The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Minerals Commission says government has not failed in its efforts to curb the activities of illegal mining in the country, popularly known as galamsey, is not over.
Martin Kwaku Ayisi said the menace cannot be ended anytime soon.
Even though Mr Ayisi will not admit that the government has failed in ending the canker, he said he understands the anger expressed by the citizenry.
According to him, the activities of illegal mining in the country is a big problem that must be dealt with urgently.
“I will be the first just as my minister, to say that galamsey is not over. But I will not say we have failed. I can understand the outrage and anger being expressed by Ghanaians.
“When people switch on their televisions and see that waterbody that looks like apple juice or milo, that is their anger and I understand them,” he said on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, May 6.
The issue of the galamsey canker has come to the front burner recently following the controversial report by the former chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).
Prof Frimpong-Boateng cites persons in government who he accuses of frustrating his effort to fight galamsey when he was Environment Minister.
“Throughout our struggle with illegalities in the small-scale mining sector, what baffled me was the total disregard of the President’s commitment to protecting the environment.
“I can state without any equivocation that many party officials from the national to the unit committee level had their friends, PAs, agents, relatives, financiers, or relatives engaged in illegal mining. Most of them engaged Chinese working for them.
“I am not referring to party people who had their legitimate concession and were mining sustainably as they were instructed to do.
“There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace,” excerpts of the document said.
While some of the persons he mentioned in the report have denied any wrongdoing, many in the public believe the galamsey fight is a lost cause.
The Archbishop of Canterbury crowned the King with St. Edward’s Crown.
In nearly 90 years, Britain has crowned a new King for the first time.
Charles III arrived at Westminster Abbey, the location of every coronation for the previous nine centuries, wearing crimson robes made for the previous monarch, his grandfather George VI.
The King and Queen travelled 1.4 miles from Buckingham Palace on the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was created for his late mother Elizabeth II. Thousands of people braved the rain to cheer them on.
The two-hour ceremony, steeped in ancient tradition but embracing 21st century values, culminated with the placing of the magnificent St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head.
As the longest-serving heir to the throne in history finally fulfilled his destiny, the 2,200-strong congregation – including dignitaries from 200 countries, 100 heads of state, as well as senior MPs, armed forces personnel and community and charity champions – shouted out: ‘God save the King!’
His wife, Queen Camilla, was invested alongside him. She will wear Queen Mary’s Crown, with the controversial Koh-i-noor diamond replaced by three from the late Queen’s personal collection. The three most recent queen consorts all had crowns specially made for their coronations.
King Charles III arrived wearing the Robe of State, made of crimson velvet and worn by King George VI at his Coronation in 1937 (Picture: PA)
Although a less lavish affair than his mother’s, the event is still the military’s largest ceremonial operation since Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation.
Some 9,000 servicemen and women have been deployed, with 7,000 of these performing ceremonial and supporting roles.
The Archbishop of Canterbury told Charles ‘we crown a King to serve’ during his coronation sermon.
Mr Welby spoke of how ‘Jesus Christ was anointed not to be served, but to serve’ – adding: ‘The weight of the task given you today, Your Majesties, is only bearable by the spirit of God.’
Coronation of King Charles III latest
The Archbishop also spoke of the King’s priorities as monarch, including ‘the way we nurture and encourage the young, in the conservation of the natural world’.
In a new element to the coronation service, Charles highlighted the ‘Called to Serve’ theme of the ceremony’s prayers when he was greeted by 14-year-old Samuel Strachan, the longest-serving chorister of the choir of the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace.
The chorister, who attends the City of London School, welcomed the monarch in the name of the ‘King of Kings’ – a reference to Jesus Christ.
King Charles replied: ‘In his name, and after his example, I come not to be served, but to serve.’
The ceremony has five main elements: the Recognition; the Oath; the Anointing; the Investiture and Crowning; and the Enthronement and Homage, as well as the Queen’s coronation.
‘Good save King Charles’ rang out four times from the congregation during the Recognition, as the King turned to the points of the compass – east, south, west and north – and was presented to his people.
Before the King took the Oath – making a succession of promises, including to maintain in the UK the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law – the archbishop delivered a preface to Charles’s declaration – another first.
He told the congregation the Church of England, which is headed by the King, will seek to foster an environment where ‘people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely’ – echoing the words of the late Queen and Charles.
Famous Nollywood actress and politician, Funke Akindelehas revealed why she stayed off Twitter after losing the governorship election in Lagos state.
The multi-talented thespian, who was the deputy governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was forced to ditch her political ambition after losing to the incumbent governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Following her defeat, she deleted all political campaign posts from her social media page, leaving only movie promotion posts. She also kept a low profile on Twitter, only occasionally sharing movie content.
Well, she took to her Twitter handle on Thursday to share a lovely video of herself and it sparked a ton of reactions from fans wondering why she left the platform.
Watch below,
Reacting, a follower wrote, “Madam Funke, I sight you… Longest time.. you run away from us abi wot happen?”
Funke, in her response, disclosed that she left Twitter because the platform is toxic and unhealthy due to excessive insults from trolls.
“Dem too dey insult people on this app, so I stay off,” she wrote.
See below,
A while back, Funke Akindele broke her silence on her defeat in the March 18 gubernatorial elections in Lagos.
Popular Nigerian singer-songwriter Chidinmma Ekile has explained why she decided to stop performing secular music.
Chidinmma, who quit secular music to return to her roots, gospel, in 2021, made this known in a video on her YouTube page on Wednesday, April 3.
According to the “Kedike” singer, despite her success after winning Project Fame in 2010, she felt empty.
She noted that the emptiness made her reconnect with her source (God).
“I was looking for my fulfillment, but I didn’t find it until I reconnected with my source,” she said.
In other news, veteran Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji celebrated her 44th birthday in style with close friends and loved ones.
The thespian turned 44 on Wednesday, May 3rd and was widely celebrated on social media by colleagues and fans.
However, Genevieve Nnaji, who has been on a social media hiatus for a while now and deleted all her Instagram posts, didn’t make any post on her birthday, which got fans worried and asking about her whereabouts.
Well, a video of the actress celebrating the day surrounded by her friends and loved ones has been shared online.
She had a simple get-together yesterday with her friends and loved ones. In the video that emerged, Genevieve was looking perfectly fine, radiating with a smile as she cut her cake.
Only the second coronation has ever been broadcast live, and the pomp and circumstance-filled event at Westminster Abbey is anticipated to continue for almost two hours.
The elaborate ceremony will be broadcast live to almost 27 million homes, and 11 million people are anticipated to listen via radio.
At around 12:00, the St. Edward’s crown will be placed on the King’s head, making him the 40th monarch.
Celebrities, heads of state, and rulers from all over the world will watch on as the ceremony takes place within the Abbey.
The King listened eagerly to the choir as the national anthem was sung to mark the start of the coronation (Picture: AFP)The St Edward’s Crown will be lifted onto the King as he is crowned this afternoon(Picture: James Veysey/Shutterstock)The Prince and Princess of Wales looked on while their children held hands and enjoyed a sweet moment together(Picture: REUTERS)The King’s purple robe could be seen from the heights of Westminster Abbey as it flowed out behind the monarch(Picture: via REUTERS)The Queen smiled at members of the Royal family as she walked through Westminster Abbey (Picture: Sky)Queen Camilla in her golden laced gown arriving at Westminster Abbey(Picture: David Fisher/Shutterstock)
Coronation of King Charles III latest
The king in a long purple velvet robe was escorted through to the Abbey and chatted to the Archbishops as he slowly walked into Westminster (Picture: Sky News)The King dressed in a velvet robe, complete with gold lace looked on nervously as he went past thousands of fans dressed in red, white and blue (Picture: Getty)The King’s procession was flanked by horses and military guards as it headed along Pall Mall (Picture: AFP)
Those invited included actress Dame Emma Thompson, musicians Lionel Richie and Nick Cave, presenters Ant and Dec and actresses Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Joanna Lumley.
Future kings, the Prince of Wales and his son Prince George, who will both play a role in the coronation, were in place and the Princess of Wales arrived with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The Duke of Sussex was seated in the third row, two rows behind William, but his wife Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex has remained at home in the US.
The King will become the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey, the nation’s coronation church, since William the Conqueror was anointed monarch within its walls on Christmas Day 1066.
Charles and Camilla’s Diamond Jubilee Coach arrived in the midst of a Sovereign’s Escort provided by the Household Cavalry’s Blues and Royals and Life Guards with their shining breastplates and plumed helmets and led by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment band.
The monarch and his wife’s entrance through the west door was heralded by a fanfare from four State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry and the abbey congregation stood as one.
A large ceremonial procession was lined up before the King and Queen with representatives of all elements of the nation’s ceremonial and spiritual life.
King Charles looked slightly daunted as he arrived for the coronation(Picture: PA)
There were recipients of Orders of Chivalry and Gallantry, Heralds from the College of Arms in their colourful tunics, senior clergy associated with the monarchy and the glittering coronation regalia carried by leading figures.
Among those gathered was double Olympic Gold medallist Lord Coe, a member of the Order of Companions of Honour, Willie Apiata, New Zealand’s only living Victoria Cross recipient, and Lincolnshire farmer Francis Dymoke the King’s champion carrying the Royal Standard.
St Edward’s Crown, the 17th-century artefact Mr Welby will use to crown Charles, was carried by General Sir Gordon Messenger, Lord High Steward of England.
With their lavish and unwieldy robes, the King and Queen walked single file along the nave of the abbey with Camilla ahead of Charles as the hymn I Was Glad As They Said Unto Me was sung.
At the beginning of the coronation service, a Welsh language piece was sung with the choir, together with Sir Bryn Terfel, singing Kyrie Eleison.
Earlier, the King and Queen made their first appearance of coronation day when they travelled the short distance from their Clarence House home for final preparations at Buckingham Palace.
The Duke of York was driven down The Mall in a state car, with parts of the crowd booing as he went past.
Inside the ancient abbey, the church buzzed with noise as the congregation filed in and took their seats hours before the ceremony was due to start.
A smiling Dean of Westminster, Dr David Hoyle, in his vivid red clerical robe was seen hurriedly carrying the holy oil for the anointing down the length of the abbey from the altar through the quire, clutching the precious ornate silver vessel in both hands.
The King has turned to each of the four points of the compass and has been recognised by his people as their ‘undoubted King’.
The recognition rite saw King Charles presented to the congregation at the beginning of the service, with the participation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Baroness Amos, Lady Elish Angiolini, and Christopher Finney, Chair of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association.
Each said in turn: ‘I here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King.
‘Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service: are you willing to do the same?’
The congregation and choir replied: ‘God save King Charles.’
Prince George was carrying a corner of his grandfather, the King’s, trailing robes as the royal party made its way into Westminster Abbey.
His siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were earlier seen peering out of a car window as they arrived outside the church.
The King has turned to each of the four points of the compass and has been recognised by his people as their ‘undoubted King’.
The recognition rite saw King Charles presented to the congregation at the beginning of the service, with the participation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Baroness Amos, Lady Elish Angiolini, and Christopher Finney, Chair of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association.
Each said in turn: ‘I here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King.
‘Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service: are you willing to do the same?’
The congregation and choir replied: ‘God save King Charles.’
specially-commissioned red leather-bound Bible has been presented to the King, upon which he swore oaths to govern the people with justice and mercy, and uphold the churches established by law in the United Kingdom.
The formal Presentation of the Bible to the sovereign dates back to the joint Coronation of William III and Mary II in 1689.
For the first time, a preface has been added to the coronation oath in which the Archbishop said the Church of England ‘will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely’.
The Coronation Oath Act of 1688 requires the King to declare during his crowning ceremony that he will maintain the established Anglican Protestant Church, rule according to laws agreed in Parliament, and cause law, justice and mercy to be executed in his judgment.
Each part of the oath was framed as a question to King Charles, and he placed his hand on the Bible as he replied.
King Charles became the first monarch to pray in public at the coronation and his grandson – Prince George – took on a number of special roles for the coronation (Picture: REUTERS)
King Charles has become the first monarch to pray publicly at a coronation – praying for grace to be ‘a blessing to all… of every faith and belief’, and to serve after the pattern of Christ.
A special personal prayer was written for the King to reflect the ‘loving service’ theme of the service, and the words were inspired in part by the popular hymn I Vow To Thee My Country.
He said: ‘God of compassion and mercy whose son was sent not to be served but to serve, give grace that I may find in thy service perfect freedom and in that freedom knowledge of thy truth. Grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and belief, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace; through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen.’
As he took the Oath, the King said: ‘I, Charles, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law.’
The King then signed copies of the Oaths, presented by the Lord Chamberlain, while the choir sang.
Popular singers P-Square have revealed the reason behind their band’s dissolution.
It will be recalled how the brothers went solo after the renowned group broke up in 2017?
The cause of the separation between the singers was the subject of numerous theories. However, neither the singers nor the reason for their breakup was ever addressed.
The brothers settled their difference in November 2021 and declared they were reviving their band.
The Afrobeats stars were recently questioned by media personality Larry Madowo on CNN’s “African Voices” on why they split up and the motivation for their comeback.
In response, Peter Okoye claimed that despite their close relationship, human nature got the better of them.
Paul remarked that their breakup story is similar to the ordinary breakup that happens in music groups.
The brothers attributed their reconciliation to God. They stated that none of them coerced the reunion by saying that it occurred naturally.
North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that the US registration of the National Cathedral project is not limited to Washington DC as he reported earlier this week.
With documentary evidence backing his latest publication of National Cathedral scandals from his special visit to the US, the lawmaker has revealed that the project has also been registered in the states of Illinois and Oaklahoma.
This was contained in social media posts published on May 6, 2023; dubbed “Episode 3 of the “National Cathedral Scandals — American Edition.”
