A 35-year-old woman has been arrested for alleged child trafficking at Biriwa in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region.
Information gathered by Kasapa News Yaw Boagyan indicates that the suspect believed to be a sex worker who lives in Accra went to Bankyea in the Secondi Takoradi Metropolis in the Western Region for the Child.
The victim, Abigail, who is fifteen years and a Junior High School student in an interview with Kasapa News Yaw Boagyan said, she was home when the suspect came and told her that she has bought materials for her so she should follow her to the seamstress for measurement only for her to realise that she is in Cape Coast.
The victim later asked some of the passengers in a Toyota Hiace with registration number GE-3474-21 where she was and was told she was at Mankessim.
The passengers then handed the suspect together with the victim to the police who were on duty at the Police Checkpoint at Biriwa after the girl kept on crying uncontrollably that she wants to go back home.
The incident happened Wednesday, March 29, 2022, around 8:30 PM.
Meanwhile, when the aunty of the victim, Barbara at Secondi Takoradi was called on the phone, she said, she did not know the victim’s whereabouts and is looking for her.
The Aunty said she knows the suspect to be a prostitute who has lived in Nigeria for many years and is now into prostitution in Accra.
She suspects the suspect was sending her niece to Accra for Prostitution.
The suspect has been put in police custody to assist investigation.
According to reports, the grand jury investigating the hush money scandal involving former President Donald Trump is taking a one-month break. As a result, any indictment would most likely occur in late April at the earliest.
Due in large part to a previously scheduled break, the jurors are not anticipated to hear testimony regarding Trump’s alleged involvement in a hush payment to a porn star for the ensuing month, a source with knowledge of the proceedings told Politico on Wednesday.
Panelists are set to consider evidence in another case on Thursday, after not meeting on Wednesday, the source said. They are slated to convene on a different case on Monday and Wednesday of next week and will be off on Thursday for the Passover holiday. A break for the two weeks following was reportedly programmed back when the jurors first convened in January.
Bragg is investigating any involvement the ex-president had in a $130,000 payment his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen made to silence porn star Stormy Daniels on an alleged affair with Trump.
The grand jury generally meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. They last met on Monday of this week and heard testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.
Several of the grand jury’s hearings on Trump’s case have been canceled since the ex-president announced on social media March 18 that he expected to be arrested. Jurors have convened on the case only the past two Mondays.
A spokesperson for Bragg’s office declined to comment to Politico on the apparent monthlong break from the Trump hush money case.
There were recent signs that the grand jury was getting close to voting on whether to indict Trump, especially when they offered him the chance to testify. But there is no deadline to indict Trump.
US Vice President, Kamala Harris, has asked global investors to put their money into Africa’s development innovations for economic growth across the world.
Ms Harris said Africa was endowed with innovations that could spur growth in science and technology, agriculture and clean energy, noting that African ideas and innovations were shaping the world and solving global problems.
“Before Venmo and Apple pay, there was Mpesa in Kenya, a mobile phone payment service that revolutionalise the digital financial system. Right now, African nations are pioneering the delivery of healthcare supplies by drone,” she noted.
“In Rwanda, it [drone] has reduced the delivery time of emergency blood supplies, in Ghana, the service has delivered more than nine million vaccines, including those for COVID-19. The service has expanded to Kenya, Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire,” she added.
The continent of 54 countries is creating the world’s largest free market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), worth an estimated $3.4 trillion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“We must invest in the African ingenuity and creativity, which will unlock incredible economic growth and opportunities,” Ms Harris said, when she delivered her keynote address at the iconic Black Star Square, Accra, on Tuesday.
Making a case for global investment into Africa, she said, African nations played a critical role on issues of global importance, including food security, climate crisis, public health, and resilient supply chains, which were important to the American people, and the world.
“In South Africa, part of the world’s largest radio telescope is under construction, which will help answer some of the biggest questions of humanity about galaxies and gravity,” the Vice President noted.
She also cited the issue of Tanzania, which is set to host the continent’s first facility that will process minerals for electric vehicle batteries, battery energy storage systems in Malawi, and fintech startups in Nigeria.
She said America’s renewed partnership between Ghana and the rest of Africa, “will be guided by not what we can do for our African partners, but what we can do with our African partners.”
The partnership with governments, the private sector, and civil society, she said, would together, address “the challenges we face and the incredible opportunities ahead through openness, candor, shared interest and mutual benefits”.
“The Biden-Harris administration and the American people stand ready to partner with you, to help accelerate the innovations and entrepreneurship that is already underway,” Ms Harris said.
She said access to digital services and the internet drove growth and created an opportunity for innovation, adding that once people were online, they had greater access to education, information, and financial services.
Ms Harris will end her three-day working visit to Ghana on Wednesday, March 29, and depart for a similar visit to Tanzania and end her week-long trip to Africa in Zambia, before returning to Washington.
Deputy Lands Minister Benito Owusu-Bio has reacted to some allegations leveled against the government by the providers of seedlings for the Green Ghana project to the effect that government owes them a whooping GHS 2.3 billion.
According to him, the claim is erroneous. He says government owes the seed providers GHS 28 million and not the aforementioned amount.
Speaking after a site monitoring tour of some Green Ghana seedlings planted in selected areas of Accra, on Tuesday, he stated “there is no such thing as ¢2.5 billion debt, even the funds allocated by government for Green Ghana was not that much.
“What we actually owe our seedlings providers is an amount of ¢28 million which will soon be cleared.”
He assured the seedlings providers that talks are already underway with the Finance Ministry to settle all Green Ghana debts owed and will personally ensure that these conversations are fast-tracked.
He also assured Ghanaians and taxpayers that all monies invested into procuring Green Ghana Seedlings have been judiciously utilised as most of the seedlings planted during the 2021-2022 Green Ghana planting exercises are surviving.
“Earlier, we disclosed a survival rate of 80% however due to weather conditions and other factors, currently seedlings planted in 2021 has a survival rate of 67% and 2022 a 72% survival and that is good progress because no matter what, we will not be able to achieve a 100% survival rate.”
Mr. Owusu-Bio was impressed with how well the seedlings have grown so far, applauding the Forestry Commission for ensuring that foresters nurtured the Green Ghana seedlings to this level of maturity.
The Deputy Minister also urged all Ghanaians who planted seedlings in their homes and farms to ensure they make it an effort in nurturing the seedlings to maturity, while calling on all and sundry to join the fray and plant the 10 million seedlings scheduled to be planted this year to help mitigate climate change.
Mr. Owusu-Bio asserted that the monitoring is part of a buildup of activities towards the Green Ghana Day which he reiterated will be on June 9, 2023.
The team on the monitoring tour first visited the Seismic Centre at the Ghana Geological Survey in Achimota, then to three planting sites at Legon campus, through to the Achimota Forest, to Achimota Secondary School and to the JJ Rawlings Foundation guardianship inside the Achimota School.
Joining the Deputy Minister on this tour were the Deputy CEO of the Forestry Commission, Mr. Sulemana Nyadia, the Director for Forestry Services Division at the Forestry Commission, Mr. Hugh C. A. Brown, the Technical Director for Forestry at the Ministry, Mr. Joseph Osiakwan and other officials from the Ministry and the Commission.
The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has called on the House of Legislature to engage critical industry stakeholders before taking any action on the new taxes that have been laid before it.
Currently, three new revenue mobilisation bills have been laid before Parliament.
In a statement issued by the Federation, Thursday, 30 March 2023, and signed by its Secretary General Abraham Koomson, the GGL said: “Considering the plight of workers under the escalated cost of living as a result of the insensitive economic policies of the government,” it deems it appropriate to draw the attention of the members of the House of Legislature “to do the needful to halt further deterioration of the conditions of living of people to avert social upheavals.”
The federation noted that Parliament by “constitutional mandate is positioned to check profligacy of the Executive to ensure good governance for the benefit of the citizenry for development.”
However, “contrary to expectations of the people,Parliament is seen as being complicit in implementation of outrageous Government policies which threaten to destroy businesses and render joblessness.”
It referred to its petition to the Speaker of Parliament, on Friday, 3 February 2023 in which it “drew attention to the numerous taxes already being paid by existing distressed businesses and the harm any additional taxes will do to investments,” and called for a stakeholder engagement before the approval of any new taxes by the House.
“As the new Excise Tax Bill and other Tax proposals await approval by Parliament, we entreat members of Parliament to engage the critical industry stakeholders prior to any action on the new Taxes,” the federation added.
Nigerian actor, Yul Edochie, has reportedly lost his first son, Kambilichukwu Edochie.
Unclear what resulted in his death, the first son ofYul Edochie and May was said to have fallen unconscious and rushed to the hospital, multiple news websites in Nigeria including Vanguard News and Legit have reported.
Sister ofYul Edochie’s first wife said prior to his demise, Kambili had read throughout the night preparing for his exam.
After his exam in school, he joined his mates to play football and that’s when he developed a seizure and was rushed to Mother and Child Hospital.
Wantaway Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson snapped back at social media critics claiming he missed last season’s playoffs due to wanting a trade.
Jackson announced earlier this week on social media that he had requested a trade on March 2 following a drawn-out contract stand-off, where Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him earlier this month.
The two parties endured a similar stand-off last offseason before the QB played out the final year of his rookie contract, only to miss the Ravens’ final six games of the season with a sprained left knee.
The issue had initially been expected to sideline him for only two to three weeks, with Jackson missing the Ravens’ postseason 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jackson quipped back at suggestions on social media that that absence was due to him sitting out having not agreed on a long-term deal with the Ravens.
I don’t remember me sitting out on my guys week 1 vs jets To week 12 vs Broncos. How come all of a sudden I sit out because of money in which I could’ve got hurt at anytime within that time frame 🤔 When we know the Super Bowl been on my mind since April 2018.
“Let’s get real. I rather have a 100% PCL than go out there and play horrible forcing myself to put my guys in a bad situation now that’s selfish to me,” Jackson tweeted on Tuesday.
“I don’t remember me sitting out on my guys week 1 vs jets To week 12 vs Broncos. How come all of a sudden I sit out because of money in which I could’ve got hurt at anytime within that time frame when we know the Super Bowl been on my mind since April 2018.”
I don’t remember me sitting out on my guys week 1 vs jets To week 12 vs Broncos. How come all of a sudden I sit out because of money in which I could’ve got hurt at anytime within that time frame 🤔 When we know the Super Bowl been on my mind since April 2018.
The 26-year-old QB also explained in a reply to a fan why he did not travel with the Ravens for their AFC Wild Card game in Cincinnati.
“After I traveled to the Pittsburgh game, my PCL got inflated so a few of us discussed it and I got the OK to stay so I could try [to] recover faster,” Jackson tweeted.
Jackson’s revelation of a trade request came amid the NFL’s annual league meeting. The Indianapolis Colts are the only team to declare any intention to consider Jackson who represents himself in negotiations.
Julius Randle will undergo evaluation on Thursday after exiting the New York Knicks’ 101-92 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday with a left ankle sprain.
Randle was hurt after his left leg landed on Heat center Bam Adebayo’s left foot as he pulled down a rebound with 2:40 remaining in the second quarter.
The Knicks forward was helped up and initially stayed in the game but was visibly incapable of playing on and ruled out at half-time.
“It’ll be evaluated tomorrow,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. “It’s a sprain, that’s about the extent of it. We’ll see where he is tomorrow.”
Thibodeau was unable to clarify the extent of the injury when asked if trainers thought it was a high ankle sprain.
Julius Randle (sprained left ankle) will not return.
Randle will be a key part of the Knicks’ upcoming playoffs campaign, averaging 25.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists this season. The All-Star produced a career-best 57 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves last week.
The Knicks are in the five seed slot in the Eastern Conference with a 44-33 record, with the playoffs due to starton April 15.
