘We were deeply saddened to learn of Ray’s passing, it’s a tremendous loss and our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, fiancée Jacy and daughter Karsen,’ it read.
In February, Liotta was honoured posthumously with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which his daughter, Karsen Liotta, accepted on his behalf.
Just before his death, one of his final projects was headline-grabbing horror comedy Cocaine Bear, directed by Elizabeth Banks, who also attended the ceremony in support, alongside Taron Egerton, who spoke passionately about his Black Bird co-star.
In Cocaine Bear, Liotta had a scene-stealing role as a drug kingpin, alongside O’Shea Jackson Jr, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Keri Russell and Alden Ehrenreich.
Discussing his time on set in a new interview, the filmmaker recalled that he had the ‘best attitude’ and really enjoyed jumping into the role.
‘He came to Ireland with the best attitude. He had a great time,’ she told Variety.
‘He came for ADR and saw the film, and was like, “Oh, my God, the bear looks so good!’”
The film’s writer, Jimmy Warden, was also full of praise for the star and his ‘contagious energy’.
‘Since he’s passed away, those are the memories that keep flooding back. It was so fun working with him, and such a dream of mine. Definitely a career highlight for sure,’ he told Metro.co.uk.
‘Just the energy that he brought to the set and how it made waves throughout the crew and everybody was just so excited.
‘Like, if Ray Liotta is pumped about this movie, everybody should be too and it was just contagious. That was a great experience with him.’
The Customs Division of the Tema Sector Command of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has cautioned importers, especially paper product importers, to desist from under-declaring and under-invoicing of imported products.
The division has vowed to go hard on anyone who attempts to short-change the state by deliberately under-declaring goods at the ports.
This came to light at a press briefing in Tema after Customs officials discovered a container of finished products such as photo-copy papers (A-4 sheets), which was declared by the clearing agent as stationery.
Head of Intelligence at the Ghana Revenue Authority, Assistant Commissioner Wisdom Xetor, lamented the manipulation of actual duty payment by some paper importers and clearing agents at the port.
He disclosed that investigations show that most paper importers are under-invoicing, giving wrong descriptions and under-valuing their imports in a bid to evade taxes.
Mr. Xetor said the GRA has introduced a new strategy of tracking some of these importers: “We just want to send a clear message to the importing public that they are under our radar; we are monitoring them so they should just do the right thing”.
Mr. Xetor therefore cautioned the importers that going forward culprits will be sanctioned severely, including having to pay a 300 percent penalty; and in cases where contents are banned goods, they will be seized.
Chief Revenue Officer, Public Education, Media Relations and Review, Dzinunya Mawuli, on his part said this exercise was previously carried out underground, but will now be done publicly as a way of warning others to desist from such acts.
“Today we were supposed to open one of the containers and re-examine the items in it, but unfortunately the importer and clearing agent are not available. The clearing agent entered 68 items, but our scan image is telling us that it is one item. They described it as stationery, but it is not stationery when we look at the scan image,” Ms. Mawuli said.
She noted that the container will be opened by next Wednesday, in order for them to carry out the necessary examination so they can establish its true content.
Berla Mundi’s dress choice at the recent VGMAs has sparked a wave of criticism from Ghanaians. As a popular media personality and the host of the event, she faced backlash for wearing a dress that exposed her cleavage and parts of her chest. While some people praised her beauty, others expressed disappointment in her outfit. The comments ranged from respectful constructive criticism to outright disapproval.
One individual, Roland Walker Adeti, expressed his admiration for Berla Mundi but found her dress inappropriate. Godknows Hlondji raised the point that presenters should also consider the message they convey through their clothing. Joel Arthur humorously remarked on the change in Berla’s appearance, while Yakubu Adul felt let down by her choice despite previously admiring her. Domona-ebong Bayor Louis and Nii Dimpson also shared their opinions, emphasizing their surprise at seeing her dress in that manner.
In response to the barrage of negative comments, Berla Mundi has shown maturity by acknowledging and considering the criticisms. She has read all the attacks and expressed gratitude towards her loved ones for their support during this challenging time. Berla Mundi’s ability to handle the situation with grace demonstrates her resilience and professionalism in the face of public scrutiny.
In light of the continuing conflict in Ukraine, Jamie Oliver has shared one of his nice actions.
Following Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s invasion last year, thousands of residents were compelled to leave their homes in search of safety.
Jamie was one of the many families in the UK that took in immigrants.
When the 47-year-old famous chef made an appearance as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia, he revealed that he continues to live with two Ukrainian families.
In fact, he and his wife Jools, 48, have been living with the families for seven months, Jamie told his fellow judges.
The cookbook author was tucking in to a Russian and Ukrainian dish called borscht and pampushka, made by contesant Larissa.
Jamie and his wife Jools have been living with two Ukrainian families for seven months (Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
‘With things going on in the world at the moment, it’s kind of profound you’re here this year with both a Russian and Ukrainian dish,’ Jamie said.
‘Can I give you a little secret that no one really knows?’, he confessed.
‘I have had two Ukrainian families living with me for the, like, the last seven months.
‘We have done fundraisers with top chefs from Ukraine, so I have had my fair share of borscht.’
The cookbook author has been eating a lot of Ukrainian and Russian food (Picture: Neil Mockford/GC Images)
‘This is absolutely fabulous,’ he praised the dish.
By early November, according to the UNHCR, the number of Ukrainian refugees recorded across Europe was around 7.8million.
The countries receiving the largest numbers of refugees were Russia, Poland, and Germany, while the United Kingdom took in just over 200,000.
Jamie’s episode was the season premiere of the Australian version of the cookery show, which was filmed before the shock death of Jock Zonfrillo.
Zonfrillo death was confirmed last week as his family released a statement.
The chef appeared on MasterChef Australia’s premiere, which was filmed before the shock death of Jock Zonfrillo (Picture: Instagram)
‘With completely shattered hearts and without knowing how we can possibly move through life without him, we are devastated to share that Jock passed away yesterday,’ they said.
Police later confirmed that his death was not being treated as suspicious, while Channel Ten in Australia postponed the premiere of the new season of MasterChef Australia as tributes poured in for the TV personality.
He was also honoured in a special episode of Australian show The Project on Sunday.
Several notable figures within the culinary entertainment industry paid homage to Zonfrillo’s memory, including Gordon Ramsay, who was brought to tears.
Ghanaian rapper Strongman has established that he is more focused on building up his properties than participating in award schemes.
In response to a troll who questioned his failure to win an award at the just-ended Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, the rapper said he is focused on building his apartment and mansion.
To him, awards do not move him and his focus had always been to do better for himself and his family.
The social media user said, “The way things are going unless Otumfuor creates an award for Strongman before man will win something in his career. Buokrom Meek Mill has been doing music since 2013 and doesn’t even have coffee cup. Music isn’t about “me rap” and “me punch” only”.
In response,Strongman said, “Bro I have won a lot in my career ok Man is building a mansion and an apartment at the same time so if you want to tease me with awards I will just be laughing too After 2yrs wen u come Ksi u can come stay here for a yr menua Wanim s3 at3ky3”.
Former Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress NDC, Samuel Koku Anyidoho says he will vote during May 13th presidential primaries and work as agent for Dr. Kwabena Duffuor.
Koku Anyidoho was expelled from the party in 2021 after the disciplinary committee of the NDC found him guilty of misconduct and anti-party behaviour.
