President Akufo-Addo stated, “The government’s set resolution remains to develop a strong and healthy economy to face the global economic and social pressure of the time,” at the First Sky Group’s 20th anniversary thanksgiving service in Accra.
“I acknowledge that the nation’s economy has not performed as well as we had hoped, but I can promise you that my government is still committed to making every effort to improve the situation.
I am of the strongest conviction that we will turn the corner, there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel and Ghanaians will surely experience better days again,” the President said.
The Thanksgiving service, which was on the theme: “The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad,” attracted ministers of state, Parliamentarians, clergy, Judiciary, the Vice president of Liberia Dr Jewel Howard Taylor, traditional leaders and management, staff partners and other stakeholders of the company to show gratitude to God for His protection throughout the 20 years of the existence of the company.
Touching on the National Cathedral, President Akufo-Addo said he was satisafied with the progress so far and urged the Ghanaian Christian community, both here and the diaspora, all churches, faith-based organizations, companies and well-meaning Ghanaians to passionately support funding efforts to ensure completion of the National Cathedral project despite the numerous criticisms.
“My commitment to see this pledge become a reality is unwavering and I believe with the help of the Almighty God and your support, we can do it. The example of First Sky Group as a Christian business is worth emulating, as it is on record as one of the first companies to publicly support this vision and mission with an amount of Two Million Ghana Cedis.”
The Founder and Executive Chairman of First Sky Group, Mr Eric Seddy Kutortse, in a welcome address said despite the global economic, social and political developments with direct and indirect impact on the Ghanaian economy, the power of God as the underlying factor and driving force had sustained and preserved the company throughout the year.
“We did not lay off any worker or did any worker experience any pay cut, but rather improved welfare of workers and also increase in our staff strength by 410 bringing it to 5,120 total number of workers, both permanent and casual in the entire group, he said.
He said God had been faithful to the Group, leading to the building of other subsidiaries including First Sky Commodities Limited, a Licensed Cocoa Buying company operating in all the cocoa growing areas of Ghana, and Volta Serene Hotel, a 4 Star Luxury hotel.,
Mr Kutortse announced that a joint working committee from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the First Sky Group had been formed and expressed the hope that by the end of the year the kidney transplant centre would be fully operational to cater for patients not only in Ghana but the entire west Africa sub region.
So far, an amount of GH¢26million has been spent on free dialysis for over 300 patients over the years in the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
“We will also continue with our church building project across the country. So far, 71 churches have been completed and 3 more earmarked for this year 2023,” he added.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is livid over a music video released by American Rapper, Meek Mill, shot at the Jubilee House, the seat of Ghana’s government.
He has thus called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sack persons who allowed the rapper to “desecrate” the Jubilee House with his “explicit lyrics”.
Mr. Ablakwa raised the concerns on his social media handles after Meek Mill released portions of the video via Instagram reel.
The crew later stood in front of the lectern mostly used by the President during nation addresses, to take some shots.
In a Facebook post, the North Tongu legislator wondered if the Jubilee House, which is the seat of government is no longer a security installation.
“All those responsible for this despicable desecration of the Jubilee House by Meek Mill must be fired immediately,” Mr. Ablakwa fumed.
Black Galaxies defender Solomon Adomako has emerged as a transfer target for Ghanaian giants, Hearts of Oak.
The 21-year-old has been impressive since joining Great Olympics from Division One League outfit Young Apostles in 2021.
The defender is enjoying an amazing season with the Dade boys and has become a subject of interest for several clubs.
Per Nkrataasem.com reports, Slavko Matic is huge admirer of the enterprising defender and has therefore requested for his signing in the ongoing transfer window.
It is said management of the Phobian team have agreed Matic’s requested and have begun talks with Olympics in a bid to secure the services of the player.
The Serbia tactician who replaced Samuel Boadu is building a formidable and all round team capable of competing for the league title.
The 49-year-old gaffer after watching Solomon Adomako play for the Black Galaxies when his outfit[Hearts of Oak] faced them in a friendly in Prampram got impressed. The center-back caught the eye of the coach and he is eager to have him in his team.
Matic considers Solomon Adomako as the best replacement for defender Mohammed Alhassan who has been offloaded.
Adomako joined Ghana Premier League side Great Olympics last season from Division One League side Young Apostles and has since exhibited high level of football and commitment in his second season.
His sterling performance with the Dade Boys earned him a call-up to Black Galaxies for the 2022 CHAN tournament set to commence in Algeria.
He felt that Mr. Kyerematen’s resignation should have been accepted sooner, but he cannot be held accountable because his continued service in the position was due to a call to duty.
Prof. Adu-Gyamfi emphasized that “once he sets out to achieve this, we are expecting that he would make it count” and said that “He is a viable Candidate.”