“It’s all part of it, injuries happen,” Thibodeau said. “When you have a guy who’s averaging 24/10/4, we’re not going to replace him with one player.
“What we can do is work hard as a unit to come together and work to replace him.”
Randle is a two-time All-Star, who won the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2021.
The Dallas Mavericks‘ playoff hopes suffered another setback after James Harden inspired the Philadelphia 76ers’ fourth-quarter charge on Wednesday.
The Mavs, who had lost seven of their previous 10 games coming into the contest, led 91-89 at three-quarter time at Wells Fargo Center before the home side rallied to triumph 116-108, clinching their 50th win of the season.
Harden provided the assists for all of Philadelphia’s points during a 10-0 run that flipped the contest, condemning the Mavs to a 37-40 record and leaving them in danger of missing the playoffs and play-in tournament in the Western Conference. Dallas failed to score in the final 3:18 of the game.
Joel Embiid returned from a one-game, calf-injury-enforced absence to boost his MVP aspirations with 25 points and nine rebounds, while Harden had 15 points and 12 assists.
Harden’s partnership with Embiid was on full show, with the pair holding the NBA’s best single-season record over the past 25 years for assists by one player to another, averaging 4.8 per game, ahead of Sacramento Kings duo Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins (4.0 in the 2015-16 season).
For the Mavs, Luka Doncic had 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Kyrie Irving added 23 points.
Philadelphia’s 50th win from their 76th game of the campaign marks the fewest amount of games required to reach that mark in franchise history since 2001.
The 50-26 76ers are third in the East, behind the Milwaukee Bucks (55-21) and the Boston Celtics (52-24).
The Bucks routed the Indiana Pacers 149-136 led by Jrue Holiday’s career-high 51 points and a Giannis Antetokounmpo triple-double.
Kings end NBA’s longest playoff drought
Sacramento ended their 17-year playoffs wait, the longest drought in NBA history, thanks to a 120-80 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Kings pulled away with a lopsided 70-34 second half, led by Domantas Sabonis (15 points and 12 rebounds) and De’Aaron Fox (18 points and six assists), while Keegan Murray passed Donovan Mitchell for the most threes made by a rookie (188) in his 13 points.
Sacramento clinching their playoff spot came amid a chaotic night in the West, with Jalen Williams’ buzzer-beating tip-in earning the 10th-placed Oklahoma City Thunder a 107-106 win over the Detroit Pistons. OKC occupy the final play-in spot.
Russell Westbrook scored 36 points as the fifth-placed Los Angeles Clippers ended the second-placed Memphis Grizzlies’ seven-game winning streak with a 141-132 victory, while the taunts continued as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls 121-110.
Kevin Durant made his long-awaited home debut as he returned from a 10-game absence due to a sprained ankle, but he was rusty as the Phoenix Suns overcame the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-100.
Durant shot five-of-18 from the field for 16 points with eight rebounds and four assists. Devin Booker top-scored for the Suns with 29 points on eight-of-18 shooting from the field.
The 2014 MVP Durant shot two-of-four from three-point range, both in the fourth quarter, holding off the Timberwolves who drew level in the final period, with the win helping the Suns improve to 41-35 to sit fourth in the West.
Jrue Holiday joked he “felt like Giannis” after leading the Milwaukee Bucks with 51 points in Wednesday’s 149-136 defeat of the Indiana Pacers.
The league-leading Bucks made it seven wins from their last 10 as they picked up their 55th victory of the season in style.
Holiday top-scored with 51 points, eight assists and as many rebounds, while talismanic team-mate Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double of 38 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists.
It meant 32-year-old Holiday, who joined the NBA in 2009, surpassed his previous high of 40 points, set earlier this season in a win over the Boston Celtics.
For Holiday, it was a taste of what it must be like to be two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo.
“I felt like Giannis,” Holiday quipped. “No dunks though.
“It took me 14 years to get 50 points. It came in a game that we needed to win, so I couldn’t be happier.”
Holiday, like Antetokounmpo, sat out Monday’s win over the Detroit Pistons, and he felt that rest was key.
“A couple of days off,” he suggested when asked by ESPN what had been behind his showing. “Really just been aggressive, because I know how much we needed to win this game.”
Holiday was 20 of 30 from the field, while sinking three three-pointers from six attempts.
“It’s hard to come up with the superlatives to describe them,” said Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer of Holiday and Antetokounmpo.
“They were phenomenal. Giannis set the tone with his aggressive attacking. Then Jrue for the whole game to have 51, that’s hard to do in an NBA game.
“Together with Giannis with 38, those two guys were special, they put us on their backs.”
Next up for the Bucks is a top-of-the-standings clash with the Celtics.
Kevin Durant felt the nerves ahead of his home debut for the Phoenix Suns but was thrilled to be back from injury.
Durant has endured injury frustration in his first months as a Suns player since his trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
The 2014 MVP joined the Suns on February 9, but he had played only three times prior to Wednesday’s meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
All of those games, which were won by Phoenix, came on the road.
Having missed the last 10 games due to a sprained ankle, Durant returned for his home bow against the Timberwolves, and he had 16 points, four assists and eight rebounds in a 107-100 victory.
Durant acknowledged that even with his wealth of experience to call on, it was hard to keep the nerves in check.
“It was hard for me to get sleep today, it was hard for me to stop thinking about the game,” Durant said. “Sometimes you can want it too bad, and you come out, start rushing and being uncharacteristic.”
Now, he aims to build up his fitness as the Suns look towards securing a postseason berth.
“I’m glad I’m back, I’m glad I’m playing again and being one of the guys. Just building from here,” Durant said.
“It felt good. I miss playing, I miss being with the guys. It was a big win for us, we needed this one, but yeah I felt good being out there again.”
"It felt good. I miss playing, I miss being with the guys…Every day I just try to be the best that I can…So I'm looking forward to keep building."
🗣️ KD speaks on how it felt getting back on the court and playing with the team again. pic.twitter.com/ubd6IxoMOK
Phoenix coach Monty Williams was impressed with what he saw from the 13-time All-Star but knows there is more to come.
“I thought he battled on both ends,” Williams told reporters.
“I think his cardio has got to get back to the level he wants it. Once he gets that, we’ll see the Kevin that we all know.”
The Suns’ third straight win saw them consolidate their grip on the Western Conference’s fourth seed.
Devin Booker was the driving force for Phoenix with 29 points, with Anthony Edwards’ 31-point haul not enough to inspire the Timberwolves to a winning performance.
Arsenal reached the Women’s Champions League semi-finals after a dominating opening 45 minutes helped overturn a first-leg deficit and see off Bayern Munich 2-1 on aggregate.
Trailing to a Lea Schuller goal, the hosts recovered from the early loss of captain Kim Little to win 2-0 in front of 21,307 fans at the Emirates.
A Frida Maanum strike set them on their way before Stina Blackstenius’ header settled the tie.
The victory would have been more comfortable but for a fine goalkeeping display from Maria-Luisa Grohs and some wayward finishing from Arsenal.
After watching Jonas Eidevall guide the Gunners to their first Champions League semi-final since 2013 when they lost to Wolfsburg, who also knocked them out in the quarter-finals last season, former England defender Gilly Flaherty was full of praise.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, she said: “Eidevall is confident Arsenal can beat anybody. If they get the game plan right, they’re confident of beating anyone.
“Tonight they were unbelievable, they thoroughly deserved the win.
“They won’t fear whoever they get next. I feel they believe they can go the whole way.”
Little was tripped as she looked to maraud into the Bayern half with their defence out of position in the 10th minute.
No free-kick was given but the Arsenal skipper had to be replaced by Lotte Wubben-Moy as birthday girl Leah Williamson took both the armband and Little’s place in the heart of midfield.
The positional shift would play a part in Arsenal breaking the deadlock as Williamson directed a flick into the path of Maanum, who bent home the opener.
Maanum was in again soon after but could not nick the ball off the toe of Grohs as she looked to intercept a weak back-pass.
Arsenal’s lead was doubled before the half-hour as Katie McCabe worked space for a cross from the left and Blackstenius nodded in.
Stina Blackstenius heads home the decisive goal on a memorable night
It could have got even better before the break but Williamson missed with a header and Blackstenius was denied by Grohs before Maanum’s follow-up was blocked.
Grohs was keeping the visitors alive, saving a close-range header from Blackstenius before Wubben-Moy’s cross cannoned back off the crossbar.
The second half started on a more even keel.
Bayern wrestled back some possession as two corners caused problems in the Arsenal box and Wubben-Moy blocked to keep out a Klara Buhl strike.
Grohs was at it again moments later, tipping a McCabe shot wide after the Republic of Ireland international had danced into the box.
2⃣0⃣' @FMaanum sends a worldie into the top corner.
When Grohs was not in the position to keep Arsenal at bay, it was more profligate finishing that failed to kill off the tie as Caitlin Foord ballooned a chance over the crossbar.
McCabe limped off late on to present Eidevall with another injury concern but he will be pleased his Continental Cup winners have at least two more games to add to their packed fixture schedule.
Barca cruise through
Earlier in the night, Barcelone hammered Roma 5-1 at the Camp Nou to advance to the last four 6-1 on aggregate.
Two-goal Fridolina Rolfo scored either side of Maria Leon’s curler to put Barca, who finished runners-up to Lyon last season, out of sight before half-time.
Asisat Oshoala tapped in a fourth a minute after the restart and Patricia Guijarro headed home from a corner to complete the rout.
Champions League debutants Roma pulled one back through Annamaria Serturini but it was plain sailing for Barca in their quest for a second European crown.
World number 74 Sorana Cirstea produced a major shock in the Miami Open quarter-finals after toppling 2023 Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old Romanian triumphed 6-4 6-4 over the in-form Belarusian to progress to her first WTA-1000 semi-final for a decade, dating back to the 2013 Canadian Open in Toronto.
World number two Sabalenka came into the contest as the highest remaining seed after Iga Swiatek’s withdrawal, having won a tour-leading 20 matches this season.
But Cirstea blew Sabalenka away in one hour and 27 minutes, maintaining her fine run in Miami where she has not dropped a set in five matches.
Sabalenka hit more winners than Cirstea (21-16) but the Romanian was more polished, committing only nine unforced errors compared to the Australian Open winner’s 21.
Cirstea broke Sabalenka in the first game of each set and showed resolve when she served out victory from 15-40 down.
“I think I’m a bit speechless,” Cirstea said after the match. “I came out knowing that it’s going to be a really tough match. Aryna hits so hard, so I knew I had to hold my ground, and I’m very, very happy with my performance today.”
Cirstea’s list of scalps includes fifth seed Caroline Garcia, former top 20 player Karolina Muchova and now Sabalenka.
The Romanian also reached the quarter-finals at the Indian Wells Open a fortnight ago, losing to Swiatek in the last eight.
Cirstea will need to wait to learn her semi-final opponent with the quarter-final between 15th seed Petra Kvitova and 18th Ekaterina Alexandrova re-scheduled to Thursday after the evening session was cancelled due to persistent rain.
Italian 10th seed Jannik Sinner downed Emil Ruusuvuori to secure his berth in the Miami Open semi-finals along with bringing up his 20th win of the season on Wednesday.
Sinner, who dropped only one point on first serve, won 6-3 6-1 over the Finn in one hour and 16 minutes.
The 21-year-old Italian will face either top seed and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or 2022 Indian Wells winner Taylor Fritz in the last four. Sinner lost to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals a fortnight ago.
Alcaraz and Fritz’s Miami quarter-final was postponed to Thursday with persistent rain forcing the evening session in Miami to be cancelled.
The other quarter-finals between 14th seed Karen Khachanov and 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo along with fourth seed Daniil Medvedev and qualifier Christophr Eubanks were also re-scheduled for Thursday.
