TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • I pray you lose your seats – Anita De Soso curses Minority MPs who approved new ministers

    I pray you lose your seats – Anita De Soso curses Minority MPs who approved new ministers

    A former National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Anita De Soso, has slammed the party’s Members of Parliament (MPs) over their complaints following the “NPP will never hand over power to NDC” statement made by the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.

    Speaking in an XYZ TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, De Soso said over 30 NDC MPs took bribes to approve Bryan’s appointment as agriculture minister against the wishes of Ghanaians and the party’s orders but are now crying over his comments.

    She added that the NDC MPs should be ashamed for approving Acheampong because their voting for him, in their numbers, is what has emboldened him to speak the way he did.

    “We spoke to these MPs, but they did not listen. We suffered and got them to Parliament, but they refused to listen to us when we told them not to approve this man (Bryan Acheampong).

    “About 31 NDC MPs voted to approve this man. This is the consequence of your taking bribes to approve him. And I’m praying that at least 10 of you will lose the upcoming primaries so you can come and confess.

    “…you think being in Parliament is an opportunity to make money, and you took money to approve him. Today, he is the one paying you back as you deserve. I told you that God would punish you,” she said in Twi.

    The former NDC women’s organiser added that if the NDC MPs intended to embarrass former President John Dramani Mahama and the party’s national executives by their decision to approve the government appointees, today they are reaping the seeds they sowed.

    She also urged members of the NDC not to worry about Bryan Acheampong’s comments because the NPP can never use violence to win the 2024 elections.

    What Bryan Acheampong said:

    Bryan Acheampong, after a walk dubbed “Walk to Build A Better Ghana” with a multitude of New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters at Mpreaso-Kwahu in the Eastern Region on Saturday, April 8, 2023, stated that the ruling NPP will never hand over power to the opposition NDC in 2025.

    He cautioned that the NPP would show the NDC that they have the “men” should they try to use threats and violence in the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.

    “The NDC party will collapse. If the NDC dares to use threats, violence, and foolishness in the 2024 election, we will let them know we have the men. We will show them that we have the men.

    “We have the men. It will never happen that we, the NPP, will stand on a platform to hand over power to the NDC. It will never happen! We will make sure NPP remain in government at all cost,” Acheampong, who is also the MP for Abetifi, said.

    NDC MP’s voting to approve Bryan Acheampong, others:

    Parliament on Friday, March 24, approved all six ministerial nominees as well as the nominees of the Supreme Court of President Akufo-Addo after a heated debate, 24 hours earlier and a tense voting process.

    Final results declared by Speaker Alban Bagbin showed that all nominees got more votes than the minimum of 138 votes required because out of the 275 eligible voters, there were three absent.

    Some Members of Parliament (MPs) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) did not adhere to the decision of the party to vote against the approval of the nominees.

    Kobina Tahir Hammond (MP for Adansi Asokwa) was approved as the Minister of Trade and Industry and Bryan Acheampong (MP for Abetifi) as the Minister of Food and Agriculture.

    Other nominees who were approved include Stephen Asamoah Boateng, as Ministry of Chieftaincy; Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister of State (Ministry of Finance), and Osei Bonsu Amoah, Ministry of Local Government.

    Stephen Amoah, the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, was also approved as the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.

    The Supreme Court nominees who were approved include George Kingsley Koomson, Justice of the Court of Appeal, and Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu, Justice of the High Court.

    Leading figures in the NDC, including former President John Dramani Mahama, slammed the MPs who broke ranks and have accused them of betraying NDC supporters and Ghanaians for their selfish interest.

    The MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has challenged the said MPs, who were allegedly bribed, according to Cape Coast South MP, Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan, to come out and tell Ghanaians why they voted to approve Akufo-Addo’s nominees.

  • There are laws artistes can use to sue their ‘look-alikes’ – Lawyer

    There are laws artistes can use to sue their ‘look-alikes’ – Lawyer

    A private practitioner, Lawyer Bobby Banson, has disclosed that it is possible for musicians to sue their ‘replicas’ who have started performing their songs and making appearances at events.

    According to him, there is an act that permits artistes to sue their ‘look-alikes’ on the grounds of ‘taking advantage of their reputation to make economic gains’.

    “I think you can look at the unfair competition act that allows somebody to sue another person when the other is taking advantage of his reputation to make undue economic gains. An artiste can use the common law of passing off to make the argument that these so-called lookalikes are taking advantage of his reputation and intellectual property to deceive his followers and because of that, he has lost X or Y amount of money” he stated in an interview with Joy A-Z showbiz.

    Meanwhile, some netizens have condemned the act of these individuals posing as celebrities at various events or even granting media interviews.

    Celebrities including Ghanaian musician, Edem, have slammed event organizers, bloggers, and other stakeholders, for `condoning and entertaining these ‘artiste look-alikes’.

    Background

    In recent times, social media has witnessed an influx of individuals with little resemblance to some popular Ghanaian musicians.

    From dressing like them to acting like them, these young men have been seen dancing or imitating the singers on numerous occasions.

    Artistes including; King Promise, Kwesi Arthur, Mr. Drew, Kuami Eugene, KiDi, Quamina MP, and many others have had their replicas suddenly trooping out of their hideouts.

  • ‘I was born to be a star’ – Vicky Kitcher

    ‘I was born to be a star’ – Vicky Kitcher

    Model and acting talent, Vicky Kitcher, says she is hopeful of soon becoming one of the biggest acting and model brands on the African continent.

    Vicky, also known as Vicky Billions, started modelling at a tender age at the Alpha Production Modelling Agency. Subsequently, she had a stint with the Exopa Modelling Agency where she took part in some of their major runway shows before branching into acting.

    In an interview, she said she intends to juggle acting and modelling because she has a passion for both careers.

    “I have a passion to become a top model and an actress, I was born to be a star,” she indicated.

    The young talent who loves to swim, watch movies, and likes to spend a good time with herself, attended the Holy Trinity Cathedral Senior High School in Accra, where she read General Arts.

    She later enrolled at the Ghana Institute of Journalism where she studied journalism after which she also went on to study acting at Institute Media College.

    The Vicky Kitcher Foundation, which is her brainchild, supports the less privileged.

    “It’s an organisation which I use to help orphans and street children by donating to them,” she indicated.

  • Pastor arrested for washing vagina of pregnant woman with salt water

    Pastor arrested for washing vagina of pregnant woman with salt water

    A self-styled pastor identified as Kelvin Abeka has been exposed for posing as a junior pastor of the founder and leader of Holiness of Christ Zion Ministry, Prophet Emmanuel Aboagye alias Ogyaba.

    The pastor who owns a church, Divine Fire Ministry in Koforidua was exposed after he imposed fear on a pregnant woman and ended up washing her genitalia with salt water.

    In a video shared by Oman Channel, Pastor Abeka is seen being interrogated by Prophet Ogyaba in his office where he admitted to posing as his junior pastor to gain the trust of unsuspecting persons.

    “He has gone to this woman to impose fear in her that when she goes to deliver she will die and so he will give her spiritual directions to avert that. He ended up barging in on her in the bathroom and forcibly washed her private part with salt water,” Ogyapa is heard exclaiming while pointing to a heavily pregnant woman who was also present in the office.

    While admitting to his actions, Pastor Abeka sought to argue that he was under the direction of God.

    Watch the video below:

    https://youtu.be/eiD27hdmDhI
  • Tech executive detained in connection with the murder of Cash App founder

    Tech executive detained in connection with the murder of Cash App founder

    Lee, 43, was stabbed on April 4 at around 2.35 a.m. in the city’s Rincon Hill district. Lee is the founder of the mobile payment software Cash software and the current chief product officer of cryptocurrency firm MobileCoin.

    Police detained Nima Momeni, of Emerydale, California, early on Thursday morning for Lee’s murder, according to San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott.

    Little information about the events leading up to the deadly stabbing was provided by police and prosecutors, although they were able to determine that Lee and Momeni were acquainted.

    ‘This doesn’t have to do with San Francisco, this has to do with human nature,’ Scott said. ‘Research shows most people who commit homicides know the people they kill.’

    Both the police chief and San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins criticized commentators who jumped to conclusions about the homicide. Jenkins also called out billionaire Elon Musk by name for his tweets after Lee’s death.

    ‘Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately. Is the city taking stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders @BrookeJenkinsSF?’ Musk said in a tweet shortly after Lee’s death.

    ‘Reckless and irresponsible statements like those tweeted by Mr. Musk assumed incorrect circumstances about Mr Lee’s death,’ Jenkins said. The district attorney said the Twitter CEO’s statements ‘negatively impact the pursuit of justice, as it spreads misinformation at a time when the police are trying to solve a difficult case.’

    She continued: ‘We all should and must do better about not contributing to the spread of such misinformation without having actual facts to underly the statements that we make. Victims deserve that, and the residents of San Francisco deserve that.’

    Momeni is scheduled to be arraigned and formally charged with murder on Friday at 1.30pm.

    Lee was reportedly stabbed near a deserted intersection in Rincon Hill, a tony residential neighborhood located adjacent to the San Francisco Bay.

    The arrest was first reported by Mission Local, citing multiple police sources.

  • Ghana’s capital must be relocated from Accra to Kintampo and Salaga – Kwabena Agyepong

    Former Press Secretary to former President John Agyekum Kufuor and aspirant in the flagbearership race for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kwabena Agyei Agyepong has made an interesting argument calling re-consideration of the current location of the country’s capital.

    Ing. Agyapong believes the capital of Ghana should be relocated from Accra in the wake of population explosion.

    According to him he made this suggestion to former President Kufuor way back in 2006 more especially when the country worn the bid to host CAN 2008 and AU conference.

    “If I had my own way there is a place between Kintampo and Salaga; there is a big space very close to the Volta River that can be a very prime area for the capital of Ghana; we could move the Jubilee House there; the new Tamale Stadium we could have built it there”.

    Explaining further, he stated that the AU buildings in Cantonment could have been put up there being a new capital then you plan it properly with all the roads, avenue with everything properly schemed up; that is how you begin a new human settlement, he said.

    Engineer Agyepong, emphasised the need for Ghana to change its human settlement, saying, if you take Accra right now it has to be regenerated even the urban population the way we live is not the best before God as our standard of living is very low not in terms of money but just the way we live; the neatness of our surroundings, making sure the street are properly laid when we are designing an area, if this is a church avenue, we should have playground, this place is for recreational.

    “We need to stick to a plan, which does not happen in Ghana. Today you have mix development, you are there then they come a pull down a building and put up a church; all those things we can ensure that the needed rules and plans are followed”.

    He cited Nigeria as a good example where they have Lagos as their commercial capital and political capital in Abuja.


    When questioned by Ghanamps.com if the issue of relocating Ghana’s capital should become a topical political issue, he noted that he would not push it to look for votes but rather things should be such a way that everybody in Ghana should feel being part of the country – Ghana. For example why should we have cocoa processing factory in Tema and not in areas like Hohoe or Sehwi?

    He queried the impact of the tree crops authority to the country since its establishment some three years ago.

  • Donald Trump wants a delay in the rape trial

    Donald Trump wants a delay in the rape trial

    The trial for an alleged rape of a columnist, which was supposed to begin this month, seems to be delayed by the former president Donald Trump.

    The trial, which is set to start on April 25, centers on allegations that Trump sexually attacked columnist E Jean Carroll in a changing room at a Manhattan department shop in 1996.

    However, Carroll’s lawyers made it evident that a prominent donor to the Democratic Party helped finance her lawsuit, thus Trump’s attorney Alina Habba is asking for a postponement.

    The revelation that Carroll received money from American Future Republic, a social welfare organization funded by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, puts the lawsuit’s motives and credibility into question, Habba wrote in a letter on Thursday.

    Habba said the disclosure feeds into Trump’s defense calling Carroll’s accusations a ‘hoax’ and ‘con job’. Trump had also questioned if the Democratic Party was funding the suit and if Carroll brought it with a political agenda.

    Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan in a letter to the court on Thursday asked the judge to deny Trump’s request for a trial delay.

    ‘One thing is clear – Trump will stop at nothing to avoid having a jury hear Carroll’s claims,’ wrote Kaplan.

    Earlier this week, Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina asked for a month delay in the trial, citing some negative publicity around the ex-president’s arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on April 4. Trump plead not guilty to 34 felony counts around Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into his alleged role in a hush payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

    ‘Holding the trial of this case a mere three weeks after these historic events will guarantee that many, if not most, prospective jurors will have the criminal allegations top of mind when judging President Trump’s defense against Ms Carroll’s allegations,’ wrote Tacopina.

    ‘President Trump can only receive a fair trial in a calmer media environment than the one created by the New York County district attorney.’

    Also on Thursday, the Washington, DC, Court of Appeals refused to decide if Trump can be shielded from the first of two defamation suits brought by Carroll.

    The developments unfolded the same day that Trump sat for his second deposition in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ $250million civil lawsuit alleging fraud by him, his three eldest children and the Trump Organization.

  • Tech worker arrested in Cash App Founder killing

    Tech worker arrested in Cash App Founder killing

    Police have arrested a self-described tech entrepreneur over the fatal stabbing in San Francisco of Cash App founder Bob Lee.

    The suspect is 38-year-old Nima Momeni from Emeryville, California. Mr Lee and Mr Momeni knew each other, police said.

    According to a LinkedIn profile for Mr Momeni, he is a technology consultant and start-up owner.

    Police found Mr Lee, 43, unconscious with stab wounds on 4 April near San Francisco’s city centre.

    He died in hospital from his injuries.

    In a news conference on Thursday, San Francisco Police Department chief William Scott announced Mr Momeni’s arrest.

    Mr Scott said Mr Momeni had been charged with murder and was now in custody at the San Francisco County Jail.

    He did not elaborate on how Mr Lee and the suspect knew each other.

    He was caught drink driving in 2004, and in 2011 Mr Momeni was charged with a misdemeanour for carrying a switchblade, criminal records show, but the case was dismissed after he took a plea deal.

    Mr Momeni’s LinkedIn says he is the owner of a company called Expand IT, Inc.

    Neighbour Sam Singer told CBS News Bay Area that he never had a poor interaction with Mr Momeni except hearing him play music too loudly.

    He said he was in “total shock” hearing about Mr Momeni’s arrest.

    Prosecutors are seeking to hold Mr Momeni without bail. An arraignment hearing has been scheduled for Friday.

    Mr Scott said the “case is not closed” despite the arrest, and an investigation is continuing into Mr Lee’s death.

    Citing police sources, Mission Local reported Mr Lee and the suspect were in a vehicle together and had an altercation before Mr Lee was stabbed.

    Police officers first responded to reports of the stabbing at about 02:35 local time (09:35 GMT) on 4 April.

    The San Francisco Standard viewed CCTV footage that shows Mr Lee walking down a deserted alleyway, seemingly looking for help.

    He is seen stumbling towards a parked car and lifting up his shirt to reveal his wound, but the vehicle drives off before the tech entrepreneur falls to the ground.

    Police found Mr Lee unconscious in the Rincon Hill neighbourhood with two stab wounds to his chest and started to administer aid before rushing him to hospital.

    He was the chief product officer of the cryptocurrency company MobileCoin.

    Mr Lee is also credited with founding Cash App, a smartphone-based platform that allows person-to-person money transfers. The app is popular in the US and is worth $40b, according to Forbes.

    His death garnered many tributes from figures in the US tech industry.

    It also ignited criticism against authorities in San Francisco for their response to the city’s violent crime.