However speaking to the media in Koforidua at the sidelines of event which he was guest speaker, Koku Anyidoho described his so called dismissal from the party as mere persecution which is not grounded in law therefore null and void.
He believes, he is still a bonafide member of the NDC hence he will take part in the upcoming primaries.
“Today is 6th of May technically we were supposed to be voting a week from today to elect Flag-bearer and our parliamentarians. I will vote in my capacity as a former national officer and a former appointee. I have a new card and let Asiedu Nketia come and remove my vote from the register.”
Koku Anyidoho declared support for Dr. Kwabena Duffuor adding he will serve as agent for him in the primaries.
“Secondary on that score, I am supporting Dr. Kwabena Duffuor in the Presidential primaries. I am not supporting John Mahama and that is one of the reasons why they said they have sacked me from the party because I have said I won’t support John Mahama, I am not a slave to John Mahama and I refuse to be a slave to him.”
Mr. Koku Anyidoho emphasized that Dr. Duffuor’s competency in managing the economy far outweighs the former President John Dramani Mahama.
“Dr. Duffuor was the Finance Minister under John Evans Atta Mills so he worked with President Mills I worked with him I know what Dr. Duffuor stands for in terms of building the economy that President Mills built.”
“32 , 34 months single digit inflation, introduction of single spine, clearing of the arrears , Infrastructure expansion, three public Universities in three and half years, health facilities all over, I believe that Dr. Duffuor has the potential by training , by competence, by experience both in public and private life,” he said.
Mr. Koku Anyidoho further urged the electoral commission address concerns raised by campaign team of Dr. Duffuor on delayed release of voters register.
According to him, if the concerns raised by the Dr. Duffuor campaign team is not immediately addressed before Saturday 12th May, 2023 there will be legal consequences.
Meanwhile, aspiring Presidential candidate in the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Dr. Kwabena Duffuor says the May 13 Presidential Primaries must be free ,fair and transparent to ensure unity after the elections.
Dr. Kwabena Duffuor therefore stated that concerns over delay in release of the voters register by the Election Committee of the NDC to the Electoral Commission must be addressed immediately.
Speaking on Agoo FM in Nkawkaw Friday evening to wrap up his 4-day campaign tour to the Eastern region Dr.Kwabena Duffuor said inaccessibility to the compiled register a week to the polls is disturbing.
He backed his campaign team’s petition to the Electoral Commission on this regard.
“Today is 5th May, we are are going to the polls on 13th May but we have not received the register which is going to be used for the election. So my campaign team is demanding for the release of the register .We have written to the party so we are waiting for them. There are rules and regulations about any election. My name could be conspicuously missing during the day of the election, what will I do in that situation. Am I going to fight or what, no! Reason we want to get access to the register to ensure that all qualified delegates are on the register,” Dr. Duffuor lamented.
Dr. Duffuor added “Why is the register not out ? If this happened in National elections and it is just a week ahead what would they have done. We are not litigating we just want to have access to the register to ensure every qualified delegates name is on the register so we go to the polls to vote fairly and peacefully. I am praying that they do the right things.”
Nonetheless, he called on his supporters to remain calm and be peaceful to ensure unity in the NDC after the election to enable the party defeat ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general election.
Former Finance Minister and Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Duffuor is contesting the Presidential Primaries with former President John Mahama and former Mayor of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Kojo Bonsu.
As Russia gets ready to commemorate the anniversary of its victory over Nazi Germany, Putin has launched a number of attacks on the capital of Ukraine.
At least five persons were hurt by rocket attacks on Monday morning, according to officials in Kiev; similar explosions were also reported in a number of other areas.
Three people were hurt in Solomyanskyi, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, while two more were hurt in the west of the city’s Sviatoshyn neighborhood.
Drone wreckage is also reported to have fallen on the runway at Zhuliany airport in the southwest, and to have hit a two-storey building in the central Shevchkivskyi area.
In the southern port city of Odessa, officials have posted footage of a food warehouse on fire, seemingly the result of a Russian attack.
Further blasts are reported in the southern Kherson region, the Zaporizhia region to the southeast, and eight locations in the Sumy region to the northeast.
Strikes against Russian targets in Ukraine have also increased in recent weeks, many of them targeting Crimea, a southern peninsula in the Black Sea held by Russia since the partial invasion of 2014.
Ukrainian officials have not confirmed their forces’ role in those attacks, but have stressed destroying key enemy infrastructure, such as those found in Crimea, represents crucial preparation for their forthcoming large-scale counteroffensive.
This morning’s wave of strikes come as the Putin regime prepares for Victory Day, a military parade scheduled to take place in Moscow tomorrow commemorating Russia’s defeat of Germany in the Second World War.
The symbolism of the event is of especial significance this year, given the president’s efforts to equate the leadership in Kyiv with Nazism as a justification for his so-called ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine.
Putin’s war has lasted fifteen months, seen thousands killed and millions displaced. He presently faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.
Meanwhile, his stranglehold over dissent and free expression in Russia has continued to intensify, most recently with the sentencing of opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza and detention of US journalist Evan Gershkovich.
Sex is about pleasure and fun, and doesn’t always involve genitals, penetration, or even orgasm. Play is the key to good sex, according to experts. In bed, women rarely enjoy sex significantly.
Many face performance issues with their partner or are unable to climax, leaving all the fun out of the game. Hence, to attract sexual vibes into your sex life, you must first understand what sex is to you
Knowing what brings you pleasure doesn’t just make sex more satisfying for you; it boosts your confidence during an encounter, making things more fun for everyone involved.
Once you completely understand what you want out of sex, you will be able to enjoy it better. Here listed are some tips for women to enjoy sex in a much more exciting and sensual way.
Talk about sex more often
It’s important for women to start initiating conversations about sex. This helps them to understand their sexuality and their sexual dreams and fantasies. The more you talk about it, the more you will be able to understand better what you really want, during sex. And once you can communicate what you want your partner to do, sex instantly becomes better.
Don’t be under pressure to climax faster
If you’re one of those who take time to reach an orgasm, don’t be pressurised to climax faster, only because your partner is insisting on it. Sure enough, being in rhythm with your partner is necessary but losing out on your pleasure to satisfy them isn’t always right. It’s alright to be a little selfish in bed.
Practice seduction techniques
Most women enjoy seducing and being seduced before getting to the main part, during sex. Practising seduction techniques like saying or texting erotic things before, can instantly get one in the mood. Indulging in long and slow foreplay can also be very arousing.
Don’t focus on orgasm
When you’re too focused on reaching orgasm, you are losing out on the fun during sex. This keeps your partner under the pressure of performance and keeps you from actually enjoying the process of sex. Sex isn’t just about orgasm, it’s also about erotic talks, touching, grabbing, and communication.
A six-month-old baby has been found dead in a Polytank filled with water at a construction site at the Nkurakan community in Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern region.
The baby got missing on Saturday, May 6, 2023, but was found drowned in Polytank erected about 8 feet tall above ground level the next day Sunday afternoon.
The mother is said to have left the now-deceased baby in the custody of other children to fetch water. But upon return, the children told her a man came around and picked up the baby.
A frantic search for the baby proved futile on the fateful Saturday.
A continuous search on Sunday found the baby drowned in a Polytank at a construction site near the house.
A ladder was used to climb the Polytank to get inside to retrieve the body of the baby.
The body has been deposited at the morgue of Eastern Regional Hospital by Police to aid the investigation.