The Sinner-Ruusuvuori clash was also impacted by a two-hour rain delay, but the Italian prevailed to maintain his perfect record in Miami, having not dropped a set.
“We both played well today but I won the important points,” Sinner said. “It’s never easy when you are up and you get interrupted, but I came back and played well.”
Sinner’s run to the Miami semi-finals has seen him drop the fewest games (23) since Rafael Nadal (21) and Novak Djokovic (23) in 2014.
The Italian became the seventh male to reach the semi-finals at both Indian Wells and Miami in a single year before turning 22, joining an elite list in Andre Agassi (1990), Jim Courier (1991), Djokovic (2007), Andy Murray (2007 and 2009), Nadal (2008) and Alcaraz (2022).
Sinner’s 2023 record is now 20-4, bettered only by Medvedev (26-3) and Cameron Norrie (21-5).
Bianca Andreescu has revealed she tore ankle ligaments and faces time on the sidelines after her excruciating injury blow at the Miami Open.
Former US Open champion Andreescu, who in 2019 beat Serena Williams in what proved to be the American great’s last Grand Slam final, is set to miss at least the start of the clay-court season.
The Canadian, 22, was enjoying an excellent run in the Miami event, knocking out Emma Raducanu, Maria Sakkari and Sofia Kenin en route to the last 16.
She dropped the first set against Ekaterina Alexandrova on Monday but was an early break to the good in the second when injury struck, forcing her to abandon that fourth-round match.
Andreescu howled in pain on the court after suffering the ankle blow and needed to be taken away in a wheelchair.
She joked the day after: “Woke up with a brace on my foot… anyone know what happened?”
Now she knows exactly what happened and the news is not particularly good.
Andreescu tweeted: “Results show that I’ve torn two ligaments in my left ankle. It’s tough to say exactly how long it will take, but let’s just say it could’ve been much worse!
“I’m going to take it day by day and I am optimistic that with the right work, rehab and preparation, I’ll be back on court soon. Rehab process has already started and will continue to give updates.”
Andreescu has suffered a string of injuries since becoming a teenage Grand Slam winner. She sits 31st in the WTA rankings, having been as high as No4 in October 2019.
Miami marks the end of a hardcourt swing on the tour, with clay set to take over for two months, starting in Charleston at a WTA 500 event next week.
Repsol Honda alleged the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has “violated” the team’s rights after its decision to uphold Marc Marquez’s ban beyond the Argentina Grand Prix.
The six-time MotoGP champion suffered a fracture to the first metacarpal bone in his right hand in Sunday’s Portuguese Grand Prix.
That was after a crash with Miguel Oliveira at Turn 3 early in the race, with Marquez found guilty of irresponsible riding in Portimao after both riders were unable to continue.
The Spaniard was handed a double long-lap penalty and the FIM confirmed Marquez will serve the sanction when he next features after Honda announced he will miss the next race due to a hand operation.
Honda have contested the FIM’s ruling, questioning the merits of changing the penalty two days after the initial sanction.
“The modification of the penalty consisted of a change of criteria on when the penalty should be applied,” Honda said in a statement on Wednesday.
“This modification was issued by the FIM two days after the initial sanction was final and definitive, and is not in line with the current regulations of the FIM for the MotoGP World Championship.
— Honda HRC Castrol – MotoGP (@HRC_MotoGP) March 29, 2023
“The Repsol Honda Team intends to use all the means of recourse to defend its rights and legitimate interests, which it considers violated as a result of the latest resolution adopted, and in particular has duly submitted an appeal before the FIM Appeal Stewards.”
Japanese team Honda have opted to go to the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit with just one rider, despite having test rider Stefan Bradl available.
Joan Mir will step up in the absence of Marquez as the 2020 world champion prepares for his second race in the team’s colours on Sunday in Santiago del Estero.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua’s long-awaited bout could finally come this year and would be the “biggest heavyweight match in the world”.
That was the message on Wednesday from Top Rank president Todd DuBoef, a key member of Fury’s United States promotional team, who wants to see the all-British clash in 2023.
Joshua faces Jermaine Franklin on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, though speculation continues to swirl the former could face Fury after his undisputed bout with Oleksandr Usyk fell through.
And DuBoef has suggested the former two-time unified world champ would deserve a headline fight if he defeats Franklin.
He told Sky Sports: “I’ve always said that that is the fight.
“Both of them have great brands, huge fanbases, and fortunately both of them come from the UK, so it’s wonderful that your country has been able to produce these incredible prizefighters.
“That fight is always there, and, to me, is the biggest heavyweight match in the world, because of the personalities and the stories.”
Both camps have pointed the finger at each other after an April 29 meeting at Wembley between Fury and Usyk failed to come to fruition.
DuBoef added: “The frustration is for all of us. All of us are frustrated, right?
“And I think timing has been an issue with trying to make this fight happen. I’m not going to say never, but I think we all want to see this unification and we all have hope.
“But there was a timeline that was set up, and it just got ahead of everybody and it became very tight.
“Fortunately, there’s always hope and an opportunity because I think both fighters really know that this is what the sport wants, and what they want.”
While holding out hopes over the mouthwatering fight between Fury and Usyk, DuBoef claims his client could even face both the Ukrainian and Joshua before the end of the year.
He said: “That’s the way we move. We move with immediacy, and we move trying to figure out and get rationality to a situation.
“I think we’ve always wanted this fight for Fury and Joshua, and we’ve wanted to see Fury and Usyk, and Tyson has wanted that, and the Warrens, and we’ve worked hard in getting this done.
“I would love to see, and you’ve just laid out a great 2023 for the Fury side, if we could do Usyk and Joshua this year, it would be fantastic.”
Lewis Hamilton needs support from his fellow Formula 1 drivers to fill the gap left behind by Sebastian Vettel in championing human rights issues, says former McLaren head of communications Matt Bishop.
The pair have formed the cornerstone of the sport’s stands against injustice and have voiced vocal support for a multitude of social causes, in particular the LGBTQ+ community, during their time in F1.
With Vettel’s retirement at the end of last season, however, Hamilton has been left to lead from the front, particularly amid the sport’s powerbrokers moving to censor political protests on race weekends.
Ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, Bishop – who helped create the Racing Pride organisation to support the LGBTQ+ community in motorsport – has called for the void to be filled in support of the Briton.
10 years since Lewis' first start for the Team in Melbourne, we're heading back to Australia. 💛
142 podiums, 82 wins, 77 poles and six titles later…
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 28, 2023
“[Vettel] absolutely saw Lewis as somebody who he could confide in, who he could seek counsel from,” he told Sky Sports.
“I think it was mutual. They both saw each other as somebody who ‘gets it’ in the same way. I’m not trying to criticise any of the other drivers by the way – I worked with many of them, and it takes all sorts to make a world.
“But I suppose I would now like some of the other drivers to consider whether they could perhaps fill the void Sebastian has vacated, because Lewis is a tiny bit on his own now.”
Bishop’s comments come after three-time world champion Nelson Piquet was last week fined £780,000 for racist and homophobic comments made about Hamilton during an interview from November 2021.
“The most important thing is that in Brazil that wrong was righted and I know he’s got to pay a big fine,” Bishop said.
“I assume he can afford it and I do hope, which presumably was the objective, that it will deter other people from speaking in such an appalling way moving forward.”
Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt was surprised by the club’s decision to part company with head coach Julian Nagelsmann and says it has been “hard to swallow”.
German heavyweights Bayern officially called time on Nagelsmann’s 20-month reign on Friday and swiftly appointed Thomas Tuchel as his successor.
Nagelsmann won the Bundesliga in his only full season in Bavaria, but Bayern find themselves a point behind Borussia Dortmund with 25 games of this campaign played.
Bayern face leaders Dortmund in a huge clash on Saturday, while they also have DFB-Pokal and Champions League quarter-final ties to play in April.
And with the club still in the hunt for a treble, De Ligt – who has been away on international duty with the Netherlands – did not see Nagelsmann’s sacking coming.
“I was surprised,” he told Dutch TV broadcaster NOS. “We’re second in the league and in the quarter-finals of the cups. We’re still playing for everything.
“Those in charge decide who the coach is, but it was a difficult decision that is hard to swallow. But I also believe that Tuchel is a coach who suits us.”
According to a report in the German media, certain Bayern players turned against Nagelsmann and effectively forced him out of the Allianz Arena.
But De Ligt, who has played 31 times since arriving at Bayern from Juventus at the start of the season, refuted those suggestions.
“Oh, the German media. That says it all,” he said. “I had a good relationship with him and his team.
“I sent him a message and thanked him for everything he taught me.
“He really wanted me here at the club and was very important to me.
“Thanks in part to him, I have taken important steps in my development over the past few months.”
Dietmar Hamann worries it is “too late” for this Germany team as he called again for coach Hansi Flick to be sacked following Tuesday’s defeat to Belgium.
Hamann was a vocal critic of Flick following the 2022 World Cup, where Germany exited at the group stage for the second consecutive finals.
Former midfielder Hamann wanted the coach to go then, and his stance was not softened by the March internationals.
With Germany hosting Euro 2024 and therefore absent from the qualification process, they played friendlies against Peru and Belgium.
A 2-0 win over Peru in Mainz was followed by a 3-2 defeat to Belgium in Cologne, in which Hamann suggested “it could have been 0-3, 0-4 or 1-5 in the first half”.
Speaking to Sky Sport, the pundit said: “Nothing has changed at all.
“The team that started yesterday included eight World Cup players. [Florian] Wirtz and [Timo] Werner were also in the starting line-up, who were not there in Qatar due to injury.
“Marius Wolf was the only one who played against Belgium who wasn’t at the World Cup. He did an excellent job in Dortmund in the last few weeks and months.
“So, it felt like there were 10 World Cup players in the line-up, and then I can’t speak of a change.
“If [Flick] had let youngsters play and they had gotten under the wheels in the first half, then I would have understood because they would have learned something from it.
“But the way it was yesterday, that they play with the same players and we get served the same c*** as at the World Cup, sooner or later people will turn their backs on the national team.”
“It’s too late for me,” he said. “I spoke after the World Cup, where it was clear to me that it’s difficult to continue working with the coach when you’re eliminated from the group for the second time in a row.
“I couldn’t imagine it because you need a new impetus.
“They hid in Qatar, they let the team down, they didn’t take responsibility. And if the coach doesn’t take responsibility, then I can’t expect the players to take responsibility.
“That’s why I don’t think the discussion [around Flick’s future] comes too early. It’s too late, for me, and they decided to continue with it.
“I have big, big concerns about whether things will get better in the coming weeks, months and then at the European Championships next year.”
Stefano Pioli insisted “nobody is perfect or unbeatable” as AC Milan prepare to overthrow Napoli in the all-Italian Champions League quarter-final clash.
Milan and Napoli will meet for the first time in European competition on April 12 in the first leg at San Siro, with Luciano Spalletti’s side flying high in Serie A and UEFA’s top club competition.
The Partenopei are 19 points clear at the Italian top-flight summit and suggested by many as a potential challenger for the European crown.
But Milan have only lost one of their nine all-Italian showdowns in Europe (W4 D4) and Pioli sees no reason why the Rossoneri cannot dream of progressing past Spalletti’s in-form side.
The Milan coach said: “Honestly, I’d rather not meet an Italian side. In the Champions League it’s better to face a foreign club. Napoli are very strong but we want to play for it.
“They have shown great consistency, strength and quality, they have all the characteristics of a great team, but nobody is perfect or unbeatable.”
Pioli’s side have not reached the last eight in the Champions League since the 2011-12 term when they were eliminated by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.
Milan last went beyond that stage in the 2006-07 season en route to lifting the trophy but overcoming Napoli will prove an incredibly difficult challenge.