    During Thursday’s news conference, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins addressed the criticism by saying that her office and police had “worked tirelessly” to solve Mr Lee’s case and others.

    She also accused those who linked Mr Lee’s murder to overall safety in San Francisco of making “reckless and irresponsible” statements.

    Ms Jenkins specifically mentioned Elon Musk by name, who tweeted after Mr Lee’s stabbing that “violent crime in San Francisco is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately”.

    She said tweets such as his “assumed incorrect circumstances about Mr Lee’s death [and] served to mislead the world in their perceptions of San Francisco”.

    Police statistics suggest San Francisco’s murder rate is fairly consistent. There were 56 murders last year and 56 the year before. The city seems on track for a similar homicide rate this year.

    According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the city has unusually high rates of property crime, such as theft and burglary, but lower-than-average rates of violent crime compared with other US cities.

    Whole Foods temporarily closed its flagship San Francisco store on Monday, citing concerns about worker safety.

    Other retail giants, such as Walgreens and Target, have in recent years shut locations in the city or reduced opening hours because of crime concerns.

  • Man jailed 10 months for striking his partner with a shovel

    Man jailed 10 months for striking his partner with a shovel

    A guy who threw bags of dog waste at his girlfriend and attacked her with a shovel has been sentenced to ten months in prison.

    In February 2022, Kirsty Burrows was being brutally attacked by Jake Shaw, 30, who was only stopped when her dog ‘launched’ to her defense.

    According to testimony given in court, the victim was serving her son breakfast at her St. Helens home when Shaw suddenly hit her in the head.

    More shovel strikes were delivered to Ms. Burrows’ arms and legs as she attempted to “shield herself.”

    Shaw wouldn’t give her the car keys when she went to drop her kids off at school until she removed bags of dog waste from the driveway.

    When she did so, Shaw ‘proceeded to throw the bags of faeces at her’.

    Ms Burrows suffered swelling to the back of her head and bruises to her arms and legs as a result of the initial assault.

    But later that day at 9pm, she was upstairs in bed when he knocked at the front door and asked if he could stay the night.

    Around 20 minutes later, Shaw entered her bedroom and began subjecting her to a second assault.

    He sat on her legs ‘so she could not move’ before hitting her twice to the chest and once to her left side, causing bruising.

    Further punches then connected with the back of her head before he sat on her again and suffocated her by placing a pillow over her face.

    Shaw then placed his hands over Ms Burrows’ face, leaving her ‘unable to breathe’.

    Domestic abuse helpline

    If you are in immediate danger call 999. If you cannot talk, dial 55 and the operator will respond.

    For emotional support, you can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. Alternatively, for practical and emotional support, please contact Women’s Aid Live Chat 10am – 6pm seven days a week.

    You can also reach the National Centre for Domestic Violence on 0800 270 9070 or text NCDV to 60777.

    For free and confidential advice and support for women in London affected by abuse, you can call Solace on 0808 802 5565 or email advice@solacewomensaid.org.

    Male victims of domestic abuse can call 01823 334244 to speak to ManKind, an initiative available for male victims of domestic abuse and domestic violence across the UK as well as their friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues and employers.

    Alternatively, the Men’s Advice Line can be reached at 0808 8010327, or emailed at info@mensadviceline.org.uk.

    She punched him back and managed to break free, and he told her: ‘I’m going to get you done for assault.’

    When she tried to leave for her mum’s house, Shaw picked up a ‘combat knife’ and stated: ‘If you leave me, I’m going to kill myself.’

    He grabbed Ms Burrows once more, sparking her dog to ‘launch’ itself at him in a bid to protect her. This resulted in the blade making contact with his girlfriend, causing a cut and bruising.

    Shaw then grabbed the pet by the throat, pushed it to the floor and stamped on its neck. Ms Burrows was able to escape to her mother’s while he was fighting with the dog.

    In a victim impact statement, Ms Burrows said she had since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and suffers from panic attacks and nightmares. She said she has been left ‘feeling worthless’, adding: ‘I feel like my life is rubbish at the moment.

    ‘I don’t feel like me. I feel like what happened to me is never going to leave me.’

    Shaw, from Mirfield, West Yorkshire, had five previous convictions for eight offences, including being jailed for 18 weeks in 2019 for battery against Ms Burrows.

    His defence counsel told the court he denies using the spade during his attack, but ‘accepts his actions were not acceptable and takes responsibility for those actions’.

    Shaw admitted two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was jailed for 10 months and handed a five-year restraining order preventing him from contacting Ms Burrows.

    Sentencing, Recorder Eric Lamb said: ‘Offences of domestic violence involve a breach of the trust of an intimate relationship. I have concluded that appropriate punishment can only be achieved by an immediate term of custody.’

  • Beating the war drum: Some ‘inciteful’ comments made by Akufo-Addo, Kennedy Agyapong, Bryan Acheampong and others

    Beating the war drum: Some ‘inciteful’ comments made by Akufo-Addo, Kennedy Agyapong, Bryan Acheampong and others

    Ghana’s political terrain has recently seen a new trend. Call it mere political talk or comments that incite violence or not, one cannot help but notice how the two main political parties: the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have been in the news for the past few days over derogatory comments made by some individuals in their respective parties.

    These individuals include ministers, statesmen, party executives, among others, with the latest of such controversial utterances made by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, at the NPP’s Arise and Build Unity Walk.

    The minister was captured saying in Twi, “We will show the NDC that we have the men if they want to intimidate, harass us, or do anything foolish during the 2024 elections…It will not happen that we will hand over power to NDC. We’ll use any means for NPP to stay in power.”

    Since then, the two parties have thrown jabs at each other. Whereas the NPP supports the minister, the opposition NDC has made several calls for the police to have Bryan Acheampong arrested.

    The NDC has described the comments by the minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Abetifi, as offensive, treasonable, and a catalyst for violence.

    But the NDC has not been alone in this, as a lot more individuals and groups have also called Bryan out over the controversial comments he made.

    Experts, analysts, and even the National Peace Council have all added their voices to the conversation.

    Yet, the use of comments with subtle ‘war inviting’ meanings is not new to Ghana’s political arena.

    More than once, some known faces in the governing party NPP, while on different platforms, have made comments deemed troubling and ones that have the tendency to incite political tensions.

    Giving a little background to this, in 2012, when the sitting president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was the flagbearer of the NPP, he made a comment that, for a long time, became a mantra around him.

    “… They [NDC] have intentions to intimidate us in 2012 because they believe that we are soft and cowards. If they are thinking, then we shall see. At least, during the Atiwa by-elections, we showed a little of our colours there. You must understand that this party was formed by courageous people. Our leaders who formed this party that has now becomes the biggest political movement in Ghana were not cowards. So, in 2012 we need to be courageous, because all die be die…all die be die…” he said during a campaign event.

    The infamous ‘All Die Be Die’ became a reference point for a lot of conversations about violence and war-mongering for so long thereafter.

    And then more recently, in 2022, during the NPP’s Delegates Conference in Kumasi, the Director of Operations at the Presidency, Lord Commey, also made a similar statement.

    “… this is the time. If we can’t say these things in conference, I don’t know where else we would say them. I charge you… break the eight, break the eight… it has become a slogan… I, who stand before you now, so far as I live, I am not breaking any eight… the power, I say, I will not hand over to them today nor tomorrow…” he chanted to the teeming supporters of the party.

    As expected, those comments also received a lot of backlash and condemnations, but that did not stop others in the party from also choosing to follow in this line.

    Just a year later, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has become the newest culprit.

    The National Democratic Congress’ John Dramani Mahama may have also recently said that he and his party would match the NPP ‘boot for boot’ in lead up to the 2020 general elections, but it is not enough justification for the ruling party to still want to maintain a stance on comments that fuel tensions in the country.

    It is, therefore, worrying that the only justification the NPP continues to make to, especially, the recent comments by Bryan Acheampong, is their reference to Mahama’s comments, and those of the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, during his victory speech in 2022, where he said ‘we are prepared to sacrifice everything… including our lives.’

    What remains an unanswered question is, if members of the NPP are not comfortable with other politicians making similar utterances, why make them yourselves?

    The tradition of campaigning has been that candidates or parties sell their messages and achievements to the citizens with the aim of getting their votes.

    The warmongering comments must be rebuked, called out and stopped before they escalate into full-blown violence in the country.

    Political parties must note that power comes with responsibilities. Whether you retain it or hand it over to the next, utterances with subtle ‘war inviting’ meanings and controversial comments must be made with a pinch of salt.

  • UNFPA pledges support for Ghana in combating maternal deaths by 2023

    UNFPA pledges support for Ghana in combating maternal deaths by 2023

    The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has pledged to support Ghana in combating maternal deaths by the end of 2030.

    In this regard, the Fund and its partners will continue providing relevant support, including technical and logistics in quality human resource training and maternal healthcare to ensure safe childbirth in Ghana.

    The Deputy Country Director of the UNFPA, Dr. Emily Naphambo, gave the assurance in Kumasi in an interview with Radio Ghana on the sidelines of a presentation of assorted training equipment to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

    UNFPA is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations and is concerned and working towards responsible reproductive health in member nations with a target to achieve Zero maternal deaths by 2030.

    The training equipment donated to the KNUST forms part of the strategies being deployed by the Agency towards the attainment of this goal.

    The Deputy Country Representative of the UNFPA, Dr. Emily Naphambo, who led the delegation of the United Nations agency, handed over the equipment to the Vice Chancellor of the KNUST, Professor Mrs. Rita Dickson.

    Dr. Naphambo explained that until Ghana’s unimpressive maternal deaths record, which currently stands at 320 deaths per 100 thousand live births, gets better, the UNFPA, with the support of its partners like Canada, will not relent in assisting the country in any way possible.

    Asked how long her agency was ready to support Ghana, Dr. Naphambo quickly responded amidst giggling “As long as women continue to die, we’re here as UNFPA. UNFPA is a UN that specializes in reproductive health and maternal deaths. As long as women are dying, we’re here, we’re not going anywhere. Our agenda is to ensure Zero maternal deaths in 2030.”

    The Director of Nursing and Midwifery at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bannor, who witnessed the presentation, said the Ministry has identified capacity training as the most important need for quality maternal care in the country hence his appeal to local and external organizations to offer support in the development of relevant curricular for postgraduate programmes for nurses and midwives in the country.

    The Deputy Registrar in charge of University Relations at the KNUST, Dr. Daniel Norris Bekoe, in thanking UNFPA for the generous assistance, described the gesture as timely for hands-on training of the would-be nurses and midwives during their practical learning sessions at school.

    The equipment donated by the UNFPA, valued at 30 thousand Ghana Cedis, included a cardi otoscopy machine, multipurpose manual obstetrics bed, MVA kits, Urine dilators, sets of Dilation and Curettage, assorted Thermometers, cervical dilation and, effacement, birth stimulators among others key logistics.

    The items are meant for the Midwifery Skills Laboratory of the Department of Nursing of the College of Health Sciences of the KNUST.

    The presentation forms part of the standing partnership between the KNUST and the UNFPA since 2011 which has also seen the UNFPA assist the KNUST to establish the Nursing and Midwifery School and still together, developing curricula for postgraduate courses in the two professional fields.

  • UK and Ireland “should be working closer” to combat political violence – Joe Biden

    UK and Ireland “should be working closer” to combat political violence – Joe Biden

    In a historic speech to the Irish parliament, Joe Biden stated that the UK and Ireland “should be working closer” to protect Northern Ireland against political violence.

    The president delivered speeches to both the Dail and Seanad, making him just the fourth US president to do so.

    He addressed at a joint session of the Oireachtas, following in the footsteps of John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.

    Senators and TDs were reminded by Mr. Biden that “peace is precious” and “it still needs its champions.” It still requires nurturing.

    According to him, the Good Friday Agreement also had a “significant positive impact” in the Republic of Ireland.

    Reflecting on discussions with the Taoiseach, he spoke of ‘how Ireland and the United States can work together with the United Kingdom and the European Union to support the people of Northern Ireland’.

    ‘I think that the United Kingdom should be working closer with Ireland in this endeavour.

    (Picture: Sky News)
    Mr Biden was given a huge welcome as he arrived at Leinster House (Picture: Sky News)
    U.S. President Joe Biden looks up as he mentions his mother during addressing the Irish Parliament at Leinster House, in Dublin, Ireland, April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
    The US opened his speech and said ‘mom you said it would happen’ (Picture: REUTERS)
    US President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the Dail Eireann, the lower house of the Irish Parliament, at Leinster House in Dublin, on April 13, 2023, during his four day trip to Northern Ireland and Ireland. - After a frosty encounter north of the border, US President Joe Biden is assured of a far warmer welcome by lawmakers in Ireland on Thursday during a visit to the country of his ancestral roots. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
    It was a packed Dail Eireann, the lower house of the Irish Parliament for his speech (Picture: Getty)

    ‘Political violence must never be allowed again to take hold on this island.’

    He called for ‘liberty against tyranny’ as she said Ireland and the US have stood together against Putin since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, and added that they would fight to ‘oppose Russia’s brutal aggression.’

    He opened his address to a joint sitting of by saying: ‘Well mom, you said it would happen.’

    He went on to jokingly apologise to the infant daughter of Labour senator Rebecca Moynihan, who was in the chamber, for putting her through a policy speech, saying it is ‘as bad as what my children have been put through’.

    ‘People of Ireland, it’s so good to be back in Ireland,’ he said, making a remark in Irish which translates as: ‘I am home.’

    He added: ‘I only wish I could stay longer.’

    Among the members inside the house were Bertie Ahern, who brokered the Good Friday Agreement with Tony Blair in 1998.

    A more controversial figure in attendance was Gerry Adams, an Irish republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin from 1983-2018.

    He was part of the broadcast ban in 1983-84 after the IRA bombed a Brighton hotel where Margaret Thatcher was staying in 1983.

    The speaker of the Dail, Sean O Fearghail, spoke ahead of Joe Biden’s speech and said ‘‘You are one of us,’ thanking the US president for his support of Ireland.

    He said: ‘All through your political career, Mr President, you too have been a faithful and supportive friend of Ireland. You have been there, to quote the well-known song, ‘in sunshine or in shadow’.

    ‘So, on this historic occasion – your homecoming – we warmly welcome you back to your roots.

    ‘From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, for us here in Ireland.’

    On the third day of his trip to Ireland, he met with Irish premier Leo Varadkar and president Michael D Higgins.

    Speaking with the Taoiseach he hailed the importance of US and European leadership and praised American leadership since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.

    Mr Varadkar said he wanted to ‘thank you and your administration and your country’s leadership when it comes to Ukraine because I never thought in my lifetime that we’d see a war of this nature happening in Europe again’.

    He said: ‘Democracy and liberty and the things that we believe in are on retreat, or in retreat, in large parts of the world, and if it wasn’t for American leadership, and if it wasn’t for America and Europe working together, I don’t know what kind of world we’d live in.’

    Mr Biden, who met with the Irish leader in Washington on St Patrick’s Day, praised Irish values and the country’s acceptance of thousands of Ukrainian refugees as he spoke of a ‘stronger and stronger relationship’ between the US and Ireland.

    The pair are set to discuss efforts to restore powersharing in Northern Ireland, with Mr Varadkar thanking Mr Biden for US support for the Good Friday Agreement.