Kylian Mbappe has accused Noel Le Graet of disrespecting Zinedine Zidane after the French Football Federation president’s dismissive response to suggestions the former Real Madrid coach could join Brazil.
On Saturday, it was announced Didier Deschamps had signed a new four-year contract as France head coach, allowing him to lead Les Bleus at a fourth World Cup in 2026.
Former France talisman Zidane had been linked with his country’s top job on several occasions, including in the aftermath of their World Cup final defeat against Argentina last month.
However, with that position set to be occupied for the foreseeable future, Zidane has been suggested as a potential candidate to succeed Tite as Brazil’s head coach.
Asked about speculation linking Zidane with the Selecao on Sunday, Le Graet told RMC he did not “give a toss” where the 1998 World Cup winner went and added he would not answer the phone to the former midfielder.
Those comments attracted criticism from star player Mbappe, who wrote on Twitter: “Zidane is France, we don’t disrespect the legend like that…”
Zidane has been out of work since leaving Madrid in 2021, having led Los Blancos to three Champions League triumphs and two LaLiga titles across two spells at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Roma head coach Jose Mourinho is set to take over as the next boss of Brazil, according to former Selecao international Carlos Alberto.
Brazil are on the lookout for a new head coach after Tite stepped down, as planned, following Brazil’s disappointing defeat to Croatia in the World Cup quarter-finals last month.
Mourinho is one of a number of names reportedly in the frame, while the 59-year-old has also been touted as a possible target for Portugal following Fernando Santos’ departure, though Roberto Martinez seems to be the frontrunner for that job.
Carlos Alberto, who won the Champions League under Mourinho at Porto, says he has been offered the chance to work alongside the Portuguese as part of Brazil’s coaching staff.
“I was going to drop a bomb here, but I can’t,” he told the Mundo GV podcast. “Maybe [Mourinho] is the coach of the Brazilian team. I’m speaking first hand. It’s information.
“It doesn’t matter where the information comes from, I’m giving you the information… because he even invited me [to be his number two].”
Mourinho led Roma to the inaugural Europa Conference League title last season – the Italian side’s first European trophy in more than 60 years.
That was Mourinho’s fifth continental triumph, with the former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter, Manchester United and Tottenham boss having won both the UEFA Cup/Europa League and Champions League on two occasions.
Roma are sixth in Serie A after winning just one of their five matches either side of the World Cup break. They did fight back to draw 2-2 with Milan at San Siro on Sunday, however.
Speaking last week, Roma director Tiago Pinto insisted he expects Mourinho – under contract until the end of next season – to stay on at Stadio Olimpico.
“When you get a coach like Mourinho, you must be accustomed to rumours,” Pinto told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“This was the first time in 18 months that a club or a federation were interested in him. We had no distractions at our training camp in the Algarve, we were only focused on work.
“I am Portuguese and every time we change coach, Mourinho is mentioned, but we count on him for the future.”
During the inaugural meeting of the annual New Year Business Forum, which is put on by the Africa Trade Office and McDan Group, he made the call.
At a private meeting on January 5, 2023, Dr. Daniel McKorley, the meeting’s host, said that given the current economic unrest, it will need strong business people with government assistance to transform Ghana from a developing country to a developed one.
He cited how other developed countries grew with few resources and industries.
He said: “2022 has been a serious struggling year. And we saw things that we have never been seen before in this country. We have seen too many things happening in terms of business.
‘’For us to at least see what we can do to support the government and also if we have any ideas, we take these ideas to government.
“We see how we combine our ideas to make sure that, the business environment becomes a very enjoyable one.
“Because over the years, we have [had] it and yet we are not able to sustain it,” he noted.
He called on his fellow business colleagues to go the Nigeria way.
“Well, see we have had a very weak law and local content. We can go the Nigerian way. In Nigerian, local content is very strong and it’s also about time we toe that line,” he said.
“In Ghana, local businessmen are supposed to have a big say in policy making. However, that is not the case. It looks like the whole business community in Ghana is sitting back watching on for the politicians and government to take decisions. For us, I believe that it’s also about time we strengthened our local content base and with this medium business programme, this is something we intend to take it up,” he added.
Ghana not having a manufacturing plant to process its raw cocoa for exportation was a major discussion which received reactions of frustration from participants of the event. Also, the ineffective roles played by political leaders and the depreciation of Ghana’s currency to the US dollar were discussed.
The New Year Business Forum was aimed at reversing the negative effects of 2022 and seeing businesses on the path to recovery in 2023 and beyond.
The forum brought together 50 business leaders from various industries in Ghana to discuss the lessons learned in 2022 and the strategies for a successful 2023
Media personality and host of Adom TV’s Odo Ahomaso Show, Akumaa Mama Zimbi, is not happy about how the country is being run.
She is blaming the government for the hardship Ghanaians have been forced to endure in recent times.