Napoli have won each of their past three away matches against the Rossoneri, their best such run against them, although they have not triumphed in any of their past five trips to Milan in cup competitions.
🇪🇸 Real Madrid vs Chelsea 🏴 🇵🇹 Benfica vs Inter 🇮🇹 🏴 Man City vs Bayern 🇩🇪 🇮🇹 Milan vs Napoli 🇮🇹
*FC Internazionale Milano's match has been reversed in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. #UCLdrawpic.twitter.com/m1gMqFs1fV
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 17, 2023
Pioli wants to build on Milan’s Champions League history but says the Rossoneri cannot take their eyes off the Serie A top-four battle, leading fifth-placed Roma by just a point.
“It’s part of the history of this club and the path it has always followed,” he added. “We are beginning to write our history, that of Milan in the Champions League is a different path from ours.
“When you go to San Siro to play the Champions League it is something exciting and spectacular that involves everyone.
“We are very busy but we are also focusing on the league. To make this season a positive one, we have to play in the Champions League next year. We have to be careful.”
Before the mouthwatering European meeting, Milan visit Napoli in Serie A on Sunday with the Rossoneri’s Scudetto soon seemingly heading for Naples.
Pioli’s side have been unable to replicate their exploits from last season’s title-winning campaign, though the Italian suggested Milan’s young side would always struggle to defend their title.
“I don’t think there are many teams in Europe that immediately win the second league,” he continued. “We won with a very young team, thanks to a project and a club path we are proud of.
“We are one of the few clubs with a sustainable project; only a few teams manage to win and be competitive in Europe.
“That is a leap that we have not yet been able to make but this year too gives us the opportunity to understand great things, to improve and be the strongest club.”
On the account of Ghanaian entertainer, Michael Blankson, an aeroplane he was onboard to Ghana had to spend an extra hour in the air due to an alleged closure of the Kotoka International Airport as part of the security protocols for Kamala Harris.
The Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris paid a three-day working visit to West African state, Ghana.
She departed for Tanzania from Ghana on March 29, 2023. Her next stop on the African continent will be Zambia.
Michael Blankson in a tweet on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 29, raised concern about the temporal closure of Ghana’s international airport due to Kamala’s presence.
“We about to land in Accra and they said the airport is closed because Kamala Harris is there so they going to hold us in the air for another hour smh.
We about to land in Accra and they said the airport is closed because Kamala Harris is there so they going to hold us in the air for another hour smh. Man land this plane Kamala is good, been in the air 9 hrs I’m ready to eat some banku
“Man land this plane Kamala is good, been in the air 9 hrs I’m ready to eat some banku,” read Michael’s tweet sighted by GhanaWeb.
Kamala and her husband, Douglas Craig Emhoff, arrived in Ghana on Monday, March 27 as part of their three-nation African tour.
Speaking in a joint conference with Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, she said: “President Biden and I have made clear the United States is strengthening our partnerships across the continent of Africa.”
Kamala Harris calls for full participation of women in economic activities
Charles Nii Armah Mensah alias Shatta Wale has launched an appeal via Twitter asking that Nigerian president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu comes to fetch him.
The self-acclaimed dancehall king jokingly premises his call on the fact that “everyone says I look like you,” adding “so please come and take your son from Ghana ok lol.”
He goes on to promise to perform one of his songs for the new president who incidentally was celebrating his 71st birthday on March 29.
His post was accompanied by a portrait of Tinubu and a photo of himself wearing a blue agbada – three-piece traditional attire worn in northern Nigeria and some parts of the southwest where Tinubu hails from.
The full post read: “You excellency everyone says I look like you ,so please come and take your son from Ghana ok lol … They always say my father won’t come for me ,so please come for me so perform for u one of my songs. Thank you My president ,May you live long Dad.”
You excellency everyone says I look like you ,so please come and take your son from Ghana ok lol … They always say my father won’t come for me ,so please come for me so perform for u one of my songs 🙏Thank you My president ,May you live long Dad ❤️🙏 🇳🇬 🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/i8y85RTlOK
Tinubu was declared winner of Nigeria’s February 25, 2023 election beating off competition from Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.
The two contenders are currently in court seeking to annul Tinubu’s victory whiles the outgoing Muhammadu Buhari government continues transition talks with Tinubu’s team towards an inauguration slated for May 2023.
Steve Hanke, a Professor of Applied Economics at the Johns Hopkins University, has raised concerns about the $100 million security assistance the United States will be giving to five West African countries, including Ghana.
In a tweet shared, on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, Prof Hanke suggested that the assistance the US will be giving to these countries will be squandered.
He said that the level of corruption perception of the five West African countries are terrible.
“US Vice Pres. Harris announced that the US will provide $100m over 10 yrs to help West African countries like Ghana, Benin, Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Togo. The average Corruption Perception Index for these countries is terrible: ~35/100. Need I say more?” parts of the tweet the academic shared.
The Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris, announced a $100 million security assistance to five West African countries, including Ghana.
The other beneficiaries of the $100 million security grant include Benin, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo.
In a tweet shared on Tuesday, March 28, the US vice president said that Africa is vital to global security.
She added that the aid is to support the prevention of conflicts and aid efforts to stabilize security in the countries along the coast of West Africa.
“African nations, including Ghana, play a critical role in global security. Today, I am pleased to announce $100 million in support for Ghana, Benin, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo to support conflict prevention and stabilization efforts in Coastal West Africa,” parts of the tweet read.
View Prof Hanke’s tweet below:
US Vice Pres. Harris announced that the US will provide $100m over 10 yrs to help West African countries like Ghana, Benin, Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Togo. The average Corruption Perception Index for these countries is terrible: ~35/100. Need I say more?https://t.co/X7XRUwM64p
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has taken aim at the international system describing it as “morally bankrupt.”
The president, whiles speaking at a UN event in New York on March 29, 2023 said Africa was the biggest loser in the skewed global system.
He stressed that it was time for the continent to cater for itself having historically taken care of the world.
“I echo the @UN Secretary-General: The international system is morally bankrupt. Throughout history Africa has taken care of the world. It is time Africa takes care of itself.
“The state of African economies shows a deficiency in global financial & trading arrangements defined to work against Africa & her people. I support the @UN SG’s assessment: the international financial system is morally bankrupt as it favors rich countries against the less rich.”
He continued: “All of us have a duty to contribute our quota in changing Africa’s narrative and asserting an African personality that is dignified, respected and treated with equality, globally.”
The president left Accra on March 28 and arrived the same day after a 13-hour journey in the US to participate in the meeting.
He was the keynote speaker at an event themed: “Towards Eliminating Racism and Discrimination Against People of African Descent.”
The UNAIDS boss in her address mentioned the role Ghana under Akufo-Addo continues to play in “strengthening consciousness of people of African descent & mobilising against racism.”
Other speakers in the event were: the United Nations Secretary General and his deputy; Antonio Guterres and Amina J. Mohammed respectively.
The UNAIDS boss, Winnie Byanyima and Majankunyane Gumbi, the Special Advisor for Addressing Racism in the Workplace, United Nations, also delivered addresses.
“Nana Akufo-Addo, we are proud to have you at our side. Ghana has played a historic role in strengthening consciousness of people of African descent & mobilising against racism. ???????? paved the way in decolonisation. You are continuing its commitment to Pan-Africanism,” Byanyima said.
The event at which he spoke was in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Pope Francis has contracted a respiratory infection and will need to spend “a few days” in hospital in Rome, the Vatican has said.
The pontiff had breathing difficulties in recent days but does not have COVID, the statement added.
His closest staff, including security, were expected to stay the night at the Gemelli Hospital, a person with direct knowledge told the BBC earlier.
A source earlier said medical checks would continue as long as necessary.
Previously, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the Pope was taken to hospital for “some previously scheduled checks”.
The updated statement said the infection would “require a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy”.
“Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer,” it added.
This is the busiest time of the year for Pope Francis, 86, with many events and services scheduled ahead of Easter weekend.
A Palm Sunday Mass is scheduled this weekend, and Holy Week and Easter celebrations next week.
He is also scheduled to visit Hungary at the end of April.
On Wednesday morning, he presided over his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square. Though he looked to be in good spirits, he was seen grimacing as he was helped with getting into his vehicle, AFP news agency reports.
The pontiff has suffered from mobility problems related to his knee in recent months, forcing him to use a wheelchair.
He also underwent surgery to treat a colon problem at the same hospital in Rome in 2021. In January he said the condition had returned.
Despite his ailments, the Pope has remained active and has undertaken trips abroad this year. He visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in February.
In January, the Pope led the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI – who was the first pope to step down voluntarily for centuries. He said this was due to ill health.
Pope Francis has previously indicated that he may also wish to follow in Benedict’s footsteps in the event that his health deteriorated.Media caption,
From February: BBC religion editor Aleem Maqbool witnesses the Pope’s visit to Kinshasa
The European Union appears to have realized the geopolitical significance of the Balkans as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but Montenegro’s president cautioned that it might already be too late.
The unstable region has turned into a “platform” for anti-EU measures, according to pro-Western president Milo Djukanovic, as a result of the EU’s “negligence.”
He claimed that “Russia has merely walked into an open vacuum left by the European Union.”
‘The EU in the past 10 years didn’t know what to do with the western Balkans, but Russia did. It has developed its network in the Balkans.’
Mr Djukanovic is predicted to lose the election (Picture: SIPA/Shutterstock)
Mr Djukanovic, who has been mostly in power since 1991, first as president, then as prime minister, holding four mandates, and then again president since 2018, is facing an election this Sunday.
He spoke about the Kremlin’s influence in the Balkans and unresolved disputes in the region as he unofficially prepares to give up his throne.
His challenger in the two-candidate runoff is ex-economy minister Jakov Milatovic who has the support of the government, which includes parties seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia.
This is why analysts in Montenegro think this political newcomer stands a decent chance of winning.
With an early parliamentary election scheduled for June 11, this weekend’s vote is considered an important indicator of the future path of the Nato member nation of 620,000 people.
A political stalemate has stalled the country’s path to the union and raised fears of instability as the war rages in Ukraine.
Mr Djukanovic said the presidential election presents a choice between his pro-EU policies and the ‘brutal populism’ of the current coalition government.
But many say it is time for a change as his Democratic Party of Socialists governed the country more or less unchallenged for three decades.
Mr Djukanovic said: ‘For the past two and a half years, we have witnessed serious stumbling by Montenegro.’
The coalition government has pledged that the country would remain on its path to the EU.
But challenger, Mr Milatovic, also has expressed support for the country pursuing membership.
Ghanaian superstar pioneer of “Afro-Dancehall” an infectious blend of Reggae, Dancehall, and Fusions from Africa with over 4 million followers on Instagram and over 3 million on Facebook, Stonebwoy has revealed the cover artwork and tracklist of his fifth career album titled 5TH DIMENSION.
The album is set to arrive in stores on April 28th via Def Jam Recordings. Pre-save here.
In addition to his current single “More Of You,” 5TH DIMENSION will also include “Life & Money” featuring Stormzy the album’s lead single, produced by British-Ghanaian producer JAE5 (who has worked with the likes of Burna Boy, J Hus & Koffee.) The red- hot track shows off the potent fusion of reggae, hip-hop, Afrobeat, and trap talent that has made Stonebwoy one of Africa’s most important new young artists.
Featured artists on the 5D album also include Davido, Angelique Kidjo, Shaggy, and Mereba, among others. (Please see complete track list below.)
Stonebwoy is an award-winning superstar who has been placing the continent firmly on the musical map with international touring, standout collaborations, and hugely popular singles since 2012. He has duetted with international artists including Keri Hilson,, Sean Paul, Trey Songz, Burna Boy, Alpha Blondie, and many more.