    Mr Biden told Mr Varadkar it had been great to see him in Washington last month, and said: ‘I think there really is an opportunity to make serious progress, not just because of the accord that was signed 25 years ago, but in terms of the way Ireland is moving, the way it is taking its place in the world, working on helping countries around the world that are dealing with starvation, the way you’ve – I know it’s not easy – welcomed Ukrainians here and the leadership you’ve shown.’

    Speaking to Mr Varadkar, the US President appeared to reference the progress made in securing the Windsor Framework – the deal between the EU and UK to amend the Northern Ireland Protocol – as he spoke of co-operation between the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as ‘very valuable as well’.

    This morning President Biden took part in several honorary ceremonies including helping plant a tree in the garden of Aras an Uachtarain.

    He also signed the visitor’s book at the home of the Irish President with the words of a proverb and said ‘Your feet will bring you where your heart is’.

    He took a shovel to help plant an Irish Oak, and added himself to the list of presidents who have all planted trees in the grounds.

    Pope John Paul II and the late Queen Elizabeth II have also carried out the tradition on previous visits.

    Speaking to president Michael D Higgins, Mr Biden said: ‘Mr president, I asked whether or not my great-grandchildren can come back and climb this tree when it grows?’

    The ceremony also saw the US president ring the Peace Bell, which was unveiled in 2008 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

    Mr Biden rang it four times before shaking hands with the Irish President.

    He said one ring was for Ireland, one was for the USA, another was for ancestry and a fourth was for peace.

    Mr Biden is expected to set out a ‘shared vision’ for the future of US-Irish relations when he addresses both houses of the Oireachtas.

    Mr Biden, who was joined by an official delegation that included the US secretary of state Antony Blinken, was met with cheers from onlookers as his motorcade entered the park.

    Arriving at Aras an Uachtarain Mr Biden emerged wearing sunglasses and a broad smile as he walked the red carpet to be met by Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina.

    ‘It’s a pleasure to be back’, Mr Biden told Mr Higgins.

    After signing the visitor’s book in the historic State Reception Room, Mr Biden quipped ‘I’m not going home. Isn’t this an incredible place? All you American reporters, it’s just like the White House, right?’

    A military band played the American national anthem as Mr Biden stood outside with his right hand on his heart.

    After listening to the Irish national anthem, the president inspected a guard of honour before being introduced to Irish dignitaries.

    At Farmleigh he was also invited to watch a sports demonstration by young Gaelic games players.

    The White House said Northern Ireland and Ukraine would top the agenda as Mr Biden met with Mr Higgins and Mr Varadkar.

    US National Security Council senior director Amanda Sloat told reporters that his Oireachtas address will refer to areas of close partnership between both countries and ‘setting out a shared vision for the future’.

    Mr Biden will be accompanied to the Irish Parliament by Marie Heaney, the widow of his favourite poet, Seamus Heaney.

    Mr Biden, who is on a four-day trip to the island, will attend a banquet in his honour at Dublin Castle hosted by Taoiseach Mr Varadkar this evening.

    His first full day of engagements on Wednesday began in Northern Ireland, where he delivered a keynote address in Belfast.

    In his speech to Ulster University, Mr Biden expressed the hope of a return to powersharing at Stormont, saying a stable devolved government could deliver an economic windfall for the region.

    His visit north of the border came as the region marks the 25th anniversary of the landmark Good Friday peace accord.

    After his address in Belfast, Mr Biden travelled to Dublin and from there to Co Louth, where he can trace some of his Irish ancestors.

    In a speech at a pub in Dundalk, he described how he felt as though he had come home.

    His remarks also included a gaffe when he appeared to confuse the All Blacks rugby team with the Black and Tans, a contentious police unit from Ireland’s War of Independence era.

    Asked about that gaffe, Ms Sloat said: ‘It was clear what the president was referring to, it was certainly clear to his cousins setting next to him.’

  • Industrialization is advised to use nuclear power as base-load energy

    Industrialization is advised to use nuclear power as base-load energy

    Using nuclear power as a base load in the energy generation mix has been highly recommended for countries that want to industrialise. Considered a green form of energy, nuclear power is said to be reliable, clean and cost-effective.

    Executive Director of Nuclear Power Ghana, Dr. Stephen Yamoah highlighted the importance of nuclear power in the energy supply chain and said Ghana just like any country needs a reliable energy supply.

    “Nuclear has been found as the most reliable among the base-load power options. Whether you consider it from the angle of green technology or consider it from the angle of reliability, nuclear power is very reliable,” he stated.

    “Therefore, it is important, as a country, having exhausted our hydro potential and the issues of environmental considerations, it is vital to have a very reliable base-load so that our renewables will conveniently fit in to provide additional energy sources for industry and for domestic use,” Dr. Stephen Yamoah further explained.

  • Former auctioneer admits creating phony Basquiat artwork

    Former auctioneer admits creating phony Basquiat artwork

    Authorities claim that paintings by Basquiat were taken from the Orlando Museum of Art last year.

    According to a statement from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, 45-year-old Michael Barzman acknowledged in court documents submitted on Tuesday that he and another man, only identified as J.F., produced the paintings that were misrepresented as undiscovered creations of groundbreaking artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

    The fakes, some of which took only five minutes to make, were sold by the pair and moved throughout the art market, according to the investigators.

    The pieces formed the basis of an exhibition titled ‘Heroes and Monsters‘ at the Florida gallery, which opened in February 2022. Four months later the FBI seized the fakes from the museum.

    “Most of the featured works had, in fact, been created by [Barzman] and J.F.,” Barzman admitted in his plea agreement, said the release.

    On Tuesday, Barzman was charged in federal court with making false statements to the FBI during an interview in August.

    Reaching a deal, he subsequently agreed to plead guilty to the felony offense and made a series of admissions about the scam, the release adds.

    The entrance to an exhibit by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat is seen at the Orlando Museum of Art on June 1, 2022, in Orlando.

    The entrance to an exhibit by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat is seen at the Orlando Museum of Art on June 1, 2022, in Orlando. Credit: John Raoux/AP/FILE

    “At the time of the interview, [Barzman] knew that he and J.F. had created the paintings and that his statements to the contrary were untruthful,” Barzman admitted.

    While J.F. was predominantly responsible for creating the art, it fell to Barzman — a one-time auctioneer — to pass it off as genuine and sell it on.

    “J.F. spent a maximum of 30 minutes on each image and as little as five minutes on others, and then gave them to [Barzman] to sell on eBay,” the plea agreement detailed, according to the release. “[Barzman] and J.F. agreed to split the money that they made from selling the fraudulent paintings. J.F. and [Barzman] created approximately 20-30 artworks by using various art materials to create colorful images on cardboard.”

    Basquiat, known for his raw style with graffiti-like images and scrawled text, helped define New York’s East Village art scene in the 1980s before his death at age 27.

    His artworks, which sell for millions of dollars, have been collected by celebrities including Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, as well as Jay-Z and Beyoncé. The most expensive work of his that sold at auction was the 1982 “Untitled” which sold for $110.5 million in 2017.

    According to authorities, Barzman and J.F. created the fakes in 2012 after hatching their plan.

    At that time, Barzman ran an auction business which mainly bought and resold the contents of unpaid storage units. In a further admission, Barzman revealed he had tried to pass the work off as genuine by claiming in a notarized document that they had been found in a storage unit which had been rented by a well-known screenwriter.

    Jean-Michel Basquiat at the surprise birthday party for Susanne Bartsch at the Rainbow Roof - 30 Rockefellar Plaza at Steven Greenberg's office, September 19, 1985.

    Jean-Michel Basquiat at the surprise birthday party for Susanne Bartsch at the Rainbow Roof – 30 Rockefellar Plaza at Steven Greenberg’s office, September 19, 1985. Credit: Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

    Barzman later admitted that the story about the screenwriter’s storage “was a lie.”

    He continued to deny making the paintings, even after he was shown the back of one of the seized pieces which showed a mailing label that had been painted over — with his name on it.

    In a statement to CNN, Mark Elliott, chairman of the museum’s board of trustees, said: “Today we learned of the plea agreement entered in connection with the ongoing investigation involving last year’s ‘Heroes and Monsters’ exhibition as it was announced publicly. The Orlando Museum of Art awaits the investigation’s conclusion and hopes it brings justice to all victims.”

    The statement went on to say that the museum has “recommitted itself to its mission to provide excellence in the visual arts.” As part of this process, it has taken a series of measures — including introducing “enhanced whistleblower protections” — and working with the American Alliance of Museums “to repair the institution’s standing.”

    The statement continued: “The Museum is eager for the DOJ to continue its investigation and hold those who committed crimes responsible. When this investigation is closed, and charges are brought, the Museum looks forward to sharing our story regarding the works in question.”

    Barzman has agreed to surrender to federal authorities for an as-yet unscheduled court appearance. Making false statements to a government agency carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

  • Electricity tariff hikes, more tax reforms necessary for IMF bailout – Ofori-Atta

    Electricity tariff hikes, more tax reforms necessary for IMF bailout – Ofori-Atta

    Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has hinted at hikes in electricity tariffs and tax reforms.

    These were made known by the Minister as he outlined five key measures necessary for the government to pursue in order to secure an International Monetary Fund (IMF) support programme.

    They are electricity tariff hikes which have brought the cumulative increase to 60% since August 2022 and Comprehensive set of revenue-enhancing measures, including increase in the Value Added Tax rate and the review of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).

    The rest are the enactment of an ambitious 2023 Budget, with a frontloading of the fiscal consolidation programme, continued monetary policy tightening to bring inflation under control and comprehensive set of structural reforms, notably public expenditure review.

    These were captured in the Investors Presentation by the Finance Minister and supported by the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison.

    With regard to fiscal and debt sustainability, the Finance Minister said the government has undertaken fiscal adjustment with revenue and expenditure measures to improve debt sustainability and restore macroeconomic stability.

    This is expected to address structural bottlenecks including contingent liabilities of State Owned Enterprises, commitment controls and arrears accumulation as well as domestic revenue mobilization.

    On monetary and financial sector reforms, Mr Ofori-Atta said government is committed to rebuilding reserve buffers, mobilize external concessional financing from multilateral and bilateral partners, and suspend external debt service payments.

    With regard to social protection and structural reforms, the Finance Minister said government will safeguard social protection programmes and ensure the burden of adjustment is fairly distributed.

    Again, it will reinforce and improve the targeting of social spending to protect the most vulnerable from the impact of the economic crisis as well as fast-track the implementation of growth-oriented socio-economic policies, such as Ghana CARES to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and support economic recovery.

    Government outlines 5 ambitious macroeconomic targets  

    Meanwhile, the government has outlined five ambitious macroeconomic objectives in the medium term as part of securing a programme from the International Monetary Fund.

    They are reaching a 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product primary surplus in the medium term, bringing inflation below 8% in the medium-term and restoring external buffers with gross international reserves reaching 3 months of import cover by 2026.

    The rest are reaching a real Gross Domestic Product growth target of 5% over the medium-term and enhancing competitiveness with exports surpassing 37% of GDP in the medium run.

  • Taiwan’s extraordinary 111-year-old forest railway gets a makeover

    Taiwan’s extraordinary 111-year-old forest railway gets a makeover

    Snaking through the dense forests of Alishan, one of the tallest mountain ranges in Taiwan, the 111-year-old Alishan Forest Railway has long been a popular attraction for train fans.

    And now, the train’s operators are freshening up its historic fleet by adding six sleek new rail cars.

    Collectively named Formosensis, the new carriages are the product of two years and nine months of planning and construction. Test drives kicked off in March, with the company hoping to wrap things up by June.

    Both the livery and interiors of the six new cars are lined with two types of cypresses native to the island – Taiwan red cypress (or Chamaecyparis formosensis – which inspired the name) and Taiwan cypress (Chamaecyparis Taiwanensis).

    “Taiwan red cypress and Taiwan cypress are fine and uniform wood materials,” say Alishan Forest Railway officials in a statement. “They’re durable, resistant to erosion and insects. The essential oils it contains exudes a unique phytoncide scent (the scent of the forest), which is both energizing and cleansing. Passengers could enjoy a refreshing forest bathing experience.”

    Formosensis will elevate the experience for travelers in several ways. For one, the current cypress-themed train doesn’t have air-conditioning or soft seating.

    Each new car will be fitted with 18 leather seats, including two four-seat booths and two two-seat booths. They will also feature bigger windows and warmer lights compared to older models, all to enhance the viewing experience.

    But travelers will have to wait a bit longer before they can climb aboard. Details of the routes and launch date have yet to be confirmed, according to the train office’s spokesperson.

    The existing Alishan Railway Route runs from Chiayi city station to the Loco Shed Park, a garage-turned-park where visitors can see preserved old train engines and trains that served the Alishan Forest Railway.

    Completed in 1912 under the Japanese occupation, the railway was once used to transport now-endangered Taiwan cypress trees from Alishan. After logging was banned, it became the only passenger train to ride up the mountains.

    It’s believed to be the highest narrow-gauge mountain railway in Asia, climbing from 30 meters to 2,216 meters above sea level – some 16 meters higher than the famed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which ascends from 100 meters to 2,200 meters.

    The Formosensis carriages will be the latest addition to Alishan Forest Railway’s historic fleet, which includes restored steam locomotives.

    Train lovers can experience some of the 71.6-kilometer railway’s original features – including the many spiral and horseshoe bends along the tracks. (You can see the aerial photos of some of the tracks in the above photo gallery.)

    The journey also offers a glimpse into Taiwan’s diverse natural beauty, as the train goes through a tropical forest, then a subtropical forest and finally a temperate forest during its ascent to the top of Alishan.

    In addition to developing more modern trains for the route, Alishan Forest Railway has also been restoring some of its older trains, as well as historical attractions along the line.

    In 2021, the Alishan Forestry Railway and Cultural Heritage Office completed restorations of the century-old Shay 21 steam locomotive. It’s Alishan’s first 28-ton steam train, imported from the United States in 1912, and is powered by its original coal-burning engine.

    Meanwhile, a Shay 31 locomotive makes occasional appearances during the flower blossoming season, from March to May.

    The Alishan Forest Railway isn’t a continuous line – one section of track between Shizilu Station and Alishan Station was damaged in a typhoon.

    Travelers can take the main line from Chiayi Station to Fenqihu Station (2 hours, 20 minutes) and continue the journey by bus from Fenqihu Station to Alishan Station.

    Only one train departs daily from Chiayi, at 9 a.m on weekdays. Two more trains (at 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.) are added at weekends. (Find the schedule on this website).

    From Alishan Station, there are a few branch lines that ferry passengers to the attractions around the Alishan Scenic Area.

  • Ghana’s ‘Akpeteshie’ goes global; featured in FORBES

    Ghana’s ‘Akpeteshie’ goes global; featured in FORBES

    Below is the report from Forbes on Ghana’s Akpeteshie

    The resurgence of a once banned liquor in Ghana, Akpeteshie, is shaking up the global distillery market. Brothers Kofi and Raja Owusu-Ansah, owners of Republic Distilleries in Accra, are bringing Akpeteshie, Ghana’s indigenous alcoholic spirit distilled from sugar cane juice, to the rest of world. They are poised to disrupt the international liquor market valued at $1.4 trillion in 2021, a figure that’s expected to grow 10.3% until 2028, one “Kokroko” drink at a time.

    RELATED POSTS

    The Breakdown You Need To Know:

    The African distillery market has been growing steadily in recent years, with increasing demand for traditional alcoholic beverages in the region, changing consumer preferences, and expanding export opportunities. Specifically, consumer expenditure on the continent hit $1.4 trillion in 2015 and this figure is expected to reach $2.5 trillion by 2030, according to Brookings.