Programme Manager of the Non-Communicable Diseases of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Efua Commeh, has indicated a rather worrying trend of rising stroke cases among young people of 40 years and below in Ghana.
According to her, these have become so owing to many cases of hypertension in such young persons that go untreated or unmanaged in recent times, a graphiconline report says.
Dr. Commeh further indicated that whereas such cases were more prevalent among the aged – persons between 80 and 90 years old, people as young as 35 and 40 are now being diagnosed of stroke due to uncontrolled hypertension.
“These strokes that originally we used to see in very aged people are now occurring in the productive work group; people who are actively working,” she said.
“They bring them to the hospital and they say nothing happened and the person collapsed. You check them and they have hypertension. It is this hypertension that gives them complications like stroke, heart attacks, kidney diseases, among others,” graphiconline quoted her as having said.
Dr. Commeh further noted that about 600,000 cases of hypertension are recorded annually, with fewer of these people in their older ages and more of these patients being younger persons, sometimes in their 20s.
She was speaking in an interview ahead of World Hypertension Day which will be observed on May 17, on the theme: “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer”.
Dr. Commeh however mentioned some key causes of stroke among the youth. Among others, she said that stress is one of the key causes of stroke.
“(For) Some of them, it is pressure from school, pressure from work, pressure from the home and pressure everywhere; and on top of these stresses, closing quite late from work and getting home late before eating in the night.
“At that time of the night, you are not going to get any appropriate food to eat.
“You end up taking fast foods, and these, among others, contribute to making us unhealthy, and they are the things that can give us hypertension,” she explained. She also explained that bad habits including cigarette smoking, alcoholism, and unhealthy diets contribute to hypertension.
“Hypertension is said to be a silent killer.
“It is called silent because when it starts rising, you don’t notice anything.
“The first thing you know is you have severe headache and then the person collapses, and by that time, it would have gotten a bit too late,” Dr. Commeh said.
Ghana was one of five African countries to sign the Smart Africa Trust Alliance (SATA) declaration on data and digital identity interoperability. Together with Ghana, Zimbabwe, Gabon, Tunisia, and Guinea signed as SATA’s foundation members
The signing, which took place at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, sets the tone for both public and private sector digital platforms to integrate and improve their reach and patronage across the member-states.
Minister of Communications and Digitalisation Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, who signed on behalf of Ghana, noted that SATA will improve the uptake and reach of public digital services, private sector integration and national digital platforms patronage. “Also, SATA will enhance additional revenues from higher service and platform usage and ensure compliance with requirements from people and companies moving/doing business across borders,” she said.
According to her, SATA will reduce government bureaucracy when working or travelling in another country, save time and money, create jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as provide safer and better service experience in digital services and commerce.
Ursula Owusu Ekuful noted that with a growing, educated, motivated and youthful population, Africa is positioned for growth, which will be accelerated using modern digital technologies.
She, therefore, commended the commitment of African leaders to work together among countries by adopting the SATA Declaration during the Smart Africa Board Meeting to address the challenge of trust between the member-countries to pave the way for digital interoperability.
“On behalf of our alliance, I wish to… congratulate Smart Africa and its Director General/CEO, Lacina Koné, for the courage and leadership in achieving this foundational step toward our integration and unity. It is always inspiring to witness the vision, passion and commitment to the development of Africa through modern technologies that we all share, and also the growth and expansion of Smart Africa in recent years,” she said.
Looking ahead, the minister said she finds it encouraging that Smart Africa strengthened its three strategic pillars, connect, innovate and transform, in the new Smart Africa Triennial Strategy 2023-2025, adding that SATA being included in the transform pillar is a testimonial of the quality of this strategy.
Ursula Owusu called on all parties to respect the commitments they have made on the SATA principles and to respect them in good faith for the benefit of all African citizens. “You can rely on the full support and solidarity of the Republic of Ghana in this important endeavour,” she assured them.
She believes that going forward, the members-states could work together to unlock the incredible economic growth and opportunities that they have seen thus far to the benefit of Africa and the entire world.
The police in the Ashanti Region are currently investigating circumstances leading to the alleged butchering of a toddler by the son of a landlord.
Reports gathered indicates that the suspect allegedly killed the toddler after an altercation with the child’s father, who is a tenant in their house.
The incident is said to have occurred at Adankwame within the Atwima Nwabiagya North District of the Ashanti Region on Friday, May 5, 2023.
According to the available details, the suspect, Emmanuel, inflicted machete wounds on the landlord and sister of the deceased.
The two were rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, where they were being treated.
The deceased’s mother, Janet Owusuwaa, told the media, “My husband left for work in the morning and returned home in the evening between 4pm and 5pm. My son ran to hug his father to welcome him. It was around that time that our landlord’s son who was wielding a machete confronted my husband. He butchered my son and my husband.
He also attacked my daughter, who attempted to save my son. We then had to run away. All three people have been sent to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. The toddler, who is one year and four months old, has, however, died.
Ahead of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Dramani Mahama is calling for unity of its members, especially presidential and parliamentary aspirant.
The vote is slated for May 13, 2023 with the presidential primary being the main focus for most analysts.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated calls for unity among the rank and file ahead of the process.
“Everyone has his supporters, there’s no point saying this person supported the winning team, so we will stay aside. All of us are NDC, let’s support each other after the primaries,” Mr. Mahama advised in his continued engagement with supporters at Bimbilla in the Northern Region.
Mahama is seeking to be re-elected to lead the NDC into the fourth straight election after winning in 2012 and losing in 2016 and 2020.
John Mahama will face competition in the primary from former finance minister Kwabena Duffuor and former Kumasi mayor Kojo Bonsu.
China’s official media announced that an experimental spacecraft made its way back to Earth on Monday after spending 276 days in orbit.
The spacecraft successfully finished a historic mission to evaluate the nation’s reusable space technologies.
According to state media, the unmanned spacecraft returned to the Jiuquan launch facility in northwest China on Monday as planned.
No information was provided regarding the nature of the spacecraft, the technology it tested, its altitude, or the locations of its orbits since launch in early August 2022. The public has not yet seen any images of the craft.
The test marks an ‘important’ breakthrough in China’s research into reusable spacecraft technology that will provide a more convenient and inexpensive way to mount future space missions, state media reported.
Beijing has been developing a spacecraft like the US Air Force’s X-37B, an autonomous spaceplane that can remain in orbit for years (Picture: Boeing)
In 2021, what may have been a similar spacecraft flew to the edge of space and returned to Earth on the same day in a mission that was also kept largely under wraps.
It landed on Earth ‘horizontally’ according to China’s main space contractor at the time.
Commentators on Chinese social media have speculated that Beijing has been developing a spacecraft like the US Air Force’s X-37B, an autonomous spaceplane that can remain in orbit for years.
The uncrewed and reusable X-37B returned to Earth in November last year in its sixth and latest mission, after more than 900 days in orbit.
Last month, a Chinese company became the first to launch a liquid-propellant rocket into space, taking another step towards developing SpaceX-style reusable rockets.
Network of Communication Reporters (NCR) is calling on the National Communications Authority (NCA) to completely remove all telco agents from the ongoing SIM registration process to prevent any more incidents of fraudulent SIM registration.
This call comes after the NCA explained that some unscrupulous telco agents had circumvented the process on two legs leading to many incidents of fraudulent SIM registration and putting telcos at risk of being sanctioned.