Stonebwoy has rocked some very notable stages across the world from 2019’s Rotom Sunsplash Festival (Spain) to 2020’s Afro Nation (Puerto Rico), 2021’s Yam Carnival (UK), and more recently the 2022 Fifa Fan Festival (Qatar).)
Stonebwoy’s numerous awards include Best International Act: Africa at the BET Awards, Artist of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards, and two Billboard plaques. He recently became the first Ghanaian artist to hit 100 million streams on the Audiomack platform. His high-profile presence on social media, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, and Twitter ensure Stonebwoy’s close connection with fans in every corner of the globe.
ABOUT STONEBWOY:
Stonebwoy Burniton (aka Livingstone Etse Satekla) is a Ghanaian Afro pop, dancehall and reggae artiste, the fourth of seven siblings in a family from Ashaiman, a suburb of Accra, in the Volta Region. By grade school, he had realized his passion for creative arts, scripting and acting in the Drama Club, and putting words together rhythmically.
Thus began a lifelong devotion to singing both songs that he has written and composed, as well as those by artists who have influenced him.
In an industry flooded with people trying to establish their identity, Stonebwoy stands as one unique artiste with a sense of direction and purpose. He recorded his first track in a family studio over a decade ago. Thence, Stonebwoy has never looked back.
5TH DIMENSION by STONEBWOY – tracklist:
1. Life & Money featuring Stormzy
2. Far Away
3. More of You
4. Avawulo
5. Therapy featuring Oxlade & Tiwa Savage 6. Forget
Heartbreak and regret are two emotions that 54-year-old Maame Serwaa(not her real name) knows all too well. The Dome market trader during a segment on YouTube lifestyle show, Wit and Delight, shared her tragic story while shedding light on the dangers of impatience and the importance of cherishing those closest to us. Maame Serwaa’s tale is one of love lost too soon. She revealed that a small disagreement with her husband caused her to walk away from their marriage. In her words, she “jilted” him, and it’s a decision she now deeply regrets. “I fell in love with a certain man I met, and we were very happy until one day there was a small misunderstanding between us, and I was angry and impatient with him,” she explained. Sadly, it wasn’t until later that Maame Serwaa discovered her husband was sick and, ultimately, had passed away. With two children left behind, Maame Serwaa felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. “Because if I was with him, he wouldn’t have died,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes. “Maybe because I left him all alone contributed to his death.” It’s a painful reminder of how fragile life can be, and Maame Serwaa hopes her experience can serve as a cautionary tale to younger generations. She urges those in relationships to be patient and cautious, particularly during times of hardship. “There are times in relationships when things get tough, but I urge you to be patient and handle things with care and everything will be alright,” she advised. It’s a message that resonates deeply, particularly in a world where instant gratification and impatience can sometimes lead to regrettable decisions. As for Maame Serwaa, she’ll always carry the weight of her decision with her, but hopes that her story can help others avoid a similar fate.
This unsettling incident occurred when a Russian television anchor was caught taking a snapshot of a woman’s cleavage live on air.
Presenter Sergei Karnaukhov can be seen in footage from a well-known propaganda station focusing on an audience member before taking a picture.
He is seen saving the close-up image of the woman on his desktop while sporting a sinister grin.
Not realising his iPad was connected to the live broadcast, his disgraceful actions were seen by all viewers.
Russian TV anchor busted for screenshotting cleavage during presidential speech
This happened during an important speech by the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.
He discussed the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of his country amongst other key issued around the invasion of Ukraine.
But instead of focusing on what Vladimir Putin’s ally had to say, the host took the time to perv on the woman in the audience.
The video has since been shared widely on social media, but Karnaukhov showed no embarrassment.
Instead of an apology, he offered a rather ridiculous explanation for his actions.
He told Gazeta.ru that he took the screenshot during Lukashenka’s speech ‘under the influence of thoughts of nuclear apocalypse’.
‘The topic of deploying nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus evoked in me childhood memories of the terrible threat of a nuclear apocalypse,’ Karnaukhov said.
‘When, under the impression of these emotions, I saw a beautiful girl in the hall, I could not resist and took a screenshot.
‘But it was a joke. However, I will keep silent about the true motives. Let this be a vivid reminder to all of us that this spring every man should remain a man, and every woman should be a wonderful creature that pleases and adorns this world.’
Electrochem Ghana Limited, a salt mining company owned by Dr Daniel McKorley, has been cut off from the national power grid.
This was done by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)’s task force in the Tema Region.
According to the ECG, the metres installed in at the company’s premises have been tampered with.
This was disclosed by the External Communications Manager of ECG, Laila Abubakari.
“It has come to light that ECG meter readers have been denied entry to gain access to the meter installed in their premises.”
The ECG task force subsequently disconnected the company after engaging with the security personnel of the company.
The team, prior to visiting the Electrochem company, disconnected power to three other privately owned businesses including a banana farm, Moonlight Fresco Limited, and a fish farm Frosell all in the Ada district.
The other was the Kemmat Hotel, which owes over GHS 200,000 on its six meters.
This follows the power company’s massive disconnection operation on Monday, March 20, in an effort to collect a debt of GHS 5.7 billion.
ECG asked its customers to pay up or be disconnected from the grid.
The company says it risks shutting down if they are unable to clear an outstanding $1 billion owed to some Independent Power Producers (IPP) hence the revenue mobilisation drive.
As a result, the Managing Director of ECG, Mr Samuel Dubik Mr Mahama has said a halt in the exercise could be dire for the company.
“How do we pay the Independent Power Producers? How do we pay GRIDCo? How do we pay VRA? It is a shared responsibility.
“Please let’s just do the right thing, because I don’t even have the moral right after sending somebody out of the office to pick up the phone and call him and say ‘hello, can you cut X, Y and Z slack? No’ then what is the moral of the exercise?”’ he questioned.
It has been suggested that Dominic Raab apologize to the rape victims who have been “denied justice” as a result of his “failures” as the Justice Secretary.
In a heated exchange in the Commons, Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of Labour, criticized Mr. Raab for the backlog of sexual violence cases, which has resulted in only 1.6% of rapists being charged with their crimes.
A woman goes through the worst experience of her life, Ms. Rayner said in place of Keir Starmer at PMQs. She musters the guts to recount her assault to the police in full, but she has only a 1.6% probability that any action will be done.
‘Over 98% of rapists will never see the inside of a courtroom, let alone a prison and the rest of those brave women, Madam Deputy Speaker, they keep looking over their shoulders and hope the perpetrator doesn’t choose tonight to take their revenge for reporting the incident to the police.’
Angela Rayner urged the Justice Secretary to apologise to rape victims who have been ‘denied justice’ under his watch (Picture: Getty)
She added: ‘In the last 13 years of the Tory government, more than half a million cases of rape have been recorded by the police but the charge rate for those attacks have collapsed.
‘He has served under five Tory Prime Ministers and had three years as Justice Minister, and on his watch, rapists are left to roam the streets. So will he apologise to those victims who will never get justice because of his failures?’
Mr Raab responded by saying that tackling rape is ‘one of our top priorities’, telling MPs: ‘She asks what we are doing about it, since 2019 police referrals of cases have doubled, CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) charges have doubled, she asks on my watch what has happened, the volume of convictions in rape cases has increased by two-thirds.
‘If she really wants to protect vulnerable women whether it is from rapists or other serious crimes they will back our parole reforms, which will mean ministers are able to prevent them being released into the public and cause more threats.’
But Ms Rayner countered: ‘He hasn’t answered my question because he is too ashamed of the answer: 1.6% of rapists faced being charged for their crime – 1.6%. Let that sink in.’
Mr Raab replied: ‘The conviction rate measured by the CPS – the leader of the Labour Party used to be in charge of the CPS, he might want to point this out – has gone up, it’s now at 69%.
‘We are doing much more to support the victims of rape as they come forward.
The deputy leaders were filling in for Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak at PMQs (Picture: Getty)
‘They (Labour) are talking a good game, in fact we have quadrupled funding for victims since 2010. If she looks at the latest data, the time it has taken from charge to completion of a rape case has come down by 10 weeks or 70% in the last three months alone.
‘She should get her facts straight, particularly when talking about such a sensitive issue.’
Ms Rayner countered: ‘He won’t apologise for the Government’s failures on charge rates and 69% of 1.6%, is that really something to boast about?’
She added: ‘On his watch, rape survivors are waiting on average more than three years for their cases to come to court … 10 weeks is not anything to boast about.
Those three years from the day of the assault to the final day of court, is it any wonder that from April to September last year 175 trials for rape and other serious sexual offences have had to be dropped because the victim could no longer cope with the delay.
‘So let me ask him, when will he apologise to all those women denied justice because of his failure to sort the court backlog?’
Ms Rayner’s comments come following the release of a bombshell report, titled ‘Breaking Point,’ from the charity Rape Crisis, which revealed a record high backlog of 7859 sexual offence cases and 1851 adult rape cases in the Crown Courts.
Over 98% of rapists never see the inside of a courtroom (Picture: Shutterstock)
The Breaking Point report shows that victims and survivors of rape and other serious sexual offences are waiting for the longest out of everyone to have their experiences heard in court, with an average wait of 839 days from report to completion in court.
During a case study in the report, one survivor shared how after waiting years for justice she no longer felt able to continue with the process.
‘For the process to take 8 years…truly anyone with any kind of humane understanding would appreciate this is not acceptable?’ They said.
‘And who is checking on this case…why did it truly take this long? They didn’t give a jury a chance to make their own minds up about this, because they took too long without courtesy contact and support.’
Elsewhere in the report is exclusive data from a Freedom of Information request to HM Courts and Tribunal Service which showed that the number of vacated and ineffective rape trials more than doubled from 2019-2020 to 2021-2022.
In a breakdown of reasons for ineffective trial listings given to the Justice Select Committee, 1,925 cases were due to the prosecution advocate failing to attend an increase of 1722 in just 2 years.
This amazing rescue of nine guys from a cave-in gold mine by a man using only his bare hands happened at this exact time.
The worker, smeared in dirt, hangs onto the steep hill and frantically scoops up handfuls of rubble while wearing only a helmet for safety.
He grabs a man within the hole, pulls him out, and then goes back to look for more survivors while keeping a wary eye on falling rocks.
He rushes swiftly out of the way as Rubble suddenly tumbles down the slope.
But the brave hero wastes no time going back again and, with the help of another man, makes sure to grab the remaining miners who leap out to safety.
It happens nine times to the sound of cheers from the watching crowd.
The heroic man used his hands to clear out the entrance to the mine (Picture: Reuters)Nine men were pulled out of the collapsed mine (Picture: Reuters)The crowd cheered as men leaped from the mine (Picture: Reuters)
Accidents like these happen all too frequently in the central African country, especially at small, artisanal sites.
The DRC has been wrapped up in war for more than two decades.
It is currently in the middle of The Second Congo War, also called the Great African War, which started in 1998.
The origins of the conflict are complicated but gold mines have played a huge role in the fighting as different groups want control of the wealth they offer.
The UN has previously accused other countries, including Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe, of illegally exploiting the DRC’s resources during the unrest.
It is anticipated that an announcement would be made today on the housing of refugees aboard abandoned cruise ships and military camps.
Later today, the controversial options to hosting asylum seekers in hotels around the UK are expected to be announced by the ministers.
Former military facilities like RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, which served as the Dambusters’ base of operations during World War II, are among the potential locations the Home Office is considering.
Government sources told the BBC each site will have the capacity to house 1,500-2,000 migrants, and initially are more likely to be used for new arrivals rather than to rehouse people currently in hotels.
Raab: We’ll look at barges for housing migrants
Home Secretary Suella Braverman previously said the government was looking at a number of alternative sites (Picture: AP)
Raab: We’ll look at barges for housing migrants
Other possibilities include using vessels such as a former cruise ship from Indonesia, which would be moored in south-west England.