In his introduction, Ablakwa wrote: “Episode 3 reveals deeply distressing findings from the two US states of Oklahoma and Illinois.”
Ablakwa noted that previous documentations made available by the Cathedral secretariat and publicly available information on its website showed that it operated only one external office in Washington, D.C.
The MP in the first part of his publications (May 2) said the said, with address: 1090 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20005, “has now turned out to be fictitious.”
He continued: “I can today reveal that there has been a bustling hive of activity beyond Washington, D.C. and Missouri. I have secured true certified copies of registration and other documentation of the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. in Oklahoma and Illinois. (These documents are duly attached and made public for the first time.)”
Ablakwa in 10 points made critical observations as contained on the said registration documentation and stressed the issues of corporate governance breaches and what he referred to as illegalities involved in the transactions.
He also asked critical questions of how three persons had been listed in both documentation as trustees, raising questions of their accountability to the state and also decrying how Ghana’s strong diplomatic presence in the US has been sidelined.
After two mass shootings in less than 48 hours that resulted in several fatalities, Serbians are in shock and demanding explanations. There are also broad calls for severe measures to stop similar tragedies from happening again.
Although Serbia has a high rate of gun ownership, mass shootings of the kind that occur frequently in the United States are exceedingly uncommon there, and school shootings were almost unheard of until this week.
All of that changed on Wednesday when a 13-year-old boy opened fire on his classmates at a school in Belgrade, the country’s capital, killing at least eight kids and a security officer.
The nation was still in deep shockwhen news of another mass killing broke on Thursday night. A 21-year old gunman wielding an automatic weapon killed eight people in the village of Dubona, south of the capital city. The gunman has been arrested following a massive overnight manhunt involving hundreds of special forces.
“This never happened in Serbia before. We only heard about this [happening in] the United States. You could never dream that this would happen here,” Belgrade resident Marko Kovacevic told CNN. “This is the worst thing that happened in Serbia since the bombing in 1999,” another resident, David Stevens, told CNN at a vigil in Belgrade.
The reaction was swift. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić promised on Friday, just hours after the second shooting, that the government will make urgent changes to the country’s firearm legislation.
He proposed tougher conditions for people who wish to purchase weapons and a national gun buyback program for those who can’t fulfill those conditions.
“Great nations managed to find solutions after big tragedies,” Vučić said during a news conference on Friday. “We have to find the way to live freely and to confront this evil,” he said.
The government is also proposing a two-year moratorium on the issuing of new gun permits and a review of existing permits within the next three months.
It is also looking to potentially ban cell phones from schools and put new regulations on social media – specifically aimed at “content that can seriously harm the physical, mental or moral development of minors.”
The massacres have left many in Serbia aghast, with questions about the motives behind them high on people’s minds.
The night before the killings at the Belgrade elementary, the 13-year-old suspect was up late watching videos on TikTok and an American documentary about a school shooting, according to Belgrade police chief Veselin Milić, who declined to name the specific film.
“This murderer said that he had seen some weird American film where a boy did the same in his school. The murderer had no empathy or remorse,” he told CNN in an interview on Thursday.
The teenage suspect fired 57 rounds insideVladislav Ribnikar Elementary, a prestigious school in an upscale part of Belgrade. The police said he was remarkably proficient in the way he handled the weapon, changing clips as he moved through the school.
He used two handguns that his father owned legally and kept in a locked safe.
Milić said that the boy’s father had previously taken him to a gun range in the basement of Belgrade’s FK Partizan football club’s stadium – even though it is illegal in Serbia for young people to handle guns.
Asked about the legality of teaching a child to use a gun, Milić said, “It’s absolutely illegal. It’s neither normal nor natural.”
The school shooting on Wednesday sparked questions about criminal responsibility after it emerged that the suspect cannot be held liable.
Under Serbian law, children under 14 cannot be held criminally responsible. The suspect’s parents have been detained for possible crimes related to the boy’s access to the locked safe where they stored the gun, but they have not yet been formally charged.
“It is terrifying to see such a young person has the capacity to perform such a horrendous act,” Stevens added.
The boy is currently being held in a psychiatric facility, but his long-term future is unclear. Milić said the suspect was not under the influence of drugs at the time of the shooting, and had not been the victim of bullying, though he had recently fallen out with his friends and changed classes in an attempt to fit in.
Many are also questioning the initial reaction of the school authorities. While there was an armed police officer on the school campus that day, Belgrade police said the officer didn’t immediately run towards the sound of gunfire, but instead waited for backup, then entered the school minutes later to arrest the suspect – who had called police himself.
For comparison, in the US, where school shootings have tragically become regular occurrence in recent years, police are trained to immediately go towards the sound of gunfire and try to take out the shooter.
Belgrade police have not yet responded to CNN’s requests for clarification on its own protocols and whether they were followed in this case.
On Wednesday night in Belgrade, crowds gathered to protest against the authorities, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Branko Ružić. His deputy, Milan Pašić, told CNN his boss had offered his resignation, but it was not clear if it would be accepted. The offer was not enough for some teachers in the city, who plan to walk out on Friday over school safety concerns.
Pašić insisted that the school was as safe as it could have been. “Unfortunately, it happened in school, but it could’ve happened on the street, in the park. In any case this is just one tragic case,” he said.
For the past three days, there has been plenty of public discussion about mental health, parental responsibility, violent video games, social media and, of course, guns.
While Serbia is a country that has known violence, conflict and war, it has not had to reckon with questions around this type of mass shooting.
It has the highest level of civilian gun ownership in Europe, and the fifth-highest in the world – a legacy of years of conflict in the 1990s. But getting a gun legally is a complicated process that requires a background check, medical check and a training course. The person wanting a gun also has to prove they have a good reason to own one.
In the meantime, ordinary people are doing what they can, as victims continue to fight for their lives in hospital. A blood donation clinic close to the school in central Belgrade said it had twice as many donors as usual turn up to give blood following the shooting.
Here is a story of a teacher who provides free uniform sowing services for students in need.
Janet Asibi is a 25-year-old Ghanaian professional teacher at Aboabo Presby Primary School at Akim Oda in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
She is passionate about seeing every child in school, hence does not want lack of school uniform to be a hindrance.
Affectionately known as “Ama Val the Sewing Teacher”, she uses her own money and seeks the assistance of friends and family to knit new school uniforms for children in need.
Janet learned how to use the sewing machine at a young age, and has used her skills to mend and make free uniforms for pupils since 2019.
“Seeing these young people, whom we refer to as potential leaders walk to school in ripped clothes compelled me to use my sewing skills,” she told Melvin Da Enigma on Luv FM’s DriveTime Show.
Janet has stitched uniforms for pupils in several local schools and wants to take her effort nationwide.
In some days, she could stitch over 50 uniforms for a school.
“I will continue with this initiative until my last breath. It all started when I was posted to Nsoatre in the Bono Region for my teaching practice. When I reached the school, I realized that some students come to school with torn uniforms and others too with no uniforms at all.
“And it was having an effect on their education, so I took it upon myself to get a sewing machine and start to stitch out the worn out uniforms. So those who were coming to school with torn uniforms, I started stitching and patching it for them.
“Moving along the line, I realized that it was helping them, those who would have stayed in the house then will be going to school,” Janet said.
She believes solving the challenges faced in the education sector is everyone’s responsibility.
A school uniform for a girl costs an average of GHȼ65.
Janet ‘Ama Val the Sewing Teacher’ collaborates with, and pays another seamstress to effectively accomplish her task.
She plans her day to ensure her volunteering activity does not affect her teaching obligations.
Her goal is to expand her “One Student, One School Uniform” program to cover more pupils in Ghana.
Civil society organisation, Alliance for Social Equity and Public Administration (ASEPA) has called for investigations into the Operation Vanguard taskforce tasked to curb illegal mining in the country as well as the report about illegal mining (galamsey) authored by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.
An explosive report compiled by former Environment Minister, Prof Frimpong Boateng who was the chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) set up by President Akufo-Addo leaked into the public domain recently.
In the 2021 report to the President, Prof Boateng named senior government officials accused of active involvement in illegal mining locally called ‘galamsey’.
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has announced that he is investigating the report that has already been given to Ghana’s Chief of Staff, Madam Frema Osei Opare.
As Ghanaians begin to show interest in the Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s report, the Executive Director for ASEPA, Mensah Thompson, wants the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to probe the matter with all seriousness.
Speaking on Power Midday news on Power 97.9 FM, Thompson alleged that Operation Vanguard– the joint military and police force tasked to fight illegal mining– was compromised at the time of its operations in the country.
He told Piesie Okrah on Power FM that there were issues raised against the taskforce when it was tasked to combat illegal mining.
“We want the Special Prosecutor not to investigate Professor Frimpong-Boateng’s report but all issues linked to galamsey, including Operation Vanguard,” Thompson said.
He believes if the works of the IMCIM and Operation Vanguard are investigated, the lapses in the fight against galamsey will be exposed.
Popular singers P-Square have disclosed the cause of the breakup of their music group.
Recall that the renowned group split up in 2017 with the brothers going solo.
The cause of the separation between the singers was the subject of numerous theories. However, neither the singers nor the reason for their breakup was ever addressed.
The brothers settled their difference in November 2021 and declared they were reviving their band.
The Afrobeats stars were recently questioned by media personality Larry Madowo on CNN’s “African Voices” on why they split up and the motivation for their comeback.
In response, Peter Okoye claimed that despite their close relationship, human nature got the better of them.
Paul remarked that their breakup story is similar to the ordinary breakup that happens in music groups.
The brothers attributed their reconciliation to God. They stated that none of them coerced the reunion by saying that it occurred naturally.
NWO Johnson Ametuo Daniel, father of Popular Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson Okojie has died.
On Friday, May 5, in the afternoon, the mother of four announced the tragic news of her father’s passing on her verified Instagram account.
She shared a video from her father’s 74th birthday and wrote,
“For the rest of my life Daddy, I will keep asking God why? I don’t think I will ever understand why he has taken you from me. And if he responds, I don’t even think I will accept it.
They say love saves but my love did not keep you here with us. The great pain I feel now is the greatest pain of all.
Rest In Peace my gentle father, NWO Johnson Ametuo Daniel. D.A Johnson, God clearly loves you more, that’s the only explanation that makes any sense to me.”
Friends, colleagues, and followers have since trooped to the comment section of the post to offer their condolences.
Mercy Johnson had a very close relationship with her father, Daniel Johnson, She has spoken publicly about the profound impact her father had on her life and career. Daniel Johnson was a former naval officer who encouraged his daughter to pursue her dreams of becoming an actress, even though he initially had reservations about the entertainment industry. Mercy Johnson has often credited her father for instilling in her a strong work ethic, resilience, and determination, which have helped her overcome various challenges in her life and career. She has also named one of her daughters Purity because of her father’s values and principles.
We sympthasize with the family in their time of grief.
About Mercy Johnson
Mercy Johnson is a popular Nigerian actress and movie producer. She was born on August 28, 1984, in Lagos, Nigeria. She began her acting career in 2004, and since then, has appeared in over 200 Nollywood movies. Mercy Johnson has won several awards for her outstanding performances, including Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. In addition to acting, she is also a philanthropist and is actively involved in charitable activities, especially for children. Mercy Johnson is known for her versatile acting skills and her ability to portray a range of characters convincingly. She is widely regarded as one of the most talented actresses in Nigeria.
Mercy Johnson is a Nigerian actress and movie producer. She began her acting career in 2004, and since then, has appeared in over 200 Nollywood movies. Some of her most popular movies include “The Maid,” “Dumebi the Dirty Girl,” “War in the Palace,” “30 Days in Atlanta,” and “Thy Will Be Done.” Mercy Johnson has won numerous awards for her outstanding performances, including Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards and the Best Actress in a Comedy at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. She is known for her versatility as an actress and her ability to bring depth and authenticity to her roles. In addition to acting, Mercy Johnson is also a philanthropist and is involved in several charitable activities, particularly for children.
Mercy Johnson is married to Prince Odianosen Okojie, who is a businessman and entrepreneur. The couple got married in 2011 and have since welcomed four children together, three daughters, and one son. Their children’s names are Purity, Henry, Angel, and Divine-Mercy. Mercy Johnson is known for being very family-oriented and often shares photos and videos of her family on her social media accounts. She has also spoken publicly about her experiences as a wife and mother, and how her family has been a source of support and inspiration for her.
Big Brother Naija star, Maria Chike Benjamin, has claimed that she didn’t know her lover, Kelvin, was married when they started dating.
She stated this in a recent interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, while speaking on the controversy surrounding her relationship with her partner.
Recall that back in 2021, the reality TV star was accused of snatching Kelvin from his wife by Nigerian socialite, Cubana Chiefpriest, who said the victim is his sister.
Maria, however, did not confirm or refute the rumour until July 2022, when she went on a Twitter rage to address the rumour ‘once and for all’.
She stated that she did not ruin anybody’s home or snatch anybody’s husband, adding that she choose to remain silent about the rumour for the best interest of those involved.
In a recent interview with Chude, Maria, again, maintained that she did not ruin Kelvin’s marriage, and that she chose to remain silent about the rumor for the sake of those concerned.
She further revealed that she had no idea that he was married when they first met and started dating.
Her words: “I wasn’t aware whether or not he was married when we first started dating. What I am going to stand by and that’s the gospel truth is that I didn’t destroy any marriage. I have never and I will never.”
Nollywood star and politician, Tonto Dikeh, has debunked claims suggesting that she is suffering from complications due to the cosmetic surgery she underwent recently.
On the contrary, she says her “body is banging and her health on top notch.”
The mother of one had taken to social media a few days ago to announce that she underwent another round of liposuction to enhance her body.
Tonto Dikeh shared a video of herself in the hospital where she had the surgical procedure, and in her caption revealed that she decided to go under the knife for the third time because she slacked off after her previous procedure and developed excess belly fat.