Fraudulent SIM registration is a situation where all kinds of SIM cards are being linked to people’s Ghana Cards without the consent of the Ghana Cards owners.
NCR observed that there have been several reports of some individuals having as many as 18 SIM cards linked to a single Ghana Card without their consent, which is a worrying trend, particularly because the ongoing SIM was meant to correct similar ills in the existing SIM registers.
In terms of the root cause of the fraud, NCR has taken note of the NCA’s explanation as follows:
1. That when an individual links their SIM card to a Ghana Card using *404#, the National Identification Authority (NIA) issues them with a unique nine-character alphanumeric confirmation code that establishes ownership of the Ghana Card. Then when that individual goes to an agent to complete the process at Stage 2 (bio-capture), the agent then copies that code and begins to use it to link other SIM cards to that person’s Ghana Card on his blind side.
2. That telcos asked permission from NCA for their agents, who don’t have smartphones, to be allowed to use the old (legacy) system to continue to register and activate completely new SIM cards, with a proviso that once that is done, the SIM cards will then be taken through the current process for proper registration but that regime has been abused by the telcos and their agents, hence the millions of SIM cards which have not completed SIM registration.
3. That most of the fraudulently registered SIM cards are numbers in close succession of each other, which indicates that they were done by easily identifiable agents and the telcos were fully aware but kept mute until it was exposed in the news.
NCR has taken note of the NCA’s decision to therefore abolish Stage 1 of the SIM Registration on May 31, 2023, to eliminate the issuing of a unique code that agents use to register SIM cards as fraudulent. The process will be limited to the use of the App to limit and possibly eliminate all avenues for any breaches.
“Whereas we support the NCA’s decision to abolish Stage 1, we think that is not enough because the breach at Stage 1 was perpetrated by telco agents and there are agents still participating in SIM registration as of today, even though NCA cannot independently vouch for their integrity.
“Given that no security system is full-proof we strongly suggest that all telcos agents should be entirely excluded from the ongoing SIM registration to forestall any more incidents of fraudulent SIM registration,” NCR said.
According to NCR, such a decision will leave the work to only telco staff and thereby make it easier to trace any breaches to the respective staff, adding that it will also help the telcos to avoid being sanctioned for the fraudulent conduct of their agents.
Moreover, NCR noted that the agents were drafted into the SIM registration process to help customers meet deadlines, but after May 31, 2023, when the final set of bad SIMs is deactivated, the deadline issue will be eliminated so the agents will no longer be needed.
NCR has also taken note of the assurance from the NCA that the Ghana Cards used in the fraudulent SIM registrations have not been compromised because the perpetrators were unable to use those details to complete registration in the App.
As a result, a lot of the 6.1 million SIM cards recently deactivated and the 11 million to be deactivated on May 31, 2023, are made of up fraudulently registered SIM cards.
NCR is confident that post the deactivation of those SIM cards and the subsequent audit of the SIM registers of the respective telcos, Ghana will be heading towards creating a clean, secure, verifiable and robust central SIM register as required by law – Executive Instrument 63.
“We, therefore, urge all Ghanaians to keep using the short code – *402*1# – to keep checking and reporting any strange numbers to the respective telcos (not agents) to help clean the SIM registers,” the statement said. “We also expect the telcos to cooperate with the NCA in the audit of the SIM registers as we look forward to the NCA’s guidance on how to establish ownership of Ghana Cards post the elimination of Stage 1 from the process.”
Former President John Mahama has accused government of sabotaging Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson.
He said the government is behind the Supreme Court’s injunction against the MP.
Mr Mahama said government manipulated the apex court in order to get the numbers to pursue its business in Parliament.
According to him, such acts and conducts are an affront to the country’s growing democracy.
The NDC flagbearer hopeful thus described it as a “gross injustice” to the people of Assin North.
“We have seen the cardinal sin of the 4th Republic which is the disenfranchisement of the people of SALL. For one whole term, they have not had a member of parliament. Let’s put that aside, the people of Assin North elected a person to represent them in Parliament.
“This government has manipulated the judiciary in such a way that they have injuncted the MP for Assin North. So even though he is the elected member, he cannot perform the duties of an MP.
“That is a gross injustice and an affront to the country’s growing democracy.
“But I want to assure the people of Ghana and James Gyakye Quayson, who is our MP for Assin North, that when NDC comes to power, we will clarify that constitutional provision that compels them to give up their foreign citizenship before they contest elections. A country’s human resource is its best resource,” he said at Tamale while addressing the NDC faithful on Sunday, May 7.
Mr Mahama has thus promised that the next NDC government will clarify the constitutional provision which bars persons with dual citizenship from holding political positions in Ghana.
“We happen to have three million of our citizens abroad, they have acquired skills and different talents. Why must we have a law that bars them when we have a dual citizenship law?
“We will clarify it, so they can come and stand for parliamentary seats and hold offices in Ghana, they don’t have to give up their other citizenships to be able to hold office,” he assured.
The Supreme Court in a majority 5-2 decision, on Wednesday, April 13, ruled that Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson, can no longer perform Parliamentary duties.
This is until the determination of the substantive case filed against him at the Supreme Court.
A Cape Coast High Court in July 2021 nullified the election of Mr Quayson after it found he owed allegiance to Canada at the time of filing his nomination forms to contest the polls.
Michael Ankomah Nimfah, a resident of the constituency who filed this election petition in January 2022, initiated another action at the Supreme Court.
He urged the Court to give effect to the Cape Coast High Court Judgement and prevent a further breach of the constitution by restraining the MP.
A plea the apex court granted despite opposition by the embattled MP’s legal team.
Growing nuclear disaster worries are being expressed about the Russian-run facility in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Before Ukraine’s anticipated counteroffensive, officials deployed by Moscow have started removing residents from the adjacent town of Enerhodar, triggering warnings from the UN nuclear watchdog.
The largest nuclear reactor in Europe must operate safely, according to Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
He stressed that the general situation in the area near the site is now ‘increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous’.
‘I am extremely concerned about the real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant,’ Mr Grossi said in a statement on the IAEA website. ‘We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and associated consequences for the population and the environment.’
Mr Grossi said that while the operating staff remain at the site, the conditions for the personnel and their families are ‘increasingly tense, stressful, and challenging’.
The Russian-installed governor of the Moscow-controlled part of the Zaporizhzhia region said on Friday that he had ordered the evacuation of villages close to the frontline.
This order has led to ‘a mad panic and no less mad queues’ at the checkpoint into Crimea, said Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol.
He wrote on Telegram: ‘Residents of Pologiv, Tokmak and Molochansk report that the occupiers are urgently organising the evacuation of the population to Berdyansk, calling it “aggravation of the fighting line”.
‘It is alarming that once again they want to forcibly evacuate, including children.’
It is thought the Ukrainian army will try to retake the Zaporizhzhia region, around 80% of which is held by Moscow, as part of its counter-offensive.
The IAEA has issued warnings previously about safety at the nuclear plant, which Russia captured in the opening days of its invasion last year.
Site director Yuri Chernichuk was reported by the watchdog as saying operating staff are not being evacuated and are doing all that is necessary to ensure nuclear safety.
Fante, one of the spoken languages in Ghana, has been approved on Wikipedia, joining four other Ghanaian languages with their own Wikipedia pages.
This approval signifies a great achievement for the Fante Wikimedians Community, who started the process in March 2022.