It comes as the UK says it is spending £6.2m a day on hotels for asylum seekers, housing more than 51,000 people at 400 hotels across the country.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said vessels will be used to house asylum seekers where they can be ‘safely and responsibly’ utilised.
He told BBC Breakfast there is a ‘huge cost to the taxpayer’ of hotel use and this is ‘deeply frustrating’ to many, while acting as a ‘pull factor’.
He said: ‘We will look at the whole range of options, low-cost accommodation, ex-Army barracks and, where it’s appropriate, as has been used elsewhere in Europe, and I think in Scotland as well, vessels if they can safely and responsibly be used,’ he said.
‘The immigration minister will set out these proposals in detail in the House of Commons later today.’
Mr Jenrick is expected to make the announcement later today, however plans to house people in ex-military bases has already been criticised by Tory MPs.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has slammed plans to possibly house asylum seekers at MDP Wethersfield, in his Essex constituency of Braintree.
Mr Cleverly said the site was ‘inappropriate’ because it was remote and had limited transport infrastructure.
The government is also thought to disclose plans to make use of a clause in the levelling up bill to force councils to accept large-scale accommodation for those seeking asylum.
Regarding RAF Scampton, Sir Edward Leigh, the Tory MP for the area, has previously criticised the choice.
A deal had been agreed in March to allow West Lindsey District Council to purchase the base from the Ministry of Defence as part of a £300m regeneration project of the site for commercial activity, heritage, tourism and research.
The government is also said to be considering using a ‘giant barge’ capable of holding hundreds of people, according to the Times with a government source telling the paper it would have a ‘deterrent effect’ on people arriving in small boats.
Disused cruise ships, empty holiday parks and former student halls have also under consideration as alternatives to hotels.
The barges are built to house hundreds of people, although a government source told the Times that plans were at an ‘early stage’ and had significant practical issues that needed to be addressed.
Suella Braverman, the home secretary, is expected to announce alternatives to hotel accommodation as soon as this week.
Rishi Sunak told his Cabinet on Tuesday that the cost of using hotels and the pressure it puts on local areas meant it was not sustainable.
The Prime Minister later told MPs that children cannot be exempted from plans to detain people who cross the Channel in small boats to prevent the creation of a ‘pull factor’.
Appearing before the Commons Liaison Committee, he also downplayed suggestions that flights under the Government’s stalled Rwanda policy would begin this summer.
The ships would be moored off the coast, emulating an approach by the Scottish government, which housed Ukrainian refugees in two 700-cabin ships. They were docked in Glasgow and Edinburgh and could hold 1,750 people each.
Braverman said she would not rule out the use of former cruise ships when questioned in December by a House of Lords committee.
She said: ‘We will bring forward a range of alternative sites, they will include disused holiday parks, former student halls – I should say we are looking at those sites – I wouldn’t say anything is confirmed yet.
‘But we need to bring forward thousands of places, and when you talk about vessels all I can say is – because we are in discussion with a wide variety of providers – that everything is still on the table and nothing is excluded,’ she said.
A government spokesperson said: ‘We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being placed on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country.
‘We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options. The government remains committed to engaging with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process.’
The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak, has asked the management of the University of Ghana to reinstate students of the Commonwealth who were evicted from the hostel.
He called on parliament and Ghanaians to impress upon the University of Ghana to do the needful by respecting the laws of the land.
According to him, the Management of the university has refused to reinstate students who resided in the Commonwealth Hall as ordered by the Court.
He described the action as unacceptable, unlawful adding that it must not be tolerated.
“Mr. Speaker, we the alumni of Commonwealth Hall, known popularly as OLD VANDALS in this Parliament of Ghana, back calls by associations and individuals who have called on the Management of the University of Ghana to heed the decision of the Court, and to ensure that continuing students who resided in the Commonwealth Hall are reinstated to provide them the peace of mind for their academic activities pending the final determination of the case.
“The continuous refusal by the Management of the University of Ghana to reinstate the affected students as ordered by the Court is unacceptable, unlawful and must not be countenanced. Mr. Speaker, we call on you, and this august house, to join us and well-meaning Ghanaians to impress upon the University of Ghana to do the needful by respecting the laws of the land,” he said on the floor of the house.
A decision by the Council of the University of Ghana to eject all continuing students from two halls of residence; Mensah Sarbah Hall and Commonwealth Hall has resulted in a tussle between the management of the school on one hand and students as well as some old students on another hand.
On the night of August 6, 2022, students of the Commonwealth Hall and Mensah Sarbah Hall engaged in a series of clashes that resulted in some injuries and the destruction of several properties.
In a statement dated August 6, 2022, the management said it had commenced efforts to identify the perpetrators while working to ensure the peace and stability on all the campuses of the university.
The management would later announce a ban on the holding of events and the gathering of students as a measure to curb the violence.
Following the decision by the Management of the university to remove all continuing students who resided in the Commonwealth Hall and to replace same with freshers and graduate students, some students sought redress in Court.
The High Court, on January 6 2023, granted an ex parte application for an interlocutory injunction to the students and ordered the University of Ghana and its officers, assigns, privies, agents, workmen and all persons working under its instructions to refrain from implementing the decision of the Respondent’s Residence Board taken at its meeting held on 26th October 2022, in respect of the residential policy affecting all continuing students of the Commonwealth Hall for 10 days.
Since the granting of this order, the Management of the University of Ghana have refused to act in accordance with the dictates of the order.
In the devasted landscape of Bakhmut, a pentathlete from Ukraine who competed for his nation on the international stage is engaged in combat with Russian soldiers.
Machine gunner Pavlo Zvedeniuk is engaged in grueling warfare with mercenaries from the Wagner Group and Vladimir Putin’s army in the eastern city.
The soldier is one of the country’s top international athletes who has enlisted in the military as the conflict prevents them from competing internationally.
He condemned the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for paving the way to allow Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete at Paris 2024 as neutrals, speaking to Metro.co.uk from the frontline shortly before the body’s executive committee said it had recommended the plan.
At the outbreak of Vladimir Putin’s all-out attack on Ukraine, the 32-year-old helped people including refugees before taking on a combat role with an intelligence unit. He served in the National Guard between 2011 and 2021 but focused primarily on sport as a professional modern pentathlete.
After his service contract ended in December last year he resolved not to join the military again — before the full-scale attack changed everything.
Pavlo Zvedeniuk has used the lessons he has learnt in a lifetime of sport to adapt to the battlefield (Picture: @_jony_fast_)
‘It changed most Ukrainians’ goals, dreams and lifestyles in Ukraine and abroad,’ Zvedeniuk said. ‘For me, February 24 changed everything.
‘Those terrible and heroic days, weeks and months are why I joined the army again. The funny thing is that I joined the army voluntarily as a soldier, having had the rank of chief sergeant in the National Guard.
‘Because it’s not about ranks, we fight for our freedom.’
Pavlo Zvedeniuk on the sports field before the war and in his current military role
Zvedeniuk has backed a campaign against the IOC’s proposal to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals at Paris 2024.
The move follows an outright ban which was implemented by the body last February. The executive board has made the recommendation to international federations but said athletes who actively support the war, or who are contracted to the military, should not be allowed to participate.
The IOC said yesterday that a decision will be taken on next year’s Olympics and the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games ‘at the appropriate time’.
The move is opposed by 35 countries including the UK — which has said the athletes are ‘funded and supported by their states’.
Zvedeniuk said: ‘Russia, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey were not allowed to attend the 1920 Summer Games in Antwerp because they started the First World War. For the same reasons, Germany and Japan missed the 1948 Olympics in London.
‘In 1964, the IOC isolated the South African national team. The Olympic movement prohibits any form of discrimination so the apartheid policy was incompatible with it. For many decades, athletes from this country were ineligible to compete.
‘And what about Russia and Belarus? The IOC is suddenly very tolerant. ‘Such behaviour is at least strange. It looks like it is whitewashing war crimes and war criminals. The civilian population is dying in Ukraine, including athletes and coaches.’
Pavlo Zvedeniuk serves in war-torn Bakhmut after swapping athletics for frontline
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Zvedeniuk sent Metro.co.uk a video showing him and several comrades dashing through some of the most dangerous ground in the country.
In another clip, he calmly pauses for thought and shakes his head as Russian artillery fire sounds close by in the ruins of Bakhmut.
The combatant sent a message to IOC president Thomas Bach about the brutal reality of life in Russia’s sights.
He claimed that the IOC is effectively turning a ‘blind eye’ to war crimes by allowing the Russian and Belarusians to compete outside their national flags and not barring them for their states’ actions.
‘Russians destroy civil infrastructure, including sports infrastructure, causing millions of dollars in damage,’ Zvedeniuk said.
‘But the IOC turned a blind eye to all the war crimes. Maybe Thomas Bach can’t see well from above, so he is most welcome here, in Ukraine, to live under the sound of explosions, alarms, crying and screaming.
‘He also might be interested in assessing the state of our sports facilities.
‘But first, I highly recommend that the IOC re-read the Olympic Charter.’
The sportsman, from Lviv, has found similarities in the ‘combat readiness’ needed for athletics and his service with the Territorial Defense Forces.
Ukrainian athletes fighting for their homeland
Among the Ukrainian sports stars engaged in the homeland defence is former heavweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, who is mayor of Kyiv. His brother, Wladimir, who also once dominated the sport, is a reservist with the nation’s Territorial Defense Brigade.
Mixed martial arts star Yaroslav Amosov broke off from active service to successfully defend his Bellator title in Dublin.
A number of athletes have died after taking up arms.
European boxing champion Maksym Galinichev is understood to have been killed while serving with Ukraine’s 25th Sycheslav Airborne Brigade in the Luhansk region earlier this month.
Footballers have also taken up arms, with Metro.co.uk reporting on 11 players and coaches from one league who have fallen as fighters, civilians and humanitarian volunteers.
They include Alexander Sukhenko, a gifted former professional who stayed in his village near Kyiv to support residents at great personal risk after it was occupied by Russian troops.
‘A sports career, life, habits and skills helped me adapt to war conditions faster,’ he said. ‘Sports taught me to endure, react quickly to stimuli, adapt to changes and solve tasks with a cool head and without emotions.
‘It is the same at the frontline. It will help if you take quick decisions and adapt to conditions that change most unexpectedly.
‘One should always keep a cool head. Emotions and overreacting will not help you to survive, a clear mind and confidence will.
‘At the frontline, as in sports, there are pre-start heebie-jeebies.
‘Another similarity is that you should be in optimal condition.
‘A state of “combat readiness” is required both for an athlete and a soldier.
‘Sport has hardened me psychologically, which has a positive effect on the performance of combat tasks. If you are a professional athlete, it is easier to adapt to the conditions of war, both physically and psychologically.
‘The body is an adaptive machine that gets used to any condition, whether faster or slower, and the brain itself works better in critical situations.’
The IOC has condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion, expressed its solidarity with Ukraine and kept other sanctions in place, including a recommendation that no international sports events be organised in Russia and Belarus.
The fierce debate is taking place as the first British tanks arrive in Ukraine, with the machines expected to soon begin combat missions.
The UK Ministry of Defence reported today that Russian assaults on Bakhmut are at a ‘reduced level’ as fighting continues in the city.
The update on Twitter said a ‘key achievement’ of Ukrainian forces was to push Wagner mercenaries back from a country road in the area which has become a critical supply route for the defenders.
According to the Vatican press office, Pope Francis was brought to the hospital for a series of scheduled examinations.
In the Gemelli hospital in Rome this afternoon, the 86-year-old pope was having the examinations.
The press office did not provide any additional information on what the tests entailed.
