Creed III actor Jonathan Majors has been arrested on strangulation, assault and harassment charges.
The New York Police Department said Mr Majors, who stars alongside Michael B Jordan in the recently released film, was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman on Saturday.
“The victim informed police she was assaulted,” a police spokesperson said.
Mr Majors was briefly taken into custody. A lawyer for the 33-year-old actor denied any wrongdoing.
The NYPD said they were called around 11:14 local time after receiving a 911 call from an apartment in Manhattan’s Chelsea district.
They added the woman suffered minor head and neck injuries and was taken to hospital.
He was released from custody by Saturday night, an NYPD spokesperson told the Associated Press news agency.
In a statement obtained by the BBC, Mr Majors’ lawyer said the actor was “completely innocent” and alleged the star was the victim of the altercation involving a woman known to him.
Priya Chaudhry said: “We are quickly gathering and presenting evidence to the District Attorney with the expectation that all charges will be dropped imminently.
“This evidence includes video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations.
“All the evidence proves that Mr Majors is entirely innocent and did not assault her whatsoever.”
Mr Majors’ arrest comes just weeks after the actor presented an award at the Oscars.
Jonathan Majors, right, and Creed III co-star Michael B Jordan recently presented an award at the Oscars (Getty Images)
His career took off after breaking through in 2019’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco, before going onto to star in Netflix western The Harder They Fall and Marvel Comics film Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
Mr Majors plays Jordan’s adversary in Creed III, a boxing film released earlier this month.
The member of parliament for Tema East, Isaac Ashai Odamtten, has expressed his disappointment in the outcome of the secret
He has described the approval of some ministerial nominees by his colleague National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs, as betrayal.
According to him, their action is even more painful because it’s from within adding that they (minority) defied the orders of the party to disapprove new appointees of president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Odamtten in a Facebook post, however, noted that it was a lesson learnt.
“The most painful form of betrayal is when it comes from within. But we’ll take it as a lesson and keep moving.”
Meanwhile,the Tema East is not the first to express disappoinment in some of the NDC MPs. Some members of the minority side in parliament have criticised the unknown pepetrators and accused them of being in bed with government.
Parliament approves all six nominees, two Supreme Court Justices:
Parliament on Friday, March 24 approved all six ministerial nominees as well as the nominees of the supreme court of President Akufo-Addo after a heated debate, 24 hours prior, and a tense voting process.
Final results declared by Speaker Alban Bagbin showed that all nominees got more votes than the minimum of 138 votes required because out of the 275 eligible voters, there were three absent.
Some Members of Parliament (MPs) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) did not adhere to the decision of the party to vote against the approval of the nominees.
Kobina Tahiru Hammond (MP for Adansi Asokwa) was approved as the Minister of Trade and Industry and Bryan Acheampong (MP for Abetifi) as the Minister of Food and Agriculture.
Other nominees who were approved include Stephen Asamoah Boateng, as Ministry of Chieftaincy; Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister of State (Ministry of Finance), and Osei Bonsu Amoah, Ministry of Local Government.
Stephen Amoah, the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, was also approved as the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.
The Supreme Court nominees who were approved include George Kingsley Koomson, Justice of the Court of Appeal, and Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu, Justice of the High Court.
The total value of Mobile Money transactions in the first two months of 2023 hit ¢264.1 billion, about 72.6% growth year-on-year.
This significant growth shows that Mobile Money transactions is hitting record highs despite the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).
In the first two months of 2022, total Mobile Money Transactions stood at 153 billion
According to the March 2022 Summary of Economic and Financial Data by the Bank of Ghana, Mobile Money transaction in January 2023 was estimated at ¢130.1 billion, compared with ¢76.2 billion during the same period in 2022.
It rose further to ¢134.0 billion in February 2023. This is against ¢76.5 billion during the same period in 2022.
Total Mobile Money transactions hit record ¢1.07trn in 2022
In 2022, total Mobile Money transactions hit a record ¢1.07 trillion.
This is compared with about ¢902.5 billion recorded in 2022
According to the data, the biggest transactions occurred in December 2022 and November 2022, whereby ¢122 billion and ¢117 billion respectively were recorded.
There were fears that the implementation of the E-Levy in May 2022 was going to affect Mobile Money transactions, but that was not the case.
From the data, Mobile Money transactions have been surging since the implementation of E-levy in May 2022.
American filmmaker Shelton Jackson, popularly known as Spike Lee, has arrived in Ghana.
The movie producer and director arrived in Ghana on Sunday, March 27.
Spike Lee arrived in Ghana ahead of US Vice President Kamala Harris’ three-day visit to Ghana.
The filmmaker is reportedly part of the US Vice President’s creative arts team.
Spike Lee was received by the ‘Beyond The Return’ team and the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Kwesi Agyeman at the Kotoka International Airport.
The Beyond The Return team shared a video of the actor who was welcomed by some traditional dancers and surrounded by some fans.
The Director of the Beyond The Return secretariat, Annabelle Renee who was also at the airport said, “The last time we met, I told him I was about to move to Ghana. That was in 2018. Now he’s here in Ghana, and I got to welcome him at the airport.
“This really is amazing, and I continue to be happy that more African Americans are making the trip to connect with Ghana.”
Shelton Jackson “Spike” Lee is an American filmmaker and actor. Lee’s work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues
Some of his films include Malcolm X, Da 5 Bloods, BlacKkKlansman, Inside Man and many others.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has admonished heads of schools and teachers to adopt innovative ways of making the classroom receptive and interactive for students.
He said creating such atmospheres apart from yielding greater learning outcomes also helps in forging a sense of belonging among the students thereby helping them realise their full potential.
“If students walk into their classrooms, walk into their schools and they don’t feel like they belong there, they develop their own perception about what the teacher is thinking about them. But if they feel belonging and belongingness is there, even if you scold them, they think you care about them and that is why you are telling them what to do and not to do,” he explained.
Dr. Adutwum made the call at the opening of the 12th Teaching and learning conference organised under the auspices of The Educators Network (TEN) in collaboration with the Lincoln Community School (LCS) in Accra on Saturday.
This year’s conference which witnessed more than 500 participants- teachers and headteachers from across the country was on the theme: “Belonging”.
The theme: “Belonging found expression in the Ghanaian wax print “Kwadusawuo” or “Bunch of bananas” which reflects individual single bananas intricately weaved and growing together.
Dr. Adutwum said education continued to be a major pillar in the development agenda of the government and the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was investing massively in the sector to ensure that students received the kind of education that would enable them to cope with the demands of the 21st century.
He said in addition to providing the needed infrastructure, government was also focusing on teacher development since teachers were very critical in the attainment of quality education outcomes.
“Most of our children come from challenging environments and if we want them to have opportunities to be able to experience what the majority in other societies in the advanced economies were experiencing then we have to be creative by creating a different learning environment,” he said.
Dr. Adutwum said the time had come for teachers to begin to look at diversity as part of schools and realise that the children were from diverse homes and create an environment that made them feel integrated.
The Head of School at LCS, Ms. Lesley Tait explained that the choice of this year’s theme and the use of the wax print was to demonstrate how belonging helped each member of a group developed together.
She said just as the banana never grew individually by itself, so it was that no individual could develop all by him or herself, stressing that “Like the Kwadu, those of us, all of us in the hall this morning that work in education know that together we can achieve anything that we put our minds on.”
She said at the LCS, together they were working to ensure that students experienced a sense of belonging in the classroom every day.
Ms. Tait said the education environment had changed a lot across the world with the focus changing from teaching to learning.
“Schools and Education systems have survived a worldwide pandemic like none that we have ever seen before. With online learning in education becoming the norm,” she added.
Some of the topics participants were taken through were, ‘Powerful Literacy Teaching Through Inquiry and Play’, ‘Creating an Atmosphere of Mathematical Thinkers’, and ‘Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers’.
Award-winning Gospel musician and songwriter, Ernest Opoku has recounted his encounter with German Immigration Officers and how God saved him from getting into trouble for alleged smuggling.
According to the ace musician, while traveling from Ghana to Germany, he was detained at their airport for possessing something he had no idea about.
“I remember I was traveling to Germany and when I got to their airport, I was told there was footwear (long boot) they suspect had some hidden items in it. I didn’t also know who kept it in my bag. It was my own luggage which I packed myself. They told me there is a shoe in your bag and I said I have no idea about it,” Ernest Opoku narrated on Sompa FM in Kumasi in an interview monitored by MyNewsGH.com.
He revealed that the officer opened his bag and indeed there was a shoe that they suspected contained some substance concealed in it.
A few hours into his detention while investigations were ongoing, he prayed and God gave him a new song which he later recorded with the title “Onyame Nim”.
Ernest Opoku revealed that one of the officers went for all his belongings and told him to leave without waiting for the search and scanning to be completed.
“Eventually when they opened, there was a shoe, but surprisingly it wasn’t a pair. So they detained me and cut the shoe into pieces and scanned it in their machine. It was at that point where I said to God, (in Twi) you know all my needs and all that I’m coming into this country to do; so, don’t let my enemies rejoice”, he narrated.
“Whiles I was singing the song, one of them who had come for his evening shift enquired from me and I told him they came for my luggage. He quickly entered the room, brought all my bags, and asked me to leave immediately because they were about to close,” Ernest Opoku recounted.
Former Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Commission, Yaw Akrasi Sarpong has urged the law enforcement agencies in the country not to center so much on arrests and prosecutions of persons using drugs such as weed, for personal use.
According to him, the new Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020, Act 1019, passed on March 20, 2020, and assented to by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo on May 11, 2020, “treats drug use and dependence as a public health issue rather than focusing on enforcement, incarceration, punishment and repression”.
Mr. Sarpong made the comment while addressing police prosecutors and detectives at a training workshop on ensuring the effective implementation of the Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020, Act 1019 in Kumasi, organised by the Perfecter of Sentiment(POS) Foundation, a human rights civil society organization which focuses its activities in the areas of access to justice, human rights, policy reforms, youth development and social accountability.
He explained that people who use drugs rather need help “as it is a public health issue just like someone suffering from malaria or ulcer”.
Mr. Sarpong stressed the importance of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors being abreast of the law and knowing their roles in its application.
He does not understand why the State should imprison someone for possession of some weed for personal use and also spend huge money to take care of the person in jail.
“I am not encouraging people to use drugs/weed, it can be addictive, but let us differentiate between private life and public safety”, he indicated.
Mr. Akrasi Sarpong mentioned that the new law allows someone to possess a certain quantity of weed for daily use.
“The Police are usually the first point of contact, their role in safety and security of citizens is very important, hence the need to ensure proper implementation of the new law within the spirit that is intended,” he stressed.
He suggested to policymakers to make cultivation of weed legal for exports that could rake in foreign currency as many countries in the world have legalized the substance.
Executive Director of POS, Jonathan Osei-Wusu, on his part, also noted that drug use was a public health and human rights issue and described it as a “substance use disorder”.