Following the announcement, a Twitter user called for prayers for the actress, alleging that close sources disclosed that Tonto Dikeh was in a critical condition.
“I hear Tonto Dikeh is in a critical condition in a hospital in Dubai? She went for a 3rd liposuction and BBL, which is bum bum enlargement! I hear the operation didn’t go well, and she’s now in a critical condition in the hospital! I pray for her quick recovery .” The Twitter user wrote.
In a swift response, Tonto Dikeh shared the screenshot of the tweet on her Instagram page and debunked the news from the Twitter user.
According to her, she’s not in critical condition and has been discharged and is in her house going about her daily activities.
Samsung Electronics flagged a gradual recovery for chips in the second half of the year after its semiconductor business reported a record loss on Thursday, driven by weak demand for tech devices.
A global downturn in semiconductor purchases amid an economic slowdown and weak customer spending sent chip prices plummeting in the first quarter, triggering production cuts across the sector.
Samsung said its chip business would focus on high-capacity server and mobile products “based on expectations of a gradual market recovery and a rebound in global demand” in the second half.
For the current quarter, Samsung said it expected limited recovery for memory chips as major data center firms invested more conservatively in servers.
The world’s biggest memory chipmaker said operating profit fell to 640 billion won ($478.6 million) for the January-March quarter, down 95% from 14.12 trillion won a year earlier and the lowest profit for any quarter in 14 years.
Revenue fell 18% to 63.7 trillion won.
The South Korean tech giant’s chip division — normally its most reliable cash cow — reported a 4.58 trillion won loss compared to an 8.45 trillion won profit a year earlier.
Shoppers around the world have cut back on purchases due to rising inflation. As a result, smartphone, personal computer and server companies have run down inventories, causing chip prices to plunge by about 70% over the previous nine months.
Executives speaking onstage as Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest flagship smartphones in San Francisco in February.
Samsung made a rare announcement of a chip production cut earlier this month, joining smaller rivals.
Although this could help chip prices recover slightly, analysts said Samsung’s profit in the current quarter may be similar to Q1 without a fundamental recovery in demand for devices that use chips.
By the second half of the year, customers will have run down inventory and gradually start buying chips again, Samsung said.
Despite the record loss in chips, Samsung said it spent 10.7 trillion won in capital expenditures during Q1, the highest for the first quarter of any year.
Out of that, 9.8 trillion won was spent on chips as Samsung sets up production in its Taylor, Texas and Pyeongtaek, South Korea factories.
“Samsung Electronics will continue to invest in memory semiconductors at a similar level to the previous year … to secure mid- to long-term competitiveness,” it said.
Samsung’s mobile business was a brighter spot, reporting 3.94 trillion won profit in Q1, up from 3.82 trillion won a year earlier.
“Samsung is focusing on profit rather than shipments” as it meets more resilient demand for premium smartphones rather than volume, said Jene Park, senior analyst at Counterpoint.
In the second half, Samsung forecast the smartphone market would increase in both shipments and revenue as the global economy recovers.
Shares in Samsung fell 0.5% in morning trade, in line with the wider market.
Samsung shares have risen about 16% year-to-date as investors anticipate a memory chip recovery in the second half of this year.
Economist, Professor William Baah-Boateng, has urged the Bank of Ghana to institute laws that ensure that forex bureaus across the country only buy foreign currencies and sell only the cedi.
According to him, this is a sure way to help control the cedi’s depreciation on the international market.
He said, Ghanaians’ easy access to foreign currency at the various forex bureaus is what has significantly contributed to the dollarisation of the economy and the subsequent tanking of the cedi.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express Business Edition, he said unless a Ghanaian is travelling abroad, they should not be given foreign currency.
“I don’t understand why as a Ghanaian if I’m not travelling I can go to the forex bureau and say I need dollars. What am I using the dollars for?” he said.
He said similar laws are applied in other foreign countries like Finland and Germany where foreign currencies are not accepted in the country during transactions.
“So for me I think if the central bank, if Bank of Ghana law and regulation can be reviewed and say that forex bureau are supposed to mop-up foreign currency for the bank but not to sell, it means that if I come from outside and I need cedis I can walk to forex bureau and give them my foreign currency and get the cedis, but not get dollar and give my cedis.
“When you do that it means if I’m travelling – and it happens in many other countries and my colleagues at central bank they travel more than I do, they know. And I’ll give you Finland as one of the countries. If you enter Finland, you cannot buy any good or service with any currency like dollar or so on or even Germany.
“I was in Germany and I wanted to buy something and I didn’t have enough euros and I thought I could use my dollar, I went there they said ‘we can’t use go and change it to euro before we can use it.’ Because the rules are there so nobody will then go and buy dollar and so on.
“So you use the local currency and when you’re leaving you get to the airport, you get your boarding pass, at the last point there’s a forex bureau there you can change and get the dollar. And if we’re able to insist on this why would we need the dollar in Ghana? Why do I have to buy the dollar as a store of value?” he explained.
Popular Ghanaian actor, Salinko, has disclosed that he has been divorced by his wife, whom he married in 2017. The actor revealed that the divorce hit him hard and he nearly went mad.
Speaking in an interview with Poleenu Multimedia, Salinko explained that his wife told him she was fed up with the marriage, and that her father also confirmed that his daughter was no longer interested in the union.
Salinko denied any allegations of abuse, stating that his wife did not make any accusations against him. He further revealed that the divorce had a significant impact on his mental health, and he struggled to focus on his work.
The actor noted that he was able to overcome the pain of the divorce by listening to motivational messages.
“Madam just said that she is fed up, we went to the father and the father also said he can see the daughter is fed up; no one maltreated her or did anything to her. So it is something that happens.
“I nearly went mad my brother, but I had to manage because initially when I go to the market to sell, I can sit there for a while until someone prompts me before I become conscious of myself. It is something that I realize happens from motivational messages. Yes, a lady can tell you that she is fed up without any reason,” he said.
Salinko is known for his comic roles. He has starred in several Kumawood Movies and TV series including the popular ‘Boys Abre’.
For King Charles’ Coronation Day, we are dusting off our plastic crowns and getting our Union Jack bunting ready, just as we did for the Platty Joobs last summer.
Or Corrie D by Prince Chaz, as we’ve decided to call it. Which, although it kind of sounds like a rapper who got his start on Coronation Street’s cobblestones, we enjoy.
As Charles is formally crowned King and his wife Camilla assumes the title of Queen, there will be celebrations in streets all around the nation.
And alongside your decorations, why not opt for some celebratory flowers because brand Flowerbx is really tapping into a niche market with its Coronation Collection of blooms for our new monarch.
You may not know this, but Chaz loves getting busy outdoors. And by that we mean he’s a big fan of nature and all things gardening.
While he previously revealed he had a soft spot for ‘magnificent’ delphiniums, this specially-designed bouquet is riffing on signature British springtime blooms including Purple Lisianthus, Memory Lane Roses, Amethyst Stocks, Parvifolia Eucalyptus, and Wax Flowers.
The King’s Bouquet, in all its glory (Picture: Flowerbx)Yes, there’s even a coronation wreath (Picture: Flowerbx)
You can treat yourself to fresh flowers or there’s even a Coronation Wreath on offer. Who says a wreath is just for Christmas, ey?
There’s also vases in the Vintage Wedgwood collection that are hand-sourced and created by the iconic designer.
For those not in the know about their china (shame on you) Wedgwood has been around since 1759 and was created by potter Josiah Wedgwood when he was just 29. He’s since passed (obviously, otherwise he’d be almost 300 years old) but his designs left quite the mark. To put it simply, he’s the GOAT of pottery.
Coronation of King Charles III latest
The flowers will look great in your home or lining the tables of your street party and they’re all hand-wrapped in limited-edition memorabilia paper, printed with the official emblem of the event.
And because Charles is such an eco-hun, the wreath is easy to repurpose and used time and time again. Just add a jazzy set of baubles and you’ve got your Christmas decs sorted.
The flowers also make the perfect gift for any royal fans out there.
If your mum’s a sucker for a royal event or your nan still can’t mention the Queen without tearing up, these flowers will be the perfect thing to bring a smile to their faces.
Ghanaian media personality, Afia Pokua, popularly known as Vim Lady, has described United Showbiz host, MzGee and Onua Showtime presenter, Nana Ama McBrown, as two ‘giants’ holding the fort for women in the media space.
According to her, these two women have put an end to the trend of men dominating the screens over a long period of time.
Vim Lady’s comments are on the back of McBrown’s maiden launch of her new show, ‘Onua Showtime’, where she was said to have pulled over 10,000 views within some hours.
The number of views accrued from the show has since caused a heated debate on social media where netizens have compared her current show to that of her former, United Showbiz, which is now handled by MzGee.
Netizens have been weighing both shows to see which of them carries more influence, reach and engagement, particularly on social media.
But condemning such mindsets, Vim Lady said the success of both shows shouldn’t be determined by the number of views.
“In Ghana, success and impact isn’t determined by the number of views, so those comparing MzGee to McBrown in terms of views to put a stop to it. Some years ago, men were the ones holding the fort when it comes to television.
“All the powerful show hosts we had by then were men. Today, women are dominating our screens. Two powerful women are hosting two powerful programs and that is the beauty of it. Let’s stop the negativity, our minds are too negative,” she stressed in a video making rounds on social media.
Instead, Vim Lady said the level of their successes should be measured by the number of lives they have been able to impact.
“Our focus should be driven on their impact. How many lives they have been able to impact with their pay cheque. How many people have they been able to educate with their show? That is how we should measure people’s work. Those are their KPIs,” she added.
Onua Showtime host and Ghanaian darling, Nana Ama McBrown has shared an intimate and touching revelation about her journey to motherhood. In an interview with Berla Mundi on The Day Show, the actress revealed that her beloved daughter, Baby Maxin, was actually her first-ever pregnancy.
Opening up about her conception and pregnancy experience, McBrown said, “Maxin is my first child, my first pregnancy. It was an experience that no woman should ever have to go through, and I thank God that I was able to see my child.” McBrown went on to share that she has personally experienced the heartbreaking struggle of miscarriages and infertility, noting, “I know someone who went through IVF seven times. The experience is absolutely heart-wrenching, and it’s something that people who haven’t gone through it simply can’t understand.”
Despite her own struggles, the actress and TV host maintains a positive attitude and a deep appreciation for the gift of motherhood. Although she longs to experience the natural means of giving birth, McBrown shared that her body won’t allow for it and that she must rely on the help of IVF.
For those unfamiliar with the term, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process by which an egg is removed from a woman’s ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory before being implanted in the woman’s womb to grow and develop. To her fans, Nana Ama McBrown’s story is a poignant reminder of the struggles that many women face on their journeys to motherhood, and her candor and resilience are a source of inspiration.
In a recent interview with Berla Mundi on The Day Show, the beloved media personality formally disclosed that she has adopted a little girl.
McBrown explained that the young girl had lost her mother, and even though her father is still alive, she made the decision to adopt her. “She is officially my daughter; her dad gave her to me,” the excited mother said.
The newly adopted daughter’s name is however yet to be revealed.
Nana Ama McBrown is a well-known Ghanaian actress, TV host, and philanthropist. She was born on August 15, 1977, in Kumasi, Ghana. McBrown has appeared in many Ghanaian and Nigerian movies and has won several awards for her outstanding performances. In addition to acting, she is also a TV host on the popular cooking show “McBrown’s Kitchen” and is actively involved in charitable activities through her Nana Ama McBrown Foundation. McBrown is known for her versatility and natural acting ability, which has earned her a place among the most successful and influential actresses in Ghana.
Actress and showbiz icon, Nana Ama McBrown has been making headlines since March when she announced that she has joined Media General’s Onua TV.
Since then, the celebrated screen goddess who cut her teeth as a TV presenter as host of UTV’s United Showbiz set her fans and TV audiences on edge with what new thing she was bringing to her new home.
And perhaps, the expectations were overly lived when McBrown premiered her Onua Showtime on Sunday, April 30.
Even before the main launch on Sunday, the actress got social media talking with a video advertising the upcoming TV programme last week.
And truthfully, social media couldn’t get enough of McBrown when she pulled many views on Facebook and Twitter few minutes into the airing of the programme.
It was pure show of love from social media commentators and her fans who posted their opinions about the new TV show which many expect to bring huge viewership to Onua TV.
A number of the comments praised McBrown’s charisma and versatility.
Popular actress and TV host, Nana Ama McBrown, has left her fans in awe with a heartwarming revelation about her family. In a recent interview with Berla Mundi on The Day Show, the beloved media personality formally disclosed that she has adopted a little girl.
McBrown explained that the young girl had lost her mother, and even though her father is still alive, she made the decision to adopt her. “She is officially my daughter; her dad gave her to me,” the excited mother said.
The Onua Showtime host went on to reveal that her new daughter shares the same room with her firstborn, Maxin. The newly adopted daughter’s name is however yet to be revealed.
The news of the adoption has touched the hearts of many fans, who applauded the actress for her generosity and kind-heartedness towards the needy. Social media was also abuzz with positive comments and reactions, with many people commending McBrown’s act of love towards her new daughter.
Many believe that Nana Ama McBrown’s love knows no bounds, and her fans can’t wait to see what other surprises she has in store for them.
With this love she has for children, the actress has her own foundation.
The Nana Ama McBrown Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Ghanaian actress and philanthropist, Nana Ama McBrown. The foundation’s mission is to support underprivileged individuals and communities in Ghana through various charitable activities such as providing basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter, educational support, and healthcare services. The foundation also focuses on empowering women and children by creating opportunities for them to achieve their full potential. Nana Ama McBrown personally oversees the foundation’s activities and is dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of those in need.
Extending this love, the actress has made many donations to orphanages.
Versatile Ghanaian actress, Nana Ama McBrown, donated items to the ‘Mampong Babies Home’ as part of her social responsibilities in 2015.