During the process of being carried from his wheelchair to the Popemobile, Francis is seen in photos from today’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square looking rather uncomfortable.
Francis previously visited Gemelli, the largest hospital in the Italian capital, in 2021 for major surgery on his intestine.
It was the first time he had been admitted to hospital since becoming pope in 2013, but a day after the three-hour operation he was said to be ‘in good condition, alert and breathing on his own’.
The pontiff appeared to be in some discomfort after leaving his wheelchair at today’s event (Picture: AFP)
The pope has used a wheelchair, walker and cane as mobility aids in recent years.
He marked his 10th anniversary in the role last month.
He revealed that the Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia administration has failed to disburse Capitation grants, which are necessary to ensure the smooth operation of Basic Schools in the country, for the past two years.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Press Corps about the matter and what he calls “embarrassing issues affecting Ghana’s education,” he said the government must be responsible.
This, he lamented, has an impact on teaching and learning.
The Builsa South legislator went on to say that, contrary to popular belief that Akufo Addo’s record in education is unsurpassed is a blatant lie.
Regardless, he urged the president to take appropriate action.
“It has become necessary for me to address you today because of a very pressing and embarrassing issue affecting Ghana’s education. I speak about what is going on with our public basic school system in our country.”
“As we speak, for two years now, the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia-led NPP government has failed to disburse capitation grants to ensure the smooth running of public basic schools in the country. The situation has become so dire that the conference of heads of public basic schools has publicly lamented. As a member of parliament on the NDC side of the education committee, my caucus has decided that we use your medium to call on the president to instruct the minister for finance to release the capitation grants for the basic schools.”
He stated that the capitation scheme, which was implemented in 2005, serves this purpose.
Dr. Apaak further noted that the purpose of the capitation grant was instituted to ensure that basic school was accessed free and to also finance administration and day-to-day needs of public basic schools including procurement of chalks, renovations, and attendance registers among other things.
However, due to the government’s inability to fulfil its mandate, most basic school principals have had to borrow money to keep their schools running smoothly.
He lamented that, despite a budget allocation of 60 million Ghana Cedis for capitation grants for the year 2022, the government owes 45 million Ghana Cedis for the previous budget year.
He said for the current year in question, the request was GHC61 million but the government only brought in GHC11 million for parliamentary approval and so ideally, the government should release an amount of GHC106 million.
The family of a grandmother who passed away following a house invasion and assault by masked intruders is concerned that the “scumbags” behind the incident will carry out another burglary unless they are apprehended.
Joy Middleditch, 82, was seriously injured after being pushed to the ground by burglars who broke into her cottage on Saturday night (March 26).
Later, a family member worried for the mother of three and great-great-grandmother discovered her laying on the floor and brought her to the hospital.
But despite receiving treatment she succumbed to her injuries and passed away on Monday.
The mother of three died after robbers burst into her home on Grayson Avenue, Pakefield (Picture: East Anglia News Service)
Before she passed, she told police two men wearing face coverings had forced their way into her home.
The only item the thieves appeared to have stolen was a handbag containing her purse.
Her handbag was later found in Nelson Road, Pakefield, while the purse is still missing. It is believed that it may be a black and white check pattern purse.
Suffolk Police have launched a murder investigation into the incident but there have currently been no arrests.
There has been a large police presence within Pakefield and area around Grayson Avenue where Mrs Middleditch lived as officers carry out searches and door to door enquiries.
Her great niece Rebekka Arnold later made an emotional plea on Facebook for information to help find the killers, describing them as ‘horrible scumbags’.
She said in her post: ‘This was my great aunt. If you are from the Pakefield/Lowestoft area and have any information whatsoever on the people that did this or were in the area around the time of the incident you may have dashcam footage that could be useful, please contact Suffolk Police as soon as possible to bring these horrible scumbags to justice!’
In another post, she said: ‘How can anyone ever sleep at night knowing they did this to an elderly lady? Makes me sick, hopefully someone will be able to find something that leads to these monsters.’
A neighbour said that Joy lived alone with her nine-year-old Lhasa Apso dog called Zen, following the death of her husband several years ago, and walked with the aid of a frame.
The neighbour who asked not to be named, added: ‘She was a lovely lady. This is an extremely quiet area and I can’t believe what has happened.’
Another local resident Doris Kirsten said Joy regularly attended weekly coffee mornings and lunches at Lowestoft Centre for Over 60s.
Ms Kirsten said: ‘She would be collected in a minibus after it picked me up. She was a quiet lady, but she was really nice.
‘She would come out on her little walker, and would stay on at the club for something to eat.’
Retired teacher Peter Byatt, who is a councillor on east Suffolk Council, added: ‘It was both deeply saddening and concerning to hear about this vicious, cowardly attack on one of our elderly residents.
‘My fellow ward councillors and I extend our condolences to the family on their loss under such tragic circumstances.’
A neighbour called Patricia added: ‘It’s very difficult to believe that in this quiet street, where everybody says hello to each other, that something so tragic could have happened.’
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick of the Joint Major Investigations Team said: ‘We are investigating this incident as a murder as we seek to establish the full circumstances surrounding the woman’s death. This is an awful and distressing incident and we will continue to support the victim’s family in any way we can.
‘A large number of officers and staff have already been involved in the investigation, with searches and house to house enquiries taking place today. Residents should expect to see a continued increased police presence over the coming days.
‘We are exploring all and any lines of inquiry and I would urge anyone with any information, no matter how small you think it may be, to get in touch with the police.’
The Bank of Ghana has said the global inflation ease on food and energy prices could have a trickle-down effect on Ghana’s economy.
At its recent Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Monday, March 27, 2023, Governor Ernest Addison said: “Global inflation is easing as food and energy prices moderate due to weakened global demand, improved supply of goods, and continued monetary policy tightening”.
He said, “despite the emerging risks to global financial stability, central banks in major advanced economies have demonstrated a strong commitment to containing underlying inflationary pressures with sustained policy rate hikes, albeit, at lower rates than earlier anticipated”.
He noted that global financing conditions have eased slightly, reflecting changing market expectations regarding the pace of policy tightening.
The US dollar index initially firmed up amid rising demand for safe-haven currencies following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, but so far, swift regulatory action and assurances to contain contagion risks, combined with decisions to boost dollar liquidity somewhat eased market concerns about a wider banking and financial crisis.
“The committee was of the view that the ease in price pressures abroad would likely impact positively on Ghana’s domestic inflation profile”, he reported.
On the other hand, he said “the committee noted that the domestic economy still faces relatively tight global financing conditions, emerging risks in the global financial system, and heightened uncertainty about the global economic outlook”.
“The effects of these on the domestic economy could be amplified by inherent vulnerabilities, including structural excess liquidity following the DDEP, and the widening negative output gap”, he added.
A police officer who pushed his expectant partner down the stairs detained after being found guilty of using coercive and controlling behavior.
In the course of their relationship between February 2019 and January of last year, Thomas Gair, 23, physically and mentally abused Chloe Bradley, a fellow Cleveland Police recruit.
She was shunned by her friends, had her whereabouts during evenings out demanded of her, was made fun of for her weight, and was told to have an abortion since he didn’t want the child.
When Gair picked her up from a pub in the course of one assault in January 2020, he forced her out of the car before reversing into her as she was rising to her feet, sending her “totally flying.”
She later told police: ‘I fell, and I think it was the side of my head I landed on, but it knocked me out unconscious.
‘He was apologetic saying he didn’t mean to do that, but he did because he told me he was going to run me over.’
Gair was found guilty of controlling and coercive behaviour, three counts of ABH, one of assault by beating and one of stalking and remanded in custody ahead of sentence on April 24.
Ian West, prosecuting, previously told jurors: ‘Chloe Bradley and Thomas Gair got together in about January of 2019.
‘Chloe was still living with her parents at the time and when they first got together, they lived at Chloe’s parents for a while.
‘But then they got a house or their own and in due course Chloe fell pregnant and in 2021 she had a child.
Gair told his girlfriend that he did not want their baby (Picture: North News)Jurors heard he pushed Ms Bradley down the stairs at their home during one row (Picture: North News)
‘In interview (the woman) will describe the relationship she had with Thomas Gair.
‘She will tell you at first it was fun, and they were a young couple in love but then things started to change with the odd insult and controlling behaviour about where she was.
‘They stayed together. Chloe loved him and she thought he would change but unfortunately things did change for the worse because it developed from more verbal abuse to physical abuse.’
Jurors were shown video of one of Ms Bradley’s interviews in which she told a detective: ‘When I fell pregnant, he told me to have an abortion or he was going to leave me.
‘He said we couldn’t afford it and it would ruin our lives. He told me I would be a crap mother and I was probably going to lose the baby.
‘I was really ill when I was pregnant, I was backwards and forwards to the hospital, but he offered me no help or support, he wanted me to have a miscarriage.
‘He would poke and jab me in the stomach, and he would threaten “I will push you down the stairs”.’
The court heard that is exactly what happened after another row about her pregnancy at their home in Norton, Teesside, in May 2021.
Ms Bradley told police: ‘I was going upstairs to the top floor of our house when he was coming down. He was shouting and screaming in my face, and he pushed me back and I fell right down the stairs.
‘I hit my head twice and that knocked me out. When I woke up, he was panicking saying, “Get up get up get up”.’
Jurors were told the couple’s new colleagues eventually reported Gair’s abuse, having identified it from the training they all underwent together before being sent out on patrol.
Mr West said: ‘When Chloe Bradley joined the police force, she got into a cohort of other trainee police officers, and they began to socialise together.
‘It was in the context of social evenings that they began to notice how she talked about Thomas Gair and saw and heard the messages she received from him.
‘Colleagues began to try to press her to report what was happening to the police, but she did not want to break up the family.
‘One friend then took matters out of her hands and reported him to a confidential police hotline and from there the balloon went up.’
It emerged that even after she left him, Gair continued to spy on her and monitor who visited her by watching the CCTV after changing the password so she couldn’t access it.
Acting Superintendent John Bonner, Acting Head of Cleveland Police Directorate of Standards and Ethics, hailed the other student officers for ‘doing the right thing’ in reporting Gair.
He said it allowed them to take ‘immediate and robust action in arresting Mr Gair within 24 hours’ and then obtain a stalking prevention order.
Gair was kicked out of the force on March 17 this year, ‘having never been in contact with the public during his short time in the police service’, he added.
Mr Bonner said gross misconduct proceedings will now commence aimed at barring him from ever serving as a police officer again.
Samuel Koku Anyidoho, a former deputy general secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has recounted his distasteful experience with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), formerly Criminal Investigations Department (CID), five years ago.
Mr Anyidoho was arrested in 2018 for allegedly plotting a coup against Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2018.
Marking five years after the event on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, Koku Anyidoho, in a tweet expressed gratitude to God for being released without any charges.
He also thanked members of his party and Ghanaians for their support during his arrest.
“This was how I was arrested and released five years ago. My book is underway and will be an interesting read. God be praised.
“Exactly five years ago today, I was released from BNI cells for supposedly plotting to overthrow the Akufo-Addo Administration. All charges dropped bcos I committed no crime. To God be the glory & thanks to ALL NDC members & Ghanaians who cried for me. Thanks to my dad & family,” parts of the tweets read.
Background:
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service picked up Koku Anyidoho, on Tuesday, March 27, 2023, for inciting civilians to launch a coup d’etat against the Akufo-Addo government and was charged with treason.
He was arrested at the Press Centre in Accra, where he and several other opposition leaders belonging to the Progressive Forces, were holding a news conference to condemn the government for signing a security cooperation deal with the United States of America.
Anyidoho’s arrest followed indications by the then Minister of Information, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, that Ghana’s security agencies must invite the NDC politician over his comment.
The former NDC deputy general secretary, in an interview on Happy FM, on Monday, March 26, said: “Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself.”