The language was approved during its incubation stage in the Wikimedia Incubator on Tuesday, 18th April 2023 and the transition was completed on Thursday, 20th April 2023.
Fante is primarily spoken in the central and southern regions of Ghana, as well as in settlements in other regions in western Ghana, with an estimated two million speakers.
Some notable speakers of the language include former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former Ghanaian presidents Kwame Nkrumah and John Atta Mills, Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson, and Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang. Additionally, famous poet and author Maya Angelou learned Fante as an adult during her stay in Ghana.
The approval of Fante on Wikipedia now allows users to read articles in the Fante language and access some materials exclusive to Fante history, culture, and people.
This is a significant milestone for the Fante language and its speakers, as Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia edited by volunteers from all around the world and hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation.
The Fante Wikipedia can be accessed via fat.wikipedia.org or through the translation button from other Wikimedia wikis. This development is not only a win for the Fante Wikimedians Community, but it also contributes to the preservation and promotion of the Fante language, culture, and history.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II marked his 73rd birthday in London whiles attending the coronation of King Charles III with his wife Lady Julia.
The celebration of Otumfuo’s birthday since his ascension to the throne in 1999 has often entailed lavish ceremonies back home or wherever he finds himself on May 6.
The 73rd birthday dinner was held at a plush location in London with guests including former president John Agyekum Kufuor and president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as well other sub chiefs.
A video sighted by GhanaWeb showed the Asantehene and his wife Lady Julia dancing to Amakye Dede’s ‘Iron Boy’ track surrounded by invited guests on the dance floor.
The Asantehene is clad in suit with a bow tie whiles Lady Julia is wearing a grey-like gown.
President Akufo-Addo in his speech eulogized the Asantehene for his role especially in promoting peace and stability in Ghana before proposing a toast in his name.
Otumfuo and his wife arrived in the UK last week and met King Charles at a private meeting before joining the coronation events on May 6 clad in Kente.
Akufo-Addo attended the coronation in his capacity as president of Ghana along with First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
Nana Asantehene is the 16th Asantehene, enstooled on 26 April 1999. He was born on May 6, 1950 making him 73 years this year.
His stool name, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is in direct succession to the 17th-century founder of the Ashanti Empire, Otumfuo Osei Tutu I.
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s 73rd birthday party which was held in London was attended by high profile personalities including President Akufo-Addo.
Also, former president John Agyekum Kufuor was in attendance at the birthday party organized for Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The party was held at a plush location in London, United Kingdom; where the Asantehene has been for the past few days attending the coronation of King Charles II.
Videos sighted by GhanaWeb showed president Akufo-Addo eulogizing the Asantehene for his role especially in promoting peace and stability in Ghana before proposing a toast in his name.
The Asantehene and his wife Lady Julia are also captured in another video dancing to Amakye Dede’s Iron Boy surrounded by invited guests on the dance floor.
Otumfuo and his wife arrived in the UK last week and met King Charles at a private meeting before joining the coronation events on May 6 clad in Kente.
Akufo-Addo attended the coronation in his capacity as president of Ghana along with First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
Nana Asantehene is the 16th Asantehene, enstooled on 26 April 1999. He was born on May 6, 1950 making him 73 years this year.
His stool name, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is in direct succession to the 17th-century founder of the Ashanti Empire, Otumfuo Osei Tutu I.
He is currently the Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and one of the most revered traditional authorities in the country.
Anyaa Sowutuom MP, Dickson Adomako Kissi, has come under heavy criticism after asking the Speaker to be cautious about his utterances regarding LGBTQ+ since they could have economic implications on the country.
For telling the Speaker of Parliament not to speak against LGBTQ+ outside Ghana, broadcaster Yaa Titi Okrah is asking Anyaa Sowutuom lawmaker, Dickson Adomako Kissi, if he is involved in the practice.
The MP, during a panel discussion on GTV indicated Speaker Bagbin should be measured in his utterances when he is outside Ghana since his views represent that of the entire country.
According to the MP, the Speaker could deliver same message but in a different tonation and choice of language to avoid breaching international diplomacy.
The MP is worried the Speaker’s stance and mode of expression could deny Ghana the assistance it seeks from the international community including the bailout from the IMF.
But reacting to the MP’s comments, Iron Lady expressed fret over why the MP wants to dictate to the Speaker what to say or not because the NPP government wants a bailout at all cost.
She is asking if the MP is in anyway involved in the act to make those pronouncements to the Speaker.
“You want us to accept LGBTQ for those who practice it to take over the few hospital beds we have? I know you to be a very responsible man Adomako Kissi so if there has been a meeting somewhere dictating to you what to say about this LGBTQ, you better revert to the respected self we know you to be. Or you’re involved in the LGBT?” she asked.
Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Albert Sumana Kingsford Bagbin reiterated his stance against LGBTQ despite ‘pressures’ and comments from the western world on the need to grant those who practice it the right to engage and promote their supposed sexual orientation.
The Speaker says the customs and conventions which form the bedrock of Ghana’s constitution abhors such disdainful acts and he as a Speaker will not superintend a Legislature that will pass a law to allow such practice in Ghana.
He made the comments at the British House of Lords and Commons in the United Kingdom where the LGBTQ+ matter became topical during his visit.
Speaker Bagbin, unlike President Akufo-Addo, who wasn’t emphatic when US Vice President Kamala Harris visited Ghana said the country’s constitution will guide the Legislature on what to do.
“There is nothing untoward; nothing wrong with the efforts by Ghana’s Parliament to legislate on the promotion of human sexual rights and family values in Ghana, using our constitution as a compass,” he told the House of Lords.
Berating threats from donor countries and other powerful global institutions to countries that enact legislations which frown on LGBTQ matters, Mr. Bagbin said threats and boycotts wouldn’t ameliorate any challenge.
“Threats are not the way to go. If your neighbour or partner has a problem, you help him to solve it. Boycotts and threats do not solve problems: engagement and understanding do,” he added.
The Speaker further indicated “there is urgent need of legislation in the area of LGBTTQR± in Ghana. Parliament is aware of the copious human rights provisions in the Constitution of the country. Parliament knows that “any legislation that detracts from the human rights and freedoms guaranteed by our constitution will be a candidate for litigation in our court of law”.
Responding to a question on the role of the President in the bill under reference, the Speaker insisted that Ghana’s Parliament has the mandate and the capability to legislate on the subject, and will not countenance any interference from the executive. He explained that the role of the President is to accent to bills submitted to him by Parliament. In the process, the President can make recommendations for the consideration of Parliament. However, final legislative powers rest with the legislature, not the executive. “Ghana’s democracy is based on the rule of law, not the rule of man”, he pointed out.
Besides, he said, Ghana’s constitution is heavy on the promotion and protection of various fundamental human rights and freedoms, and gave an assurance that curtailing human rights is not the target of the bill under reference; rather, it is about the protection of rights as well as values; so is it about the healthcare and welfare of Ghanaians, particularly those whose sexual orientation has implications for their health.
According to the Speaker, the legislature has engaged in very wide and broad consultations whilst working on the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. Members of the select committee working on it have held consultations in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, EU and Canada, among others for a deeper appreciation of the issues at stake.
In addition, the committee has received and considered about 400 memoranda on the issue and has granted audience to many advocacy groups, professional associations, traditional leaders, civil society groups, and religious leaders. He said the approach to this bill has been to “think global and act local”.