    Republic Distilleries is ​​giving Akpeteshie the “Cool Factor” that consumers and investors alike are looking for. At Republic Bar, the direct-to-consumer part of the brothers distillery business, they are hoping to replicate the wild success of Cachaça in Brazil, also a distillate of sugar cane, which is expected to hit about $485.8 billion in 2028, according to Adroit Market Research.

    The Republic Distilleries
    Raja Owusu-Ansah, founder of Republic Distilleries at a sugar cane factoryRepublic Distilleries

    “Akpeteshie and its distillation is firmly rooted in Ghanaian tradition and culture. Ghana’s organically grown sugarcane and methods of distillation can certainly provide the world with another Cane-Spirit option,” Raja Owusu-Ansah said to CultureBanx.

    Distilling African Success:

    West Africa’s alcoholic beverages market is ripe for investment and growth as it reached a value of $11.7 billion in 2021. Looking forward, the IMARC Group expects the West Africa alcoholic beverages market to reach $6.8 billion by 2027. Broadly across the continent, a report by Euromonitor International found the total volume of alcoholic beverages in Africa was estimated to be around 21.2 billion liters in 2019, with a retail value of approximately $65.2 billion.

    Africa is one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the world, and the aforementioned figures are just just +0.6%+0.6% a few more reasons why Akpeteshie has the opportunity to become a formidable competitor in the global liquor market. Ghana’s Akpeteshie has the opportunity to one day become as big as Mexico’s tequila market valued at $10.4 billion in 2022 and projected to grow to $15.5 billion by 2029.Forbes Money 00:04 01:12

    Positive Pan African Drinks:

    The African distillery market is dynamic and constantly evolving. Across the continent, distilleries contribute to economic growth by creating employment opportunities, generating revenue through exports, and stimulating local communities. For Republic Distilleries bringing Akpeteshie to the world is a way of preserving Ghana’s cultural identity, while promoting its unique traditional alcoholic beverages in domestic and international markets.

    “Akpeteshie has always accompanied the celebration of Ghana’s traditional festivals, weddings, funerals and parties,” said Kofi Owusu-Ansah. It’s these types of events that Republic Distilleries wants to make sure their Akpeteshie alcohol is a part of in countries all around the world.

    Situational Awareness:

    Quick background on Akpeteshie: In the 1930s, when the Great Depression hit West Africa, drinking liquor became too expensive. Ghanaians began to distill Akpeteshie at home, giving this local brew the name that in its local language means “in hiding”. Originally banned by British Colonial authorities, it was legalized in 1962, five years after Ghana’s independence from the British Empire.

    I am the CEO of CultureBanx covering the intersection of business, technology and innovation for minorities. I was raised in investment banking while…

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=Cb7CB0fQ4y8%3Ffeature%3Doembed

    backend.theindependentghana.com

  • ‘Historic moment’: India’s first underwater metro route completes maiden run

    ‘Historic moment’: India’s first underwater metro route completes maiden run

    Flowers, a coconut and a round of cheers were part of the celebrations following the inaugural test run through India’s first underwater metro tunnel on Wednesday.

    The Kolkata metro’s newest line, set to open to the public in November, passes underneath the Hooghly River in the city’s northeast, with the tunnel 32 meters (105 feet) below the water.

    “This is a historic moment for Metro Railway,” Kausik Mitra, chief public relations officer for the Kolkata metro system, said in a statement.

    “This is a revolutionary step in providing a modern transport system to the people of Kolkata and suburbs.”

    The line will connect the soon-to-open metro station of Howrah Maidan and the existing station of Esplanade on the opposite side of the river, traveling 520 meters (1700 feet) in just 45 seconds. Once open, Howrah Maidan will be the deepest metro station in India.

    To bless the new tunnel and train, officials conducted a puja, or Hindu religious ritual, to bring good luck, after the train successfully pulled into the station at Howrah Maidan.

    Bright-orange saffron flowers were sprinkled around the conductor’s compartment inside the train, and one worker broke a coconut amid cheers and applause from his colleagues.

    The full metro line through Howrah Maidan will be 4.8 km (three miles) long.

    Kolkata was the first city in India to have a metro system.

    Infrastructure is a major national initiative under the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Earlier this year, the country celebrated opening the first stretch of a new eight-lane express highway connecting the cities of New Delhi and Mumbai. The first completed section links the capital with the city of Lalsot in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, a popular destination for tourists.

    And in January, the MV Ganga Vilas ship departed from Varanasi to sail on waterways including the Ganges River for a 1,988-mile journey lasting 51 days, clinching the title of the world’s longest river cruise trip.

  • Govt accused of politicising galamsey fight

    Govt accused of politicising galamsey fight

    The Association of Small Scale Miners have accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of politicising the operations in the fight against illegal mining also known as ‘galamsey’.

    According to the Association, mining concessions are awarded to only government cronies at the expense of others.

    This follows the former president’s comments about the alleged politicization of the fight against galamsey whilst at Atiwa East and West constituency in the Eastern Region.

    Speaking on Starr Midday News with Blessing Bless Frimpong, the group’s president, Michael Peprah lamented that the NPP government has embarked on targeting those who are not in their party, even though they possess the necessary qualifications and licenses to operate.

    “We at the Association, we knew the mining but here is the case that it was DCEs who were appointing people to be trained, they train party youth organizers and known faces in the NPP. So this is a fact and you can as well cross-check.

    “I have had attacks and as a matter of fact, I am even in court with the government because my machine was burnt. Meanwhile, I had all my documents and as we are speaking now we are in court just because I am a critic of the government. We have people who are working in the forest reserves with impunity and yet still Operation Vanguard, operation whatever will not go there to even stop them,” Mr. Peprah stated.

    He continued: “So these are facts that our former president has spoken about. You know, we just have to be candid in this aspect. If we look into the launching of the community mining scheme, you will realize that now the community mining does not come with any license. They only launch it for people who are known faces of the party.”

    The President further alleged that the bureaucracy in acquiring the license the Minister will have to know you before he signed it.

    “Recently the minister met some people and said he has only signed 99 licenses for some people which we knew their party affiliations. When we speak it is not something they will want to listen to any suggestion we are bringing on board and that is the problem that has made us not able to fight this galamsey problem. Now Ghana is as well facing the consequences,” he added.

  • Elderly Ukrainians remain in the abandoned east with their animals

    Elderly Ukrainians remain in the abandoned east with their animals

    Tamara, 73, claims, “God guards me.” She is one of the few individuals who has remained in the eastern Ukrainian town of Konstantinivka.

    “God will save me if I need him. She adds with a shrug, “If not, it is what it is.

    Tamara has spent the last 40 years in the same apartment. Her kid, a heroin addict, is in Russia, she states casually. Long ago, her husband passed away. She is now alone with her cat.

    The distance between Konstantinivka and Bakhmut, the location of some of the most violent fighting in the conflict, is 22 kilometers, or 13.5 miles.

    Tamara is sitting on a damaged wooden bench in the plaza, the town’s central gathering place, as she waits for a bus home.

    Tamara is waiting for a bus home, sitting on a broken wooden bench in the square which also serves as the town’s main taxi stand.

    On this day there is only one taxi with a sign on the windshield offering rides to Dnipro, a four-hour drive to the west, far away from the frontlines. There are no takers.

    Occasionally the air shakes with distant explosions.

    Stray dogs prowl the center of the square, on the lookout for scraps. In January when I was last here, they hung around sandwich and kebab shops. The shops are now all shuttered.

    On the ground next to Tamara is a shopping bag containing her purse and a few groceries. She says she can’t survive on her monthly pension, amounting to about fifty dollars. She supplements it with food shared by soldiers passing through town. When all else fails, she says, she begs.

    Tamara wears scuffed and dirty white running shoes, the laces untied. Her feet don’t reach the ground.

    Earlier this week missiles struck an apartment building in Konstantinivka, killing six people.

    As she waits for the bus, Tamara quickly crosses herself.

    The towns and villages close to the fighting are largely abandoned. As the fighting in Bakhmut rages on – the battle has been going on for more than seven months – Russian shells and missiles land in communities well away from the front lines.

    What passes for normal life is a thing of the past here. Many of the windows in houses and apartment buildings in Konstantinivka have been blown out. Remaining residents nail plastic sheeting to the window frames to keep out the cold.

    Running water and electricity are intermittent at best.

    In the courtyard of a crumbling Soviet-era apartment block, Nina, 72, surveys the wreckage around her. An incoming missile hit a shed, shredding trees, throwing mangled sheets of metal in all directions, splattering shrapnel on surrounding walls.

    “I’m on the last breath of survival,” she sighs. “I’m on the verge of needing a psychiatrist.”

    What keeps her sane, she tells us, are her flat mates – five dogs and two cats.

    “In the market they tell me I should feed myself, not my cats and dogs,” she says, a smile creeping onto her wrinkled face.

    As we speak another old woman in a stained winter coat trudges by, dragging a bundle of twigs to heat her home.

    An eerie metallic squeak echoes across the courtyard as a young girl, perhaps 10 or 11 years-old, sways on a rusty swing. Her face is blank. For more than half an hour she goes back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

    Since shortly after the war began more than a year ago Ukrainian officials have urged the residents of communities near the worst of the fighting to evacuate to safer ground.

    Many have heeded the call but often the elderly, the infirm and the impoverished insist on staying put. And try as they might to persuade the hesitant, the government hasn’t the manpower and resources to forcibly evict them.

    In the town of Siversk, northeast of Bakhmut, barely a structure has been left undamaged. On the main road, incoming artillery shells have left gaping holes, now full of water.

    At the entrance to an apartment building, Valentina and her neighbour, also named Nina, are getting a bit of fresh air. They pay no mind to the Soviet-era armoured personnel carrier parked next to the building opposite them.

    Every night, and often almost every day, Nina and Valentina must huddle in their basement, which doubles as a bomb shelter. Nina’s husband is disabled and never leaves the basement.

    Here, there is no running water, no electricity, no internet, so mobile signal. I only found one small store open.

    Valentina struggles to look on the bright side. “It’s fine” she responds in a loud, confident voice when I ask how she is. “We put up with everything!”

    “What do we feel?” responds Nina in a quivering voice. “Pain. Pain. When you see something destroyed you tear up. We cry. We cry.”

    Valentina’s mask drops, she nods, and her eyes fill with tears.

  • French protesters invade the LVMH corporate offices

    French protesters invade the LVMH corporate offices

    In protest of the government‘s plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated once more across France on Thursday, just one day before a vital court decision on the validity of the contentious law.

    On the day that shares in the business, which owns brands including Louis Vuitton and Mot, rose to a record high, protesters in Paris forced their way into the offices of the luxury conglomerate LVMH.

    A union official, Fabien Villedieu, told CNN affiliate BFMTV outside the LVMH headquarters, “If Macron wants to find money to finance the pension system, he should come here to find it.”

    Multiple flare ups have taken place throughout the day.

    Police halted a protest in front of the Constitutional Council, France’s equivalent of the US supreme court, which will hand down a long-awaited ruling on the validity of the pension reform law on Friday. A ban on protests in the area is in place from Thursday evening until Saturday morning local time.

    CNN teams on the ground witnessed protesters engaging in intense scuffles with police as smoke bombs, projectiles and tear gas were fired, before a group set off red flares outside the court building.

    Violence also broke out at Paris’ Place de la Bastille as riot police clashed with angry protestors.

    “At least a thousand radical individuals present at the forefront of the demonstration area tried on several occasions to commit acts of violence along the route and to hinder the smooth progress of the demonstration,” a spokesman for the Paris police said.

    The police were also seen protecting the BHV department store by charging at protesters in the Rue de Rivoli in central Paris.

    The police arrested 47 people in Paris and at least ten police officers were injured, according to Paris police prefecture.

    Around 380,000 people attended the protests across France on Thursday, 42,000 of whom were in Paris, according to the latest figures from the French interior ministry.

    The figure is down from last week’s 11th round of demonstrations which drew in crowds of approximately 570,000.

    Police had been expecting further violent attacks that have been a visible, if minor, feature of the protests across France over the past two and a half months, with particular attention on so-called “black bloc” protesters, part of a radical fringe that has been present from the start of the country’s social upheaval.

    France’s President Emmanuel Macron argues reforms are essential to rein in public finances, and has been standing firm, this week saying “the country must continue to move forward.”

    Speaking at an incinerator picket line near Paris on Thursday morning, Sophie Binet, the new head of the GGT, one of France’s main unions, insisted: “As long as the pension reform is not withdrawn, the mobilization will continue one way or another.”

    French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire defended his government’s contested pension reform plans to CNN on Thursday as “vital”, saying “we need to ensure to French citizens that there is a financial balance by 2030. This is the purpose of the reform.”

    Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo voiced her support for the demonstrators before the new round of protests.

    “On the eve of the decision of the constitutional council, I am once again supporting the mobilisations in Paris and everywhere in France,” Hidalgo tweeted.

    “This reform is unjust and violent. The French have been asking for it to be withdrawn for months, the government has to hear them,” she wrote.

    Friday’s ruling will be decisive on whether the protests will continue. The CFDT, France’s other main union, has been more amenable to a negotiated settlement.

    Garbage is meanwhile also set to fill the streets of Paris once more as collectors and incinerator workers are on strike again, according to the CGT union.

    This will be a rolling strike, the general secretary of the CGT union branch confirmed in a letter to the Paris mayor.

    The previous near month-long strike, up until the end of March, had seen 10,000 tonnes of rubbish piled up across the capital at its worst.

  • New ICBM could make it simpler for North Korea to launch a nuclear attack – Analysts

    New ICBM could make it simpler for North Korea to launch a nuclear attack – Analysts

    North Korea claims that the latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) it tested on Thursday was solid-fueled, a development that analysts say could enable it to launch long-range nuclear strikes more quickly and easily as it expands its missile program.

    Just after 7 a.m. on Thursday, the new missile, known as the Hwasong-18, was launched, prompting a temporary evacuation order on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido before it fell into the waters east of the Korean Peninsula.

    State-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Friday that the missile launch, which was witnessed by the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter, “would serve as a powerful strategic attack means of greater military efficiency.”

    KCNA quoted Kim as saying the Hwasong-18 would “radically promote” his county’s ability to launch a nuclear counterstrike to suppress invasions and protect the nation.

    Analysts noted that North Korea already has that ability, though the new missile may enhance it.

    “I think it demonstrates technological progress, but I would not describe this as a game changer,” said Ankit Panda, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

    South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Friday Pyongyang still needs “more time and effort to successfully complete its solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile technology.”

    Thursday’s missile test was North Korea’s 12th of the year, according to CNN’s count, and it came after United States and South Korean forces had earlier this month concluded their biggest military drills in years, including a large amphibious landing exercise.

    It also came just days after a key meeting of North Korea’s Central Military Commission on Monday, when Kim stressed the need to quickly expand Pyongyang’s nuclear deterrence in response to “the ever-worsening security on the Korean Peninsula,” according to KCNA.

    The testing of a solid-fueled ICBM is important because they’re more stable thanthe liquid-fueled ones that North Korea has previously tested on long-range missile launches.

    A solid-fueled ICBM would be fueled during manufacturing and can be moved more easily to avoid detection before a launch that can be initiated in a matter of minutes, according to Joseph Dempsey, a research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

    A liquid-fueled ICBM would need to undergo a fueling process at its launch site that could take hours, giving time for an adversary to detect and neutralize it, Dempsey wrote in an analysis earlier this year.