The items which include cooking oils, mini billboard mounted by the actress, bags of rice and sugar, soft drinks, diapers, toiletries, and clothes were presented to staffs of the orphanage at a party organized for the orphans by the award-winning actress.
According to the actress who has been embarking on such worthy causes, there was no better way to have spent the New Year than the quality time she spent with the orphans and positively touching their lives.
According to her, it’s very pathetic to come across kids who have lost their parents and do not experience parental warmth and care from their biological parents. “Drawing close to them, showing them affection, and putting smiles on their faces make them feel loved”, she stated.
Staffs of the orphanage who could not hide their happiness for what the actress had done for them expressed their gratitude for such a commendable cause.
Addressing the crowd that were present at the New Year’s party organized for the kids, Nana Koduah Kyirifasohene – representative of the Chief of Mampong – thanked the actress for her kind gestures toward the kids. He therefore urged others to emulate the kind deeds of the actress.
Mampong Babies Home is an orphanage situated at Mampong in the Ashanti Region. It was established in 1967.
Also Nana Ama McBrown, last year on her 45th birthday fed and registered 1,700 people onto the National Health Insurance card (NHIS) in Kwadaso, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
The actress who grew up in Kwadaso reminisced and relived her childhood with friends on arrival. She talked among others about when she used to play football and started her acting career.
Following the shooting down of drones above central Kyiv, Ukrainians cheered, applauded, and fist-bumped.
At least two drones were seen flying over Maidan, the city’s main plaza, in footage that surfaced this evening.
In response to unconfirmed reports of Russian drones above, city officials had earlier issued an air alert for the area. The origin of the drone has not been addressed by authorities.
But the city’s defence system downed the drones, with huge cheers filling the city after locals had run for cover during the attack, journalists on the ground said.
‘Some Ukrainians ran for cover during the drone attack,’ tweeted Christopher Miller, a correspondent for the Financial Times.
The debris caused a fire in a nearby district, city officials said (Picture: Reuters)Witnesses say they heard the drone zipping over Kyiv while running into shelters (Picture: AFP)No one has been injured (Picture: Reuters)
Some people stood outside watching and filming the craft, Miller said.
‘Several videos filmed by Ukrainians look and sound like this, with celebrations as the drone is downed,’ he added.
Lesia Vasylenko, a Ukranian MP, said: ‘Explosions louder than ever this time in Kyiv. Drones getting shot down right in downtown.
‘Not a pleasant soundtrack and not one I heard in a while.’
‘Flew over right over my house, the metro station where people were sheltering, finally shot down over central shopping centre,’ she added.
The drone’s debris plummeted into the Solomianskyi district, igniting a fire in a non-residential building, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Kyiv mayor Vitalii Klitschko said the blaze tore through a four-storey building by a railroad station but it has now been contained.
There have been no reports of any casualties.
The Kyiv City Military Administration chief Serhii Popko said on Telegram: ‘During the last air alert, an unmanned aerial vehicle was recorded over Kyiv.
‘The object was shot down by anti-aircraft defence forces and means.
Kyiv residents ran for cover as the drones flew overheard (Picture: Reuters)
‘There is no information about victims or destruction of the housing stock or infrastructure. The information is being clarified.’
Barrages of Russian drones and missiles and the sound of explosions and antiaircraft gunfire shook Kyiv earlier today after both Russia and Ukraine blamed one another for explosions above the Kremlin.
The explosions, the Kremlin said, were an unsuccessful ‘attempt on the life of’ President Vladimir Putin in what would be an audacious move in the heart of Moscow a year into the bloody conflict.
Russia has not released any evidence to show Ukraine was behind the explosions that blared above Putin’s residence.
Kyiv has vehemently denied this, accusing Russia of fabricating the incident ahead of its imminent counteroffensive.
Nato has warned that Russia may have mined European submarine cables as retaliation for the west’s support for Ukraine.
The alliance has increased its efforts to safeguard underwater infrastructure in the wake of the Nord Stream attacks in September of last year.
After Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out botched drone assaults on the Kremlin in an attempt to assassinate Vladimir Putin, which Ukraine denies, tensions rose once more.
‘There are heightened concerns that Russia may target undersea cables and other important infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Western life,’ said David Cattler, the head of Nato’s intelligence service, “to gain leverage against those nations that are providing security to Ukraine.”
He confirmed Russians were patrolling the Atlantic and have stepped up activities in the North and Baltic Seas since the Nord Stream blast.
In response, Nato has increased the number of ships patrolling the North and Baltic seas and established a Critical Undersea Infrastructure Protection Cell.
‘The Russians are more active than we have seen them in years in this domain,’ Mr Cattler added.
The yet unexplained explosions damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines and since then further threats have become the focus of public attention.
Cattler declined to speculate who was behind the Nord Stream attacks during his briefing in Brussels on Wednesday.
But he did say: ‘Russia is actively mapping allied critical infrastructure both on land and on the seabed.’
Meanwhile, a Nato official told The Times: ‘There are strong suspicions that cables or pipelines have been mined. Companies have their own highly classified information. We have a lot of suspicions.
‘Somewhere in Moscow there are people sitting and thinking of the best ways they can to blow up our pipelines or cut our cables.
‘Our job is to make that a costly and futile endeavour. At least, to make it undeniable, lessening the appeal because it is then an act of war.’
While concerns grow over the security of cables, the west plans to build new wind parks in the North Sea which will be linked to the mainland by cables.
According to Nato, other undersea cables transport some 95% of internet traffic around the world at speeds of about 200 terabytes per second, with 200 of these 400 cables deemed critical.
Nato is monitoring Russian vessels equipped with sensors that can collect electronic or acoustic information from the seabed.
Spy ships can be identified by their antennae or unusual activity near critical areas.
Burkina Faso’s interim president, Capt Ibrahim Traore, has said he was satisfied with his country’s military ties with Russia, which he described as “a strategic partner”.
“I am satisfied with our military co-operation with Russia. Besides, Burkina Faso’s cooperation with Russia dates back to a long time, but we are developing it and move it further,” he said on Thursday in an interview with state-run channel RTB TV.
He denied that Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group were supporting Burkinabe forces in their fight against Islamist armed groups.
He said the exit of French forces from the country “does not mean that France is no longer an ally because the French embassy is still here”.
But he cited “new forms of co-operation” describing Russia as an an example of “a strategic ally”. He said Turkiye was a major partner.
He also mentioned North Korea, saying it had supported Burkina Faso in the past with heavy military equipment that was still in use – and would want more supplies from there.
Capt Traore said Burkina Faso has many international partners, but “will only collaborate with those who want to help us, like sell us equipment and support us”.
The Minority in Parliament says it played its role in trying to prevent government from securing new loans, however, their efforts came to naught since they were eventually passed by Parliament.
According to the caucus, it did not give its blessings to the new loans and thus they were not approved unanimously.
The Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza thus wants the public to disregard assertions that they supported the approval of the new loans.
Mr Agbodza added that they will not support any new loan approvals for the government until the government’s reckless borrowings is brought under control.
“Let it be placed on record that the Minority was implacably opposed to these loans coming at a time our nation has defaulted on both domestic and external debt servicing and is struggling to secure an IMF program due to our debt overhang.
“Indeed, we took turns to express our opposition, and still stand firmly in our conviction that only an irresponsible and unpatriotic Majority Group will support any additional borrowing of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government that has defaulted on our debt repayments. Such recklessness will truly find expression in the Guinness Book of Records,” he said in a Facebook post.
Parliament on Tuesday approved an amount of $150 million dollars for the financing of the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme phase 2 under the Multi-phase programmatic approach.
Parliament also approved an on-lending agreement between the government and the Development Bank Ghana for an amount of £170 million Euros to support the establishment of a financially sustainable development Bank.
The House also approved a loan agreement between the government of Ghana and the World Bank for an amount of $200 million to finance the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project.
However, some New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs have said the loans were approved unanimously.
This is what has compelled the Minority Chief Whip to issue this the rebuttal.
Russia made “ludicrous” claims that the United States was behind an alleged drone strike on the Kremlin, but the United States dismissed the claims. Meanwhile, Moscow’s deputy foreign minister issued a warning that the two countries are on the verge of “open-armed conflict.”
Although relations between the US and Russia are at their lowest point since the Cold War, Moscow has substantially increased its rhetoric in the wake of Wednesday’s alleged drone attack on the Kremlin, the official home of the Russian president.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, responded when asked by CNN if Moscow thought the US was behind the attack: “Undoubtedly, such decisions, the definition of goals, the definition of means – all this is dictated to Kyiv from Washington.”
“We are well aware that decisions on such actions and such terrorist attacks are not made in Kyiv, but in Washington. And Kyiv is already executing what it is told to do,” Peskov said.
Peskov did not provide any evidence to his claims, nor additional details regarding the alleged attack, saying that information would be released later.
Earlier this week, Russia claimed Ukraine launched a drone strike targeting the Kremlin in an attempt to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a “planned terrorist attack.” Ukraine has strongly denied any involvement.
John Kirby, the US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, denied Russia’s “ludicrous” claim the US directed Ukraine to carry out the alleged attack and kill Putin, and accused the president’s spokesperson of lying.
“I would just tell you Mr. Peskov’s lying. I mean, it’s obviously a ludicrous claim. The United States had nothing to do with this. We don’t even know what happened here,” said Kirby.
“But I can assure you the United States had no role in it whatsoever.”
The White House still has no indication who was behind the drone attack and Kirby said the US does not “endorse, we do not encourage, we do not support attacks on individual leaders.”
Russia doubled down on its bellicose rhetoric later Thursday when Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told local media that relations between the US and Russia are on the verge of an “open-armed conflict.”
“We are working to prevent relations with the US from plunging into the abyss of an open armed conflict. We are already standing on the edge, on the edge of this precipice,” Ryabkov told Russia’s Channel One Thursday, according to state media agency TASS.
Ryabkov also accused US officials of trying to “promote the idea of Washington’s non-involvement” in the purported drone attack, TASS reported.
“Washington has long been a direct party to the Ukrainian conflict and aims to destroy sovereign Russia,” he said, according to TASS.
CNN has reached out to the US State Department and the White House for comment on Ryabkov’s remarks.
Earlier Thursday, Kirby said since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Moscow has been “trying to paint this war as some sort of fight with the West against Russia, NATO against Russia, the United States against Russia.”
“And, of course, it’s not; Russia is the aggressor here,” he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday that Wednesday’s purported drone attack on the Kremlin was a “hostile act” and that his government would respond with “concrete actions.”
“It was clearly a hostile act,” Lavrov said at a press conference in India. “We will not respond by talking about whether it was an incident or not, but we will respond with concrete actions. We have a lot of patience.”
The escalating war of words comes as Russia launched its most forceful air bombardment on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in a year, the Kyiv City Military Administration said Thursday.
All Russian missiles and drones “were destroyed in Kyiv airspace” by Ukrainian air defense forces on Thursday, avoiding civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure, the capital’s military chief said.
Meanwhile in the southern port city of Kherson, Russian shelling of the city and its surrounding villages killed at least 23 people, the regional military chief said Thursday. Moscow struck Kherson at least 16 times, firing over 80 shells at Pryvokzalna Square, a railway station and crossing, a gas station, two stores, a factory and a car repair shop, the regional military administration said.
And in southeastern Zaporizhzhia, concerns have once again been raised about the safety of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant that is currently under Russia’s control.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate accused Russia of placing weapons, explosives and military equipment in one of the power plant’s units. The Inspectorate said it received the information during its weekly meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency representatives a day earlier.
Vladimir Rogov, a member of the Russian-appointed military-civilian administration in occupied Zaporizhzhia, called the claims “a lie,” adding that, “we do not use the nuclear power plant as a military facility.”
Nigerian singer Chidimma Ekile, better known by her stage name Miss Kedike, has revealed that she was born blind.
She disclosed this in a video she posted on her YouTube channel in which she recalled her formative years.
The “Jehovah Overdo” hitmaker claimed that after their medical attempts to conceive failed, her parents turned to God for guidance.
The recently converted secular singer revealed that her mother made a covenant with God to give her to him after she lost her sight.
Chidinma said: “I was born blind actually, I didn’t open my eyes at all, and that became a challenge, my parents tried all they could to get me to see, but all proved abortive.
“We had to resort to God, here is my mum, being a prayer warrior; she just started praying all of a sudden, started fasting from nowhere.
These were things my parents were never used to but they had to because of the situation. And eventually, I started to see.
“I remember that my mum, according to her, had promised to give me back to God, if God could help her solve that problem. Without my knowledge, my mum made a deal with God.”
Chidinma Ekile on born 2 May 1991, known professionally as Chidinma, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress. A native of Imo State, Chidinma was born in Ketu, Kosofe, Lagos State. In 2010, she gained prominence after winning the third season of Project Fame West Africa. Following the release of the music video for her “Emi Ni Baller” single, she became the first female musician to peak at number 1 on the MTV Base Official Naija Top 10 chart.In 2011, she released the Sound Sultan-assisted single “Jankoliko”.Her eponymous debut album Chidinma was released through the music platform Spinlet; it was supported by the singles “Jankoliko”, “Carry You Go”, “Kedike” and “Run Dia Mouth” Chidinma won Best Female West African Act at the 2012 Kora Awards and performed “Kedike” at the ceremony.
In May 2021, Chidinma revealed on Instagram that she made a transition to gospel music and is now engaged in Christian ministry. She released her first gospel single, titled “Jehovah Overdo”, that same month. On 20 August 2021, Chidinma released her debut extended play New Season. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the EP was produced entirely by EeZee Tee and comprises seven tracks. Chidinma’s second studio album Psalm 16 was released on 14 October 2022. It features collaborations with KS Bloom, Indira, and Buchi.