The stabilization of relations is a “top priority,” according to China‘s foreign minister, who said that the United States has put relations between the two countries on “cold ice” due to a “series of incorrect words and deeds.”
The exchange took place during Qin Gang’s first encounter with US ambassador Nicholas Burns since an argument over a Chinese balloon derailed efforts to improve relations earlier this year.
Following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with US President Joe Biden in Indonesia last year, Qin claimed that US words and actions had damaged “hard-won positive momentum.”
“The agenda of dialogue and cooperation agreed by the two sides has been disrupted, and the relationship between the two countries has once again hit the cold ice,” he said according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.
In a brief post on Twitter, Burns said he and Qin discussed “challenges in the US-China relationship and the necessity of stabilizing ties and expanding high-level communication.”
Tensions between the world’s two biggest economies soared in February after a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over the continental US and was subsequently shot down by the American military.
The incident prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a planned trip to Beijing – a visit seen as an important step in repairing fraught diplomatic ties that are at their worst in decades. There has been no indication whether the trip will be rescheduled.
“The top priority now is to stabilize Sino-US relations, avoid a downward spiral and prevent any accidents between China and the US,” Qin told Burns, according to the Chinese readout. “This should be the most fundamental consensus between China and the US.”
Qin urged the US to “reflect deeply” and “meet China halfway” to push bilateral relations out of their current predicament.
“(The US) can’t talk about communication on the one hand, but keep suppressing and containing China on the other hand,” he said, adding that Washington must respect China’s bottom lines and stop undermining its sovereignty, security and development interests – in particular on the issue of Taiwan, a self-governing democracy Beijing claims as its own.
Reiterating Beijing’s talking points, Qin urged the US to stop the hollowing out of the “one China” principle and end support for “Taiwan independent” forces.
Under Washington’s longstanding “one China” policy, the US acknowledges Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized the Chinese Communist Party’s claim to the democratic island of more than 23 million. Under the Taiwan Relations Act, Washington is also bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
Under Xi, China has ramped up economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, increasing fears he may one day make an attempt to follow through on his goal of “reunifying” the island with the mainland.
Monday’s meeting was Qin’s first with Burns since the former Chinese ambassador to the US was promoted to foreign minister in December.
It also followed Burns’ comments last week that the US is “ready to talk” to China.
“Our view is we need better channels between the two governments and deeper channels, and we are ready to talk,” Burns said at an event at the Stimson Center, which he attended virtually.
“We’ve never been shy of talking, and we hope the Chinese will meet us halfway on this,” he said.
Beijing cut off talks with Washington on major issues, from climate change to military relations, in August last year in response to then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s high-profile visit to Taipei.
The two sides resumed climate talks following Xi and Biden’s meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia last November.
Burns told the Stimson Center event that the US has been calling on China to open all of the channels suspended following Pelosi’s Taiwan trip. He reiterated Blinken’s visit to China would be rescheduled “when conditions are appropriate.”
Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG), a state-owned institution, reported net losses of GHS 2 billion for the 2022 review period.
The GHS 2bn losses compare against the GHS 72m profit recorded same period in 2021.
The government’s domestic debt exchange program, which saw the government restructure the principals, coupons, and maturity dates on bonds held by the bank, was largely to blame for the bank’s losses.
Assets value of the bank within the review period declined marginally from GHS 10.7bn to GHS 10.6bn. Value of the bank’s investment securities fell from GHS 6.7bn to GHS 6.1bn in the period under review.
In contrast, liabilities of the bank grew from GHS 9.9bn to GHS 11.3bn driven largely by increments in deposits from customers which amounted to GHS 7.8bn at end-2022.
Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of the bank witnessed a significant fall from 21.64% in 2021 to -4.5% in 2022.
This implies that the bank will not be able to absorb potential or unexpected losses should they arise. It also means that the bank has no capital set aside to be used to offset losses and protect deposits of customers.
Given the negative CAR of the bank, additional funding needs to be injected into the bank to make it financially stable.
Loan asset quality of the bank also within the review period worsened as its non-performing loans rose from 0.71% in 2021 to 19.34% in 2022, implying that CBG now has more unpaid loans than it previously had a year ago.
After Moscow ordered the evacuation of civilians from Russian-occupied districts near to the facility, the UN’s nuclear inspector expressed worries about the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and labeled the situation as “increasingly unpredictable.”
According to Yevgeniy Balitskiy, the acting director of the Zaporizhzhia region administration, who has been nominated by Russia, more than 1,600 people, including 660 children, have been evacuated from Russian-occupied towns along the front lines in Zaporizhzhia.
Despite being occupied by Russian soldiers, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station, is mostly run by a Ukrainian workforce.
The town of Enerhodar was among 18 settlements whose residents were evacuated over the weekend. Most of the plant’s staff live in the town, the International Atomic Energy Agency director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement.
Grossi said he was deeply concerned about the “increasingly tense, stressful, and challenging conditions” for personnel and their families and about “the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant.”
“We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment,” Grossi warned.
The evacuation of the town come amid rumors of an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, with the southern region likely to be a major target as Kyiv seeks to push back Moscow’s invasion.
The site director Yuri Chernichuk said operating staff are not being evacuated and “are doing everything necessary to ensure nuclear safety and security at the plant.”
Chernichuk said the plant’s six reactors are all in shutdown mode and its equipment is being maintained, “in accordance with all necessary nuclear safety and security regulations,” according to Grossi.
The plant’s position on the front lines – located on the eastern bank of the Dnipro river – means shelling in the surrounding towns and near the facility is common, according to local reports.
It has frequently been disconnected from Ukraine’s power grid due to intense Russian shelling in the area, repeatedly raising fears across Europe of a nuclear accident.
The plant is also significant because Ukraine relies heavily on nuclear power. Should Russia keep it, Ukraine would lose 20% of its domestic electricity generating capacity. Analysts have said Russia would want to capture the plant undamaged, with hopes of serving its own electricity market.
The IAEA said experts at the site continue to hear shelling on a regular basis, including late on Friday.
The evacuations, which began in Zaporizhzhia on Friday, were a “necessary measure” due to “intensified shelling of settlements” close to the front line, said Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-appointed acting governor of the partially occupied region.
Local Telegram channels reported sightings of evacuation buses and authorities telling residents to pack their bags and take their children out of kindergartens.
Evacuated residents were being placed in temporary accommodation and included children of elementary school age, Balitskiy said. He claimed the evacuees “have everything they need: food, a place to sleep, constant contact and consultation with specialists.”
Ukrainian officials have charged that Russian forces have used evacuations as a means to forcibly deport Ukrainians.
Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Operational Command South, told local media the evacuations were “an imitation of care for the local residents.”
She said this was a standard practice previously used by the Russians.
“They are trying to evacuate the people to the places where they set up their own defense lines and where they are setting their units in order to use local civilians as a cover,” Humeniuk said.
Her comments came as the exiled Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, claimed Russian soldiers are trying to leave Zaporizhzhia disguised as civilians.
“There are soldiers who try to escape from the temporarily occupied territories,” Fedorov said in an interview with Ukrainian media Sunday.
“Our residents report some cases of Russian soldiers dressing up in civilian clothes. One of the purposes why they do this is to run from the temporarily occupied territory.”
However, Fedorov also said Russian troops “are moving more and more to the Zaporizhzhia frontline.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian military officials reported Sunday that Russian forces continued to shell the region, but with no casualties in the past 24 hours.