    Explained: How much damage can North Korea’s weapons do?

    Thursday’s launch came as no surprise to analysts who noted that North Korea had publicized a test of a solid-fueled rocket engine in December.

    Kim has wanted to bring his forces up to the standards of other nations with ICBMs after starting out with easier-to-master liquid-fuel technology – and the apparent success of the solid-fueled ICBM launch suggests his missile program is advancing.

    “At an earlier stage of North Korea’s missile program, liquid-fuel ICBMs represented the quickest and easiest path to achieving the country’s historic goal of being able to threaten the continental United States,” the IISS’ Dempsey wrote.

    “The addition of solid-fuel ICBMs to the missile force would make it a more credible strategic deterrent by providing a more capable, less vulnerable pre-emptive and retaliatory capability,” Dempsey wrote.

    The new Hwasong-18 has three stages, according to KCNA, just like the United States’ main ICBM, the Minuteman III, which is powered by three solid-fueled rocket motors.

    Jeffrey Lewis, an analyst at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said on Twitter that it was “no surprise” a solid-fueled ICBM wasted tested by North Korea, saying “it’s just easier to use solid-fuel missiles.

    “North Korea was always going to follow the same technical path as the US, Soviet Union, France, China, Israel and India,” he added. “Given that North Korea has been testing large diameter solid rocket motors for … several years, it’s been clear (to me at least) that since 2020 a test like this could have come at any time.”

    Even with Thursday’s test, some doubt remains as to whether a North Korean ICBM could actually deliver a nuclear warhead at a long distance, for instance to the mainland United States.

    Thursday’s test, like earlier North Korean ICBM tests, was fired at highly lofted trajectory, with the missile falling into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. To cover the longer distance to the mainland US, an ICBM launched from North Korea would have to be launched at a much flatter trajectory.

    ICBMs are fired into space, where they speed along outside Earth’s atmosphere before their payloads – nuclear warheads – undergo a fiery reentry process, much like a space shuttle or space capsule, before plunging down on their targets.

    If the process of reentering the atmosphere isn’t executed with pinpoint accuracy and with materials that can withstand the immense heat generated, the warhead would burn up before reaching its target. Reentering the atmosphere at a shallow angle that would be needed on a long-range strike can make the process more difficult.

    Panda, the Carnegie expert, said North Korea acknowledges that its lofted ICBM launches do not test reentry technology. But he said Pyongyang likely has the ability to master it.

    “Based on their competency with materials and engineering that we’ve seen in other areas, developing a robust enough reentry vehicle is not a substantial technical challenge,” he said.

    For Thursday’s test, KCNA said the highly lofted angle was used to prevent debris from posing a danger to other countries.

    On Thursday, the launch sparked momentary panic on the Japanese northern island of Hokkaido after the government’s emergency alert system warned residents to take cover. The warning was soon lifted.

    Soon after, fear turned into anger and confusion amid reports that the evacuation order had been sent in error, with local officials saying there was no possibility of the missile hitting the island, and Tokyo later confirming it had fallen outside Japanese territory, in waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.

  • US ‘disappointed’ a Chinese court upheld an American citizen’s death sentence

    US ‘disappointed’ a Chinese court upheld an American citizen’s death sentence

    The US State Department demanded Mark Swidan’s immediate release and expressed its “disappointment” at the Chinese court‘s decision to uphold the death penalty for an American citizen.

    Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, stated in a statement that “the People’s Republic of China’s Jiangmen Intermediate Court today rejected US citizen Mark Swidan‘s appeal and upheld his death penalty with a two-year suspended death sentence.”

    This decision has disappointed us, and we will keep pushing for his prompt release and return to the United States, Patel added.

    Swidan, a businessman from Texas who was held in China in 2012 on drug-related accusations, has remained there for more than ten years.

    He was convicted of manufacturing and trafficking drugs in 2019 by the Jiangmen Intermediate People’s Court in southern Guangdong province and given a death sentence with a two-year reprieve.

    Under Chinese law, the reprieve means Swidan’s sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment after two years, subject to his conduct during this period.

    A United Nations working group concluded in 2020 that Swidan had been arbitrarily detained in violation of international law and urged his immediate release.

    CNN could not reach the Jiangmen Intermediate People’s Court for comment.

    His mother, Katherine Swidan, told CNN earlier this year that her son had been detained in what she described as a “holding tank,” where she said he had undergone physical and psychological torture and attempted suicide.

    “He’s been in there for 10 years, where they never turn the lights off, so as a result, he’s going blind. He’s got fractures in his leg,” she said, telling CNN that guards at the facility “broke his hands five to seven times.”

    “He’s suffering and he’s got an infection. He has severe periodontal disease. He has holes in his mouth that bleed constantly. He’s lost 130 pounds,” Katherine said.

    Patel, the State Department spokesperson, said in his statement Thursday American officials had “repeatedly expressed their concerns” to senior Chinese officials about Swidan’s “treatment, medical care, and his inability to send or receive mail in a timely manner.”

    US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken “continue to remain personally focused on the release of Mark Swidan and other US nationals wrongfully detained or held hostage across the world,” Patel added.

    Katherine Swidan and family members of other Americans detained by China had urged Blinken to make securing their loved ones’ freedom a top priority before his expected trip to Beijing in February. But the trip was postponed in response to the flying of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over US airspace.

  • FBI busts Hushpuppi’s close ally Woodberry; surrenders luxury cars, US$8m to US gov’t

    FBI busts Hushpuppi’s close ally Woodberry; surrenders luxury cars, US$8m to US gov’t

    Mr. Woodberry, also known as Jacob Ponle, a close associate of notorious internet fraudster Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, has admitted to engaging in wire fraud.

    In a plea declaration filed on April 6, 2023, at the US District Court of the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, Mr. Woodberry admitted guilt to one count of the indictment. 

    As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to relinquish his luxury cars, watches, and $8 million in wire fraud proceeds to the US government.

    According to the Nigerian blog, People’s Gazette, the court plea agreement requests that Mr. Woodberry repay the $8 million he fraudulently obtained from seven businesses that he defrauded. 

    The plea reads: “Defendant understands that by pleading guilty, he will subject to forfeiture to the United States all rights, titles, and interests that he has in any property constituting or derived from proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of the offence.”

    In addition, Mr. Woodberry was ordered to relinquish his claim to the expensive cars and designer watches he had hidden in Dubai, including a Lamborghini Urus, a Mercedes-Benz G-class, and a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. 

    In addition, six gold neck chains, three pairs of gold and diamond-studded earrings, four Rolex watches, one Patek Philippe watch, three Audemars Piguet watches, and one Patek Philippe watches were confiscated.

    It’s important to remember that Mr. Woodberry already gave the American government 151.8 Bitcoin in 2022. On June 10, 2020, Hushpuppi and Mr. Woodberry were captured in Dubai for their participation in cybercrime. 

    Mr. Woodberry had a reputation for flashing his money on social media before his arrest, notably by donning pricey designer attire and showing off his ill-gotten earnings to his enormous Instagram following.

  • Kumawu by-election: Dr Aboagye Dacosta joins race

    Kumawu by-election: Dr Aboagye Dacosta joins race

    Director of Health Promotions at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Aboagye Dacosta, is among persons aspiring to contest the Kumawu seat.

    This comes ahead of primaries for the upcoming by-election in the Kumawu Constituency following the death of the sitting member of parliament, Philip Basoah.

    According to a report by Kasapafmonline.com sighted by GhanaWeb, Dr Dacosta is part of some 8 individuals who had picked nomination forms ahead of the Friday, April 14, 2023 deadline.

    Subsequently, the GHS top official shared a campaign flier on his Facebook stories.

    The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, on 3rd April 2023 declared the seat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumawu, Philip Basoah, vacant.

    The NPP opened nomination from Monday 11th – 14th April 2023 for interested party members to pick nomination forms.

    So far, 8 persons in the names of Lawyer Edward Kofi Osei, Dr. Philip Bannor, Dr. Dacoster Aboagye, Mr Ernest Yaw Anim, Mad. Ama Serwaa, Kwame Appiah-Kubi, Yaw Baah (former Kumawu MP unseated by the late MP) and Osei Hweree Kwame Bempah have picked nomination forms.

    Profile of aspirant Aboagye Dacosta

    Dr. Aboagye Dacosta is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy of England and Wales, a research and academic practitioner in Health Promotion and Public Health with specialty in National /Social Health Insurance Schemes Finance.

    He is also an international consultant, an external examiner for both University of Salford and London Metropolitan University for Masters’ and PhD programmes in Health Service Management, Health Economics, Epidemiology, Health Promotion, and Public Health.

    Prior to being appointed Director of Health Promotion in 2019, he worked as a Cohort Leader and Lecturer at the University of West London, United Kingdom from 2017.

    Dr. Dacosta holds a BSc Degree in Chemistry (University of Cape Coast), MSc in Public Health and Environmental Health (Leeds Beckett University), PhD in Health and Wellbeing with research focused on National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana (Leeds Beckett University).

    Dacosta has since 2008 been a reviewer for the Global Health Promotion, presented his research nationally and internationally and has a number of Research and scholarly output.

  • South Korea offers ‘single young people ‘ $500 per month

    South Korea offers ‘single young people ‘ $500 per month

    Young people in South Korea are so isolated from the outside world that the government is willing to pay them to “re-enter society.”

    This Monday, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated that it will give social recluses who live in isolation up to 650,000 Korean won (about $500) every month in an effort to promote their “psychological and emotional stability and healthy growth.”

    According to the ministry’s report, which cited the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, 3.1% of Koreans between the ages of 19 and 39 are “reclusive lonely young people,” who are described as having a “noticeable difficulty in living a normal life,” living in a “limited space, in a state of being disconnected from the outside for more than a certain period of time,” and living in such a state.

    That makes up about 338,000 people across the country, with 40% beginning their isolation in adolescence, according to the ministry. Various factors are thought to be at play, including financial hardship, mental illness, family problems or health challenges.

    The new measures specifically target young people as part of the larger Youth Welfare Support Act, which aims to support people extremely withdrawn from society, as well as youths without a guardian or school protection who are at risk of delinquency.

    The monthly allowance will be available to reclusive lonely young people aged 9 to 24 who live in a household earning below the median national income – defined in South Korea as about 5.4 million won (about $4,165) per month for a household of four people.The youths can apply for the program at a local administrative welfare center; their guardians, counselors or teachers can also apply on their behalf.

    “Reclusive youths can have slower physical growth due to irregular living and unbalanced nutrition, and are likely to face mental difficulties such as depression due to loss of social roles and delayed adaptation,” the ministry said, stressing the importance of “active support.”

    The report on Tuesday detailed several case studies, including one young student who had suffered from mental health issues and difficulties socializing since adolescence; she struggled to adjust to college, ultimately choosing not to attend, and withdrew further into herself.

    Another student faced domestic violence and hunger at home – making it difficult for her to leave the house or form relationships with people outside. Neither individual was identified.

    The report also detailed future plans for further action, such as distributing guidelines to local governments, boosting youth social safety nets and early detection systems, and working more closely with youth welfare facilities like shelters or rehabilitation centers.

    Some cities and local governments already have similar systems in place; Seoul, the country’s capital, has a “Reclusive Youth Support Project” that provides mental health counseling, hobby development and work training, and life coaching for isolated young people.

    This phenomenon isn’t unique to South Korea.

    Japan has a similar problem, with nearly 1.5 million reclusive lonely young people, who are known as hikikomori, according to a recent government survey. Some go out only to buy groceries or for occasional activities, while others don’t even leave their bedrooms.

    The phrase was coined in Japan as early as the 1980s. Authorities in that country have expressed increasing concern over the issue for the past decade, but Covid-19 has made things worse, the survey found.

    Of those surveyed, more than a fifth cited the pandemic as a significant factor in their reclusive lifestyle. Other common reasons cited were pregnancy, job loss, retirement and having poor interpersonal relationships.

  • GRA goes after property rate defaulters

    GRA goes after property rate defaulters

    All Ghanaian property owners have been urged to pay their bills by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

    The GRA said persons who fail to comply with the directive would be prosecuted.

    The court may order the sale of the property to defray the debt, the GRA indicated.

    In a tweet, the Authority said “All property rate payers are to settle their bills within 42 days of the bill date. Defaulters will be prosecuted in accordance with the Local Governance Act 936, Section 154 1, the court may authorize the sale of your property to recover the outstanding amount owed. Pay promptly to prevent any inconvenience.”

    This comes at a time the Executive Member of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) Tsonam Akpeloo asked the GRA to follow the example of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) which was going round to collect its debts, to also do the same and collect property tax.

    Tsonam Akpeloo indicated that property tax is one of the areas where the government can generate revenue, not only through taxing businesses.

    Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 Wednesday, April 5 in connection with the three revenue bills – Excise Duty, Growth and Sustainability Levy and Income Amendment Bills – that have been approved by Parliament, he said “Our view is that government must look at its own expenditure and reduce its expenditure to reflect the realities of the time.

    “Times are hard and you cannot afford to have a bloated expenditure this time. We feel very strongly that government should consider reviewing its own expenditure.”

    He added “There are many ways of mobilizing revenue, for example, property tax. We keep talking about the same issue on property tax, I know people who really have to go to the Municipal offices to ask for their property tax because nobody is coming to them.

    “ECG has just started calling people to pay for their electricity bills, we propose that GRA should also go round to collect property tax so they can mobilise revenue.”

  • A dollar is sold at GH¢12.40 ,GH¢10.94 on BoG interbank as of April 14

    A dollar is sold at GH¢12.40 ,GH¢10.94 on BoG interbank as of April 14

    The Interbank forex rates from the Bank of Ghana today, April 14, 2023, have shown that the Ghana Cedi is trading against the dollar at a buying price of 10.9313 and a selling price of 10.9423.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 11.40 and sold at a rate of 12.40.

    Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 13.6981 and a selling price of 13.7129.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 13.70 and sold at a rate of 14.70.

    The Euro is trading at a buying price of 12.0879 and a selling price of 12.0989.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 12.00 and sold at a rate of 13.00.

    The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.6058 and a selling price of 0.6062.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, South African Rand is being bought at a rate of 0.30 and sold at a rate of 0.90.

    The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 42.1257 and a selling price of 42.2390.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 13.50 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 18.50.

    For the CFA, it is trading at a buying price of 54.2163 and a selling price of 54.2656.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, CFA is being bought at a rate of 17.00 CFA for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 21.00 CFA for every 1 Cedi.

    Our forex bureau rates are provided by Afriswap Bureau De Change in Osu, Accra.

  • World leaders are lining up to meet Xi Jinping. Should the US be worried?

    World leaders are lining up to meet Xi Jinping. Should the US be worried?

    Since late last month the Chinese leader has hosted heads of state and government chiefs from Spain, Singapore, Malaysia, France and the European Union – an unusual pace of diplomatic activity that comes as countries look to Beijing as the global economy sputters in the wake of the pandemic and war in Ukraine.

    On Friday, that list grew to include Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is expected to sign a host of bilateral deals with Xi – and, like several of the leaders before him, arrives with hopes of making progress toward ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

    But for Xi, this revolving door of visiting leaders – making the trip even as China has refused to condemn the Russian invasion – is also an opportunity to assert his vision for a global order not dictated by American rules – and push back against perceived threats.

    That’s especially urgent for the Chinese leader now, observers say.