According to Mama Zimbi, it is high time the country’s leaders put a stop to attributing the challenges bedevilling the economy to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is all they’ve been telling us, and they are not serious. They keep giving COVID as an excuse. What war? What hasn’t happened, COVID affected us but not just Africa, especially Ghana. The whole world was affected. They came out. Things are happening. What are we doing? What are they using the money for?” she said.
Mama Zimbi made these comments when she appeared as a guest hostess on Joy Prime‘s 6th Sense Season 2.
The government has on several occasions blamed the prevailing economic challenges on a multiplicity of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
In March 2022, President Akufo-Addo in his State of the Nation Address said, “Bombs might be dropping on cities half a world away, but they are hitting our pockets here in Ghana.”
But the women’s rights activist is of the view that the government is giving too many excuses for the mismanagement of the country’s resources.
Co-hostess, Roselyn, Araba, Mama Zimbi and Naadu (from left to right)
“Our leaders are self-centered people. They only think of themselves, maybe the wives and kids, and that’s the end of the story. If not today, we wouldn’t go to Korle-Bu, the 37 Military Hospital, Komfo Anokye, Koforidua, Ho, and all the government hospitals to see pregnant women lying on the floor,” the marriage counsellor indicated.
She therefore urged the government to invest wisely in projects that will benefit citizens rather than those that will become an albatross around the nation’s neck.
Sergio Agüero is now just one hat-trick away from Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League record after his treble against Arsenal last weekend.
The Argentine netted all three goals in a comfortable 3-1 victory over the Gunners to bring up his 10th Premier League hat-trick.
Agüero’s first treble came against Wigan Athletic in 2011 with his 10th coming on his 227th appearance.
A hat-trick against Chelsea on Sunday [February 10] would take him level with Shearer but who else is on the list of Premier League hat-trick heroes?
The England star already has eight hat-tricks to his name, just two behind Agüero.
Kane’s first hat-trick came against Leicester in a thrilling 4-3 victory in March 2015.
The striker also scored an incredible six trebles in 2017.
<a href=”https://dugout.com/fcbarcelona/hat-trick-heroes-luis-suarez-helps-to-clobber-cordoba”>Luis Suárez</a>: Now an FC Barcelona hero, Suárez made his name at Liverpool, scoring hat-tricks at will during his four years at the club.
Suárez made a habit of scoring against Norwich, netting three of his six hat-tricks against the Canaries.
The Uruguayan currently sits eighth in the Premier League hat-tricks standings and also has 10 hat-tricks in LaLiga for Barça.
<a href=”https://dugout.com/fcbarcelona/hat-trick-heroes-thierry-henry-haunts-valencia”>Thierry Henry</a>: Tied with Kane and Michael Owen, Theirry Henry was devastating in front of goal for Arsenal.
The Frenchman spent eight years at the Gunners, scoring eight hat-tricks and winning two league titles.
His final treble came in the last match at Highbury as Arsenal won 4-2 against Wigan in 2006.
<a href=”https://dugout.com/liverpoolfc/dream-transfers-robbie-fowler”>Robbie Fowler</a>: A cult hero at Liverpool, Robbie Fowler netted 128 Premier League goals for the Reds.
That included eight hat-tricks as well as one treble for Leeds United.
Fowler also scored 21 league goals in 80 appearances for Manchester City.
Fire has razed down a 14-bedroom apartment at Odomase, in the Sunyani West Municipal capital, destroying personal belongings and property running into thousands of Ghana cedis.
Although there were no casualties, everything in the apartment was burnt to ashes.
The cause of the fire is yet to be known.
The Assistant Divisional Officer Grade Two (ADOII) Kwame Adomako, the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Bono Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the fire started around 2000 hours on Thursday January 5, 2023.
He said people around the neighbourhood were able to rescue the only woman in one of the apartments when the fire started.
Unfortunately, when the personnel of the GNFS reached the scene, the fire had already assumed a dangerous dimension, he stated.
The National Cathedral Secretariat has denied making payments to the tune of GH¢28 million to Cary Summers, an American consultancy firm as charges to allegedly organize a fundraiser in the United States for the National Cathedral project.
The Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, had accused the Secretariat of seeking the services of the firm that specializes in organizing Christian fundraisers to help it raise money to complete the project which subsequently led to the alleged payments.
The Secretariat was also accused of paying the architect for the project, Sir David Adjaye thirty-four percent of the total contract sum.
“The Akufo-Addo Govt & Cathedral Secretariat gave out a colossal GHS28.2million of taxpayer funds to Mr. Cary Summers, an American consultant & CEO of the Nehemiah Group who’s raised less than GHS800k in 3 years,” he posted on his Twitter handle.
But the Secretariat in a six-point press release denied all the allegations.