He said, “it has been tested and proven all over the world that substance use disorder is not an issue of criminality where people are to be sentenced but rather need help.”
He pointed out that rehabilitation had been provided under the new law for the State and government to help such people be reformed.
Jonathan Osei-Wusu further kicked against sentencing people using drugs for relaxation, when he/she has not killed anyone or caused any violence.
He indicated that if such people were sentenced for smoking the substance, “they come out hardened to be more problematic to the society”.
Ms. Maria-Goretti Ane Loglo, with the International Drug Policy Consortium, said Ghana has become an example for many West African states for reviewing its drug policies and that there was the need to take further steps in the implementation of the law “so that we get it all right for others to follow”.
With a strong love for storytelling and self-expression, Papa Oppong Bediako usually puts together pieces that turn heads on social media.
Through his work, the fast-rising US-based Ghanaian fashion designer seeks to show the world that Africa is a goldmine of talent and potential, and can be as influential in fashion as the rest of the world is.
Cut out from exceptional pieces, Papa Oppong designs his outfits with the notion that ‘fashion is an anatomical architecture’.
In his words, drawn from an earlier interview with Bella Naija, he averred:
“It’s a great and interesting task designing for the human body…I think fashion is anatomical architecture and being a designer allows me to explore the sort of bodily ‘structures’ and ‘buildings’ I want to see people occupy.”
Oppong draws his inspiration from social media apps such as Instagram, Pinterest, documentaries, style personalities, and so on.
“I get style inspiration from many different sources. One of my favourite sources is Instagram where I’m bombarded with visuals from all over the world. I follow everything from food pages to arts and crafts pages to models to documentary journalists.
“There are so many things to see on Instagram and though this can get overwhelming and a lot sometimes, it’s a really good source of style inspiration. Some of my favourite Instagram style personalities are Rihanna and Louis Rubi. I also use Pinterest a lot for when I’m building a mood board for collections and the good-old-fashioned way: exploring the city,” he stated.
Ghanaian comedian and event host Foster Romanus has added another feather to his cap by earning Executive Masters in Business Administration (Marketing) from the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS).
The program aims to equip students with advanced knowledge and skills in marketing, enabling them to become effective leaders in the business world.
In a post the comedian shared on Facebook, he said, “See what the Lord has done. We give thanks. #gratefulheart #Masters #Rambostyle.”
Following altercations that broke out outside a hotel in Cornwall that shelters migrants, two persons have been detained on suspicion of assault.
Over 20 protesters gathered outside the Beresford Hotel in Newquay on Sunday, holding placards that said, “Stop immigration now” and “Shut migrant motels.”
But, 150 counter-protesters who said asylum seekers were welcome in Britain quickly overwhelmed them.
These crowd members fought back with placards reading ‘Cornwall has no place for racists but we welcome refugees’ and ‘UK government must provide safe passage for refugees’.
Violent clashes erupt outside migrant hotel
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Footage from the scene showed groups of police officers holding back protesters as violence broke out.
Alongside the two taken into custody, two others were issued with dispersal anti-social behaviour notices – although police said the majority of people acted peacefully.
It comes after police moved to shut down rumours that a man staying at the Beresford Hotel had been charged with sexual assault.
A man has been charged with raping a woman on a local beach – but any suggestion that he is linked with the hotel is ‘categorically untrue’ and will only fuel community tension, a statement said.
Cornwall police commander, Chief Supt Ben Deer, said last week: ‘There has been a number of speculative social media posts suggesting the man charged in relation to this offence was a resident at the Beresford Hotel in Newquay which is currently housing asylum seekers in the town.
‘This has led to further posts which have suggested that women and children in the town are at risk from attack by those asylum seekers living at the hotel.
‘I would like to put on record that this is categorically untrue and the individual charged with the offence is not a resident at the Beresford Hotel.
‘Comments suggesting offences are being committed by those staying at the hotel are untrue and unnecessarily raising community tension.’
Speaking before the protest at the weekend, Chief Supt Deer asked people to ‘think about their comments and actions and the unhelpful rumour, myth and speculation this builds’.
The issue of immigration has been highly divisive in Newquay and Sunday’s demonstration followed one on Saturday.
Another in February also saw supporters and opponents of asylum seekers line the streets.
At the time, Chief Supt Deer said the incident had ‘caused significant concern in the community’.
‘My officers and staff have been making efforts to increase visibility in order to ensure residents and visitors to Newquay feel safe and secure’, he said.
He added that ‘if proactive policing is required to safeguard the Newquay community’, this would be addressed.
Musician, satirist and social commentator, Kwame Asare Obeng, known in the showbiz circle as Kwame A Plus has expressed disappointment in the kind of stage provided for Kamala Harris upon her arrival at the Kotoka International Airport, on Sunday, 26 March 2023.
The United States of America’s Vice President is in Ghana for a three-day state visit, a trip that is also meant to strengthen US partnerships throughout Africa.
The first female vice president of the world’s largest economy was received at the Kotoka International Airport by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
She was in the company of her husband, Douglas Emhoff, alongside some top US officials.
Aside from the historic visit, one thing that has engendered conversation, especially on social media is the stage on which she stood and delivered a speech.
Designed with kente with both the Ghana and US flags hoisted, the criticism has been that it could have been better as some argued that the stage was too ordinary.
A Plus in an Instagram post sighted by GhanaWeb, like some Ghanaians, was unimpressed as he made some comparisons while describing the stage as ‘susubribi village square’.
He wrote: “You watch the Champions League final or the World Cup in Qatar, and within a matter of minutes, a beautiful podium is built for presentation. You watch the Super Bowl halftime show, and within the twinkle of an eye, the whole playing field is turned into a gorgeous stage for a musical concert. Here in Umofia, this is what Atta ne Atta were able to build in 73 hours; the most annoying part is that this caricature will be more expensive than any of the aforementioned.
“Dear International Monetary Fund, before you give them the loan, ask them how much was spent to build this Susubribi village square, and you’ll know what your money will be used for.”
Video has shown the destruction caused when a drone carrying explosives struck the center of a Russian town.
After flying over Kireyevsk in the central Tula region and damaging residences and injuring three people, the drone created a sizable crater.
According to a law enforcement source cited by the Russian news agency TASS, Ukrainian soldiers used the drone.
On Sunday, the device struck Kireyevsk, which is located around 180 kilometers from the border between Russia and Ukraine.
Kyiv has yet to comment, but has previously rebuffed claims by the Kremlin that Ukrainian drones have flown into its territory and caused damage to civilian infrastructure.
The footage, which appears to have been captured on a mobile phone, pans around the crater, reported to measure 15 meters (50 ft) in diameter and five meters deep (16 ft), showing how properties have been reduced to rubble.
A person can be heard saying ‘There is nothing left of the house, everything is smashed.
‘And the crater is so f******g huge, this is awful’.
The crater after a drone reportedly hit the Russian town of Kireyevsk (Picture: AP)An investigator pictured in the town of Kireyevsk (Picture: REUTERS)
A voice adds: ‘The main thing is we are alive’ before speculation that the explosion ‘must have been a drone’.
The blast lays bare the carnage caused by Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine – as the Kremlin today said it had plans to base submarines with ‘super torpedoes’ in the Pacific Ocean by early next year.
Moscow said it had produced the first set of Poseidon missiles – said to be a cross between a torpedo and a drone, launched from a nuclear submarine – in January.
The decision was made in response to the West increasing military support for Ukraine, Mr Putin said.
The drone explosion reduced homes to rubble and left two people injured (Picture: REUTERS)
NATO on Sunday criticised the Russian president for what it branded his ‘dangerous and irresponsible’ nuclear rhetoric.
It follows Mr Putin’s announcement on Saturday that tactical nuclear weapons would be stationed in Belarus – which has been taken ‘hostage’ by its ally, according to a top Ukrainian security official.
Mr Putin likened the move to the US stationing weapons in Europe and vowed Russia would not violate its nuclear non-proliferation promises.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pictured with Vladimir Putin in February (Picture: AFP)
But a NATO spokesperson said Russia’s reference to NATO nuclear sharing was ‘totally misleading’, adding: ‘NATO allies act with full respect to their international commitments’.
The announcement is said to represent one of Russia’s most pronounced nuclear signals since the invasion began in February last year, with Kyiv calling for a UN Security Council meeting in response.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry called on the international community to take ‘decisive action’.
‘Russia once again confirms its chronic inability to be a responsible steward of nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence and prevention of war, not as a tool of threats and intimidation,’ it said.
Russia-Ukraine war: Everything you need to know
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the country has suffered widespread damages and loss of life amid a major bombing campaign.
Millions of people have fled the country, with thousands of British people opening up their homes to Ukrainian refugees.
During the course of the war, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained in Kyiv, despite the Ukrainian capital being subjected to a barrage of bombing.
Zelensky has continuously pushed for aid and support from world leaders, as well as pressing for fast-tracked NATO membership.
Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has been widely condemned for his attack on Ukraine.
His actions have been met by harsh economic sanctions, bans from competing in major sporting events, and countries moving away from using Russian oil.
When did Russia invade Ukraine? A war timeline of important events
How can I house a Ukrainian refugee or family?
Where to buy a Ukraine ribbon pin
When did President Vladimir Putin come to power?
Who is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky?
What is Ukraine’s currency, language, and what does its flag symbolise?
Does Russia have any allies and what have they said about Ukraine?
What is NATO and which countries are members?
How to talk to children about what’s happening in Ukraine
‘Making a statement about tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, he admits that he is afraid of losing & all he can do is scare with tactics,’ Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
But in Washington, the Republican chair of the US House of Representatives foreign affairs committee, Michael McCaul, said he regarded Russia’s plans to store tactical weapons in Belarus as ‘disturbing’.
And the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons warned: ‘In the context of the war in Ukraine, the likelihood of miscalculation or misinterpretation is extremely high.
‘Sharing nuclear weapons makes the situation much worse and risks catastrophic humanitarian consequences,’ it said on Twitter.
The prime minister is preparing for what may be the largest Tory uprising of his leadership thus far as his Illegal Immigration Bill takes center stage in the Commons.
Human rights organizations are extremely worried about the contentious law intended to crack down on asylum seekers arriving in the UK in small boats, but many Conservative MPs think it doesn’t go far enough.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) won’t be able to stop removals, according to an amendment that is expected to receive support from about 60 Conservatives.
Meanwhile, others have called for Rishi Sunak to commit to establishing safe routes which people in desperate situations can use to come to Britain.
‘You can’t stay’: PM Rishi Sunak promises to detain and deport small boats migrants
Downing Street officials will meet with a gang of rebels on Monday in an attempt to calm the revolt.
Two days of debate are expected as the Bill reaches its committee stage today, with more than 50 pages of amendments tabled.
Under the legislation’s current proposals, it would see asylum seekers arriving through unauthorised means being detained without bail or judicial review for 28 days.