    Three years of scaled-back diplomacy due to China’s strict Covid-19 controls coupled with economic challenges, entrenched competition with the United States and rising European concerns about Beijing’s foreign policy have left Xi under pressure to act.

    “(Chinese leaders) believe it’s time now for China to make its strategic plans,” said Li Mingjiang, an associate professor of international relations at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

    “A potentially good outcome is to weaken American alliances … so that’s why we’re seeing quite strenuous efforts made by Beijing to try to stabilize and improve relations with European countries, and also to try to improve and strengthen cooperation with emerging economies,” he said.

    As world leaders return to Beijing despite international concerns over the growing China-Russia relationship and Beijing’s intimidation of Taiwan, Xi has used the opportunity to thread his conversations with veiled criticism of the US and keywords that signal Xi’s own view for how to reshape global power.

    Speaking to Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong late last month, Xi stressed that Asian countries together should “firmly oppose bullying, decoupling or severing industrial and supply chains,”while he urged Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to “resolutely resist the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation.”

    To Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that same day, he warned that the “sound development of China-EU relations requires the EU to uphold strategic independence,” according to readouts from the Chinese side.

    Beijing has watched uneasily as the war in Ukraine has driven the US and its European allies closer. Now, analysts say playing up its economic partnerships and exploiting differences between countries on the two sides of the Atlantic is key.

    When French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing last week, Xi drew comparisons between China and France: both “major countries with a tradition of independence,” Xi said, and “firm advocates for a multi-polar world” – or a world without a dominant superpower.

    After a day of meetings in Beijing, Xi met Macron in the southern commercial hub of Guangzhou to continue an “informal” conversation – sipping tea and listening to the plucked melodies of traditional Chinese music before a state dinner.

    Macron, who has long advocated for Europe to develop an independent geopolitical policy and defense capabilities that needn’t rely on Washington, appeared receptive.

    He released a 51-point joint statement with China outlining cooperation on areas from nuclear energy to food security and told reporters traveling with him that when it comes to the US-China rivalry Europe must not be “caught up in crises that are not ours, which prevents it from building its strategic autonomy,” according to a Politico interview.

    Macron’s comments have sparked backlash in Europe and the US, but analysts say they were likely seen as a triumph in Beijing.

    “Everything that can weaken the US, divide the West and move countries closer to China is good for Xi,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a professor of political science at Hong Kong Baptist University. “Hence, Macron’s trip is seen in Beijing as a major victory.”

    Xi may be preparing for another potential diplomatic win when he meets Lula on Friday.

    The leftist Brazilian leader, who ushered in a boom in China-Brazil trade ties during his first stint in power some two decades ago, is traveling with a delegation of business leaders, state governors, congressmen and ministers, and expected to close a raft of bilateral deals from agriculture and livestock to technology.

    Lula’s return to power already shifts the dynamics of the China-Brazil relationship, which saw tense moments under former leader Jair Bolsonaro, who embraced anti-China rhetoric.

    Lula has already started out his state visit in Shanghai with a nod to Brazil and China cooperation, attending the former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s inauguration as head of the New Development Bank of BRICS, the bloc of emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that offers an alternative power grouping to the Western-centric G7.

    “Xi will find in Lula a BRICS enthusiast, openness to reforms in the global governance system and the desire to avoid automatic alignment with the US,” said Luiza Duarte, a research fellow at American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies in Washington.

    Meanwhile, Lula’s expected warm welcome in Beijing “raises comparison with his frustrating less than 24-hour visit to Washington,” she said, referring to the Brazilian leader’s February 10 visit to the White House.

    The meeting was seen at the time as a key outreach from the newly inaugurated Lula to the US.

    But Beijing may use the “lack of deliverables” from that meeting “to position itself as a more appealing alternative for bilateral cooperation,” said Duarte.

    Looming over diplomacy in Beijing is the Russian assault in Ukraine.

    Some leaders – like Macron – have viewed Xi, a close friend and diplomatic partner of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as a potential ally that could help push Putin toward peace.

    But their relationship has also raised concern, with US officials earlier this year warning that China was considering providing the Kremlin with lethal aid – a claim Beijing has denied.

    While France and China agreed to several points related to the war in their meeting – including opposition to attacks on nuclear power plants and the protection of women and children – Macron did not ultimately push Xi to commit on paper to any position China has not already publicly said.

    Brazil, in advance of Lula’s trip, has offered another view: creating – as the country’s foreign minister put it – “a group of mediator countries” including China.

    But how Beijing navigates these initiatives, observers say, comes down to a bottom line that’s integrally related to Xi’s global ambitions and world view.

    “It will be difficult for China to respond positively to some of the requests made by either the Americans or Europeans, because doing this would produce the risk of making the Russians upset,” said Li in Singapore.

    “Russia is the only major power that shares a lot of (China’s) views on how the world and the global system should look and how various political issues should be handled. Russia is irreplaceable for China,” he said.

    That point was highlighted in another moment on Xi’s recent diplomatic agenda: his travel to Moscow in March for his own state visit – the first since he stepped into a third presidential term that same month.

    And while China’s diplomacy – and deals – in the past week may not have been heavily impacted by the optics of that relationship, analysts say how Beijing handles the conflict will continue to affect views on China globally.

    Perceptions about Xi’s potential influence over Putin have provided “leverage that allows (Xi) to get a lot of attention, and perhaps get mileage and support that he would otherwise not have,” said Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore.

    “Ultimately, the test will come down to whether Xi is actually able to exert any real influence on Putin, especially in terms of ceasing the war,” he said.

  • Ukraine mocks Putin by releasing video showing the ‘missiles that sank the Moskva’

    Ukraine mocks Putin by releasing video showing the ‘missiles that sank the Moskva’

    One year ago today, Vladimir Putin‘s Black Sea fleet’s flagship, the Moskva cruiser, was sunk by Neptune missiles, according to footage released by Ukraine.

    The video is being released at the same time that Russia is still trying to cover up the tragedy by refusing to say how many people perished or what mistakes in command caused the ship to capsize.

    The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s flagship sank on April 14, 2022, and is now submerged about 150 feet.

    Only a few of the sailors who went missing have been identified.

    Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov used the anniversary to taunt the Russians saying ‘I’ll be your guide’ to visit the wreck of Putin’s modern warship.

    He said: ‘If diving enthusiasts listen to me, after victory [in the war] I invite you to visit a new dive spot in the Black Sea – the Cruiser Moskva underwater museum….

    ‘I invite you and will be your guide.’

    The sinking of the warship – leading to an unknown number of deaths – ‘did the seemingly impossible’ Mr Reznikov continued.

    Ukraine claims the footage shows the moments Neptune missiles were launched
    Ukraine claims the footage shows the moments Neptune missiles were launched

    He said: ‘It changed the course of history, because a chain reaction began.

    ‘It was the last day of the Russian fleet’s dominance in the Black Sea.’

    As relatives marked the anniversary of the sinking, Dmitry Shkrebets, 44, whose son Yegor, 20, was killed, vowed to win justice for those who perished.

    Russia has still not revealed the number who died, or the circumstance, but instead is staging a criminal investigation against this father for protesting at alleged incompetence by commanders.

    Anguished parents demanded answers from the Kremlin over what’s happened (Pictures: Rex/east2west)
    Anguished parents demanded answers from the Kremlin over what’s happened (Pictures: Rex/east2west)

    It is clear many of the ‘dozens’ killed were conscripts, who Putin had vowed would not be sent to the war zone, said Shkrebets.

    He blamed the dictator for cruel ‘indifference’ to the Moskva dead, and demanded answers to the fate of the lost men.

    The strike on the Moskva ‘should not have occurred, but it was allowed to,’ said the distraught father.

    He said: ‘It all happened at 14.20 Moscow time, in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.

    The last exit of the Moskva cruiser from Sevastopol Bay??? on April 10, 2022???
    The last exit of the Moskva cruiser on April 10, 2022 (Picture: Social media/EAST2WEST News)

    ‘Dozens of sailors and members of the ship’s crew died, including my son….’

    The vessel was hit on 13 April 2022, the day Yegor died, but the vessel sank on 14 April.

    These conscripts ‘were not supposed to take part in the [special military operation] – this was publicly promised to the whole country by President Vladimir Putin,’ said Shkrebets.

    ‘Yet they became its participants from the first day, from the first military campaign of the Moskva cruiser on February 24, 2022.

    ‘Eternal memory to you…and peace to your bright souls.

    ‘See you soon, son.’

    Shkrebets faces a probe after condemning Putin for failing to meet or acknowledge the lost Moskva sailors, and appointing inept commanders, but vowed to fight on and reveal the truth once the investigation is over.

    He had declared: ‘Putin is no longer my president.

    ‘I do not believe this man, he betrayed me.

    ‘I consider him a hypocrite and a traitor to my Motherland.’

  • Cringe: Second wave of domestic debt exchange in the offing – Finance Minister hints

    Cringe: Second wave of domestic debt exchange in the offing – Finance Minister hints

    The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has hinted that there will be an imminent 2nd round of restructuring of the country’s domestic debts.

    According to him, despite completing the restructuring of some GH¢98bn worth of domestic debts in February, there are ongoing negotiations to restructure some additional GH¢123 billion domestic debt instruments.

    Mr. Ofori-Atta made this known during a presentation to stakeholders on macroeconomic developments and the upcoming public debt restructuring as part of the ongoing IMF/World Bank spring meetings in the US.

    “In February we successfully completed the first pillar of our domestic debt exchange programme, we realized that there was no other alternative to a full domestic debt exchange,” he told stakeholders.

    “The February DDEP covers GHS 98bn of our domestic debt and we expect the rest of our debt instruments to be included in the perimeter of the domestic debt to be exchanged,” he added.

    Amongst the debt instruments to be affected by the next round of debt exchange are Pension fund holdings, coco-bills, US$ local bonds, local currency loans, and Government’s debt to the Bank of Ghana, totaling some GHS 123bn.

    Ken Ofori-Atta however insists treasury bills will not be affected.

    “Talk of treasury bills, it has been excluded to preserve financial stability and ensure government funding.”

    Government in December at the start of its first domestic debt exchange programme had indicated it could exchange more domestic debt stating “it intended to exchange domestic non-marketable debt and Cocoa bills, under comparable terms at a later stage”

  • Ghana to receive $3 billion IMF bailout in May – Report

    Ghana to receive $3 billion IMF bailout in May – Report

    After numerous deliberations and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $3 billion bailout, Ghana is set to secure the aid from the Fund by close of May 2023.

    This is according to a Graphic Business report citing sources familiar with the matter.

    The new development, however is as a result of government’s ability to take advantage of the goodwill of the Fund and key bilateral creditors to fast track the debt restructuring process.

    Reports are that, the financial assurance from the bilateral creditors, which is the last hurdle for Ghana, is due later this month [April], to pave the way for the request to be submitted to the IMF Executive Board for consideration and approval in May this year.

    “Once the request goes before the board, I am pretty sure it will not encounter any challenges and so a deal in early or mid-May is possible,” one source said in Washington D.C., where global leaders on the economy have converged for the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings.

    This new revelation cements assurance from the Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, who had earlier expressed optimism, that the Fund’s Executive Board would soon grant final approval to Ghana’s bailout request.

    According to Georgieva, her optimism stemmed from the swelling goodwill that the country was getting from the international community, including its creditors.

    She added that, her outfit was pushing the bilateral creditors to quickly provide the financial assurance needed for the board to approve the deal.

    “To tell you the truth, I am optimistic that we are going to move swiftly and so stay positive,” she said.

    Ghana secured staff-level agreement (SLA) for the $3 billion request in December 2022 but efforts to move pass the final lap have dragged as bilateral creditors haggle over the terms for an external debt restructuring exercise.

  • 25-year battling for life after brawl with ex-wife’s husband

    25-year battling for life after brawl with ex-wife’s husband

    A 25-year-old man, Samuel Hagan, is in critical condition after his ex-wife’s husband butchered him at Ekumfi Abontsi in the Central Region.

    The suspect, Kwame Tawiah, is currently at large after committing the crime.

    Information gathered indicates that the victim who has a 4-year-old boy with his ex-wife went to her house to give her money and foodstuff for his son’s care after she had reported to him that the boy was sick and has been admitted at the hospital.

    Mother of the victim, Adjoa Eduamah, revealed that when Samuel entered the compound, the current husband, Kwame Tawiah, questioned his reason for coming to the house.

    Adjoa Eduamah says it became an argument between the two of them.

    She said at first, the suspect wanted to wound her son with a shovel but her son was able to escape the shovel attack and decided to leave the area.

    Adjoa Eduamah indicates, the suspect, however, went back to his house, pulled out a cutlass and attacked her son while he was on his way back to Ekumfi Dunkwa.

    The victim is currently at the Mankesim Hospital receiving treatment while an official complaint has been lodged at Essaekyir police station.

  • Archie and Lillibet’s absence at Charles’ coronation has left him ‘disappointed’

    Archie and Lillibet’s absence at Charles’ coronation has left him ‘disappointed’

    According to royal sources, King Charles is “very disappointed” that he won’t be able to see Meghan or his grandchildren at his coronation.

    He is reportedly pleased that Harry would travel across the pond for his momentous day, though.

    The Duke of Sussex will visit Westminster Abbey on May 6, according to an announcement made by Buckingham Palace yesterday.

    The Duchess, meanwhile, will remain at home in California with Archie, who turns four on the same day as the ceremony, and Lilibet, a year old.

    Royal experts have said it is an ‘ideal compromise’ but some have described the decision as a ‘snub’ after the King accompanied Meghan down the aisle when she married his younger son.

    The news follows the enduring row between the Sussexes and the rest of the royals, which has become more heated in recent months following the release of Prince Harry’s memoir Spare.

    A royal source told the Sun last night: ‘The King is happy that Harry, his son, who he calls his “darling boy” will be at the Abbey.

    LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 13: King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort attend the 2023 Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 13, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
    The King’s coronation will take place in just three weeks (Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage Source: WireImage)
    The Palace said yesterday that Meghan won’t be attending the coronation but Harry will (Picture: Getty)
    The Palace said yesterday that Meghan won’t be attending the coronation but Harry will (Picture: Getty)

    ‘He wanted him there. It is sad, he is very disappointed that he won’t see Meghan or his grandchildren but understands the situation.’

    According to Coronation plans seen by The Times there is no intention of giving Harry a role in the ceremony or procession from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace afterwards.

    The couple had delayed answering their invitation for weeks, causing difficulties for organisers tasked with complex seating plans, transport and security for guests.

    Sources described the negotiations as a game of ‘transatlantic ping pong’, and Harry was said to have wanted numerous assurances about arrangements.

    But one source said it seemed ‘genuine’ of Harry to want to attend the coronation.

    They said: ‘It is important for Harry as the King’s son to show up for his father. That seems quite genuine.

    Another added: ‘It is about showing up, showing support and being there for his father.’

    The day will see him come face-to-face with his father and brother in public for the first time since the release of his memoir Spare.

    Sources said the decision by Meghan to remain in California with the couple’s two young children had come as a relief in some circles, following fears her presence could have heightened family tensions.

    It is also understood there was real concern in the Sussex camp about the public reception the couple would have received if they attended the Coronation together.

    In the event, the news was specifically timed for a dual announcement on both sides of the Atlantic at 3pm British time to minimise any inflaming of tensions.

    A statement in London said: ‘Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.’

    One royal observer commented after the news was announced: ‘Charles will be pleased. The rest of the family will be relieved that Meghan won’t be there – it would have been particularly uncomfortable for Kate.’