A fatal accident which occurred on May 4, 2023, between a VIP bus and a KIA Hyundai Rhino has left ten people severely injured .
The incident which happened on the night of Thursday, May 4, at Nobewam on the Accra-Kumasi highway recorded no deaths.
The injured were rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment by the Asante Akyem office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and National Ambulance.
An eyewitness who recounted the event blamed the unfortunate incident on overtaking.
The KIA Hyundai Rhino with registration number GR 6717 19 was travelling from Kumasi to Accra and the Scania VIP bus with registration number AC 1586 17 was traveling in the opposite direction.
Wife of actor turned politician John Dumelo, Gifty Mawunya Nkornu, has been called to the bar.
She was called to the bar on Friday, May 5, 2023.
This was made public by her husband in Facebook post.
A proud husband took to his social media handles to celebrate his wife for her achievement.
John Dumelo shared a photo of his wife in her judicial gown and wig, plus another picture taken with their kids.
“Congratulations my love for being called to the Ghana Bar today. You are now Mrs Gifty Mawunya Dumelo Esq. I have cases for you already lol. Love you,” he wrote.
The couple got married in 2018 and share two children.
Former Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Adomako Baafi has been speaking on why he thinks Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is the most successful Vice President in the country’s history.
Mr. Yaw Adomako Baafi has also said the Vice President is fit to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) hence those criticising his candidature might not know he is the one person who has a lot to offer.
“When you go through the history of Ghana from the era of Busia for the most successful Vice President, you can’t take out Dr. Bawumia”, Mr. Yaw Adomako Baafi told Hello FM in an interview monitored by MyNewsGH.com.
“President Akufo-Addo choosing Bawumia as running mate was an indication that he satisfied a lot of things in the party. He has proven his competence upon assumption of office in 2017”, he emphasized.
He argued that, though the 1992 Constitution of Ghana does not spell out specifically the role of a vice president, Dr. Bawumia has rolled out a lot of good initiatives for the country.
“The constitution is silent on the role of the Vice President therefore he can’t take any role unless in the absence of the President when he becomes the caretaker. But this man stood outside the box and brought digitization into the country”, he observed.
“He thought outside the box by bringing drones for the delivery of essential medicines to health facilities across the country. It took Bawumia’s research to secure victory for our victory in 2016”, he added.
Though Dr. Bawumia is yet to officially announce his intention to run as flagbearer of the NPP, details of a meeting with the Majority in Parliament on the matter leaked suggesting he will contest.
King Charles III became king immediately after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away in September at her remote Balmoral residence. He was legally proclaimed the next monarch of Britain in the days that followed, and his coronation is finally here after months of laborious planning.
Charles, who has held the throne for 70 years, will be formally crowned on May 6 in a beautiful and profoundly spiritual event. Thousands of people will assemble at Westminster Abbey and the nearby streets in the heart of London to witness a magnificent show of British pomp.
There’s a lot of speculation floating around, and some elements are still being fine-tuned, but if it’s official, we’ve got you covered. Here’s CNN’s essential guide to the celebrations – we’ll keep updating it to ensure you stay in the know.
What is a coronation?
Charles’ accession took place when the Queen died. It was, as expected, a deeply somber period when the nation came together to bid farewell to its longest-reigning sovereign. Eight months on, the coronation will feel very different. This is a moment of public celebration of the new King. It will be a fabulously over-the-top spectacle attended by dignitaries from around the world and watched by billions.
The word “coronation” is derived from the Latin word “corona” meaning a crown. But it’s so much more than literally placing the crown on the sovereign’s head. It’s a symbolic coming together of the monarchy, church and state for a religious ritual during which the monarch makes vows to both God and country.
Buckingham Palace has said it “will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment begins coronation rehearsals at Buckingham Palace and The Mall.Vuk Valcic/Alamy Stock Photo
How can I watch the service?
If you’ve been checking your mailbox and an invitation has yet to drop in, not to worry. The ceremony itself is set to begin at 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET) on May 6, with CNN’s special TV coverage of the King’s coronation from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (5 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET). Alternatively, join us here on CNN.com for live coverage throughout the day.
How long will the ceremony be?
Charles’ coronation will beshorter than his mother’s seven decades ago. Back then, the ceremony – which was the first live royal event to be televised – ran for more than three hours.
This time, the Anglican service will be two hours with “representation from other faiths to reflect the diversity of modern Britain,” according to Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, whose family has been responsible for orchestrating state occasions since 1482.Coronations have stayed largely the same for more than 1,000 years and organizers are leaning on that structure, so there’s quite a lot to get through.
The spot where King Charles will be crowned inside Westminster AbbeyDan Kitwood/Getty Images
What happens during the coronation service?
Right, so let’s get down to the specifics. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will conduct the ceremony. The core elements of the service are the recognition, oath, anointing, investiture and crowning, followed by enthronement and homage. The recognition is when the sovereign stands in the theater of the abbey and presents him- or herself to the people. After taking the coronation oath – which is a vow to rule according to law, exercise justice with mercy, and maintain the Church of England – the monarch is anointed with holy oil by the archbishop.
This moment is considered the most sacred part of the service and wasn’t televised in 1953. Ahead of Charles’ big day, Archbishop Welby has explained why we won’t see the King either, writing in the official souvenir program that the moment is “a symbol of being commissioned by the people for a special task for which God’s help is needed.” He added: “It is a moment when The King is set apart for service: service of the people of this country, and service of God.”
This is what you can expect to see at King Charles III’s coronation
The next part is the investiture, when the sovereign is dressed in sacred coronation robes and presented with the symbols of the monarchy: the orb, coronation ring, scepters and others. Toward the end of the ceremony, St. Edward’s Crown is placed atop the monarch’s head before he or she takes the throne. Traditionally, princes and peers then make their way to the sovereign to pay their respects in what is known as homage. This time though, it’s thought that only Prince William will kneel before the King. Meanwhile, the peers have been replaced by the public who have been invited to swear allegiance to Charles if they wish.
Lambeth Palace, which is the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, designed the service – which is rooted in 1,000 years of tradition – in consultation with the King and the UK government, which weighed in on constitutional elements.
Which crown will King Charles use?
The service features quite a few pieces of sacred coronation regalia, but let’s talk crowns. We’ve already mentioned St. Edward’s Crown. It’s considered the centerpiece because it’s used at the exact moment of crowning. It was made for Charles II in 1661 following the restoration of the monarchy the year before. Its medieval predecessor – which was melted down in 1649 – was believed to date back to the 11th-century English king, Edward the Confessor.
It is not an exact replica of the earlier design but follows the original in featuring four crosses pattée, four fleurs-de-lis and two arches. Made of solid gold, it’s adorned with 444 precious stones – including rubies, amethysts, sapphires and other gems – and is fitted with a purple velvet cap and ermine band. Historically, it was supposed to remain at Westminster Abbey, so a second crown was created for the sovereign to wear out of the abbey.
St. Edward’s Crown is considered the centerpiece of the coronation because it’s used at the exact moment of crowning.Jack Hill/Pool/Reuters
That second crown is the Imperial State Crown, which many will be more familiar with as it’s often used for ceremonial occasions like the State Opening of Parliament. It features a dazzling 2,868 diamonds, including the massive Cullinan II. It was made in 1937 and is a near-replica of Queen Victoria’s earlier Imperial State Crown. The arches in its design were meant to demonstrate that England was not subject to any other earthly power.
Once the spiritual elements of the service are over, King Charles and Camilla will head to St. Edward’s Chapel, a stone shrine at the heart of the abbey, where the King will put on the Imperial State Crown in preparation for the return to Buckingham Palace.
What will King Charles wear for the ceremony?
The King will be reusing several historical garments worn by previous monarchs at past coronations during the Saturday service in the “interests of sustainability and efficiency,” according to Buckingham Palace.
“His Majesty will reuse vestments which featured in the Coronation Services of King George IV in 1821, King George V in 1911, King George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, including the Colobium Sindonis, the Supertunica, the Imperial Mantle, the Coronation Sword Belt and the Coronation Glove,” the palace outlined.
The Coronation Vestments, comprising of the Supertunica (left) and the Imperial Mantle (right), to be worn by the King during his coronation.Victoria Jones/Getty Images
“Although it is customary for the Supertunica and the Imperial Mantle to be reused, His Majesty will also reuse the Colobium Sindonis, Coronation Sword Belt and Coronation Glove worn by his grandfather King George VI, in the interests of sustainability and efficiency,” the palace explained.
Will there be a procession?
This is a royal celebration – of course there’s a procession! In fact, there will be two through the streets of the British capital. One will take the King to be crowned, and after the service there’ll be a larger parade back to Buckingham Palace, where the monarch and members of the royal family will make a balcony appearance and watch a flypast of 60 aircraft. The six-minute flyover will include the famous Red Arrows, modern F-35s and Typhoons, and the Battle of Britain memorial flight.
The route itself is significantly shorter than the Queen’s five-mile journey to Westminster Abbey back in 1953. Ahead of the service, King Charles will leave Buckingham Palace and head down the Mall in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, accompanied by the Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry. The procession will pass through Admiralty Arch before turning on to Whitehall and traveling along Parliament Street and on to the abbey. It will return using the same 1.3-mile route, with the monarch traveling this time in the Gold State Coach.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service has said more than 29,000 officers will be deployed in the week leading up to the coronation and over the rest of the holiday weekend.
The security operation – known as Operation Golden Orb – will be one of the largest the Met has led, the force said Wednesday.
“On Coronation Day we will have the largest one-day mobilization of officers seen in decades with just over 11,500 officers on duty,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said. “We want Londoners and visitors coming to the city to enjoy this historic and momentous occasion safely and securely.”
How is King Charles making the ceremony more inclusive?
There’s been a lot of speculation over how the King intends to make his coronation more inclusive while reflecting his vision of the future monarchy. We’ll have to wait and see, but one early indication was announced Friday when Buckingham Palace revealed that faith leaders would lead the first processions into Westminster Abbey.
They’ll be followed by representatives from each of the 15 realms where the King is head of state. Flagbearers of each nation will be accompanied by the governors general and prime ministers. This is the first time non-Protestant faith leaders have been given a role in a coronation.
How much will the coronation cost?
Well, we’re not quite sure… yet. Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that details will be shared in due course. Its comments came after questions were raised over how much was being spent on the state event during a national cost-of-living crisis.
“I’ve seen a number of different estimated figures floating around, some more fanciful than others. The true figures will be shared in due course where expenditure relates to the Sovereign Grant or Government costs,” a palace spokesperson said in a statement.
‘It’s not a good look.’ As cost of living crisis bites, some Brits are questioning spending money on glitzy coronation
The statement went on to say that great state occasions, such as the Queen’s funeral, tend to generate more money than is spent holding such events, attracting huge global interest which boosts the national economy.
“Aside from the expenditure estimates you may have seen, it has also been reported that somewhere between one and several billions are expected to flow into the economy as a result of this Coronation,” the spokesperson continued.
Beer, bunting and biscuit tins: What the coronation means for the UK economy
“It’s not for me to say how accurate those figures are but certainly the theory pertains that the celebrations are an enormous economic boost to the nation – and just as importantly, with 100 heads of State coming to Britain for the event, it’s a fantastic opportunity for networking, for Government, and for engaging the interest from those nations with everything that Britain has to offer.”
The statement concluded by assuring the British public that the planning of the King’s coronation was mindful of the “economic challenge” the country was facing, prompting organizers to look for ways to efficiently produce the event, such as “reusing many ceremonial elements, rather than commissioning new ones.”
Will Camilla be crowned Queen?
Yes. But unlike the three most recent queen consorts – Alexandra, who was Edward VII’s wife; George V’s wife, Mary; and Elizabeth, wife of George VI – Camilla is not having a crown made specially for her coronation. Instead, she’s opted to wear Queen Mary’s Crown. Back when she paid for the silver crown in 1911, Queen Mary’s intention was for it to serve as the permanent crown of future consorts.
The palace has said Camilla’s choice was “in the interests of sustainability and efficiency” but that she was making some “minor changes and additions.” Specifically, she wants to honor her late mother-in-law by resetting the crown with some diamonds – the Cullinan III, IV and V – from the Queen’s personal collection.
Will Prince Harry and Meghan fly back?
The Duke of Sussex has confirmed his attendance at his father’s big day. However, he’ll be going solo. The palace confirmed in April that his wife, Meghan, will be staying in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It is understood Meghan opted to forgo the celebrations as the day coincides with Archie’s 4th birthday.
The Duke of Sussex has confirmed his attendance at his father’s big day, but his wife, Meghan, will be staying in California with their two children.Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images
What about Prince Andrew?
As a member of the royal family, Prince Andrew is expected to attend his brother’s coronation. But as he’s no longer a working royal, he won’t have any formal roles on the day.
Who else has been invited?
Around 2,300 people were sent invitations to the service at Westminster Abbey. While the palace doesn’t release a detailed guest list, it has confirmed that the congregation will be made up of members of the royal family, as well as international representatives from 203 countries, alongside community and charity volunteers.
Coronation organizer Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk said: “For the first time, approximately 100 Heads of State from around the world will attend, together with representatives from the Realms and the Commonwealth and our government, the Lords and the Commons, local heroes and British Empire medalists and many other individuals who have contributed so much to Britain and the wider world today.”
US first lady Jill Biden will lead the American delegation.Leah Millis/Reuters
US first lady Jill Biden will lead the American delegation. You can also expect to see a number of royals from around the world make their way to London.
Additionally, 400 young people from charities selected by the King and Queen have been invited to watch the service from nearby St. Margaret’s Church, while military veterans, healthcare workers and charity representatives have been given spaces to watch on the processional route and in special stands put up along the Mall and near Buckingham Palace.
How will it be different from Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation?