They will then be ‘swiftly removed’ to their home country or a ‘safe third country’ such as Rwanda.
Tory Devizes MP Danny Kruger has sponsored an amendment that seeks provisions in the Bill to ‘operate notwithstanding any orders of the Strasbourg court or any other international body’.
Former minister Andrea Jenkyns tweeted that she had signed amendments with the intention of ‘strengthening the Bill and stopping the European Court of Human Rights’ laws superseding British law’.
It comes after the ECHR last year granted an injunction, via its Rule 39, that effectively grounded a flight sending asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda.
Since then, Home Secretary Suella Braverman has held what she called ‘constructive’ negotiations with the Strasbourg court to secure a higher legal threshold for any injunction under Rule 39 to be imposed on any future deportation flights.
Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove has signalled Home Office ministers are open to further talks about the strength of the Bill, as MPs prepare to go through the legislation line by line.
A Home Office source said the legislation contains a ‘marker clause’ relating to ECHR deportation orders.
It is understood the clause allows for initial negotiations with Strasbourg to conclude before ministers consider setting out further legal measures.
Mr Sunak and Ms Braverman have both stressed that they think the draft law complies with international obligations and that Britain would not need to exit the European Convention on Human Rights to introduce the plans.
But in a letter to MPs following publication of the Bill earlier this month, the Home Secretary admitted there is a ‘more (than) 50% chance’ her legislation may not be compatible with the convention.
While some Tories look to ‘toughen up’ the already highly divisive legalisation, others have backed an amendment that would force the Home Secretary to declare ‘safe and legal routes by which asylum seekers can enter’ the UK.
Tory MP Tim Loughton’s proposed modification has been signed by former Brexit secretary David Davis and Dame Diana Johnson, the Labour chairwoman of the Home Affairs Select Committee.
The government’s approach has been slammed by groups including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which has accused ministers of ‘extinguishing the right to seek refugee protection in the UK’.
The charity Refugee Action warned it would ’cause misery, cost millions to the taxpayer and drive desperate people to take ever more dangerous journeys’, while the Archbishop of York described the bill as ‘cruelty without purpose’.
Hundreds of protestors gathered outside Parliament to demonstrate against the Bill earlier in March.
Downing Street said last night that Mr Sunak is continuing to engage with backbenchers over the legislation’s proposals.
A Ghanaian show host and YouTuber, Ms. Enny, has stated that men should not cheat on their partners if they are financially handicapped.
Speaking with guests on her YouTube channel, the lady claimed that if she was dating a poor man and he cheated, she would break up with him because she finds it insulting.
According to her, it is terrible enough that he doesn’t bring home enough money and what’s worse is that he spends it on another woman.
She made a suggestion that if a man was rich, women would be more understanding and forgiving of a cheating spouse.
Another guest on the show shared the same assertion.
In a similar vein, a Nigerian Twitter influencer, BOD, advised men against dating women who are incapable of providing financial support in times of need.
He argued that it would be pointless for a man to be in a relationship with a woman who cannot assist him during trying times.
His post which was shared on Twitter hours ago reads; @bod_republic wrote;
“Dating a lady who cannot help you financially when you’re broke is a total waste of time.”
On a walkabout in Essex, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Home Secretary Suella Braverman received jeers.
On the day a contentious immigration law is the center of attention in the Commons, a woman shouted at them, “Let migrants into our nation.”
She then yelled at the top two government officials of Britain, “Get away, we don’t want you here.”
The awkward incident came as they walked through a quiet Chelmsford town centre around 9am this morning.
The prime minister and home secretary ignored the shouting and walked on (Picture: PA)Community Support Officer Sonja Viner, Police Sergeant Sophie Chesters, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Police Sergeant Matt Collins on their way to visit to a community centre in Chelmsford, Essex (Picture: PA)
The pair both ignored the woman and continued speaking to police officers accompanying them.
They were heading to a community centre to do a Q&A with the public about their crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
The Illegal Migration Bill, which is designed to put a stop to migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, returns to the House of Commons for its committee stage on Monday.
Downing Street is facing a rebellion from both the liberal and the right wings of the Conservative Party.
Dozens have demanded a tougher crackdown and are produced to back an amendment that will block the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) from preventing removals from taking place.
But others want to force the Home Secretary to declare ‘safe and legal routes by which asylum seekers can enter’ the UK.
The Bill has been highly divisive, with critics warning that the proposed legislation leaves the UK foul of its international obligations.
The charity Refugee Action warned it would ’cause misery, cost millions to the taxpayer and drive desperate people to take ever more dangerous journeys’, while the Archbishop of York described the bill as ‘cruelty without purpose’.
The actor Jonathan Majors is “totally innocent,” according to the actor’s attorneys.
According to the New York Police Department, the Marvel celebrity was detained on Saturday after being suspected of punching a lady in a domestic quarrel.
The 33-year-old Majors’ legal team released a new statement on Sunday, claiming that the incident was actually the consequence of a lady the celebrity knew going through a “emotional crisis.”
Additionally, they promised that all allegations against their client will be “imminently withdrawn.”
The statement read: ‘Jonathan Majors is completely innocent and is provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows.
‘We are quickly gathering and presenting evidence to the District Attorney with the expectation that all charges will be dropped imminently.’
It continued: ‘This evidence includes video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations.’
The statement concluded: ‘All the evidence proves that Mr. Majors is entirely innocent and did not assault her whatsoever. Unfortunately, this incident came about because this woman was having an emotional crisis, for which she was taken to a hospital yesterday.
‘The NYPD is required to make an arrest in these situations, and this is the only reason Mr. Majors was arrested. We expect these charges to be dropped soon.’
The alleged victim, a 30-year-old woman, sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was taken to hospital in stable condition, according to a police statement issued to Metro.co.uk.
Creed III actor Majors was arrested on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment, and taken into custody without incident, with his representative denying any wrongdoing.
The exact nature of his relationship with the woman is currently unknown.
Majors is no longer in police custody.
He was spotted leaving a New York City courthouse on Saturday night after being charged with assault.
In pictures obtained by DailyMail.com, the actor was clad in a long navy coat, dark trousers and a white T-shirt, and a baseball cap with ‘Freedom Freedom’ written on it.
According to sources, disgraced reality star Stephen Bear has been sent to a “isolation wing.”
The 33-year-old Celebrity Big Brother contestant received a 21-month prison term after posting a video of Georgia Harrison from Love Island on his OnlyFans without her consent.
Bear was also handed a restraining order prohibiting him from speaking to Harrison for a period of five years, and he will be subject to notification obligations for a period of ten years following his signing of the sex offenders register.
It has now been claimed that the ‘vulnerable’ TV personality is under the watchful eye of jail staff.
Sources say guards have been given ‘orders’ to ‘keep an eye’ on him, over concerns for his welfare.
‘Bear is being treated with kid gloves,’ an insider told The Mirror.
The disgraced reality star was reportedly put on suicide watch recently (Picture: PA)
They added: ‘There’s always a concern about high-profile prisoners.
‘Everyone in here knows what he’s done and how he fancies himself as a celebrity.’
The reports come after Bear was reportedly put on suicide watch after ‘crying for days’ over his punishment.
It was said that the former Ex On The Beach star is at his ‘lowest ebb’ and struggling to come to terms with his sentence.
According to another source, Bear is a ‘broken man’ following his imprisonment at HMP Chelmsford.
Bear was reportedly not expecting to receive a custodial sentence, leaving him ‘completely unprepared’ for life behind bars.
The source added that he ‘feels awful for putting his family through this’.
Meanwhile, on the outside, Harrison was recently inundated with praise after sharing her story in a documentary.
Viewers were in awe of her bravery as the influencer recalled the revenge porn ordeal, which she described as ‘hell’.
Georgia recounted how she felt ‘damaged’, ‘ashamed’, ‘used’, and ‘violated’ from her privacy being invaded in such a way, after Bear shared the private moment of them having sex in his garden.
She’s also shared her ‘relief’ at Bear finally being put behind bars, admitting she ‘would’ve lost everything’ if he was found not guilty.
Speaking on This Morning, she said: ‘I he had got not guilty I would have lost everything.’
Explaining she had been silenced for the two years leading up to the court case, she said: ‘I would have been silenced for the rest of my life.
‘I would have been cancelled. Everyone would have believed I had something to do with [releasing the video].’
It appears the camp of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has not recovered from the shock of being betrayed by some MPs who voted in favor of the six ministerial appointees of President Akufo-Addo, against the party’s decision.
Many party faithfuls have outrightly condemned the act.
One MP who seems deeply hurt by the move is North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who has on various occasions called out the ‘traitor’ MPs over the act.
In his latest post, he has challenged the MPs who defied the party’s decision to step forward.
“No one is convinced that these fifth columnists acted in good conscience, with honourable intentions, and in the national interest. If they did, why are they hiding in rat holes and afraid to publicly own up and defend their treachery?” he said.
In the post, he rendered an unqualified apology to all Ghanaians who felt heartbroken by the betrayal of the said MPs.
“We are deeply sorry. As heart wrenching as this episode has been, we fervently pray that the good people of Ghana and our loyal party members would not give up on us. Please find a place in your hearts to forgive us; and watch us work extra hard like never before, and with the purest of integrity as we seek to regain your trust and save our dear country, particularly in this period of self-inflicted economic crisis,” he said.
He added that “the traitors should have mustered courage and exhibited a modicum of sincerity during our numerous strategy sessions by informing us that they disagreed with our fundamental objection to President Akufo-Addo’s misguided penchant for an obscenely bloated government.”
“The damage these Judases and Esaus have done to our party’s brand and public trust in our caucus may take decades to repair. As we struggle to rebuild public confidence in the NDC, may the treacherous elements be exposed and may the Good Lord forgive them their trespasses,” he added.
He further lamented the impact this grave act of betrayal can have on the party.
“If we cannot be trusted in opposition when crumbs are at stake, how do we expect the Ghanaian people to send us into government where we shall be entrusted with all of Ghana’s resources? If privileged party elites conduct themselves in this manner at the top, what are we inviting our party agents at the branches to do on December 7, 2024 when they are tempted?
He, however, commended the NDC MPs who stood with the party and voted against the six appointees.
“I must, however, salute the over 90 gallant NDC MPs who refused to bow to Baal and kept faith with the suffering masses. It is worth pleading with Ghanaians to at least recognise that a clear majority of NDC MPs did not participate in this grand betrayal — that should offer some compensation and some genuine hope.
“May I conclude by soberly requesting all colleagues on both sides of the House to reflect on the epic happenings in the British House of Commons some four centuries ago which led to the historic dissolution speech of Oliver Cromwell on 20th April, 1653 as reproduced below.
Lamenting further, he asked the MPs to exit the NDC since they want to be in bed with the current government.
“It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.
“Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter’d your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?