On Sunday, Ukraine’s Operation Command South spokeswoman said Russian forces were trying to exhaust Ukraine’s air defense system.
“They are trying to find a way around it. And they are also expanding their tactics because they do not have a stable stock of the means that they can operate with,” Humeniuk said, adding the Russians are also trying “to test and find out where the air defense systems are located.”
Early Monday, five people were wounded in Kyiv following Russian drone attacks on districts of the Ukrainian capital overnight, according to Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv City Military Administration (KCMA).
In the south, Russia launched eight missiles at the port city of Odesa overnight Sunday, Ukraine’s air force said.
Russian missile attacks were also recorded in Kharkiv, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, according to Ukraine’s military.
And in Ukraine’s east, the head of the Wagner mercenary group claimed its troops have advanced in the embattled city of Bakhmut.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said Sunday his forces have advanced in “different directions so far,” though the Ukrainians still control 2.37 square kilometers.
Prigozhin has now suggested his forces will stay in Bakhmut after Russia’s Ministry of Defense promised to provide them with more ammunition, apparently backtracking on a threat to withdraw.
Bakhmut has been the site of a months-long assault by Russian forces that has driven thousands from their homes and left the area devastated.
But, despite the vast amounts of manpower and resources Russia has poured into capturing Bakhmut, Moscow’s forces have suffered high casualties and been unable to take total control of the city.
The government’s idea to send asylum seekers who sailed across the English Channel in small boats to Rwanda has come under fire from the former commander of the British troops.
General Sir Richard Dannatt asked the home secretary to not send individuals seeking sanctuary there and forewarned of the country’s “dark history” in east Africa.
In his words, Suella Braverman’s “unpopular policy” had “drained the last of Rishi Sunak’s political capital.”
‘The government is entitled to bear down on people coming on small boats who are simply seeking a better life,’ the crossbench peer told the Independent.
Suella Braverman (centre) tours a building site on the outskirts of Kigali during her visit to Rwanda (Picture: PA)
‘Whether sending people to Rwanda is the right policy, I have my doubts. It seems to be aimed at deterring others from coming, because there is a strong sanction against them. I’m uncomfortable with it.
‘I’ve been to Rwanda, and the shadow of the genocide there in the 1990s hangs over that country.’
Between 491,000 and 800,000 people were killed during the Rwandan Civil War in 1994 by Hutu militias, with the scale and brutality causing shock wordlwide.
Critics of the scheme, which has already faced challenges in the High Court, have long pointed to well-documented concerns about the country’s human rights record.
Lord Dannatt added: ‘It is not the sort of environment I would put people from Syria and elsewhere in the world into.’
Britain has agreed a multimillion-pound partnership with Rwanda designed to tackle the number of migrants arriving via unauthorised routes.
The £140 million deal will see some migrants who arrive on small boats via the English Channel sent to the country, if they cannot be deported back to theirs.
No one has actually been sent to the country so far. The first flight was scheduled to go in June 2022, but was cancelled amid legal challenges.
Lord Dannatt said: ‘It’s somewhat surprising Suella Braverman is persisting with an unpopular policy…
‘I fail to understand why the home secretary is continuing to run down the remaining political capital of Rishi Sunak’s government.’
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has underscored the giant contributions of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in the political governance of Ghana.
The president described the revered monarch as ‘an invaluable partner in the governance of Ghana,’ at a birthday dinner held for the Asantehene in London on May 6.
Akufo-Addo cited the specific instance of the Otumfuo’s contributions to securing peace especially in the Dagbon crisis, where he was a mediator, and expressed hope that the Asantehene will extend a similar hand in resolving the raging Bawku crisis.
He tasked birthday attendees to “make merry and remember the contributions of Asantehene to national lives, not the least to the stability of our country.
“Remember the role he played in bringing a settlement to the crisis in Dagbon and I am confident he is going to repeat that for me in the Bawku crisis,” he stressed.
The Bawku crisis has experienced a resurgence in recent months with factions engaging in deadly hostilities. The government recently announced that soldiers will be deployed to the situation.
Otumfuo and Akufo-Addo are in the UK with their spouses for the May 6 coronation of King Charles III.
The 73rd birthday bash of the Asantehene took place after they had attended the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Adjoa Andoh, star of Bridgerton, was one of the ITV commentators covering the King’s Coronation. During the show, he referred to the balcony of Buckingham Palace as being “terribly white.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla were formally crowned on Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey, where celebrities like Katy Perry, Dame Emma Thompson, Ant McPartlin, and Declan Donnelly were present.
Adjoa, 60, rose to fame in recent years for her portrayal of revered doyenne Lady Agatha Danbury in the television series Bridgerton. She recently reprised the character for the prequel spin-off series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which is set in London during the Regency era.
As the world watched the grand, royal proceedings, the actress was commentating on the day alongside several other presenters, including I’m A Celebrity… South Africa star Myleene Klass, 45.
At one point, the Doctor Who and Casualty star compared the sight of the royal family waving at the crowds from the famous balcony at the Palace to the guests who were in attendance at Westminster Abbey.
‘There is a bit of me that we’ve gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony. I was very struck by that,’ she said.
Adjoa expressed her excitement on Instagram over being a part of the presenting team (Picture: ITV)King Charles and Queen Camilla wore their crowns as they waved at the crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony (Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Adjoa continued: ‘I am also looking at those younger generations and thinking, “What are the nuances that they will inhabit as they grow?” Nuances that Charles has exhibited, from a teenager into early 20s young man.’
On Instagram, Adjoa celebrated being a part of the presenting team for ITV at the Coronation, sharing selfies of herself with Sathnam Sanghera and Sir Trevor McDonald.
Adjoa reprises her role as Lady Danbury in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Picture: Nick Wall/Netflix)
‘@sathnamsanghera, Sir Trevor MacDonald & me – hanging out as part of the ITV Coronation commentary team.. how the world turns..,’ she wrote in the caption.
She later posted a photo of herself with Myleene, stating: ‘What a privilege to be witness to such an historic event at such close quarters – very moving ♥️.’
Coronation of King Charles III latest
On the day of the Coronation, Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman was heard saying on live radio that the event was like ‘Tory Christmas’, after comedian Jack Whitehall said it was like ‘Tory Glastonbury’.
Another celebrity to share his observations of the Coronation in a different form was Great British Bake Off presenter Noel Fielding, who created a painting of Prince Harry at the spectacle, dubbing him the ‘lonely prince’.
Nigerian female music musician, Tiwa Savage gave a jaw-dropping performance at the coronation concert of King Charles III at the Windsor Castle on Sunday evening.
The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla was held on Saturday at the Westminster Abbey, with lots of world leaders, royals and diplomats in attendance.
Tiwa was one of about a dozen artistes billed for the concert.
She was introduced on stage as the Queen of Afro beats by the announcer as she appeared in a green gown to deliver “Keys to the Kingdom” track.
The over three-minute performance had a fusion of Nigerian local music when a drummer appeared on stage as Tiwa delivered Yoruba-like dance steps to loud applause.
Her performance ended with applause from members of the royal family and cheers from the audience.
In light of being crowned at Westminster Abbey and other events, King Charles and Queen Camilla had a very busy weekend.
Even after their celebrity-studded event on Sunday night, which featured performances by Olly Murs, Take That, and Nicole Scherzinger, they still had time to stop by American Idol for a quick “cheerio.”