We’ve already mentioned that both the processional route and service will be shorter. Another difference is the number of guests. Back in ’53, so swollen was the guest list that temporary structures had to be erected within the abbey to accommodate the more than 8,000 people invited.
Specific to the service itself, it will lean on tradition but also be full of firsts, according to Lambeth Palace organizers. Some of the changes to the ancient Christian ceremony – the theme of which is “called to serve” – include the King praying aloud, participation of religious leaders from other faiths, involvement of female clergy and the incorporation of other languages spoken in the British Isles.
Additionally, the traditional homage of peers has been replaced with a “homage of the people.” This tweak will see the public invited to join “a chorus of millions of voices enabled for the first time in history to participate in this solemn and joyful moment.”
Surrounded by peers and churchmen, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II sits on the throne in Westminister Abbey on June 2, 1953.AP
A Lambeth Palace spokesperson said the new homage was “an opportunity for those who wish to be given voice within the service, and for those at home to have a chance to be an extension of the abbey congregation.” The spokesperson added that the change was “very much an invitation, rather than an expectation or request.”
“We live in a wonderfully diverse society with many different perspectives and beliefs – which this coronation celebrates – and therefore it’s quite right that people decide for themselves how they wish to relate to this moment,” the spokesperson added.
What else is happening over the celebratory weekend?
On May 7, the day after the coronation, thousands of events are expected to take place across the country as part of the “Coronation Big Lunch,” while Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Take That will headline the “Coronation Concert” at Windsor Castle in the evening.
“The Coronation Big Lunch helps you bring the celebration right into your own street or back yard,” said Peter Stewart, chief purpose officer at the event’s organizing body, the Eden Project.
“Sharing friendship, food and fun together gives people more than just a good time – people feel less lonely, make friends and go on to get more involved with their community,” he added in a statement.
Lionel Richie, (pictured), Katy Perry and Take That will headline the “Coronation Concert” at Windsor Castle on Sunday evening.Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
The concert will be attended by an audience of volunteers from the King and Queen’s charity affiliations as well as several thousand members of the public selected through a national ballot held by the BBC. However, some royal fans have slammed Ticketmaster over its handling of the ticketing for May 7.
Ten locations around Britain will also be lit up with light displays, lasers and drones that evening.
The final day of the long weekend will see Britons enjoying a hopefully sunny bank holiday Monday, with the public encouraged to volunteer in their communities.
The temperature of the ocean’s surface is smashing records. Scientists are trying to determine why temperatures started to rise in the middle of March and then surged over many weeks.
As is normal in the spring, temperatures have dropped since their peak in April, but they are still higher than they have ever been for this time of year.
Gregory C. Johnson, an oceanographer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, described it as “remarkable.” The NOAA uses a network of ships, buoys, satellites, and floats to determine the ocean surface temperature.
Although it’s still preliminary data, if it holds up, he said, “this is another milestone.”
The record may not seem huge – it’s nearly two-tenths of a degree higher than the previous record in 2016 – but given how much heat is needed to warm up this huge body of water, “it’s a massive amount of energy,” Matthew England, professor of ocean and climate dynamics at the University of New South Wales, Australia, told CNN.
What’s behind this rapid increase isn’t totally clear yet. “These temperatures just rocketed up, people haven’t had a chance to puzzle it all out,” Johnson said.
Some scientists are concerned the scale of these new records could mark the start of an alarming trend. Others say record-breaking temperatures like these are always concerning but to be expected given the human-caused climate crisis.
All agree the consequences are likely to be significant. Warmer oceans bleach coral, kill marine life, increase sea level rise and make the ocean less efficient at absorbing planet-warming pollution –the warmer oceans get, the more the planet will heat.
One major driver of the heat is believed to be an approaching – and potentially strong – El Niño, a natural climate fluctuation associated with warming in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which has a global heating effect.
The world has just emerged from a 3-year La Niña, El Niño’s cooler counterpart, which has helped mask the full impact of global warming. Since La Niña ended in March, ocean temperatures seem to be on a rebound, scientists say.
“It’s a little bit like we’ve had the freezer door open for a while and it’s helped to cool the planet,” Johnson said. But even while that freezer has been open, background temperatures have continued to rise. Now the freezer is closed, everything is hotter than before.
The World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday there is about an 80% chance El Niño will develop between July and September. But part of what has puzzled scientists is temperatures have risen so much before it has even arrived.
Some are concerned this suggests climate change might be progressing in ways climate models have not predicted.
“An El Niño event is brewing, but it’s probably too early to blame that as the cause,” professor Mike Meredith, science leader at the British Antarctic Survey, told CNN. “It’s vital that we find out what is causing [the peak in ocean surface temperature] though, and understand whether this is an isolated extreme high or the start of an even more worrying trend.”
Surface temperatures tell one story about what’s happening to the world’s oceans.
But to understand where the world is heading in the long term, it’s important to also look at the deeper ocean temperatures, said Sarah Purkey, an assistant professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Thousands of floats in the world’s oceans measure its heat content, analyzing temperature from the surface down to the deep waters, feeding back data.
“Ocean heat content has been on a very steady, sometimes accelerating, rise,” Purkey told CNN, because of human-caused global warming. The oceans absorb around 90% of the excess heat the world produces, as well as around 25% of carbon pollution.
In 2022, the oceans were the warmest on record for the fourth year in a row.
A study published in April found the heat in the climate system was accelerating, spelling bad news for the oceans.
It found the rate of change in how much heat the Earth has accumulated has more than doubled over the last two decades – and most of that is going into the ocean.
“There’s a really urgent need to understand this because if it’s part of a long term trend, this is really highly concerning,” saidKarina von Schuckmann, an oceanographer at Mercator Ocean International in France and a co-author on the study.
One surprising reason could be the reduction of aerosols in the atmosphere. In 2020, regulations were introduced to limit the amount of sulfur in the fuel ships used – a policy aimed at addressing air pollution.
Though air pollution has a significant impact on human health, it also actsas an artificial sunscreen and reflects sunlight away from the Earth. One theory is the absence of aerosols may have turned up the heat, von Schuckmann said.
Whatever the reasons behind theincrease inocean heat, the impacts are potentially catastrophic if temperatures continue to head off the charts.
The oceans shield us from the full impacts of the climate crisis. “We should thank the ocean for taking up most of what we’ve done to the climate system, otherwise we would be seeing effects that are really 100 times what we’re seeing right now,” Purkey said.
But this buffering role comes at a high cost.
Hotter oceans cause coral reef bleaching and are linked to toxic algae blooms, which can suck oxygen from the water and choke marine life, sometimes forcing fisheries to close. Warmer waters are also less effective at absorbing carbon, which means more is left in the atmosphere, which in turn fuels more global warming.
Sea level rises as water warms – not only through the melting of ice sheets, but water also expands as it heats up.
Surface warming supercharges cyclones and hurricanes.
Scientists are particularly concerned about the impact of warming on meridional overturning currents, ocean “conveyor belts” that push surface water to the deeper ocean and play a key role in regulating the planet’s energy balance. “It’s probably the most important thing to monitor,” said Purkey.
The strength of the currents will determine how efficient the ocean is at taking up the excess heat humans are producing, she said. And, for example, if the overturning current in the Atlantic Ocean weakens, or even collapses, the consequences could be dire – including very cold winters in Western Europe, rapid sea level rise and disruption to tropical monsoons.
For now, ocean surface temperatures have started to fall, even if they remain high for this time of year.
As scientists continue to analyze the reasons for record ocean warming, they are clear records will continue to be smashed as the climate crisis intensifies.
“This is a bit of a wake-up call, I hope, for everybody globally that this trajectory of warming that we’re on is not going to stop until we bring our emissions right back down to zero,” England said.
Former Mfantsiman West MP Stephen Asamoah Boateng has downplayed the impact of the religious argument against Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s chances of winning the 2024 election should he emerge as the flagbearer.
Ahead of the governing party’s presidential primaries, various arguments for and against the two main contenders, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Alan Kyerematen have emerged.
In the case of Dr. Bawumia, while many have berated him for the ailing Ghanaian economy considering the significant role he played before and after the NPP came to power, there are concerns within the party and among some Ghanaians about his religious status and how that could affect his electability at the national polls.
Although Ghana is a secular state, the proponents of this argument believe that with 70 per cent of the population being Christian, a Muslim presidential candidate may find it extremely difficult to win a presidential election, although Islam is the second largest religion in Ghana.
Mr. Asamoah Boateng, who has emphatically stated his support for the candidature of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is convinced that the party can surmount this challenge should Dr. Bawumia emerge as the presidential candidate.
Speaking on Citi TV on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, he argued that once Ghanaians have lived together peacefully despite religious and tribal differences, that should not be an impediment to Dr. Bawumia once he has proven his ability to lead the country into prosperity.
“I am trying not to be the spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia. That’s an issue that I have heard, but I think that’s something we can explain and we can work it out. We have lived together peacefully, both Christians and Muslims, Buddhists, and even the traditionalists, and I haven’t heard any fight anywhere. So when people say he’s a Muslim, I ask and so? That’s his belief, I am a Christian and I like him. We are building a nation, and so we should rise above the tribal and religious arguments and see ourselves as one people, and focus on somebody who can lead us into the prosperity we’re looking for.”
On the matter of the ailing Ghanaian economy and how that could scuttle Dr. Bawumia’s chances, Mr. Asamoah Boateng said the economy was in good standing until the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country.
“Before COVID hit us, our economic indicators were all high. It’s a known fact that the economy wasn’t as bad before COVID hit us. If you look at the trend, we are performing better than most countries now. When you go down into almost a recession, it will take a while to bounce back. It’s not the borrowing, it’s a question of things not working the way we wanted it” he argued.
Mr. Asamoah Boateng said Dr. Bawumia has proven to have the strength and character to lead the NPP and become the President after 2024.
“It’s Alan and Bawumia who are the leading contenders. Of course, there are others including my own brother Kennedy Agyapong. For me, I don’t belong to A or B, although I can tell you for a fact that I will prefer Bawumia’s side.
“I believe that he [Bawumia] has the character and the strength, and he’s learned on the job very quickly, and he also comes in as very humble and down to earth who embraces everybody. And in politics, that kind of trait is very key and people must be able to relate to you, so that’s what I think, but the delegates will decide. It is known in the party that I am on his [Bawumia’s] side” he noted.
The former Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) added that “Looking at what he’s done since he came into the limelight as a running mate and as a vice, he’s one of those people I have seen in politics who has matured very fast and quick and smart. And he’s got the strength and the character to withstand the pressures.”
“And I also remember that for 2016, winning was partly due to him [Bawumia]. I will give him a bigger chunk of it. He ran the campaign and he was on the attack. And when you’re in the political arena, you must have the stomach to be on the front foot and he’s on the front foot. The others I don’t want to comment on, because I am only talking about the one that I think should be given the nod to lead the party.”
The National Cathedral Secretariat has reacted to the latest exposé released by North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on the National Cathedral, urging Ghanaians to disregard the findings since they are mere “distortions of information.”
In a response issued on Thursday May 4, 2023, the Secretariat said the project “has been implemented with integrity, and with no criminality” as the MP claims.
It comes after the MP released a “bombshell” about the National Cathedral Project. The MP cited a number of “anomalies.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in episode 2 of his Cathedral Scandal publications alleged that the secretariat in registering the US wing used the details of a dead Hispanic man, one Jose Salgado.
He referenced a US social security number as provided on the registration papers he had secured and other cehcks to arrive at that conclusion.
The Secretariat, however, in rebutting the claim explained that the MP had misquoted two different tax numbers as used in the US.
They accused Ablakwa of quoting a different Social Security Number to run checks on the corporate institution, which are by law provided with Tax ID numbers.
The release was signed by Executive Director to the National Cathedral of Ghana, Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah.
The relevant portions explaining Ablakwa’s mistake were as follows: “3) In arriving at this so-called Identity theft, the MP distorts the information on the registration documents by taking the Taxpayer ID number: 86-3859197 (Appendix 1), and disingenuously changes it to the social security number, SSN: 863-85-9197 belonging to a deceased named, Jose Salgado (Appendix 2). He then proceeds to accuse the National Cathedral of using the “stolen” identity of the deceased to register.
“4) For the record, the Taxpayer ID Number is issued for corporations and is separated by one dash, to wit, 86-3859197. This taxpayer ID Number is derived from the Employment Identification Number (EIN), which is applied for, as the first step in the application for a tax-exempt status (See appendix 3).
“5) The Social Security Number (SSN), on the other hand, is issued to individuals, and is separated by two dashes, to wit, 863-85-9197. Even if the numbers are the same, because of the dashes, they mean different things. Thus, the taxpayer ID (86-3859197) is not the same thing as the social security number (863-85-9197).”
Following a massive manhunt, a man suspected of killing at least eight people in Serbia was apprehended, leaving the nation in shock over its second mass shooting in as many days.
According to Serbian media, the most recent incident occurred late on Thursday night in the village of Dubona, which is located around 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) southeast of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.
After leaving the area, he later started shooting in the villages of Mali Orasje and Sepsin.
More than 600 members of Serbian Special Forces were deployed to search for the suspect, according to the public broadcaster RTS, with authorities deploying helicopters and thermal imaging cameras. All special police units were engaged, including an anti-terrorism unit, helicopter unit, and police forces from the cities of Belgrade and Smederevo.
The suspect – identified by authorities as a 21-year-old male named Uros B – was arrested on Friday morning. Serbian police confiscated four hand grenades from the home where the suspect was hiding, according to RTS.
The Interior Ministry confirmed to CNN that they are treating this incident as an act of domestic terrorism, but did not specify more details.
A police officer and his sister were among those killed, according to local media.
Milos Stanisavljević, a local resident, left his house in Sepsin during the night to see what was happening outside. The police mistook him for the shooter and arrested him. He was later released without charge.