“Ye sordid prostitutes, have you not defil’d this sacred place, and turn’d the Lord’s temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress’d, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go!”
An outspoken Twitter user, Falilatt, has opined that it is unnecessary for ‘would-be-couples’ to dress in matching attire for their wedding introduction ceremony.
She argued that the introduction ceremony shouldn’t be a party but a gathering in the parlor where the two families get acquainted, without the couples dressing in matching attire or putting on extraordinary makeup.
She wrote: “My hot take is that, the introduction shouldn’t be a party but rather a parlor meeting with both families officially meeting for the first time with at most two close friends there to support you. other than that I see no reason y’all wear matching outfits for the introduction, hire a makeup artist, buy new clothes or even make it match when y’all just introducing yourselves to your family.”
The tweep’s statement caught many people’s attention as they stated that it is based on the couple’s preference and their ability to afford whatever they want to wear hence @Falilatt’s opinion is invalid.
My hot take is that, introduction shouldn’t be a party rather a parlor meeting with both families officially meeting for the first time with at most two close friends there to support you, other than that I see no reason y’all wearing matching outfits for introduction.
queenjayhair: “Put your opinion inside tea cup and drink it “
db_naturals_: “Anything that satisfies them is fine”
callmedamy: “Why you bothered na your money them take do am”
askddietitan: “Their introduction , their choice”
chynatural_skincare: “Let people do what pleases them..”
pweety_lizzy: “These days I don’t know the difference between introduction and traditional marriage. I have been to an introduction where they used hall and alaga. I was confused, had to ask a friend if it was still introduction or engagement.”
KwesiVirgins: “This generation exaggerates everything and makes simple life really difficult for others.”
While visiting Ukraine this week as a Unicef goodwill ambassador, Orlando Bloom had a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Hollywood actress, 46, visited Ukraine to meet with the president, 45, and praised the country’s people for their “awe-inspiring” fortitude in the face of Russia’s aggression.
The celebrity traveled there for the first time since 2016 while serving as a goodwill ambassador for Unicef, a UN agency that works to protect children.
Kyiv, Irpin, and Demydiv were all places Bloom visited during his three days there.
In a meeting at the presidential palace on Sunday, Bloom told Zelensky his messaging since the war began was ‘reflected in [the Ukrainian people’s] courage and determination’.
He also stated the ‘world was watching’ after Russian President Vladimir Putin was charged with war crimes over the deportation of children.
Orlando Bloom met with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev (Picture: AP)Bloom visited the country as a Unicef goodwill ambassador (Picture: PA)Zelensky himself was also previously an actor in his country (Picture: Reuters)
Zelensky himself was an actor in Ukraine – playing a teacher who becomes president – before his career in politics.
The pair embraced upon meeting and shared an enthusiastic handshake before sitting down to discuss projects to help the children of Ukraine.
It comes after Zelensky was interviewed by Bear Grylls after the survival expert travelled to Ukraine.
‘It’s a serious business, getting to talk to him… He’s done a lot of interviews over Zoom before, but I wanted to see the real man, the guy away from the podium,’ Grylls, 48, revealed.
Grylls describes the president as ‘a real people person’: ‘He listens, he’s honest, he’s very human. He’s humble, too – he wanted to use an interpreter, even though his English is very good, but I said he should really try not to.
‘The fact that he sometimes isn’t speaking perfect English gives him a humility and a vulnerability, and you get a real insight into what he’s like as a human being.’
After yesterday’s match against England, Ukrainian supporters launched paper airplanes bearing song lyrics ridiculing Russian military.
At the 24th minute of the Euro qualifier at London’s Wembley Stadium, supporters threw the planes onto the field.
The paper included a sarcastic song about Putin’s air force on one side and a Ukrainian flag on the other.
Supporters performed their own rendition of the England anthem “Ten German Bombers” during the game.
Some of the planes – as well as a number of flags held up by fans – reiterated Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s plea to the west for F-16 fighter jets to help battle Russia.
The song began: ‘There were ten Russian bombers in the air … and the air force from Ukraine shot one down’ and later mentions the need for F16 jets.
The two teams united in a display of solidarity at the start of the match, holding a Ukrainian flag with the word ‘peace’ written on it.
The planes were launched onto the pitch at 24th minute of the Euro qualifier (Picture: Reuters)The Ukrainian and England teams unite in a show solidarity against the war in Ukraine (Picture: Javier Garcia/Shutterstock)
A sea of yellow and blue could be seen across the stadium as the crowd also held up flags.
Before kick off and after the game, which England won, Channel 4’s broadcast aired reminders of the conflict in Ukraine and its impact.
Andriy Shevchenko, a former manager of the Ukrainian team, was part of the punditry and spoke of the game’s importance.
‘I think today is not just football, it’s a lot more,’ he said before kick-off. ‘A lot more meaningful to my country.
‘For me to be here today and represent my country, and I want to say thank you to all of England for incredible support, you’ve been very close to us since the war started and this means a lot for me and my country.
‘Also I want to say thank you for the Ukrainian soldiers as well for staying on the front line and defending [our country].
‘We’re so lucky they sacrifice their lives for us and the Ukrainian team today, just because there’s so many people on the front lines losing their lives to defend, they stay strong to help freedom to Ukraine.
‘We’re mentally very strong and in difficult moments we’re united all together.’
Mr Shevchenko also spoke warmly of Ukraine captain Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Arsenal left-back, who plays in midfield for Ukraine, has spoken out against the war since it began last year.
He said: ‘I want to say a couple of words about Oleksandr because I am so proud of him. I am proud of what the man has done, he took the responsibility, always talks about Ukraine, and the way he’s playing this season is incredible.’
The final result was 2-0 to England, with Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka scoring one goal each.
A private legal practitioner has bemoaned the law that requires that for an Islamic marriage under Mohammedan law to be considered valid, the union must be registered within seven days after the marriage ceremony.
According to Irene Aborchie-Nahye, when considering customary marriages under the same law, flexibility on when to register a marriage was allowed.
The Director of Legal Assistance Network Ghana said the law had been framed such that it did not invalidate the customary marriage even if it had not yet been registered.
Comparing the manner in which the law treats both marriages —customary and Mohammedan—the lawyer said the validity condition stated by the law for Mohammedan marriages was unfair and discriminatory against Muslims.
Contributing to a discussion on The Law, Sunday, March 26, she said “Under the customary law, you have the freedom to register the marriage as and when you want, but when it comes to the Mohammedan, you are not supposed to have a honeymoon.”
“They [the constitution] are basing validity upon registration, not after the customary rites have been performed. But then when it comes to customary law, you can choose when you want to register. And I am wondering, why are we equating validity to registration?” she quizzed Samson Lardy Anyenini.
“Registration should just be a notice to the world that from today, if you want to know that I am a married person, this is the evidence that I have. But making it a prerequisite for validity, I think that is highly unfair.”
Mrs Aborchie-Nahye highlighted some adverse implications that were associated with the conditions provided for Mohammedan marriages in the constitution, such as the accessibility of spousal property rights under the Mohammedan law.
She referenced section 28 of the constitution which states that “one can access the Mohammedan law upon the demise of a spouse only if that marriage has been registered,” and stated that this law was mostly disadvantageous to the wife and the children of the deceased.
“Beyond that, the effects on women and children are very devastating. It is unfair that you will be in a marriage, contribute support for 20 or 30 years, thereafter, and you have discovered that you don’t have any legal rights to your investments.”
To this end, she advised Ghanaians, especially Muslims to be concerned about the developments regarding the validation of Islamic marriages in Ghana’s constitution.
Mrs Aborchie-Nahye also urged Muslims to contribute to the advocacy that seeks for government to amend Section 27 of Cap 127.
The Director of Legal Assistance Network Ghana’s assertions follow a complaint made by the Head of Marriages at the Registrar General’s Department, Oladele Kwaku Aribike that 80% of Islamic marriages in Ghana are invalid, due to their inability to register under the Mohammedan law.
This disclosure was made by Mr Aribike during a dialogue organised by the civil society organisation, Telling Ghana, on the theme “Working together for a better Society.”
However, research conducted by a Ghanaian online legal search engine called Dennislaw, highlighted that there are no lawful Islamic marriages in Ghana because since the law was passed in the colonial era, the Ministry of Interior has not put in place a regime to license Mohammedan Priests, and the MMDAs have no system for registering these marriages.
By the beginning of 2024, the Kremlin announced today, it intends to base submarines equipped with “super torpedoes” in the Pacific Ocean.
Four years after Putin unveiled the new class of strategic nuclear weapon, Moscow announced in January that it had created the first batch of Poseidon torpedoes.
Today, Ukraine‘s top security official criticized Russia’s plans to post tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, stating that by doing so, Russia was holding its ally hostage to a nuclear war.
There are few confirmed details about the Poseidon, but it is essentially a cross between a torpedo and a drone that can be launched from a nuclear submarine.
It comes after Ukraine were given armored tanks from European allies (Picture: AP)
At the weekend Moscow said it was making the move in response to the West’s increasing military support for Ukraine.
Mr Putin announced the plan on Saturday, saying it was triggered by a UK decision this past week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.
Putin said that by deploying its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russia was following the lead of the US.
He said: ‘We are doing what they have been doing for decades, stationing them in certain allied countries, preparing the Ulaunch platforms and training their crews,’ he said.
He said the move maximised ‘the level of negative perception and public rejection’ of Russia and Mr Putin in Belarusian society.
The Kremlin, Mr Danilov added, ‘took Belarus as a nuclear hostage’.
Mr Putin argued on Saturday that Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko had long asked to have nuclear weapons in his country again to counter Nato.
Both Mr Lukashenko’s support of the war and Mr Putin’s plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus have been denounced by the Belarusian opposition.
The US said it would ‘monitor the implications’ of Mr Putin’s announcement.
So far, Washington had not seen ‘any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon’, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.
The torpedoes are being developed for deployment on the Belgorod and Khabarovsk nuclear submarines, TASS reported.
Russia Pacific Fleet’s ballistic nuclear missile submarine base is located on the south-eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, in the Russian Far East.
The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk make up the Kamchatka Peninsula’s eastern and western coastlines.
The source allegedly told TASS that a new division is being formed as part of the Submarine Forces of the Pacific Fleet, which will include not only Belgorod and Khabarovsk but also other submarines.
The new special-purpose submarines will participate in solving the tasks ‘of strategic deterrence’, the source reportedly said.
Former President John Mahama will be vetted for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s flagbearership contest today.
The vetting is expected to commence at 10 am and the party’s headquarters in Accra.
This is according to publicity material issued by the Mahama communications team.
Ahead of the exercise, the Chairman of the elections committee of the party, Kakra Essamuah has said the committee will thoroughly vet the aspirants on their qualifications for the position, ideologies and vision for the party.
“I think this has been a wonderful experience. They came to file their nominations, and you can see that it was an exciting ceremony.