    Harry is only planning on a flying visit, with sources close to the Sussexes indicating he won’t even return to Buckingham Palace to gather with the rest of the family or take part in any further events over the Coronation weekend.

    Omid Scobie tweeted the news of Harry’s forthcoming attendance and then added: ‘I understand that Archie’s fourth birthday (also on May 6) played a factor in the couple’s decision.

    ‘Expect it to be a fairly quick trip to the UK for Prince Harry, who will only be attending the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.’

    Sussex supporters said the Duke understood that it was the biggest day of his father’s life and felt it was right to be present, despite his attacks on the family.

    But Rob Jobson, author of upcoming book Our King: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, said it calls into question whether Meghan will ever play a role in the royal family again.

    He said: ‘It is good news that Harry has accepted the invite and will be there to support his father.

    ‘It is the most pragmatic move in a difficult situation and Harry has got it right. He would deeply regret it if he didn’t attend the biggest day of his father’s life.

    ‘But the fact his wife is not attending means it is now highly unlikely we will ever see her attend an official or Palace event again — apart from maybe the King’s funeral.’

  • Killer and rapist brought back to bars after escaping prison

    Killer and rapist brought back to bars after escaping prison

    A notorious South African killer who faked his own death to escape from a maximum-security prison has been discovered after nearly a year of living in a mansion with his well-known doctor lover.

    Thabo Bester, commonly known as “the Facebook rapist,” and Dr. Nandipha Magudumana were both captured in Tanzania last Friday.

    The couple and the additional person who was found with them both had numerous passports and were detained as they attempted to enter Kenya, according to South African Police Minister Bheki Cele.

    Bestor was escorted back to Johannesburg under heavily armed guard on Thursday, while Magudumana followed closely behind in a separate white van.

    ?Facebook rapist? Thabo Bester escapes from prison after staging death Bester escaped a maximum-security prison in South Africa run by the London-based company G4S
    Nicknamed ‘The Facebook Rapist’, Bester escaped from prison after faking his own death (Picture: Department of Correctional Services)

    She is expected to be charged with murder as part of the elaborate jailbreak plot, which involved sneaking a dead body into the prison where Bester was held to help him fake his own death in a fire and escape.

    A prison guard and Magudumana’s father have already been charged with murder in connection with the body of a man who was found burned beyond recognition in Bester’s cell.

    Police say the unidentified man died of blunt force trauma to the head before the fire took place.

    Bester was convicted of one count of murder and two counts of rape in the death of his then-girlfriend, model Nomfundo Tyhulu. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 75 years in 2012.

    He was known as ‘the Facebook rapist’ due to his propensity for using social media to lure victims to his home before assaulting them.

    Magudumana, meanwhile, is a well-known doctor and businesswoman whose Instagram page has more than 146,000 followers.

    In 2018, the glamorous medic was named one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 most influential young South Africans.

    Bester staged his escape from Mangaung correctional centre in Free State province nearly a year ago, when he was formally declared dead by suicide after the fire in his cell.

    Details were only made public and pieced together in the past three weeks, with critics claiming officials intentionally covered up the story.

    MPs held a special parliamentary hearing on Wednesday into security failures that played a role in the breakout.

    They questioned senior officials from the prison and British private security company G4S, which has a long-term contract to run it.

    Three prison employees, the night supervisor and two guards who worked in the security camera control room, were fired due to suspicion they helped Bester escape amid the confusion of the pre-dawn blaze in his cell on May 3, 2022.

    Although one was charged with murder, MP Glynnis Breytenbach said she suspected more guards and officials were bribed to get the body into the cell and help Bester escape.

    ‘How many palms were greased?’ she asked during the hearing. ‘Are you honestly telling us this escape of Hollywood proportions was done with the assistance of only three people?’

    The prison and G4S officials conceded under questioning that a TV cabinet big enough to possibly hide a dead body was brought into the prison in an unauthorised vehicle hours before Bester broke out at about 4am the following morning.

    Neither the cabinet nor the vehicle was searched.

    They also said top prison officials gave Bester permission to be transferred to a single-occupant cell three days before his escape. The cell was next to a fire exit, which he is believed to have used to flee.

    MP Xola Nqola said it was ‘not a coincidence’ that Bester was moved to that cell.

    An internal investigation by G4S found the prison’s security camera recording system had a ‘power interruption’ at about the time of the escape.

    More arrests are expected to take place.

    For months after his escape, Bester and Magudumana, whom police identified as his ‘accomplice’, lived in a mansion in a wealthy suburb of Johannesburg, driving luxury cars while running a company that allegedly defrauded businesses out of hundreds of thousands of pounds, according to media reports.

    Authorities only announced publicly last month that Bester did not die in his cell and had escaped after South African news organisation GroundUp reported that the charred body found in the cell was not Bester’s, according to findings from the post mortem examination.

    The news and heightened public interest in the case appeared to have spurred Bester and Magudumana to flee the country.

    It also produced heavy criticism against authorities for failing to warn people that a dangerous criminal was on the loose.

    The parliamentary hearing focused on the initial prison failures and continued on Thursday

  • Mahama’s campaign tour continues; Oti region is his next stop

    Mahama’s campaign tour continues; Oti region is his next stop

    Former President John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is continuing with his campaign tour.

    He is to tour Oti Region from April 16 to interact with delegates, functionaries, activists, and supporters of the party.

    During the visit, the flagbearer hopeful would engage with Branch, Constituency, and regional executives to enlighten them on his vision and plans for the nation.

    A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) urged the nine constituencies’ chairmen to strictly adhere to the agreed programme schedule to ensure a successful event.

    It said the leadership of the region, led by Kwadwo Gyapong, had already engaged with the constituency chairmen to deliberate on the visit.

    It said John Mahama would interact with some economic and social groups in Guan, Buem, Biakoye, Krachi East, and Krachi West constituency on day one.

    He is also expected to engage Krachi Nchumuru, Nkwanta North, Nkwanta South, and Akan constituency executives.

  • Cobbler jailed 10 years for defiling 15-year-old

    Cobbler jailed 10 years for defiling 15-year-old

    A 25-year-old cobbler has been sentenced to a 10-year jail term by the Adentan Circuit Court for having sex with a 15-year-old girl in the bathroom.

    Kwabena Appiah is said to have seen the victim taking her bath and walking into the bathroom, asked the victim to bend down, and had sex with her from behind.

    Charged with defilement, Appiah pleaded guilty.

    The court presided over by Sedinam Awo Balokah convicted Appiah on his own plea and sentenced him accordingly.

    Chief Superintendent of Police Patience Mario told the court that the complainant was a 39-year-old cleaner residing in Madina, Accra.

    Chief Supt. Mario said the complainant and the accused person, now convict, resided in the same area.

    The prosecution said the victim was a Junior HIGH School student.

    It said on April 7, 2023, the complainant’s husband told her (complainant) that their daughter was “no longer a virgin”.

    The prosecution said the complainant and her husband called the victim and she confirmed that she was not a virgin and that Appiah had had sex with her in the bathroom on April 5.

    It said the complainant reported the matter to the Madina Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit and a Police Medical Report form was issued to the victim to seek medical care for the victim.

    The prosecution said Appiah was nabbed and in his caution statement, he admitted the offence.

  • Grandmother throws out 4-year-old grandson on the streets to care for himself

    Grandmother throws out 4-year-old grandson on the streets to care for himself

    A four-year-old boy (name withheld) has been rejected by his family.

    He was evicted from his home by his grandmother due to a lack of resources to care for him.

    According to the information available, the minor has been roaming the streets despite the dangers associated with it at Kyebi Amanfrom in the Eastern Region.

    According to Agya Dan, who reported from the scene, the minor was discovered sleeping in front of a nearby store.

    The boy is also said to be begging for food in the area, leading some to wonder why he was left to fend for himself.

    Reporting on Nyankontyon Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, he said per the investigation conducted, the mother of the boy left him in the care of his father, who then left the boy in the care of his [Father’s] sister claiming he was going in search of a job and never returned.

    He stated that the minor’s father had abandoned him three years prior and had not returned.

    He was later placed in the care of the grandmother, but they are both fed up and have asked the boy to leave.

    It is also claimed that they fed the minor leftovers while he was staying with them.

    Meanwhile, the case was reported to the police, who reportedly contributed Ghc50 to buy medicine for the boy because he was sick.

    They have also warned the carers not to abuse him any longer.

  • Why stay to earn GHC1800 as salary – Midwives explain why they keep leaving Ghana

    Why stay to earn GHC1800 as salary – Midwives explain why they keep leaving Ghana

    The Greater Accra Regional Chairperson for Registered Midwives, Madam Leticia Asaba Atia, has explained why most Ghanaian nurses are fleeing the country to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

    She lamented the poor remuneration Ghanaian midwives and nurses receive for their work.

    She stated that despite the restrictions imposed by the United Kingdom on Ghana, midwives and nurses are needed in the UK and will continue to travel abroad in search of better opportunities.

    She revealed on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm’s Frontline that no midwife plans to travel abroad, but the poor working conditions here are a factor.

    “If they give us better working conditions, we will stay and work in Ghana. But if the situation does not improve, we will continue to travel abroad in search of better opportunities.”

    She added that “sometimes it is not just about the money but where you work. Some facilities lack basic medical equipment, and that is making the delivery of quality healthcare difficult”.

    “So, if I get an opportunity to work as a baby nurse in the UK to take more than what I take in Ghana as a midwife, why won’t I go there?”

    “The conditions of service are not good. If the conditions of service are good, our nurses and midwives will not go.”

    When asked if midwives were leaving Ghana, she answered in the affirmative.

    In terms of the salary, she said they receive below GHC 2,000 and those who receive more than GHC 2,000 don’t get up to GHC 3,000.

    “A midwife earns between GHC 1,500 and GHC 1,800 per month. It does not reach GHC 2,000. As a result, some are working in both public and private hospitals to make ends meet. I had the opportunity to travel abroad but turned it down due to my age. If I had been younger, I would have gone abroad in search of better opportunities.”

  • US National Guardsman arrested over leaked documents

    US National Guardsman arrested over leaked documents

    According to US attorney general Merrick Garland, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard has been detained as a result of the release of extremely sensitive military records regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

    The guardsman, named as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, would face charges for unauthorized removal of secret national defense material, according to Mr. Garland.

    Teixeira was wearing shorts and a T-shirt when FBI investigators descended on his Massachusetts house on Thursday. He was taken into custody outside the home “without incident” by heavily armed tactical officers, according to Mr. Garland.

    Law enforcement officials roped off the street near the house.

    The New York Times, which first identified Teixeira on Thursday, said that a man who had been standing outside Teixeira’s home earlier said that ‘he needs to get an attorney if things are flowing the way they are going right now. The Feds will be around soon, I’m sure’.

    The emergence of Teixeira as the apparent primary suspect is bound to raise questions about how the highest-profile intelligence leak in years could have been caused by such a young, low-ranking service member.

    Teixeira, 21, is the leader of a small online chat group which is believed to have uploaded hundreds of photographs of classified documents, the New York Times reports.

    The online group, which is hosted on the chat client Discord and calls itself Thug Shaker Central, has around 20-30 members who share their love of guns, racist memes and video games.

    Two members of the group allegedly identified Teixeira of Swansea, Massachusetts, as the source of the leak, on condition of anonymity.

    The Biden administration has scrambled for days to contain the fallout from the leaked information, which has publicised potential vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s air defence capabilities and exposed private assessments by allies on an array of intelligence matters.

    The National Guard did not confirm his identity but said in a statement: ‘We are aware of the investigation into the alleged role a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman may have played in the recent leak of highly-classified documents.’

    Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, referred all questions about the case to the Justice Department. But he said: ‘We have rules in place. Each of us signs a non-disclosure agreement. This is a criminal act, a wilful violation of those.’

    It is believed the documents were shared in an apparent attempt to impress members of the group, rather than to achieve any particular foreign policy outcome.

    Shortly after being posted to the group, the leaks soon spread to servers for YouTube influencers and Minecraft fans, before eventually reaching the far-right 4chan message board and pro-Russian telegram channels.

    The Justice Department and FBI had previously narrowed down the pool of potential suspects believed responsible for the disclosure of the highly classified material, sources said.

    The Biden administration has been working to assess the diplomatic and national security consequences of the leaked documents since they were first reported last week.

    A top Pentagon spokesman told reporters earlier this week that the disclosures present a ‘very serious risk to national security,’ and the Justice Department opened an investigation to identify the person responsible.

    ‘We’re getting close,’ President Joe Biden told reporters in Ireland on Thursday. He said that though he was concerned that sensitive government documents had been disclosed, ‘there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence’.

    Some of the leaked documents are dated as recently as March, and discussed Ukraine’s troop deployments, military vulnerabilities and efforts to arm its forces before a spring counteroffensive.

    Private conversations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his intelligence chief were also intercepted, along with evidence of the US spying on its allies.

    It was not clear how many suspects remained or when or if an arrest might be made.

    The Justice Department declined to comment on the situation on Thursday.

    There are only a few ways the classified information that was leaked could have been accessed, which may provide critical clues as to who is responsible. Typically in classified briefings, as with the slides that were placed on Discord, the information is shared electronically.

    That is done either through secure computer terminals where users gain access based on their credentials or through tablets that are distributed for briefings and collected afterward.

    If the slides need to be printed out instead, they can only be sent to secured printers that are able to handle classified documents – and that keep a digital record of everyone who has requested a printout.

    In most of the photographs of documents posted online the pictures are of paper copies that look like they had been folded into quarters.

    In the days since the leaks came to light, the Pentagon has deferred questions on the investigation to the Justice Department, stating that it is a criminal matter.

  • Bitumen supply chain to be regulated by NPA

    Bitumen supply chain to be regulated by NPA

    The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is developing a framework to regulate the importation, storage, processing and marketing of bitumen in the country.

    The framework, which will have inputs from the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) and Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), is to streamline the bitumen supply chain and ensure compliance with quality standards specifications.

    The NPA Chief Executive Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and management members of the Authority made this known on Wednesday, during an inspection tour of a bitumen storage and production plant at Tema jointly owned by Goil Good Energy and Societe’ Multinationale de Bitimumes (SMB) of Cote d’Ivoire.

    The facility has 7,500 metric tonnes installed capacity and takes delivery of bitumen from Cote d’Ivoire.

    One component of the facility produces polymer-modified bitumen and bitumen emulsions, which are combinations of bitumen and some chemicals.

    Operations started in September 2022, and arrangements are underway for the plant’s official inauguration – possibly by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Ivorian counterpart Mr. Alassane Ouattara this year.

    Per the law establishing the NPA, it is mandated to regulate all petroleum products – including bitumen, which is mainly used for road construction.

    Dr. Abdul-Hamid affirmed the NPA’s commitment to streamlining the bitumen supply chain to ensure compliance with industry standards.

    Giving details of the NPA’s actions, Head of Planning-NPA, Mr. Dominic Aboagye, indicated that the NPA constituted a committee a couple of years ago to look at the entire bitumen supply chain to see how to streamline the sector.

    Consequently, he said, the Authority engaged players in the bitumen value chain to understand their operations; and it turned out that much of the supply was from Cote d’Ivoire.

    With that information, a team from the NPA led by Dr. Abdul-Hamid visited Cote d’Ivoire in 2021 to study the operations of Societe’ Multinationale de Bitimumes (SMB); the main exporter of bitumen to Ghana.