Luke Bryan, Ed Sheeran, and Alanis Morissette were brought in to fill in for Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, who regularly serve as judges on the US singing competition. Katy Perry and Lionel Richie took a brief break from their roles to perform at the Coronation Concert.
While at Windsor Castle for the festivities, Katy, 38, and Lionel, 73, gave an update in a filmed message to their American Idol fans, before they were joined by King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75.
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‘We’re trying to figure out what can we do to bring something different to the show?’ the All Night Long singer said, before appearing to become flustered as the royal couple came into view alongside his fellow judge.
The King joked about Lionel doing this ‘all night long’, before asking: ‘I just wanted to check how long you’ll be using this room for?’
The royal couple made time in their busy schedule to drop by (Picture: ABC/Backgrid)Katy delivered a powerful performance at the Coronation Concert (Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
The King and Queen praised the duo on their ‘brilliant’ and ‘fantastic’ performances at the concert, while the Queen Consort turned to the Teenage Dream singer to tell her: ‘Loved your frock.’
Meanwhile, after Katy asked if they were ‘making too much noise’, Lionel added: ‘We understand there’s a party.’
‘You’ve heard about that?’ King Charles responded, as the Endless Love singer responded: ‘Well you’re throwing the party right next door.’
Coronation of King Charles III latest
Lionel had the crowds dancing away (Picture: Arthur Edwards/The Sun via AP/Pool)
He promised that as soon as he and Katy were finished, they’d be heading over to join the royals at the celebration.
As the Queen and King walked away, Katy looked in awe as she curtsied, before telling them: ‘God bless you.’
She was sweetly congratulated on her role in the Coronation Concert by her doting fiancé Orlando Bloom, who wrote: ‘Immensely proud of you my love. You always bring the light.’
Katy was the penultimate performer of the night, belting out her hits Roar and Firework, much to the delight of Princess Charlotte in particular.
Firework was dedicated to the King ‘and the work that we get to do together with the British Asian Trust and their Children’s Protection Fund’, the popstar said.
The Nasara Coordinator for the Atebubu-Amantin Constituency of the Bono East Region, Hamza Mohammed, has allegedly been assaulted by suspected party thugs.
The suspected thugs numbering three reportedly without any provocation attacked Hamza Mohammed around 9:00 pm on Friday, May 5, 2023, in front of the Agricultural Development Bank in Atebubu.
With his clothes stained with blood, he was rushed to the Atebubu Government Hospital for treatment.
Speaking on the incident to GhanaWeb via phone, he disclosed that he was on the phone when one Okacha approached him and gave him a hefty slap.
He added that two others, Dandunia and Awilo also pounced on him and started beating him with a belt and wire and even put pepper spray in his eyes.
According to him, they accused him of seeking to organize a reconciliation meeting between the MCE for Atebubu-Amantin and the constituency executives on the blind side of the party leadership.
“I was speaking on the phone on Friday night when I saw Okacha approaching me so I thought he wanted to have a conversation with me but he rather slapped me and questioned who gave me permission to organize a reconciliatory meeting. As I struggled with him, Dandunia and Awilo joined him and started beating me with a police belt wire and even put pepper spray in my eyes.”
Arrest
Although a report has been made to the police, no arrest has been made at the time of filing this report.
Cracks in the party
GhanaWeb can confirm that there are cracks in the party in the constituency and the national leadership is making frantic efforts to patch up the differences to reclaim the seat from the NDC in the 2024 elections.
CEO of Sparrow Productions, a film, television, and advertising production company, Shirley Frimpong-Manso has done it again by releasing the movie titled “Madam”
The movie which will be a series features Joselyn Dumas, Salma Mumin, Habiba Sinare, Jasmine Baroudi, Lucky Lawson, Michael Katahena, Dean Amegashie, Adoma, Godwin Namboh, and many others.
“I always say you have to love this job to actually do it and do it well. We are writing this story with a big cast with complex stories and it all has to nicely connect. It’s madness but it is good madness,” Shirley told the media during the premiere at Labadi Beach Hotel, Friday.
‘Madam’ is about Lankai Morgan, a ruthless woman who is determined to acquire power and maintain her image as a savior of young women and girls at any cost.
She operates an NGO that appears to provide rehabilitation services to impoverished girls, but in reality, she uses them as pawns to gain favor with influential figures, offering them up for sexual favors.
This role was played by Joselyn Dumas who expressed excitement about her role during the unveiling.
A Ghanaian activist has decided to swim a 450km along the Volta River in what she hopes will bring some attention to a form of pollution in the water that has been overlooked by many, and for many years.
If successful, she hopes that the continuous textile’s pollution that has plagued Ghana’s rivers will be given some careful attention and, eventually, some redresses made towards them.
Speaking to the BBC’s Focus on Africa about her new challenge, Yvette said that one of her greatest joys in swimming in Africa, although it is not one of the continent’s biggest sports, is that she is able to draw a sizeable amount of attention to her activism.
She adds that many people get even more interested in her activism when they realise it is a woman doing so.
“For me, the experience of swimming is an absolute joy, and getting to swim in the rivers and different water bodies we have in Ghana is just a wonderful experience… but as close as I can come to sharing that experience, is I really wanted to share it with other people, and, the thing that swimming does is really bring attention to water, and water bodies, and water quality, and get people thinking about nature, and swimming and how it is.
“That is what I love about our expedition. It really is something that is so surprising, and exciting to people, and I say many times that when I was swimming in the middle of the Volta Lake, in the most remote areas, it was always very strange to feel very alone, but then, when we’ve been swimming past areas where people live… and then I could really see how people are excited about the project.
“And then there’s also this interesting gender-dynamics where not only are people surprised to see someone swimming, because it’s not familiar to swim as a leisure activity, but then also to see a woman swimming, and so it ends up being this really great entry point for them talking about why I’m swimming to bring attention to textile waste, and to think about the influx of second-hand clothing to Ghana,” she explained.
Yvette Tetteh, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Pure and Just Company Limited, a youth-powered agro-processing company catalysing African potential, also explained that what many people have not noticed is that Ghana’s water bodies contain a chunk of textiles waste.
She further stated that this waste situation is something that is prevalent in places like Accra, and she hopes her activism will bring some solutions to the continuous pollution.
“What we have found is that there is way more micro-fibres in the water than you would expect to see. The water bodies in Accra, for instance, the Korle Lagoon, have worrying large levels of micro-fibres, and in fact, you don’t even have to think of micro-fibres because you can literally see the textile waste in huge mounts in the water, to the side of the water, basically spilling over designated waste sites, and that’s been very clear in our research,” she added.
The aspiring flagbearer of the NDC, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, has denied receiving any sponsorship from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to destroy the NDC, which he contributed to building.
He disclosed this when addressing the party’s delegates in Adansi Asokwa Constituency in the Ashanti region as part of his four-day campaign in the Ashanti region.
Dr. Duffuor, however, urged the party supporters, particularly the delegates, to disregard the destructive campaign his opponents are sharing with party members.
“I funded the NDC, so I’m NDC, and nothing can change my love for NDC. The NPP destroyed my banks and tried to collapse every business under my control. I want to tell you that the NPP has hurt me more than any other member of the party. The NPP can never use me to destroy the NDC. My main aid is to return NDC to power to make Ghana better,” Dr. Duffuor reiterated.
He pleaded with the party supporters to vote for him to lead the party into election 2024 on Saturday, 13th May 2023, in the presidential election by thumb-printing #3 on the ballot paper.