“The next step is the vetting; the presidential will take place on Tuesday and the parliamentary vetting, will be the next two weeks probably the first week of April. We are working towards that,” he said.
The other aspirants are former Finance Minister Dr Kwabena Duffuor, a former Kumasi Mayor, Kojo Bonsu and businessman Ernest Kwaku Kobeah have successfully filed their nominations.
The party ended the filing of nominations for all flagbearer aspirants hopefuls last week.
An extensive and expanding backlog in the crown courts is having a “disastrous impact” on rape and sexual abuse victims, according to a recent study.
Rape Crisis England & Wales’ Breaking Point report finds a “record high” backlog of 7,859 sexual offense cases and 1,851 adult rape cases.
According to the charity, the prolonged wait is “devastating” to victims’ mental health and has even led to suicide in certain cases. Others have given up trying to get justice.
According to a Freedom of Information Act request made to HM Courts and Tribunal Service, the number of vacated and ineffectual rape cases that were “therefore postponed” more than doubled between 2019–2020 and 2021–2022.
It also showed the number of trials that were postponed at least once shot up by 133%.
The number of cases with three or more previous trial dates has almost doubled and there were five times as many hearings that had been rescheduled six or more times, the charity said.
There has also been a massive rise in the number of ineffective trials due to lack of prosecution counsel, it added.
It said a breakdown of reasons for ineffective trial listings given to the Justice Select Committee showed 1,925 instances were due to the prosecution advocate failing to attend in the year to June 20, 2022 – an increase of 1,722 in two years.
Rape Crisis England & Wales’ chief executive Jayne Butler said: ‘In Breaking Point, we shine a light on the disastrous impact that the increasing backlog in the crown courts is having on rape and sexual abuse victims and survivors.
‘The postponing and rescheduling of cases multiple times is devastating the mental wellbeing of victims and survivors: they are being harmed by the criminal justice system.
‘On top of lengthy police investigations lasting years, and long periods of hearing nothing, victims and survivors are facing their cases being rescheduled in the courts – often multiple times – or find that they have not been informed about key developments, such as changes to trial dates.’
Ms Butler said the charity has long been calling for the set up of specialist sexual violence and abuse courts, where court staff and judiciary would have ‘trauma-informed training’.
She continued: ‘We are also calling for rape and sexual abuse cases to be given ‘priority listing’, which would see them moved much more quickly through the system and give them a guaranteed court date, reducing the uncertainty that many victims and survivors have told us is causing them extreme stress and anxiety.’
Meanwhile a Ministry of Justice spokesperson insisted the Government was delivering ‘real improvements to the response to rape’.
They said: ‘In the last year alone the number of rape cases referred by the police to the CPS is up more than 50%, the number of suspects charged has increased by 54% and convictions are up by 65% compared to last year.
‘We know more needs to be done, particularly so that victims have confidence and feel supported, which is why we’ve quadrupled funding for victims’ services, enabled them to pre-record court evidence earlier and away from defendants, and launched a 24/7 helpline with Rape Crisis.’
Ellie Reeves MP, Labour’s shadow justice minister said the Government had not done enough to tackle violence against women and girls.
She added: ‘The number of CPS staff and courts has fallen since 2010, and the Government has left the system powerless to deal with the largest courts backlog on record.
‘Rape survivors are now denied justice for years, with a fraction of the number of rapists being punished.’
“I started having kids at the age of 19, so you do not understand the journey. Had micky at the age of 24, so hey, let me feel young again.”
See her post below
Social media users hail Omotola
kokolet_naturals:
“That is one beautiful thing about birthing kids early.”
chistar_maris:
“Happy the husband did not YULogize the marriage or Adekaz the home. May we eat the fruit of our labour ohh.”
melaningoddexx’s profile picture:
“They really admired couple this much,I love how long lasting that maid love is,this is one of the pecks of marrying older man,they are patient in everything and know how to keep women.”
nwann_eka:
“So beautiful to watch. It’s Good to have your kids early. ❤️”
Ghanaian highlife legend, Daddy Lumba has stated that he is unable to perform some of his songs on stage.
According to Lumba, he is unable to perform songs which he has personal attachments to and one such song is Ama Esah, which he specifically composed to honour his late mother.
“Those close to me know that I am very emotional, so, I have a lot of songs such as one that I composed for my mother, Ama Esah, that I can’t perform on stage even if you kill me. Because if I sing it, I would be compelled to stop and leave the stage,” Lumba said in a recent interview shared via his YouTube page.
The music legend made the disclosure while speaking about the motivation behind one of his hit songs ‘Theresa Abebrese.’
According to Lumba, the song which honours his first love, Nana Konadu alias Theresa Abebrese is one of the songs he is unable to perform on stage due to the emotions it evokes.
“Looking at how pretty, how empathetic and how smart she was and knowing that a woman of Theresa’s calibre is no longer in this world, I feel pained whenever I play the song. I’ve never been able to perform it on stage before, but I will do well to perform it one day in her honour,” he stated.
Report indicates that Nigerian singer, Burna Boy has beaten American singer, Beyoncé to sell out his tickets for their tours in the Netherlands.
It was said that both singers booked a stadium tour in the Netherlands on the same night.
Some claim thatBurna Boy’s ticket sold out quickly because they are cheaper and affordable while Beyonce’s tickets are on the high side.
Reacting to the news, some social media users said;
mychukwuebuka: Imagination wan kee burna boy. Firstly Beyonce already sold out twice of that stadium and the third date is the one still on sale with twice the amount of Burna boy’s ticket. Burna boy being less expensive and I mean cheap enough for anybody over there to afford, he still did “buy one ticket and get one free”,can never be Beyonce. Y’all should calm down, they never born Burna boy well to dare get compared to the biggest living artiste. Y’all think this is Africa where you disregard female musicians..Burna has the rest of his life to keep trying to meet up with Beyonce, which isn’t happening.
t_2collins: Apart from price, Beyoncé needs to understand that people have outgrown her type of song. Afrobeat is the future and legacy
elovina_bespokeandaccessories: Beyoncé’s price is higher na. She had a show recently in America. Even her die hard fans were seriously complaining they couldn’t afford it. It was $1k that’s straight buy value o not resell.
thecreatives_woo: Well burna shoes would be €50 to €70/100. And Beyoncé won is like €2500 or higher .. which do you think would sell faster?
peaceememjonathan: Make una rest… see who una won compete with.. Biko we get bigger problem for dis country
hotice_offical:You think beyonce ticket is 100 euro Dey play go check her ticket is from standing 500 euros setting down 1000k euros from roll 3k 5k some country is 12k 15k dollars ooo
lawrix: Prices definitely different.. but burna is doing great
Bullhaus Entertainment’s Creative Director, Lawrence Nana Asiamah Hanson, also known as Bullgod, has revealed that his team is in discussions with the Inspector General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare, to construct state-of-the-art prison cells.
In a gbconline.com report, Bullgod, who claims to have been in and out of prison cells approximately ten times, expressed dissatisfaction with the current designs of prison cells.
“Cells are more challenging than prisons. Prisons are a bit easier because they resemble a compound house with cells. You can stretch your legs in the morning. In cells, you can’t move.
“There are people who sit in the same spot for 2-3 years, and nobody will feed you if you don’t have someone taking care of you,” he explained the difference between cells and prisons.
Bullgod further revealed that he and his team have designed aesthetically pleasing mini prison cells.
“It’s like a mini prison where you can stretch in the morning because it’s depressing,” he said.
According to Bullgod, his 11-month stay in cells over the alleged murder of Fennec Okyere, the former manager of Kwaw Kese, inspired him to build new cells.
Nigerian media personality Chude Jideonwo, popular Nigerian comedian and actor, AY, has opened up about the root of his feud with colleague Basketmouth.
According to AY in a yabaleftonline.ng report, the feud started in 2006 when he stood in for Basketmouth at an event where he was supposed to be paid N30,000.
Basketmouth had multiple gigs on that same day and had asked AY to stand in for him.
However, when AY requested his payment after the event, Basketmouth claimed that the event host was not pleased with his job and had not paid him.
AY recounted how he had gone without food for two weeks and was starving when he asked Basketmouth for the payment owed to him.
However, Basketmouth refused to pay, and AY subsequently discovered that the payment had already been made.
AY then forwarded messages between the event host and Basketmouth, leading to a fight between the two parties.
AY clarified that he did not share the story to get back at Basketmouth, but rather because he was struggling to make ends meet at the time.
He also expressed gratitude to Basketmouth for the opportunity to stand in for him and gain more exposure in the industry.
Popular Ghanaian musician, Evangelist Akwesi Nyarko, was recently seen in a viral video being beaten and stripped after he was allegedly caught with his ex-girlfriend.
The Gospel musician was accused of entering the room with the ex-lover who is allegedly married to another man. When the man wanted to talk, he was punched multiple times and eventually beaten and stripped down naked.
The said video caused many reactions on social media, including that of Akwesi Nyarko‘s ex-wife.
After the whole debacle, the gospel musician has come out to disclose that even though he was outraged with the manner his wife handled the whole issue, things are better between them now.
According to him, the manner his wife acted when the issue got out really got him frustrated to the extent that he nearly committed suicide.
Akwesi Nyarko added that he was saved by the grace of God and as things stand now, he is on talking terms with his wife, even though they both have no plans of getting back together in marriage.
Media personality, Gilbert Aggrey alias Abeiku Santana has shared a copy of his academic transcript following his recent graduation with a Masters degree in Marketing Strategy from the University of Ghana Business School.
The transcript shower an impressive performance by the radio and TV presenter who bagged As in eleven out of the thirteen courses he undertook within two semesters.
His grades in the remaining two courses were B+.
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest,” he captioned his tweet with a quote by former US President, Benjamin Franklin.
Earlier, Abeiku had taken to his social media pages to heap praise on his wife for inspiring him into acquiring three masters degrees.
He said, “My wife is an encouragement and an inspiration. My wife got her master’s degree even before I got my master’s degree. She actually inspired me, but I decided to challenge her.”
He went on to explain how his wife had played a significant role in his academic success. “She allowed me to finish it.
“In fact, she filled out the registration forms, paid for the registration fees and my fees, and made sure that I would go to school and study. She can wake me up or set an alarm for me to go and read and study.”
Abeiku Santana expressed his gratitude to God for giving him a supportive partner who continually motivates him to strive for excellence.
He said, “I thank God for giving me a wonderful and beautiful partner who encourages me to strive for excellence.”
In response to her husband’s achievement, his wife congratulated him and expressed her pride in his accomplishments.
She said, “Congratulations; we are so proud of you. You’ve made us proud; you’ve made the average Ghanaian and all the family proud, and we love you so much.”
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." – Benjamin Franklin
Fast-rising Ghanaian fashion designer, Papa Oppong, has recently made headlines after receiving a message from American billionaire and singer Rihanna.
The talented designer, who is known for his bold and unique designs, was over the moon after receiving the message from the renowned singer.