    Mr. Aboagye said the NPA committee had since been developing the framework, and indicated that the Authority will engage the GHA, GSA, Customs Division of GRA and players in the bitumen supply chain to finalise the framework for regulating the sector.

    He said all players in the bitumen supply chain will be licenced by the NPA to streamline their operations.

    In their presentations, the Group CEO of Goil Company Limited, Mr. Kwame Osei Prempeh, said the plant had been selling the bitumen, polymer-modified bitumen, and bitumen emulsions on demand for road construction.

    He welcomed the NPA’s move to regulate the bitumen supply value chain, as it will ensure a supply of quality products in the country.

    The NPA team that participated in the tour included the Director of Economic Regulation and Planning, Mrs. Alpha Welbeck; Director of Policy Coordination, Dr. Sheila Addo; Head of Quality Control, Mr. Ubeidalah Kutia Saeed; and Executive Assistant to the CE, Mr. Faisal Ibrahim Cisse.

  • Kim Jong-un tested “most potent missile” in front of his whole family

    Kim Jong-un tested “most potent missile” in front of his whole family

    North Korea claims to have successfully tested a brand-new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

    The disclosure portends a potential success in the covert regime’s pursuit of a more potent, harder-to-detect weapon that can strike the US mainland.

    The information was released by its official Korean Central News Agency a day after a long-range missile launch from close to Pyongyang created concern in Japan.

    Leader Kim Jong-un, who personally guided the test, warned the Hwasong-18 – the most powerful missile in his nuclear arsenal – would ‘strike extreme uneasiness and horror’ into the country’s enemies.

    He said the weapon would cause them to ‘experience a clearer security crisis, and constantly strike extreme uneasiness and horror into them by taking fatal and offensive counter-actions until they abandon their senseless thinking and reckless acts’.

    Kim also hit out once again at the recent military drills carried out by the US and South Korea.

    KCNA released photos of him watching the launch, accompanied by his wife, sister and daughter, and the missile covered in camouflage nets on a mobile launcher.

    ‘The development of the new-type ICBM Hwasongpho-18 will extensively reform the strategic deterrence components of the DPRK, radically promote the effectiveness of its nuclear counterattack posture and bring about a change in the practicality of its offensive military strategy,’ KCNA said, using the initials of its official name.

    ‘Pho’ means ‘artillery’ in Korean.

    Analysts said it is the North’s first use of solid propellants in an intermediate-range or intercontinental ballistic missile.

    Developing a solid-fuel ICBM has long been seen as a key goal for North Korea, as it could help the North deploy missiles faster during a war.

    Most of the country’s largest ballistic missiles use liquid fuel, which requires them to be loaded with propellant at their launch site – a time-consuming and dangerous process.

    Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said: ‘For any country that operates large-scale, missile based nuclear forces, solid-propellant missiles are incredibly desirable capability because they don’t need to be fuelled immediately prior to use.

    ‘These capabilities are much more responsive in a time of crisis.’

    North Korea first displayed what could be a new solid-fuel ICBM during a military parade in February after testing a high-thrust solid-fuel engine in December.

  • IMF to approve programme for Ghana by May – Ofori-Atta

    IMF to approve programme for Ghana by May – Ofori-Atta

    Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, says Ghana should expect an International Monetary Fund (IMF) Board approval for a programme by the close of May 2023.

    According to him, Ghana has made significant progress, hence the need for it to get approval as soon as possible.

    Addressing Eurobondholders at an Investors Presentation Forum by the Republic of Ghana, Mr. Ofori-Atta called on external creditors to support Ghana’s quest in securing the programme.

    “We do at this time expect an IMF board approval in May [2023] and contemplate a rapid negotiation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with our creditors. We have made significant efforts on all fronts. We hope we could reach an agreement in principle with you our Eurobond holders quickly”.

    “We understand this is a challenging time for all of you to commit and offer a financial support to all of you. But please be assured we are fully committed with you and your advisors to ensure an equitable solution,” he said.

    Mr. Ofori-Atta said access to the international capital market is key on the agenda of government to restore macroeconomic stability.

    He maintained that government is committed to fair debt treatment with its commercial creditors.

    “Government intends to deepen the relationship with its external creditors. We reaffirm our commitment to work with our private and commercial creditors in all of our engagements,” he added

    Mr Ofori-Atta and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, are leading a high-level Ghana delegation to the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings, ongoing in Washington D.C.

  • Tory councillor expelled for saying ‘white men need black slaves’

    Tory councillor expelled for saying ‘white men need black slaves’

    Finally, a Welsh Tory councillor who is accused of saying that “all white men should have a black man as a slave” has been suspended.

    County councilman Andrew Edwards of Pembrokeshire allegedly said: “There is absolutely nothing wrong with the skin color” in a 16-minute footage.

    I believe that every white man should own a black man or a black woman as a slave, you know.

    Additionally, it is alleged that the former magistrate claimed that black people are of a “lower class than whites.”

    On Wednesday, Edwards referred himself to the Public Services Ombudsman after the clip was reported by the Welsh news outlet Nation.Cymru.

    Edwards has neither confirmed nor denied the audio clip and it is not clear when or where the clip was recorded or who the man was speaking to.

    Other councillors have said to have identified the voice in the audio clip as that of Edwards’.

    But the Welsh Conservative Party confirmed today that Edwards, a licensee of a Swansea pub and restaurant, has been suspended.

    A spokesperson for the Welsh Tories said: ‘Andrew Edwards has been suspended by the party whilst an investigation is carried out.’

    Senedd Welsh Tories leader Andrew Davies added: ‘The views expressed in the recording are disgraceful, abhorrent and are not shared by the Welsh Conservatives.

    ‘As the matter is being investigated, it would be inappropriate to comment further.’

    Edwards left the party group for the council on Tuesday, having represented the Haverfordwest Prendergast ward as a Tory councillor since May 2022.

    A magistrate until he resigned in July, Edwards is also a former school governor and owner of a barber shop called Freestyle Barbers in Haverfordwest.

    He said in an earlier statement: ‘I am aware of such serious allegations being made against me.

    ‘This is why I have self-referred to the Public Services Ombudsman for an independent evaluation.

    ‘It is now in the hands of legal experts and the Ombudsman. It would be unfair on the process for me to comment now.’

    The Pembrokeshire council said: ‘We are aware of an allegation being made and have referred the matter to the ombudsman. It would be inappropriate to comment further.’

  • My ‘military’ attire was bought in London – NPP Youth Organizer to Police

    My ‘military’ attire was bought in London – NPP Youth Organizer to Police

    Abdul Salam Mustapha, the National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has shaded the police in respect of an invitation extended to him over purported use of military attire.

    Salam in a Facebook post of April 12, 2023, hours to his appearance at the Police CID Headquarters in Accra pointed out that he was only wearing a designer shirt bought in the United Kingdom.

    His post confirmed receipt of the police invite, went on to jab the National Democratic Congress [NDC] who he accused of petitioning for his questioning before addressing where he got the attire from.

    “How the police failed to see the symbol of ‘true religion’ embossed on the shirt left breast-pocket strikes me. How can a shirt bought in a shop in London with its label be described as a military camouflage?” his post concluded.

    On April 13, he honoured the police invitation in the company of hundreds of party supporters. Photos shared on his Facebook timeline showed him in the company of some party bigwigs walking from the Kanda area towards the police headquarters.

    He captioned the post thus: “One for all, all for one! Thank you all for the love today. I couldn’t have asked for anything more, this is love. For all those who called and texted too, I appreciate you too. You made me feel loved today.

    “I honored the invitation of the police and it went well. Sincere gratitude to Senior Counsel Frank Davies and Andrew Khartey for the solid legal representation. Thank you once more!”

    Salam’s April 12 post

    I received this letter from the Police Commander to report to the Upper West Regional Police Command. Due to some family circumstances, i couldn’t travel to Wa, but upon further communication, we subsequently have arranged for me to meet the police at CID headquarters tomorrow at 12 noon.

    I understand that the NDC petitioned the police to invite me because some officers of theirs were invited to answer questions on why they wore camouflage to campaign in the Ashanti Region.

    I will honour the invitation tomorrow, but this equalisation attempt has failed. How the police failed to see the symbol of ‘true religion’ embossed on the shirt left breast-pocket strikes me. How can a shirt bought in a shop in London with its label be described as a military camouflage?

  • 18,000 cows killed in the deadliest barn explosion in US history

    18,000 cows killed in the deadliest barn explosion in US history

    The deadliest known cattle fatality occurrence in US history resulted from an explosion at a dairy farm in west Texas, which resulted in the deaths of 18,000 cows.

    Tens of thousands of dairy cows were confined in holding cages at the South Fork Dairy farm outside Dimmitt, Texas, on Monday night when a fire broke out. Social media users posted pictures of a huge black plume of smoke and some burned cows that were salvaged.

    What firefighters discovered once the fire was put out, according to Dimmitt Mayor Roger Malone, was “mind-boggling.”

    ‘I don’t think it’s ever happened before around here,’ Malone told USA Today. ‘It’s a real tragedy.’

    The Castro County Sheriff”s Office, the Dimmitt, Hart and Nazareth Fire Departments responded to an explosion and fire at the Southfork Dairy Farms in Texas (Picture: Castro County Sheriff’s Office)

    A worker was rescued from inside the holding pen and transported to a hospital. As of Tuesday, the victim was in critical but stable condition. No one else was injured or killed.

    More cattle died in the incident than any other since the Washington-based advocacy group Animal Welfare Institute started tracking farm and barn fires in 2013. The deadliest event up until then had been a 2020 blaze that killed about 400 cows in an upstate New York dairy farm, according to a policy associate at the institute, Allie Granger.

    ‘The deadliest fire involving cattle we know of,’ Granger told the newspaper. ‘In the past, we have seen fires involving several hundred cows at a time, but nothing anything near this level of mortality.’

    A farm equipment malfunction may have caused the explosion that ignited the fire, according to Castro County Judge Mandy Gfeller.

    The Holstein and Jersey cows that perished were about 90% of the herd on the farm and were worth about $2,000 each. That equates to tens of millions of dollars, not including building and equipment losses.

    Malone said he has taken courses on disposing animal carcasses after a disaster, but is still trying to figure out what to do.

    ‘How do you dispose of 18,000 carcasses?’ he said. ‘That’s something you just don’t run into very much.’

    Meanwhile, residents are concerned about the disaster possibly hurting the local economy.

    ‘That’s a lot of the money that we have and then a lot of milk also too,’ Dimmitt resident Alex Aguilar told KFDA. ‘So I think it’s really crazy that that happened.’

  • Woman killed in a fight with boyfriend’s side-chic

    Woman killed in a fight with boyfriend’s side-chic

    The Bekwai Circuit Court has reportedly remanded three persons into police custody in connection with the alleged murder of a 28-year-old woman, Vida Ennin, at Dwinase near Kokotro in the Bekwai Municipality of the Ashanti region.

    According to a report by myjoyonline.com, the three persons remanded include prime suspect, 25-year-old Mary Akosua Agyemang, who is accused of killing Vida Ennin.

    The two others are Felicia Sarpong, 61 years old and Ernest Achirem, 63 years old. They are accused of trying to protect the main suspect.

    The report indicated that the prime suspect fought with the victim for gossiping about her over a man they had both dated.

    They fought fiercely over their common lover, an excavator operator.

    After the fight, Mary is reported to have left the scene of the scuffle to buy a sharp knife. She then returned to stab Vida in the face, breast, and palm which led to the victim bleeding to death.

    Personnel of the Ghana Police Service in Bekwai arrested Mary after the death of Vida and also picked up Felicia Sarpong and Ernest Achirem.

    They were remanded after they were arraigned before the Bekwai Circuit Court on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, and are expected to reappear in court on April 26, 2023.

  • Close to 3000 churches, NGOs, Foundations to be shut down by gov’t

    Close to 3000 churches, NGOs, Foundations to be shut down by gov’t

    The government, through the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC), has announced that it will begin the process of validating and striking off 2,812 of these entities in default for failing to file their Annual Returns together with their financial statements for more than five years by the end of June 2023.

    In a statement issued, the Registrar of Companies, Jemima Mamaa Oware, said that the exercise will also affect Charity Organisations, Foundations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) including foreign NGOs, and entities incorporated under companies limited by guarantee.

    “Out of the earlier published list of 2,989 of these entities in default, only 116 have filed their Annual Returns together with their Financial Statements in other to be in good standing.

    “The Public is being informed that from 30th June 2023, the ORC would, for the very first time, be fully implementing section 126 (7) of the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992) which states that: ‘where a Company defaults in complying with the filing of Annual Returns and Financial Statements, the Company and every officer of the Company that is in default is liable to pay to the Registrar, an administrative penalty of Twenty-Five (25) penalty units for each day during which the default continues,” parts of the statement read.

    NOT-FILED-THEIR-ANNUAL-RETURNSDownload
    LIST-OF-COMPANIESDownload
  • Billionaire Otedola wishes fellow billionaire, Aliko Dangote on his 66th birthday

    Billionaire Otedola wishes fellow billionaire, Aliko Dangote on his 66th birthday

    Nigerian billionaire, Aliko Dangote turned 66 on April 10, 2023.

    The great businessman received the best of wishes all over the world, and also from his long-time pal and fellow billionaire, Femi Otedola.

    Otedola shared a photo from his visit to Dangote’s refinery and fertilizer plant in Lagos and captioned the post: “Happy Birthday to my brother @aliko_dangotegcon as he celebrates his 66th year of greatness! Here’s to many more years of brilliance and magnanimity.”

    The two billionaires have been best of friends for many years.

    However, Otedola’s latest post has drawn countless reactions from netizens on social media.

    See his post below:

  • Ghanaians blast Hajia Bintu for encouraging young ladies to use aphrodisiacs

    Ghanaians blast Hajia Bintu for encouraging young ladies to use aphrodisiacs

    Ghanaian TikTok star Hajia Bintu is teaching ladies who are interested in how to snatch husbands and boyfriends by following a hack.

    According to her, there are several medicines that ladies could use to tie men down by tightening up their private parts.

    She added that the medicines do have the efficacy to attract and maintain men. Hajia Bintu advised that ladies use it properly in order to snatch and make the husbands and boyfriends of others theirs.

    She described one of the medicines as “fuck and stay,” which must be applied around the abdomen. She added that whenever a man has a sexual encounter with any woman who uses it, he will stay.

    Another medicine she introduced was “Attraction to Men”. According to her, when it is applied to the forehead, every lady will become irresistible to all the big men and will get whatever she asks for

    Hajia Bintu also introduced “Love and Stay” and “Do As I Say,” which are all products ladies can use to manipulate men and get whatever they need from them.

    Social media users who have come across the video have expressed their complete disappointment in the socialite who once claimed that she works hard to finance her lucueous lifestyle.

    According to these people, Hajia Bintu should be cancelled because she’s a bad influence on the youth.

    Boakye Hygenic – Continue Snatching People’s Husbands For Money, The Small Girl ThatWill Also Snatch Ur Husbands Is In KG Reciting Rain ! Rain ! Go Away! 

    Nana Hemaa Yaa Agyeiwaa – Na when she said she uses what she has to get what she wants no,what were u guys thinking?

    Chelsea Boateng Jnr – If not juju!! What makes this woman beautiful

    Rukaya Salifu – I saw this video n I was like wow…..no wonder

    Betty Brown Gh – Perfect she has now told us the secret behind her overnight fame and riches such a disgrace to the sisterhood community