“My family stayed in the house. My child was sleeping,” Stanisavljevic told CNN. He described how police swept through the town, checking each house one by one. “It was dark and we didn’t know where [the shooter] was hiding.”
“I was so scared,” he said.
On Wednesday, Serbia was rocked by news of a 13-year-old boy opening fire on classmates at a school in the capital Belgrade. That shooting left at least eight children dead, along with a security guard.
Serbia’s president Aleksander Vucic expressed his condolences to the victims of the two attacks and pledged that the government will make urgent changes in weapon legislation.
“We are united in pain and sorrow,” Vucic told reporters at a press conference on Friday morning. “This is an attack on all our country and every citizen feels it.”
He announced that Serbia will hire 1,200 new police officers in the next six months to bolster security in schools, and pledged to introduce tougher gun control laws.
Among the proposed changes were stricter conditions for people to purchase weapons, doubling fines for people found breaking the law, requiring hunters to go through annual checks and a national gun buyback program for those who can’t fulfil the tougher conditions.
Until this week, mass shootings were rare in Serbia, despite the country’s high rate of gun ownership. Serbia has the highest level of civilian gun ownership in Europe, and the fifth-highest in the world – a legacy of years of conflict in the 1990s.
The Information Ministry has urged the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to conduct an investigation into the assault of one journalist in Tamale.
In a statement issued by the Ministry, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, unequivocally condemned the act and said such conduct should not be condoned in the country.
“Attacks on journalists should not be countenanced”, the ministry insisted.
It comes on the back of an assault on a presenter with Tamale-based Dagbon-FM, a subsidiary of Class Media,
In a video circulating on social media, the presenter who captured hosting a show live on radio when the programme was suddenly distorted by an ex-NDC Communications Officer who walked in with a ‘macho man’.
Mr Sadiq Abubakari Gariba, was hosting his political talk show in Dagbanli dubbed Panpantua on Class Media’s Dagbon FM when the visibly angry former Deputy Communications Officer, Iddrisu Hardi Pagazaa, stormed into the studio with a macho man to attack him while the programme was broadcast live on Radio and Facebook.
The attack coincidentally happened on World Press Freedom Day when Ghana dropped to 63rd on the Press Freedom Ranking by Reporters Without Borders.
Reacting to the matter, the Ministry in the statement called for “speedy response from law enforcement agencies” to prevent “copy-cat acts and maintain Ghana’s status in upholding press freedom.”
The Ministry further indicated the Minister’s commitment to support the Journalist if he will require any.
Nana Ama McBrown, the Ghanaian superstar actress, has recently revealed in an interview that although she wants more children, but her body may not allow it due to some health complications.
McBrown, who had her first child at the age of 41 through an IVF procedure after many years of trying, said she may have to undergo the same process again if she wants to have more children.
During an interview with Berla Mundi on the Day Show, McBrown opened up about her difficult IVF journey, which she described as “painful”.
She expressed her desire to have more children naturally, but unfortunately, it’s not possible due to her health.
McBrown also addressed the issue of over-exposing her daughter on social media. She admitted that she has reduced the frequency of posting pictures of her daughter following concerns from her fans.
She explained that while some people express genuine concern, others accuse her of showing off.
The actress had always wanted to have a child since she was 23, and she went through a lot of struggles before finally having her first child.
She also revealed that she had to have one of her fallopian tubes removed surgically due to damage.
Despite the challenges, McBrown remains optimistic about the future and looks forward to the possibility of having more children.
She is grateful for her daughter and cherishes every moment with her.
What is an IVF procedure?
IVF (in vitro fertilization) is a type of fertility treatment where eggs are combined with sperm outside of your body in a lab. It’s a method used by people who need help achieving pregnancy. IVF involves many complex steps and is an effective form of assisted reproductive technology (ART).
Several days after fertilization, the fertilized egg (now called an embryo) is placed inside a uterus. Pregnancy occurs when this embryo implants itself into the uterine wall.
McBrown has faced several challenges with childbirth, including a previous miscarriage, a caesarean section, and struggles with fertility. She has been open about these difficulties and has used her platform to raise awareness about issues related to reproductive health.
On 15 July 2007, McBrown was enthroned as the “Nkosuohemaa” (or ceremonial queen-mother of development) of Assin-Basiako near Assin-Fosu in the Assin North District of the Central Region, Ghana. In 2016, she married her longtime boyfriend Maxwell Mawu Mensah. In February 2019 McBrown gave birth to a girl in Canada. Her daughter’s name is Maxin. McBrown has spoken publicly about her struggles with childbirth, including a cesarean section and issues with fertility.
McBrown often shares photos and videos of Maxin on her social media accounts and has described her as a source of joy and inspiration in her life.
Despite her challenges, Nana Ama McBrown is known for her versatility as an actress and her ability to connect with audiences through her performances. She is widely regarded as one of the most popular and influential actresses in Ghana.
Actress and showbiz icon has been making headlines since March when she announced that she has joined Media General’s Onua TV.
Since then, the celebrated screen goddess who cut her teeth as a TV presenter as host of UTV’s United Showbiz set her fans and TV audiences on edge with what new thing she was bringing to her new home.
On Sunday, April 30, McBrown premiered her new show Onua Showtime.
The Volta School for the Deaf and Blind – Hohoe, which is situated in Ghana’s Volta Region, recently received donations of food, detergents, and other supplies from the Dress-A-Kid Foundation (DAK), a volunteer organization.
The donation was made on May 1, 2023, and it was a part of the organization’s dedication to supporting children’s welfare across Ghana, especially those who live in rural regions or have special needs.
Bags of rice, maize, beans, gari, cooking oil, toiletries, bibles, and clothing were also donated.
The Headmistress of the Volta School for the Deaf and Blind, Madam Ophelia Kushigbor, expressed her gratitude to the group for their kind gesture, stating that the school was running low on food supplies, making the donation very timely.
Mad. Kushigbor went on to appeal for additional support for the school, as many of the students come from low-income families.
Speaking on behalf of the volunteers, Mrs. Anita Mensah expressed that the donation was just one of many ways to positively impact the community.
She added that the Dress-A-Kid Foundation has made around 30 donations since its inception in 2013 and has visited the Volta School for the Deaf twice.
Mrs. Anita Mensah also thanked WATS, a Rana Motors sister company, and SRSA (Dunlop Tyres) for supporting the donation with a Hyundai bus and other travel expenses for the volunteers from Accra to Hohoe and back.
The Dress-A-Kid Foundation is an online charity group comprised of friends who believe in the spirit of giving and has helped many children throughout the country succeed and thrive, both inside and outside of the classroom.
An Accra Circuit Court has convicted a 29-year-old dealer who used a sword to intimidate another trader to 150 days in prison.
Last year, Osman Boustani, who was accused with making a threatening statement, entered a not guilty plea.
The accused changed his plea to guilty when the matter was called in court.
This came after the accused person’s second plea was heard by the court, which was presided over by Mrs. Evelyn Asamoah.
Therefore, based on his own admission, he was found guilty and given a prison term that would serve as a warning to others.
Counsel for the convict had earlier pleaded with the court for mitigation.
The facts as presented by prosecution led by Police Chief Inspector Richard Amoah was, the complainant, Mr Yussif Iddrisu is a trader who deals in African wears at a place opposite the Ghana Commercial Bank on the Oxford Street Osu, while the convict is also a resident of Oxford Street.
The prosecution said on April 09, 2022, at about 1500 hours, the convict parked his vehicle by the roadside on the Osu Oxford Street where the complainant had displayed his African wears for sale.
Mr Amoah said the complainant approached the convict and pleaded with him to move a little forward to enable pedestrians to have a clear view of his displayed goods.
The prosecution said the convict never adhered to the request made by the complainant but rather became offended and insulted the complainant with a threat to beat him up.
He said the convict alighted from his vehicle apparently to beat the complainant up but people at the scene intervened and stopped him from executing his intention.
The prosecution said the convict returned to his vehicle and moved away.
It said a few minutes later, the convict returned to the scene holding a sword and brandishing the same on the ground amidst threats to kill the complainant.
The prosecution said the complainant together with one other escaped into a nearby jewelry shop to seek refuge.
Mr Amoah said the convict followed the complainant to the shop where he had sought refuge and continuously brandishing the sword hitting the door of the shop, but he could not gain access because the door was locked.
The prosecution said the convict after a while left the scene and the complainant also left the shop to the Osu Police station and reported the matter.
He said the convict was arrested and during investigations the sword was retrieved from the room of the convict concealed in a sofa.
The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has urged African leaders to work in a way that would change the unfavorable image that has been attached to the African continent in order to draw Foreign Direct Investment (FID), which is essential to the continent’s development.
He claimed that the mention of Africa elicited pictures of civil instability, corruption, conflict, poverty, diseases, and rising societal problems in many regions of the world, a notion that discouraged FDI.
“Our leaders now should have the courage and the willingness to change, and we will need to do something about this negative perception to attract FDI,” the official said.
Addressing students, faculty members and educational leaders at a reception held in his honour at the Newark campus of Essex Country College (ECC) in New Jersey, USA, last Friday, the Okyenhene said: “Leadership would do well to remember that there are other developing nations where it is much easier to generate similarly attractive returns with considerably less hassle.
“Africa, the richest continent on the face of the earth, is a continent blessed with such abundance in diversity, yet the continent has earned the enviable position of being the headquarters of poverty,” he said.
Reception
The Okyenhene, accompanied by his wife, Nana Asabea Ofori-Atta, and sub-chiefs, was welcomed to the colourful event by the Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka; the President of ECC, Dr Augustine A. Boakye, and the Director of the college’s Africana Institute and Sociology Department, Dr Akil Khalfani.
The Okyenhene is the second prominent Ghanaian leader to be hosted by the college. In 2001, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, addressed students and faculty members during the opening of the college’s African Institute.
We must change
Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin noted that Africa could not continue to suffer from the entrenched negative stereotypes, which he described as “status quo paralysis,” by doing the same thing over and over and expect different results.
In his view, life was not meant to be this endless treadmill of monotonous existence in deprivation, pain and hopelessness that was always exhibited in many parts of the continent.
“We must change.
This change of attitude and institution we call for is not for the faint-hearted, neither is it for those unwilling to make hard choices or compromise on principles. “Leadership should not be petrified about change,” he said.
He recalled how the ‘civilised’ world tore Africa’s young people from their villages, packing them into wretched slave ships and selling them into slavery.
Such dehumanising trade, he said, sucked the economic blood from the continent through exploitation.
“They fostered war and peddled lethal weapon, used nations and peoples as pawns in deadly, real life war games.
That is the legacy of the West and the victims of these heinous crimes have survived,” he said.
The Okyenhene stressed that the conviction that Africans could not rise out of their environment and that they were the victims of circumstances had “dulled our senses and dampened our human spirit and caused us untold tragic failures.
Education is bedrock
Dwelling on education, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin said education was the bedrock of any social and economic development anywhere in the world.
In his view, countries that had made impressive strides in their social economic life had done so not based on what those countries had but what they knew.
“The unfolding of these creative ideas and knowledge is the principal reason for some countries to progressively do more with less,” he said.
Women empowerment
With female children entering a world that was at best prejudiced against them and at worst dangerously hostile, the Okyenhene expressed concern over how in some societies girls’ bodies were painfully mutilated by female genital circumcision.
“They are traditionally denied participation in the management and control of the development process,” he said, and called on African leaders to declare their commitment to enable women to participate in all phases of development and at all levels of management.
“It is known that in societies where women have been given equal opportunities and rights, those societies or communities thrive,” he said.
Julius Aalebkure Kuunor, the Chief Fire Officer of the GNFS, stated that it was crucial to preserve the memories of the fallen fire officers in recognition of the sacrifices they made.
“What the general public is unaware of is the risk firemen take every minute to keep them safe.
“Their good works will follow them to their Maker and we shall not forget them,” he added.
Event
In attendance at the event included the Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery; the Chairman of the Fire Service Council, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi; Directors of the GNFS, retired chief fire officers and some family members of the departed firefighters.
Prayers were said for the lost souls who were also posthumously presented with the “Firefighter Coin”, specially minted and engraved with images and symbols that represent the firefighters’ courage, bravery and dedication to service.
Among those honoured were Recruit Fireman (RFM) Ebenezer Boakye, who was involved in a motor accident together with six other officers who were responding to an emergency call in Obuasi, Ashanti Region, on June 6, 2022.
Sacrifices
Mr Kuunor lauded the courage and dedication of firefighters whom he said were constantly putting their lives on the line to serve the nation.
He cited the recent Kumasi Kejetia Market Fire where he said his men worked assiduously to prevent the fire from spreading to other floors.
According to Mr Kuunor, the Ministry of the Interior, together with the Fire Service Council, was in the process of procuring more working tools such as dual purpose tenders, rapid intervention vehicles (RIVs) and firefighting motorbikes capable of navigating through traffic to respond to emergency situations in record time.
The Chief Sales Officer of GLICO Life Insurance Company, John Ekar Smart, said the company would continue to work closely with the GNFS and other stakeholders to promote fire safety awareness in the country.
Commendation
The Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, who launched the anniversary celebration, commended the firefighters for their tireless efforts and for staying true to the cause of saving lives and properties.
The year-long celebration is themed: “60 years of existence: The role of the Ghana National Fire Service in national development “.
Mr Dery said the celebration offered a unique opportunity to reset and adapt to the changing times in line with international standards of firefighting.
The minister said firefighters were considered heroes and heroines because they always put their lives on the line for the people.
“Many died in the line of duty, and those who are fortunate to have survived would have to live with scars and all forms of deformities for the rest of their lives,” he said.
The amount was realized from an initial target of GH5.7 billion in unpaid bills owed to the electricity distribution firm by people and businesses as of the exercise’s start on March 20, this year.
The corporation has set aside the last week of every month for revenue mobilization in an endeavor to recover the outstanding GH 2.6 billion.