In his response to Rihanna’s message via a tweet dated March 26, 2023, Papa Oppong expressed his admiration for her, stating that he adored her and couldn’t wait to meet her in person.
He even joked about crying in disbelief at the thought of meeting the pop star.
“Rihanna I adore you! Forever and ever! I can’t wait to meet you and scream and laugh and cry together!!! This can’t be real life!!! I’m gonna go cry right now. Be right back,” Papa Oppong said.
Rihanna I adore you! Forever and ever! I can’t wait to meet you and scream and laugh and cry together!!! This can’t be real life!!! I’m gonna go cry right now. Be right back 😭😭😭😭😭😭🙏🏾♥️#navy4lifepic.twitter.com/HsIyoOJHgH
Rihanna, on the other hand, showed her support for Papa Oppong’s work, congratulating him on his success and expressing her excitement for his future.
She even asked for an autograph, proving that even A-list celebrities can be starstruck by the talent and creativity of others.
“Congratulations man! This is giving me chills! I want an autograph before you get too famous and forget me,” Rihanna wrote Papa Oppong.
The exchange between Papa Oppong and Rihanna has garnered a lot of attention, not just in Ghana but also in the international fashion community.
People are naturally delighted by this connection because it’s uncommon for people to be noticed or acknowledged by a worldwide celebrity like Rihanna.
Member of Parliament for North TonguSamuel Okudzeto Ablakwahas said that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) brand has been damaged by the decision of its lawmakers to vote to approve all the six ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He said the damage may take decades to repair.
In a tweet, he said “The damage these Judases and Esaus have done to our party’s brand and public interest in our caucus may take decades to repair.
“As we struggle to rebuild the NDC may the treacherous elements be exposed and may the good Lord forgive them their trespasses.”
“If we cannot be trusted in opposition when crumbs are at stake, how do we expect the Ghanaian people to send us into government where we shall be entrusted with all of Ghana’s resources,” he added.
The party has also condemned the decision by some of its MPs to throw principle to the wind and pursue their parochial interest by voting for the ministerial nominees.
The party said the action of these renegade MPs only betrays the express will of the NDC and “constitutes a massive stab in the back of the good people of Ghana”.
The party said members, particularly leadership of the Caucus, who stayed true to the principles of the party must be highly commended.
“We will stop at nothing to identify them and publicly laud them in due course,” said a statement issued by the General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey.
“Their loyalty and patriotism will not be forgotten.”
The party said irrespective of the “betrayal”, it continues to join forces with the millions of its supporters, and indeed Ghanaians, who are not happy with the bloated government of Akufo-Addo-Bawumia.
“Undoubtedly, our country currently faces the biggest economic meltdown in living memory,” it said.
“It is therefore unpardonable for any person, not to talk of a Member of Parliament who believes in the ideals of the NDC, to lend support to the ongoing recklessness by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government.”
A National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) has admitted that some of his colleagues were bribed by the ministerial nominees prior to the secret ballot on Friday, March 24.
There has been general disappointment within the rank and file of the largest opposition party after its MPs failed to reject the six ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo despite a directive from the party leadership to do so.
After a heated debate on the report of the Appointments Committee on Thursday, March 23, the motion was put to secret voting the following day.
All the nominees eventually sailed through much to the chagrin of the NDC and its leadership.
Speaking on the matter on TV3‘s The Keypoints on Saturday, March 25, Cape Coast South MP George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan said some of the Majority MPs told them in the face that “some of our people have been bought”.
He said this matter was taken seriously by the leadership of the Minority Caucus and some of his colleagues were approached and interrogated.
The former Deputy Finance Minister said some of the culprit NDC MPs denied and said “all sort of things”.
For him, there is no doubt that bribery took place prior to the voting process.
“I don’t know how much they gave them but I don’t think what they gave them will solve their problems,” he fumed, condemning the seeming treachery by his colleague MPs.
He has called for investigations into the incident, saying if not unravelled some of them will no longer engage in any voting process in the House.
Prior to the votes on Friday, the Minority was confident of having some members of the Majority on its side, given a precedent that saw the election of the Speaker of Parliament in 2021.
Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson had told journalists that his caucus was ready for the secret ballot but the Majority was rather running away from it. This was after the Speaker had suspended sitting to meet leadership of the House.
He was taken aback by the outcome.
“Once again, I want to express my disappointment, but I am also grateful for the efforts of those who worked to represent our collective vision for a better Ghana,” he wrote on Saturday. “Let us continue to strive toward a brighter future.”
US Vice President Kamala Harris was warmly welcomed by the Vice President of Ghana Dr Mahamudu Bawumia when she arrived at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in Accra on Sunday, March 26.
She is expected to meet President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and some government officials.
She will discuss regional and global priorities with the officials.
Among these priorities are democracy, sustainable economic growth, food security and the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war.
US Vice President Kamala Harris receives a heartfelt welcome from Dr Bawumia as she arrives at the Kotoka International Airport, strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the United States and Ghana. 🇬🇭🇺🇸#TV3GH#3NewsGHpic.twitter.com/lE1hVvjkBQ
“The Vice President will strengthen people-to-people ties and engage with civil society, including young leaders, business representatives, entrepreneurs, and members of the African Diaspora,” an earlier statement issued by the White House on Monday, March 13 said.
Kamala Harris is on a three-day official state visit to the West African nation ahead of similar visits to Tanzania and Zambia in the course of the week.
She touched down at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on Sunday, March 26.
In a tweet on Monday morning to welcome the US VP, Mr Mahama said the visit, which follows previous ones by US Presidents in the past, “re-affirms the durable friendship between Ghana and USA”.
Welcome @VP Harris to Ghana. Your visit following previous visits by Presidents of the U.S.A. in 1998, 2008 and 2009, re-affirms the durable friendship between Ghana & USA. It further demonstrates US's growing interest in Africa. 1/2
“It further demonstrates US’s growing interest in Africa.”
Ghana’s Vice President between 2009 and 2012 expressed hope that the visit will enhance collaboration between US and Africa “to provide the needed support for economic cooperation, youth development and employment and enhanced security for global safety”.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has called out members of the minority caucus who broke rank to defy the directive of the National Democratic Congress in approving some six ministers nominated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
In a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb, Mr Ablakwa likened the MPs to the biblical Judas and Essaus while questioning why they were not able to state their objection to the party’s directive or defend their decision to break ranks.
“The traitors should have mustered courage and exhibited a modicum of sincerity during our numerous strategy sessions by informing us that they disagreed with our fundamental objection to President Akufo-Addo’s misguided penchant for an obscenely bloated government.
“No one is convinced that these fifth columnists acted in good conscience, with honourable intentions, and in the national interest. If they did, why are they hiding in rat holes and afraid to publicly own up and defend their treachery?” he shared in a Facebook post while issuing an apology to the people of Ghana on behalf of the minority caucus.
Prior to the vetting of the nominees by the Appointments Committee of Parliament, the NDC had issued a directive to its MPs to reject the nominees in demand for a reduction in the size of the current government.
However, when the House on Friday, March 24, 2023, conducted a secret ballot on the nominees, all six acquired overwhelming votes despite the equal numbers on both sides of the House.
According to Mr Ablakwa, the breakaway MPs by the actions have caused damage to NDC’s “brand and public trust in our caucus may take decades to repair.”
He, however, pleaded with Ghanaians to “at least recognise that a clear majority of NDC MPs did not participate in this grand betrayal — that should offer some compensation and some genuine hope.”
Read his full post below:
The NDC Caucus in Parliament certainly owe the Ghanaian people an unqualified apology.
We are deeply sorry.
The traitors should have mustered courage and exhibited a modicum of sincerity during our numerous strategy sessions by informing us that they disagreed with our fundamental objection to President Akufo-Addo’s misguided penchant for an obscenely bloated government.
No one is convinced that these fifth columnists acted in good conscience, with honourable intentions, and in the national interest. If they did, why are they hiding in rat holes and afraid to publicly own up and defend their treachery. The damage these Judases and Esaus have done to our party’s brand and public trust in our caucus may take decades to repair.
As we struggle to rebuild public confidence in the NDC, may the treacherous elements be exposed and may the Good Lord forgive them their trespasses.
If we cannot be trusted in opposition when crumbs are at stake, how do we expect the Ghanaian people to send us into government where we shall be entrusted with all of Ghana’s resources?
If privileged party elites conduct themselves in this manner at the top, what are we inviting our party agents at the branches to do on December 7, 2024 when they are tempted?
I must, however, salute the over 90 gallant NDC MPs who refused to bow to Baal and kept faith with the suffering masses.
It is worth pleading with Ghanaians to at least recognise that a clear majority of NDC MPs did not participate in this grand betrayal — that should offer some compensation and some genuine hope.
As heart wrenching as this episode has been, we fervently pray that the good people of Ghana and our loyal party members would not give up on us.
Please find a place in your hearts to forgive us; and watch us work extra hard like never before, and with the purest of integrity as we seek to regain your trust and save our dear country, particularly in this period of self-inflicted economic crisis.
May I conclude by soberly requesting all colleagues on both sides of the House to reflect on the epic happenings in the British House of Commons some four centuries ago which led to the historic dissolution speech of Oliver Cromwell on 20th April, 1653 as reproduced below:
“It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.
Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter’d your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?
Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil’d this sacred place, and turn’d the Lord’s temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress’d, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.
Dr Kofi Amoah, one of Ghana’s successful businessmen and economists, has advised the government to revisit and review its free trade policy as it tries to drain revenue domestically to finance its development.
According to Kofi Amoah, one of the surest ways for the government to stimulate growth in the local economy is to provide a conducive environment for local production to thrive.
He is, therefore, admonishing that some form of protectionist approach should be deployed to ward off the unfair and incessant influx of foreign products onto the local market.
This he believes would provide the impetus for local manufacturers to thrive, invariably driving up job creation and revenue mobilization.
In a series of tweets on his verified Twitter handle @amoah_citizen, Dr Amoah posited that all developed economies at some stage in their development adopted a protectionist approach to help their infant industries to grow.
“A country’s international trade practices may retard or accelerate her progress Ghana/Africa is poor partly due to the timidity to do what’s right and in their interest instead of what they have been told to do which benefits outsiders more. Successful countries use tariffs and other policy instruments to protect their domestic markets from unhealthy competition.
“Today’s successful countries protected their internal markets for their young, inexperienced companies from outsiders Ghana’s wrong policy of free entry of products from more experienced foreign companies will kill our efforts 4 domestic production and JOBS.”
Dumping
Asked by one of his followers why prices on local producers cannot be reduced to match that of imported products, Dr Amoah pointed to the phenomenon of dumping and reemphasized that it is part of the reasons Ghana must not open its borders to every imported product.