“On January 13, 1972 a certain Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong led a movement that removed the Progress Party from power. Busia was the Prime Minister and Akufo-Addo’s father was a ceremonial president. Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself.
“There’ll be a civil revolt. There’ll be a people’s movement. During President John Mahama’s tenure didn’t we receive similar threats from the likes of Let My Vote Count and OccupyGhana?”
“There’ll be a civilian coup d’etat; there’ll be a social revolution and the movement is starting on Wednesday. He [Akufo-Addo] will be fed up at the presidency,” Anyidoho said.
He was subsequently released, on March 29, 2018 with no charges.
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor says government’s quest to build an integrated aluminium industry in the country is on course, and progressing steadily.
He said this is in line with the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation Act, 2018 (Act 976), which establishes the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) to promote and develop an integrated aluminium industry in the country.
The Minister said this on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, when he opened a two-day Workshop on the downstream aluminium industry in Akosombo in the Eastern Region.
The workshop, which was organised by GIADEC, in partnership with the Strategic Anchor Industries Unit of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), brought together stakeholders in the aluminium industry to deliberate on policy options and implementation plan for the downstream aluminium industry.
This follows an extensive research, data collection and technical analysis of best practices across the world carried out by GIADEC and ODI.
Delivering the keynote address at the workshop, Mr. Jinapor emphasised the need to add value to Ghana’s mineral resources to ensure optimal benefit from these resources.
He said Government has since 2017 been pursuing this path for all our mineral resources including gold, bauxite, iron ore, lithium and other green minerals.
Speaking specifically on bauxite, Mr. Jinapor said while the raw ore sells for around Sixty US Dollars (US$60.00) per metric tonne, primary aluminium, produced from bauxite, sells for over Two Thousand US Dollars (US$2,000.00) per metric tonne.
He said Ghana has an estimated bauxite resource base of over nine hundred million metric tonnes (900,000,000Mt), capable of creating some two million sustainable jobs, and generating over One Trillion US Dollars in revenue if fully integrated. Unfortunately, we have, over the years, failed to make the needed investment in this area.
He expressed Government’s optimism on the contribution of a fully-integrated aluminium industry to socio-economic development.
“It is for this reason that in 2018, the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, took that bold decision to establish, by an Act of Parliament, the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC), to promote and develop an integrated aluminium industry, here in our country,” the Minster said.
According to Mr. Jinapor, GIADEC has, since its establishment, developed a Masterplan for the upstream sector, and is implementing its Four Project Agenda, to expand the existing mine, build three additional mines, build refineries, and modernise the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), with all four projects at various stages of implementation. It is therefore necessary to prepare the downstream industry and make it ready to off-take products from the upstream industry.
He urged participants at the workshop to bring their expertise to bear, and come out with policy options and plans that that will help build a robust, functioning and vibrant downstream aluminium industry that contributes, meaningfully, to our national economy.
Other participants at the workshop included senior officials of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Overseas Development Institute, the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, and companies in the upstream and downstream aluminium industry.
A video of Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, declaring his opposition to same-sex marriage during the installation of the second Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Ghana in 2021 has resurfaced.
Speaking to the audience, which included clergymen and other dignitaries, Akufo-Addo vowed to prevent the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Ghana under his presidency.
“It will not be under the Presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that same-sex marriage will be legalised in Ghana. It will never happen in my time as President. Let me repeat, it will never happen,” he emphasised.
This declaration has sparked controversy among the public, as it appears to contradict his recent stance on the matter.
However, during a joint press conference held on Monday, March 27, 2023, with the Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris, at the Jubilee House, Akufo-Addo distanced himself from a recent anti-LGBTQ+ Bill proposed in Ghana.
He clarified that his administration has no hand in the proposition of the Bill and further asserted that he would “come in” after the passage of the Bill.
“The Bill is going through the Parliament [and] the Attorney has found it necessary to speak to the committee about it regarding the constitutionality, otherwise, of several of its provisions and the Parliament is dealing with it.
“At the end of the process I will come in but in the meantime the Parliament is dealing with it. And then I have no doubt that the Parliament of Ghana will show as it’s done in the past, first of all its sensitivity to human rights issues as well as to the feelings of our population and we’ll come out with a responsible response to the proposed Bill,” the President added.
And for many Ghanaians, this statement appears to suggest a departure from his earlier position on the matter.
The Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Ernest Addison, has appealed to Members of Parliament (MPs) from both sides of the House to speed up the approval of the Revenue Bills to enable Ghana to clinch the three billion dollar International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal.
Addressing the media at a news conference, Dr. Addison stressed that Parliament needs to pass several tax laws before the end of April for the IMF Executive Board to consider Ghana for support.
“The official creditors met last week, they are looking at a date in April, by which time they expect to give the necessary financial assurances. And once that is out of the way, once we have signed this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), once Parliament has passed these new revenue measures, we would have completed what they call the trial action,” he explained.
Dr. Addison further added, “this is what is needed for the fund to set a date for the executive board meeting. So hopefully, if things go as planned, by the end of April, we should see that executive board meeting taking place.”
He thus urged Parliament to prioritise the passage of the three new taxes before it.
The three bills are the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, Excise Duty and Excise Tax Stamp (Amendment) Bill, and the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill.
The three bills, when passed into law, are expected to generate approximately GH¢ 4 billion per year to supplement domestic revenue.
A young girl passed away after six days being discovered in an unconscious state at a house.
On March 15, the 18-month-old was taken by ambulance from a Preston, Lancashire, property to a hospital.
She couldn’t be rescued, according to the police, and passed away at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital six days later.
An investigation into her death has now been opened by the police.
There have been no arrests made, and a post-mortem will be performed to determine how she passed away.
Lancashire Police said: ‘We were called by the ambulance service at around 1.15pm on Wednesday, March 15 to a report that an 18-month-old girl had been found unresponsive at an address on Kings Drive in Fulwood.
‘Emergency services attended and the girl was taken to Royal Preston Hospital before later being transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, but she sadly died on the morning of March 21.
‘Our thoughts are with the girl’s loved ones at this time.’
Attempted suicide has been decriminalised in the country after Parliament amended sections of the Criminal Offenses Act of 1960, which makes attempting to take one’s own life a crime.
Following the amendment in Parliament on Tuesday, March 28, persons who attempt suicide will be considered as having mental health issues requiring assistance by law rather than imprisonment.
Some legislators had earlier kicked against calls to decriminalise attempted suicide.
In 2019 during a conversation in Parliament on whether to decriminalise the act or not, former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said that attempt to commit suicide should be considered a crime and not be pardoned.
The Tamale South MP stated that calls to decriminalise the act should not be heeded and said suicide is unacceptable behaviour.
He added that the culprits of the act should be punished to deter others, especially the youth from engaging in the act.
“You do not want to think that when you have depression and distress, the ultimate thing is that you go and take your life since you cannot recover your life back,” he stated.
However, the Mental Health Authority CEO, Prof Akwesi Osei during the launch of a call centre in Accra, disclosed that it has initiated steps to have suicide decriminalised, saying it is a medical condition that needs health support rather than imprisonment.
This follows the “unprecedented wave” of suicide and attempted suicide cases, especially among the youth in 2017.
Prof Osei noted that even the choice of words used to describe suicide-related cases is worrying and stated that an attempted suicide should not be criminalised.
“I am trying harder not to say ‘people who wanted to commit suicide’ – it’s a language we want to move away from. So, don’t say ‘somebody who committed suicide’ because that criminalises the offence.
“We are trying to get us to understand that attempted suicide is not a crime, even though we don’t encourage it. It is [rather] a condition that requires support, largely mental illness.
“So, in all our discourses, let’s move away from ‘committed suicide’ to say ‘take his/her life by suicide’ or ‘die by suicide’,” he said.
To this end, Ghanaian health experts have since pushed for the law to be changed, saying attempted suicide is a medical condition that needs health support rather than imprisonment.
Some survivors of attempted suicide had also called for resources to be spent on prevention.
Meanwhile, 1,500 cases of suicide are reported nationwide every year.
Veteran Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde aka Omosexy, has once again opened up on her marriage and childbearing journey.
The movie star who spent four months in Nigeria to take part in the 2023 general elections has recently been in the news, particularly, after she shared a sultry picture of herself and her husband.
But the actress has flown back to London with her family and one of her sons, Michael, picked her up from the airport.
Sharing the video of her excited self in her son’s car, she stated that she started having kids at the age of 19, and Michael was born when she was 24.
She wrote below, “Kiddo is grown… he’s now picking me up in his own car! They actually sent him to pick me up…. Yup! Honeyboy… we free! Started having kids at 19 so you don’t understand my journey… had micky age 24 so hey # let me feel young Againnnnnnnnnn.”
Fans who have been fascinated by her story couldn’t help but admire the great bond she shares with her son, who is all grown.
There have been attempts to create enmity in the camp of singer Mzbel and actor Nana Tonardo with an aim of collapsing their beautiful friendship which has witnessed both parties standing up for each other, the musician has observed.
Months after speculation of bad blood in the camp of Mzbel and Nana Tonardo, the former has come out to debunk news of their breakup.
Mzbel in a Facebook session on March 28, showed appreciation to her confidant for ignoring attempts by some blogs and individuals who pitched her against him.
On the account of Mzbel, she was taken out of context in an interview where she confessed to not having genuine friends.
“Every love I have ever experienced in my life with people, I have paid for it. Physical cash. No one has become friends, taken me as a mother or sister with me and hasn’t taken money from me for being my friend,” these wereMzbels in a viral interview back in January 2023.
The ’16 Years’ singer has once again clarified that she was not referring to Tonardo, the man who has stood beside her through thick and thin.
Her words have been used against her by those who wish to break her bond with the outspoken actor who has defended her on various platforms.
“The interview I granted and stated that I pay for friends to be part of my life was never about Tonardo. I beg you, it has nothing to do with Tonardo. To all those who picked my statement and specified Tonardo as my target, it was never true. Do not take me out of context and treat it as facts.
“I am so proud of Nana Tonardo for not reacting or coming out to attack me…when two people come together as friends, enemies sit to plan their breakup. They pray for your downfall…I will urge friends not to flaunt their beautiful relationship on social media because of negative eyes…these people are quick to create confusion among friends…Tonardo remains my friend,” she disclosed on Tuesday.
Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo was warmly welcomed back to parliament by her colleague female MPs from both sides of the House.
This follows her absence from the chamber last week.
On yet another occasion, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker missed sitting in parliament when the majority caucus required her presence for a vote.
On Friday, March 24, 2023, the House conducted a crucial vote on the approval of some six ministers nominated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The equality in numbers on both the majority and minority sides of the house meant that every single vote was key in securing the badly needed approval of the nominees.
This was more important especially when the minority had served a clear notice of adhering to a directive from its party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to reject the nominees.
Adwoa Safo, who had been absent during previous votings, failed to attend the sitting on Friday.
She, however, returned to the chamber on Monday, March 29, 2023, when the house reconvened.
In a video shared by Oyerepa TV and sighted by GhanaWeb, the MP beaming with smiles was seen being welcomed back to the House by other female MPs from both the majority and minority.
Her colleagues took turns to share a hug with the Dome Kwabenya MP amidst the exchange of pleasantries.
Ahead of the vote on Friday, some NPP members had expressed concerns about the truancy of Adwoa Safo when it comes to critical issues that required her presence.
Deputy Communications Director of the NPP, Jennifer Queen likened Adwo Safo to an overpampered village girl.
“One our villages there are small some small girls who grow up to be stubborn and will not listen to anyone. When you ask her to go and bathe, she will not budge. With some twisted hair on her head, she won’t listen to anything and will grow up with such an attitude,” she bemoaned during an interview on Okay FM.
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