However, about GH¢1.5 billion of the unretrieved debts which were owed by collapsed companies and postpaid users affected by either demolition exercises or floods had been considered as bad debt by the company.
Homes and other properties of the defaulting individual customers were also either non-existent or could not be traced.
According to the Managing Director of ECG, Samuel Dubik Mahama, who disclosed this at a news conference in Accra yesterday, over 200 of the collapsed firms owed the company GH¢780 million, while that of postpaid users amounted to GH¢750 million.
He said that the company would use every legal means possible to retrieve the debts, including seeking help from the receiver of the collapsed firms.
Exercise
Mr Mahama described the debt recovery exercise which started from March 20, 2023 – April 20, 2023 as successful.
“In the last week of every month, we will also undertake an exercise to identify customers who have not been captured in our books and include them for efficient revenue collection,” he added.
The MD also said that the revenue assurance unit of the company would ensure that bills were issued promptly for postpaid customers, adding that they were also designing a bill system that would check the reading of prepaid meters to tackle illegalities and losses.
Meter shortages
To address the issue of meter shortages, he said the company had introduced a loss reduction programme which had already started serving customers in the Accra East District.
“And so meters are now available and those who applied for them are getting served, but it is not moving fast enough because we are dealing with only local manufacturers.
“I will, therefore, like to inform customers that have applied for meters to visit the offices of ECG immediately for proper reconciliation,” Mr Mahama said.
He, however, said the company would soon start a flat rate service to bill consumers without meters.
Apostle Eric Nyamekye has been re-elected by the Church of Pentecost as its Chairman for the upcoming five years.
Apostle Nyamekye won a resounding majority of the votes during the church’s 46th General Council Meeting, which took place yesterday at the Pentecost Convention Centre in Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region.
Out of the 1,262 votes cast, he received 1,255 ‘YES’ votes, or 99.45% of the total.
Apostle Nyamekye assumed office as the Sixth Chairman of the Church in 2018, securing 98 per cent of the votes cast.
Vision
He immediately set in motion a five-year strategic vision, titled “Vision 2023”, with the overarching theme of “Possessing the Nations”.
The Vision 2023 plan has led to the expansion of the church’s ministry scope, with the introduction of new ministry interventions such as the Home and Urban Missions, Ministry to Persons with Disabilities, Chieftaincy Ministry, Chaplaincy Ministry, School Outreach Ministry, PENSA (Pentecost Students Association) International and Pentecost Workers Guild, among others.
Through these ministry interventions, the church is said to have brought and reformed many unreached persons and marginalised groups such as commercial sex workers, street dwellers, drug addicts, African migrants, expatriates and herdsmen, among others, to the saving knowledge of Christ.
Service
The re-elected Chairman was called into ministry in 1991, and has since served in many stations, including South Africa, where he was a missionary.
Before his election, he served as a member of the church’s Executive Council for five years, and worked with the church’s Youth Ministry, where he served as a member of the National Executive Committee and later as a Patron.
He holds a Diploma in Human Resource Management from the Institute of Commercial Management, UK, a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Theology from the University of Manchester, UK, and a Master of Arts degree in Religious Studies from the University of Ghana, Legon.
Apostle Nyamekye is married to Mary, with whom he has six children.
Leadership
Under the leadership of Apostle Nyamekye, the Church of Pentecost has made strides also on the national and global fronts.
The church’s membership has grown by 29.1 per cent, from 3,257,699 to 4,203,077 worldwide, and it has won 1,151,723 souls for Christ, out of which 782,578 have been baptised in water between 2019 and 2022.
Within the same period of his administration, the church constructed 57 water facilities and spent over GH¢23 million on educational support and more than GH¢8 million on health support to members.
Apostle Nyamekye’s administration also initiated various social development projects in deprived communities and institutions across the country, including the construction of reformation centres for the Ghana Prisons Service, where the church has completed and handed over two of the five facilities to the service, while the three others are at various stages of completion.
Overall, Apostle Nyamekye’s first term is viewed within the church as remarkable, and his re-election as Chairman of the Church of Pentecost will inspire optimism for what the Lord has in store for the church in the next five years.
Award
The church was also presented with a national award by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for its instrumental role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The church also played a crucial role in evacuating some stranded citizens from Ukraine to Ghana following the outbreak of the war with Russia.
Following a program of sensitization for them, 70 tricycle riders—known locally as pragya—from seven districts in the Central region vowed to support the promotion of awareness of sexual and gender-based issues as well as reproductive health issues.
Kweku Sam, the chairman of the Riders Union, stated that the choice was made with the members’ health and wellbeing in mind.
The riders made the commitment following a sensitization training held by the National Youth Authority on Thursday with assistance from the Central Regional Coordinating Council and the United Nations Population Fund.
They were drawn from the Assin South, Ekumfi, Ajumako Enyan Essiam, Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem, Upper Denkyira West, Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira and Cape Coast districts.
Culprits
Various fora on teenage pregnancy in the Central region have indicted the tricycle riders as one group of people impregnating the teenage girls.
The workshop organizers took the riders through topics including sexually transmitted diseases, abortion teenage pregnancy and it’s effects and domestic violence.
Another rider, Francis Ackah said many riders were living risky because they did not understand the dangers.
“Now we have been educated and made ambassadors to educate the others,” he stated.
He indicated that some of them were engaged in risky sexual behaviors because they were oblivious of the dangers.
He called for more of such fora for the members to help reduce promote healthy sexual behaviors among the riders.
SRH education essential
The Central Regional Director of the NYA, Archibald Donkoh in his remarks said sexual reproductive health remained an essential aspect of our lives that is often not given the attention and priority it deserved.
He said sexual education should therefore be a fundamental right for our youth, as it could lead to of well-informed decisions that affect their health and well-being adding that workshop’s focus on sexual reproductive education was critical in creating an environment that nurturer young people and supported their potential.
Gender equity
He also called for need to ensure gender equity and remove gender-based violence.
“We must also tackle gender-based violence, which often goes unchecked in many circumstances. We need to create an environment that encourages gender equity, where the fundamental rights of all individuals, regardless of their gender, are respected and upheld. At such a time, we must collaborate to develop interventions that protect women and men equally, and provide the necessary support and resources to survivors of gender-based violence,” he added.
Mr Donkoh urged all including parents, teachers, community leaders, and policymakers alike to play their roles in ensuring that the communities were safe and healthy places for young people by helping to develop proactive policies, programs, and interventions that could protect the health and wellbeing of our young people.
Safety first
A programmed officer with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), MichaelTagoe who took the participants through sexually transmitted diseases advised them to think safety first and adopt responsible sexual lifes.
Prior to the King’s Coronation on Saturday, May 6, 2023, King Charles III today welcomed the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and his wife, Lady Julia, to the Buckingham Palace.
The Asantehene and his wife are in London at the Royal family’s invitation, where they are meeting with other kings and heads of state from around the world.
Today’s photo of King Charles and the Asantehene shows the two laughing together.
They will assemble at Westminster Abbey on Saturday for what is expected to be a feast of pageantry marking the first coronation in over 70 years.
Apart from today’s private audience at Buckingham Palace, they will also attend the King’s official reception for overseas guests on Friday, May 5, 2023.
The leader of the Achuar Nation of the Ecuadorian Amazon, Uyunkar Domingo Peas was also received at the Buckingham Palace today.
The Ministry of Information has released a statement addressing an alleged assault on Abubakari Sadiq Gariba, a radio host from Tamale-based Dagbon FM.
The Ghana Police Service and other relevant agencies have been contacted by the Ministry to conduct an investigation and bring charges against the two attackers.
The Ministry highlighted the significance of prompt and forceful action from law enforcement officials to stop similar situations from happening again.
The victim reported that he was assaulted due to his criticism of one of the attackers during a live radio program on World Press Freedom Day.
A video of the incident has been circulated on social media, showing the two unidentified assailants confronting and threatening the presenter.
Mr. Gariba ultimately left the studio with the attackers.
The Ministry strongly condemned the assault, affirming that attacks on journalists are unacceptable and that it is imperative to maintain Ghana’s reputation for upholding press freedom.
“The Ministry of Information has noted with concern reports of assault on a journalist at Dagbon FM, in Tamale. The Ministry condemns the act and urges the Ghana Police Service and relevant agencies to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators. Attacks on journalists should not be countenanced. Severe and speedy response from law enforcement agencies is necessary to prevent copy-cat acts and maintain Ghana’s status in upholding press freedom,” the Ministry said in a statement.
The US Embassy has announced an increase in visa fees worldwide from US$160 to US$185 effective May 30, 2023.
The statement from the embassy on May 4, 2023, detailed that “fees for U.S. nonimmigrant visas will increase worldwide on May 30, 2023.” “The fee for 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 to US$185 (from US$160).”
It further went on to say that “for petition-based non immigrant categories (H, L, O, P, Q, and R), the fee will increase to US$205 (from US$190). This fee increase is established by the Department of State in Washington, D.C., and will take effect equally at all U.S. embassies and consulates around the world,” it added.
However, individuals who apply for a visa on or after May 30, 2023, will be required to pay the new, higher fees. It does not affect applications submitted before that date.
“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.
From October 1, 2022, visa fee payments will be valid for 365 days from the date of payment receipt. Within this period, applicants are required to either schedule an interview appointment or submit an interview waiver application.
However, there is no requirement that the actual interview take place within this 365-day period.
So, applicants have one year to schedule an interview or submit an interview waiver application after paying the visa fee, according to the Embassy.
It also added that “The Department of State’s consular operations are funded by fees collected for the consular services it provides.”
Nonimmigrant visa fees are set based on the actual cost of providing these services, as determined after conducting a study of the cost of these services.
“Nonimmigrant visa fee increases are based strictly on the results of this cost-of-service model, and the Department of State only recovers the costs of providing these consular services,” the embassy said in the statement.
The quest by the business community to ensure government withdraws the three new taxes that were approved recently is not over yet, despite ongoing implementation by the Ghana Revenue Authority.
The GRA has begun implementation of two of the new taxes this week after a series of engagements and agitations from sections of the public.
But speaking to Joy Business after the swearing-in of new executives of the Abbosey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, Clement Amoateng said GUTA will continue to engage the government in order to get these taxes reviewed during the 2023 Mid-year Budget Review.
“GUTA is still calling on the government to have an engagement so that we can offer some solutions that will raise more revenue than the taxes. But we are looking at the 2023 Mid-year Budget Review for the taxes to be reviewed”.
“It is not too late for us as a trading community and we will still be pushing. But in the meantime, we have to pass on the cost to consumers because this is a business and every businessman or woman will do that”, he added.
The three taxes – Growth and Sustainability Levy, Excise Duty Amendment Bill and Income Tax Amendment Act were introduced to replace some old taxes in the system.
Despite a series of agitations from the business community and some stakeholders, the levies have been approved and implementation begun by the Ghana Revenue Authority.
Meanwhile, the newly sworn-in Chairman of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers, Henry Okyere Jnr, has assured members it administration will offer the best for the association.
Top on the agenda for the newly elected executives will be the move to de-congest the area to ease traffic flow for customers.
An afro-soul and pop singer Irene Logan revealed that three of her family members passed away within a year.
Taking her turn on ‘Restoration with Stacy’, the songstress, born on February 16, 1984, in Monrovia, Liberia said the period was one of the most difficult moments for her mother who had to bear the pain of losing people she cherished.
“When I was three months old, my father died. I had an older brother who died within the same year. So within the year, my mum lost her father, her son and her husband,” she recalled, adding that her mother headed to Ghana with her afterwards as a result of civil unrest in Liberia.
According to the musician, her father died when he was 23.
“My parents got married really early. They were in love. My father was also very musical. He played the guitar, my mum sings. She was a big gospel musician in Liberia back in the day and the reason why we got to come to Ghana was because she used to travel across Africa, America and Europe to minister. One of the places she had come to was Action Chapel…,” she told host Stacy.
The 36-year-old stated that she came to Ghana in 1991 with her family on the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) flight.
Irene Logan was full of praise for her mother Tina Logan for how she protected her and ensured she saw no lifeless bodies during the war.
Oblivious of what was happening at the time, Irene said her mother was very tactical when they were fleeing the territory. At the time, she was only 7 years old.
“I spent a year in the Liberian war. I was very young so I didn’t really understand what was going on. When I heard gunshots, I thought people were clapping,” she recounted.
“I never saw a dead body, I never saw anyone being killed during the whole one year in the Liberian war. My mother made sure I was protected. When we had to move from one place to the other, she will say we’re playing hide and seek. She would cover my eyes… she is phenomena.”
Asked how different Ghana was from Liberia when she touched down, Irene said she found it difficult to adapt because Ghana and Liberia have different cultures.
She said: “One thing that was different was the language. The accents were different… I wasn’t used to the dialect, some cultural practices were different… I’m left-handed and in Liberia, it’s not a big deal to use your left hand so coming here, I had to learn and unlearn a lot of things.
“It was difficult growing up in Ghana as a refugee. I was only a child who wanted to live. It was difficult making friends because there was also the perception about Liberians in Ghana… I was always a refugee girl.”
Irene Logan emerged winner of Stars of the Future season 1 reality show held in 2006.
Irene Logan is a Liberian-Ghanaian singer, songwriter, philanthropist and entrepreneur. She and her family moved to Ghana in search of refuge from the First Liberian Civil War. Logan gained recognition after winning the first edition of the Stars of the Future talent show.
After winning the first season of Stars of the Future in 2006. Her debut single “Runaway” became a hit in Ghana. Her follow-up single “Kabila” also gained recognition. She recorded the song “My Mind Dey”, which was used as the soundtrack for the film series Adams Apples. Logan has performed with several artists, including Hugh Masakela, Lagbaja, Jay Z, and Beenie Man, among others.
In recent years, Logan has transitioned to making Gospel musician.