“ There’s something called DUMPING… that’s when a country targets a specific product market in another country to underprice the native producers of that product; due to the foreigners lower pricing (better quality n packaging), consumers prefer to buy their products and eventually kills the domestic producer for lack of patronage. Please note that the lower pricing of the imported product is below the cost of making the product or sells higher in the exporter’s country than in the importing market After killing domestic competition, they raise the price as a monopolist, causing trade injury to the importing country.”
Learning by doing
Dr Amoah also called for patience for domestic producers whose quality may not immediately match up to that of imported products from more advanced economies. He argues that without bold policies Ghana and Africa will always bend to the needs of its colonial masters at the detriment of its citizens.
“ This is why it’s important for Ghana/Africa to protect their nascent producers for some time to make room for a “learning-by-doing” period, which helps to improve product quality, packaging and pricing It’s the reason countries impose high tariffs (taxes) on imports to protect home-made products and create JOBS at home!”
Protect 1D1F policy, infant companies from external predators
Dr Amoah said the government’s flagship 1D1F policy will not bear fruits if policies are not adopted to give it meaning. Speaking to GhanaWeb to expand further on the topic, Dr Amoah said: “ I don’t know how many times we must keep warning our policymakers about some of the rudiments and indispensable nature of post-colonial economic and social development
Now we can see how a 1d1f policy may sound good in concept but in practice becomes an albatross if you don’t join it up with a serious policy that protects your infant companies from external predators.
Almost all of Ghana’s post-colonial classmates enacted some protection for their new/young local businesses from external competition in their domestic markets… a practice that started with the UK, US, Germany, Japan to be continued by China and the Asian Tigers … but unfortunately to be ignored incomprehensibly by the independent African countries, taking advice from their colonial masters who still wanted and needed access to these African markets for the products of their factories.
The video of the Ghana Gas Cylinder company that has now been closed and their workers sent home because of easy entry by Chinese companies into Ghana is a practical manifestation of the consequences of free trade policy of a third-world economy.
Africa as a block must review her membership of the WTO and use her markets as an asset for the benefit of Africa first… and buy time to be efficient and competitive to strengthen her homegrown companies to be able to participate effectively and profitably in their domestic as well as in the global markets
This must be seen as an existential matter for Africa and its dismissiveness has been a key cause of the lack of growth and progress since independence and will continue into the future if Africa continues to ignore it. “
The Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris, arrived in Accra, on Sunday, March 26, 2023, for her state tour of the African Continent.
Kamala Harris said that her visit to the African Continent forms part of efforts to strengthen the relationship between the US and African countries.
According to her, Africa with its human and natural resources will in the near future play a very critical role in the development of the world.
“I’m very excited about the future of Africa. I’m very excited about the impact of the future of Africa on the rest of the world including, the United States of America.
“When I look at what is happening on this continent and the fact that the median age is 19 years old. And what that tells us about the growth of opportunities, of innovation, of possibilities; I see in all of that great opportunity not only for the people of this continent but the people of the world.
“Especially when we understand that by the year 2050, we believe one in four people on earth will be on the continent of Africa,” Harris said in her first remark at the Kotoka International Airport after alighting from Air Force 2.
The US vice president is expected to have a bilateral meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday, March 27. On Tuesday, she will deliver a speech at a special event at the Black Star Square and visit the Cape Coast slave castle.
On Wednesday, Kamala Harris is expected to meet with women entrepreneurs and discuss the economic empowerment of women, where she will announce continent-wide public and private sector investments by the US government.
The US vice president will leave Ghana for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in the afternoon on Wednesday (March 29, 2023), where she be for some days before departing for a final
The Greater Accra, Central Region as well as the Kusasi Community Chiefs and Queen Mothers have urged the government and other stakeholders to step up efforts to bring peace to Bawku.
The group called on the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to expedite investigations into the killings of unarmed citizens by some military personnel in Bawku last February when speaking to the media in Accra on Wednesday.
According to the group, this would contribute to peace in Bawku and its surroundings.
The press conference jointly presided over by the Greater Accra Kusasi Chief, Alhaji Hamidu Abugri and the Central Region Kusasi Chief, Alhaji Apam Nuhu was attended by Kusasi residents from Accra, Kumasi, Goaso, Tema and other parts of the country.
The Group, during, the programme hoisted placards with inscriptions such as “Government should solve Bawku’s problem once,” “The Kusaug Traditional Area has 25 Divisional Chiefs and None is a Mamprusi,” “Government must arrest Abugre and prosecute Him,” “We want justice for the nine killed by the Military,” “The Supreme Court ruled in favour of Kusasi in April 2003, and “We want peace in Bawku, Mr. President.”
Alhaji Nuhu, Central Region Kusasi Chief who read the statement on behalf of the Group, said authorities must ensure the return to post of His Lordship Justice Alexander Graham of Bolgatanga High Court Two, who was allegedly threatened and driven out of Bolgatanga.
“To allow a judge to be intimidated and threatened to desert his post will send the wrong signal to those in the region who think they are above the law, we call on government to ensure the safety and security of all judges in Bolgatanga and in the region,” he stated.
To return lasting peace in Bawku, Alhaji Nuhu said authorities had to arrest and prosecute Seidu Abagre, whose arrest warrant was secured over a month ago.
He said the inability to arrest and prosecute him did not inspire confidence in the “professional and intelligence competence” of the security agencies.
Alhaji Nuhu expressed disappointment about the inability of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior to visit Bawku, following the disturbances in the area, citing security reasons.
He pledged that for peace to prevail in Bawku and its environs, expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his tireless efforts to bring peace to Bawku, and the security agencies on the ground at Bawku who were protecting life and property at the risk of their own lives.
“We acknowledge with great admiration and appreciation, the exceptional leadership of Zugran Abugrago Asigri Azoka II, Bawku Naba and Paramount Chief of Kusaug Traditional Area which is helping peace to prevail in Bawku and its environs,” he said.
Because dental health is a contributing factor in a number of chronic conditions, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory issues, Ghanaians have been encouraged to prioritise their mouth health.
In order to protect the main teeth and ensure early detection of oro-facial abnormalities, they must regularly visit the dentist.
On Monday, the Duala Medical Center in Burma Camp hosted the annual World Oral Hygiene Day (WOHD) celebration. The officer in command of the dental division at the 37 Military Hospital, Colonel Halidu Salifu Ayinga, made this statement.
It was held on the theme “Be proud of your mouth for a lifetime of smiles.”
He underscored the need for parents to take their children on regular visits to the dentist at an early age to detect any dental health-related diseases and address them before they become worse.
He noted that dental health was a major health concern in the country as at least 80 percent of adults between the ages of 35 and 44 years were affected by gum diseases, while another 40 percent of 12-year-old suffer from decayed, missing teeth, stained teeth and bad breath.
“Oral diseases negatively impact people throughout their lives, causing pain, discomfort, social isolation and loss of self-esteem. Most oral health conditions are largely preventable,” he explained.
He expressed worry over the lack of coordination between Oral Health Education and Public Health as far as policy was concerned.
“There are tremendous opportunities for prevention to significantly reduce the morbidity associated with oral health diseases if we synchronise policy and work together,” he emphasised.
The FDI World Dental Federation (WDF) Ambassador, Dr. Louisa Satekele, noted that Ghana was making strides in ensuring improved dental care in the country, however, more needed to be done in the rural areas.
She hinted at the WDF and the Ghana Dental Association’s desire to partner the government and all stakeholders to ensure equal access to quality dental care for all Ghanaians.
She added that on the occasion of WOHD “let us take a moment to reflect on the importance of good oral health and renew our commitment to promoting good oral hygiene practices, to ensure that every Ghanaian has a beautiful smile.”
A Clinical Health Psychologist, Ms. Anita Paddy, said bad dental hygiene could lead to “Halitophobia” (also known as the fear of having bad breath) which was a form of mental health problem.
She explained that if the phobia was not quickly addressed, it could lead to low self-esteem and eventually suicide.
“We the professionals at the therapy and wellness department can assist you by recommending further tests to clear the doubt of halitosis and subsequently counselling,” she explained.
The Ceremony was climaxed with a free dental health screening of military personnel and civilians within the Burma Camp enclave.
John Dramani Mahama, a prospective presidential contender for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), started his three-day campaign visit to the Western Region on March 24, 2023.
He is anticipated to communicate with branch and constituency executives from each of the region’s 17 constituencies.
On March 26, 2023, a Sunday, the former president is speaking with NDC voters in the Ellembelle Constituency.
Mahama, who has officially announced his candidature for the position of NDC presidential candidate, is currently visiting every constituency to urge party members to support him in the primary elections, which are set for May 13, 2023.
Dr. Frederick Mac-Palm, who was the main suspect in a treason investigation and was accused of attempting to overthrow President Akufo-Addo, has reportedly passed away.
Although there are few specifics on how he passed away, he was reportedly found unconscious in the wee hours of March 25, 2023, according to a citinewsroom.com story.
The report also stated that when he arrived at the hospital, he was already dead.
Background
Dr. Mac-Palm together with two others; Ezor Kafui and Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu, was on Friday, September 20, 2019, picked up by a joint team from the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) for plotting a coup against the presidency with the intent to destabilize the country.
The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, in a press release revealed how state agencies detected and foiled a planned attack on the Jubilee House leading to the retrieval of several arms, explosive devices, and ammunition from Alajo and Bawaleshie in Accra and Dodowa respectfully.
Following the alleged coup attempt, the three accused persons were today, September 24 arraigned before the Kaneshie District Court and slapped with five charges.
Some of the charges they’re faced with are conspiracy to commit crimes; to wit manufacturing of arms and ammunition without lawful authority, possessing explosives and firearms without lawful excuse, and manufacture of firearms without lawful authority.
But reacting to the charges after court proceedings, Dr. Mac-Palm while being escorted by the BNI to his vehicle shouted by pleading innocent to the charges levelled against him.
According to him, he knows the truth will definitely come out for him to be vindicated so he is not in any way bothered about the whole issue.
However, the Kaneshie District Court presided over by the magistrate, Rosemond Dodua Agyiri, has remanded the alleged coup plotters into BNI custody and ordered that family members and lawyers be allowed to visit the accused persons.
This follows after the prosecutor, ASP Sylvester Asare asked the court to remand the three suspects into BNI custody to enable them to continue with investigations smoothly.
The request was objected to by the defence attorneys who argued that the State should have been ready to prosecute the case if any, due to the number of days the accused person has been with them.
But the magistrate granted the request by the prosecution and urged them to expedite their investigations.
The case has been adjourned to October 9, 2019. A fourth suspect only named as Sulley is currently on the run.
According to Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the ECOWAS Commission, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Vision 2050 must be understood, owned, and committed to by member states if they are to succeed.
This, he claimed, was due to the fact that the ECOWAS Vision 2020’s implementation lessons had demonstrated that in order for the vision 2050 to be effective, it would need more than just political will and leadership.
In his speech entitled “Retrospection of State-Citizens Relations in West Africa: Implications for the Realization of ECOWAS Vision 2050,” Dr. Musah made this statement on Tuesday at the beginning of the 17th General Assembly, Fellows Conference, and Partners Forum of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP).
The three-day conference is being held on the theme “ECOWAS Vision 2050: Towards an enhanced state-citizens relationship.”
Having the mantra “ECOWAS of the People: Peace and Prosperity for All”, the ECOWAS Vision 2050 reads as “A fully integrated community of people in a peaceful, prosperous region with strong institutions and respect for fundamental freedoms and working towards inclusive and sustainable development.”
Its five pillars include a secure, stable and peaceful region; a region endowed with strong institutions complies with the rule of law and fundamental freedoms and a fully integrated and prosperous region.
The others are a region mobilised for transformation, inclusive and sustainable development as well as a community of people fully inclusive of women, youth and children.
Dr. Musah emphasised that Vision 2050 placed the well-being of West African citizens and their development at the heart of its agenda and sought to promote an inclusive society in which special attention was paid to the most vulnerable segment of the population, especially women and young people.
However, Dr. Musah said the projected goals of Vision 2050 faced the risk of non-accomplishment in the face of shocks associated with the political, economic, social and environmental landscape.
It was for that reason, he said ECOWAS had among others raised peace and security, counter-terrorism and good governance, and equitable partnerships to the top of its agenda.
WANEP Executive Director, Dr. Chukwuemeka B. Eze, stated that a key ingredient to enhance the trust and confidence of citizens and the state lay with the way citizens were carried along in the conceptualisation, design and implementation of state policies.
“Deliberate infrastructure that forges citizen-state relationship which goes beyond intergovernmental civil society organisation partnership as exemplified in few good practices such as between WANEP with ECOWAS and AU is needed at member states to rebuild the trust deficit,” he added.
Prof. Oumar Ndongo, Board Chair, WANEP indicated that the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine crisis eroded hard-won gains in security, poverty reduction and gender equity, and showed signs of becoming a permanent fixture in many lives.
In light of that, he said the WANEP stepped up to find ways to respond to constantly shifting circumstances and challenges of human security in West Africa, adding, “we continued to support the efforts of ECOWAS, AU and its member states in finding solutions to our common challenges.”
Accusations that the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government is bloated have been debunked by Richard Ahiagbah, the NPP’s director of communications.
He claims that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) members are behind this narration in an effort to harm the government’s reputation with Ghanaians.
According to Richard Ahiagbah, who was speaking on JoyNews’ NewsFile show, Akufo-Addo has drastically cut the size of his administration, and for the first time in Ghana’s history, there are no regional ministers.
“From the first term till now, you will agree with me that the size of government tremendously has been reduced.
“This is the one time in our history where we don’t have deputy regional ministers, for the first time we have that, so there are significant concessions made in that direction.
“There is his disinformation by the NDC… they are just interested in creating the impression in the minds of people for them to say that the size of government should be cut,” he said.
The NPP communication director also noted that the number of appointees in the country currently are needed to help the president achieve his objectives.
“We shouldn’t overlook the fact that there’s a mandate given the president, he needs a team to do it… if he does not deliver, he cannot come and say it was because his budget was reduced,” he said.
He added that the government has also cut its expenditure to the extent that ministers who are also members of Parliament are only being paid as MPs.
In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau outlined a three-pronged strategy for dealing with China: engagement, competition, and confrontation. This came ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between Joe Biden, the president of the United States, and Trudeau, where the two Western leaders are expected to discuss a number of security-related topics.
In an interview with CNN’s Paula Newton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that Canada wants to “engage constructively” with China on matters like climate change while continuing to criticise its policies in matters like security and human rights. We must remain vigilant and aware of the danger China poses and seeks to pose to the stability of our democracies, he warned.
Trudeau will meet with Biden later Thursday, marking the US President’s first official overnight visit to the country since entering the White House more than two years ago. The trip is anticipated to underscore the neighbors’ close diplomatic, economic and security ties.
“Growing our economy, creating good jobs for people in a changing world, how we’re going to be holding off the rise of authoritarianism, defending our democracies, how we’re going to be continuing to step up on the fight against climate change …there’s so much that we can do together and so much greater impact that we have around the world when we do it together,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau, the longest-serving leader in the G7, has been an ally to Biden in providing military and financial assistance to Kyiv since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. At home, the US and Canada also share a number of domestic security concerns, from foreign election meddling to the handling of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over North America in recent months.
Canadian and US skies are jointly protected by the bilateral agency North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which shot down three airborne objects in February amid fears of Chinese spying. One was identified as a Chinese surveillance balloon, which Beijing described as a civilian airship that accidentally entered US airspace.
Both governments are also scrutinizing less tangible potential threats from overseas. Popular social media app TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese parent company, has recently been banned from government devices in both countries. And earlier this month, Trudeau said an independent report had confirmed Chinese election meddling attempts in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections – an accusation which Beijing has described as “total nonsense.”
Trudeau told Newton that he envisioned a range of ways of dealing with China’s growing power.
“One of the things we have to remember is China is the second largest economy in the world and continues to grow. We are going to have to – in some circumstances – engage constructively with China like we did around the conference on biodiversity that we hosted with them in Montreal,” he said, referring to the United Nations COP15 summit in December.
“There’s other places where we’re going to have to be stiff competition to China in terms of market access (and) in terms of investments in the Global South. We need to be able to show that the Western democracies are there to make those investments and they’re as competitive to China,” he said.
“But there are also areas in which we’re going to have to directly challenge China, whether it’s on human rights, whether it’s on security behaviors, whether it’s on cyber attacks or concerns like that. We’re going to have to continue to be wide-eyed and clear about the threat that China poses and wants to pose to the stability of our democracies.”
In 2021, China and Canada ended a bitter standoff over nationals detained in each country; Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were released after being held in China for nearly three years on espionage charges, while Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was allowed to return to China after being arrested in Vancouver on a US warrant. China has consistently denied that the cases were in any way connected.
A series of controversies involving China have also dogged Trudeau in recent months.
In early March, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, named for his father, said it would refund a major donation after local media reported that it had received $150,000 in 2016 from two wealthy Chinese businessmen to fund scholarships and leadership programs.
The Foundation said in a statement that it does not accept any donation that “may have been sponsored by a foreign government.”
In a separate incident, member of parliament Han Dong left Trudeau’s Liberal party after reports emerged in Canadian media that he had suggested to a Chinese diplomat that the federal Conservative Party would benefit politically if Beijing released the two Michaels.
CNN is not able to independently verify those reports. Trudeau told Newton on Thursday that he learned of Dong’s meeting through media reports.
Dong, who confirmed the meeting took place but denies the alleged comments, will now sit as an independent.
“I want to assure Mr. Michael Spavor and Mr. Michael Kovrig and their families that I did nothing to cause them any harm. Like everyone in this House, I worked hard and advocated for their interest as a parliamentarian. The allegations made against me are as false as the ones made against you,” he said Wednesday night in an emotional statement in Canada’s parliament.
Trudeau also teased a possible migration deal with the United States in the interview, saying that “we hopefully will be able to make to make an announcement to reassure Canadians and Americans that we continue to handle migration seriously.”
Growing numbers of migrants and asylum seekers at the US southern border have resulted in waves of migration northward. Canada, which ranks as the top country on Gallup’s Migrant Acceptance Index, saw record migration last year, which in turn bumped its population growth to unprecedented levels.
In late 2022, the Canadian government also announced that it aimed to bring in 1.5 million immigrants by 2025 to bolster the gap in its economy created by an aging population.
But conservatives in Canada have criticized the migration surge – particularly through the unofficial border crossing Roxham Road, a remote street that connects the US and Canada.
Some asylum seekers have focused on that border crossing as one where they can request protection from Canada despite having passed through the United States – a strategy that they would not normally be able to use under the Safe Third Country Agreement.
Signed in 2002, the pact applies to people transiting through a country where they could have claimed asylum because it’s deemed safe. It means that anyone entering a land port of entry could be ineligible to make a claim and therefore be returned to the US. Because Roxham Road is not an official crossing, people who transit there can still request asylum in Canada.
“Canada is always willing to do more,” Trudeau told Newton. “We’re a country that has been built like the United States on welcoming people from around the world. We just need to make sure we’re doing it in responsible proper ways to continue to have our citizens positive towards immigration, as Canadians always are.”
Also expected on the two leaders’ agenda Thursday is Haiti, the Caribbean nation plagued with gang violence and political instability from which many recent migrants in North America originate.
Earlier this week, the United Nations reiterated its call to the international community to deploy a force to Haiti to restore peace to the Caribbean nation, where gang-led violence is “spiraling out of control.” But member states have so far have been reluctant to heed the call, amid deep skepticism among Haitians.
Trudeau’s government too has stopped short of offering any military presence on the ground in Haiti, though it has sent Canadian surveillance aircraft and naval vessels to the country in addition to aid.
The Prime Minister said other nations should step up sanctions on Haitian elites, whom he blamed for encouraging chaos in the country.
“The simplest external solutions are not always the best way to help,” he told Newton of military intervention.
Some roads in Accra and other parts of the country will be blocked from today, Sunday March 26, 2023, following the arrival of US Vice President, Kamala Harris.
Details as announced by the Ghana Police Service indicates that the said roads include the Liberation road and the Ako Adjei interchange all in Accra.
On Sunday, March 26, 2023, “between the hours of midday and 4:00 pm, there will be intermittent roadblocks along the Liberation Road from the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) traffic intersection, through Opeibea, up to the National Theatre.”
On Monday, March 26, 2023, “between the hours of 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, there will be intermittent roadblocks from the National Theatre, through the AU Roundabout to the Jubilee House, and from the Jubilee House to the Emmanuel Eye Clinic area at Shiashie.
“There will also be intermittent roadblocks from the Ako Adjei Interchange through to the Labone Secondary School area and along the John Evans Atta Mills High Street and onto the Bukom Boxing Arena.”
Tuesday, 28th March, 2023, Traffic Arrangements Within Accra and Cape Coast
“In Accra, between the hours of 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, there will be intermittent roadblocks from the National Theatre, through the Ministries Traffic Intersection up to Castle Traffic Light at the Black Star Square.
“In Cape Coast between midday to 6:00 pm, there will be intermittent roadblocks from the Robert Mensah Sports Stadium, through Bakano Road and Aminstimadzi Road to Omanhene’s Palace and from the Omanhene’s Palace through Beace Road, up to the Cape Coast Castle.”
Wednesday, 29th March, 2023, Traffic Arrangements within Accra
“Between the hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, there will be intermittent roadblocks from the National Theatre through the Jubilee House along the Liberation Road, up to the Pawpaw Street area in East Legon.”
The police have since urged all motorists within these areas to exercise patience with the police, while urging that they use alternate routes.
Detailed police officers are also expected to be deployed along these streets, the police statement added.