To the accusation of paying Cary Summers GH¢28 million as consultancy fees, the Secretariat explained that: “there is no contract for Cary Summers, but rather the Nehemiah group—of which Cary Summers, the founding President of the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC, and one of the world’s leading experts on religious theme parks, is the CEO. And this contract is for a set of consultancy services, the most important being the coordination of work on the National Cathedral’s Bible Museum of Africa, and the Biblical Gardens of Africa. As we have indicated, the integration of the Bible Museum –the largest in the world when completed – and the Biblical Gardens are aimed at transforming Ghana into a hub for international pilgrimage and tourism.”
“The work of the National Cathedral’s Bible Museum and Biblical Gardens involves some of the leading global firms, who between them have worked on some of the major museums in the world. They include: Kubik Maltbie; PRD; Cortina Productions; JMC. The payments to the Nehemiah group, therefore, is not to Cary Summers to organize a fundraiser, but to these world-class firms for their work on the Bible Museum and Biblical Gardens.”
The Secretariat said there is neither anything sinister nor hidden about the said contract which is breeding the rumours because “the National Cathedral Secretariat submitted a copy of the report of the completed Concept Design of the Bible Museum and Biblical Gardens to Parliament on December 15, 2022. And we indicated to Parliament that the full concept design report, and all related documentation, is available upon request to the Secretariat.”
The release added that despite these rumours and many others, “the Board and Management of the National Cathedral Project remain focused and committed to the completion of the National Cathedral, and would continue to do so with diligence, integrity, excellence, and accountability.”
Ghanaian Amapiano sensation Mark Kwesi Arthur, popularly known as “DJ Azonto,” says he has done enough to be crowned Artiste of the Year at the upcoming Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA).
According to DJ Azonto, he had produced more hit songs during the year (2022) under review and deserved to be adjudged the Artiste of the Year due to his consistency.
In an interview, the “Fa No Fom” hitmaker revealed that he had toured the entire country of Ghana, performing at more shows than any other artiste.
“Last year alone, I performed at more than 200 shows nationwide, and I don’t think any artiste in Ghana was able to do that.
“I received positive feedback from the fans, and that demonstrated to me how my music was very popular. So I will be disappointed if I don’t win Artiste of the Year,” he said.
Some of Azonto’s groundbreaking hits include “Kaba Ne Skirt,” “Wagaashi,” “Add Wale,” “VGMA,” “Ampe,” “Enfa Bi Da,” as well as the ever-banging song “Fa No Fom.”
He has won numerous awards over the past few months, including Best Song of the Year at the Ghana DJ Awards and Africa Spotlight Artiste of the Year at the Ghana Entertainment/Choice Awards.
Karela United drew goalless with Real Tamale United in their match week 11 game which was played at the Crosby Awuah Memorial Park on Sunday 8th January 2023.
The game was balanced in the opening minutes as both teams battled to score.
In the 38th minute, Kuka got his head on Manaf’s cross, but the goalkeeper saved the effort.
After the break Real Tamale United made three changes in an attempt to get the lead and take all three points.
Karela United also made changes and took control of the midfield battle for some minutes but they failed to find the back of the net.
Karela got a free kick in front of RTU’s goal area in added time but goalkeeper Sheriff was alert to push the ball to corner.
Karela United is 15th on the Ghana Premier League table with 13 points while Real Tamale United is 11th with 15 points. Karela United will play Berekum Chelsea in their next game while Real Tamale United will stay home and play Accra Lions.
Ghanaian Afropop and Highlife singer Wendy Shay has taken a swipe at her critics and simultaneously asked her fans to draw inspiration from her professional journey should they be discouraged.
Wendy made the utterances as she was ending her concert at the West Hills Mall, Weija, Greater Accra Region, Saturday, January 7, 2023.
“I did today’s show for you,” Wendy noted with passion. “Because of you, I am at number 1 on Boomplay. That’s the reason I did this show.”
“Forget social media hate, you people are the real fans,” she stressed.
“We used four days to organise this show,” she revealed.
Addressing “haters” who may mock the fact that “it was a free show,” to undermine the overwhelming attendance, she challenged: “Attempt a free show and let’s see if even a little bird will show up.”
The seriel hitmaker entreated the crowd to take inspiration from her story.
“When I came into this industry, some people said ‘Wendy Shay doesn’t know how to sing’ and ‘Wendy Shay is not talented’,” she recalled.
“Some even said, ‘Wendy Shay is not beautiful’,” she added and showing disgust, invited the audience to take a good look at hervoluptuous”body.” She spun around, bent over, twerked and emphasised: “Look at this nyash [bottom].”
In fact, “I’m prettier than their wives and their girlfriends,” she asserted on the ‘Shay Concert’ stage. The crowd and hypeman were ecstatic. “People who look like insults are insulting me.”
At this juncture, the ‘Heaven’ hitmaker, clad in glittering bum shorts, a push-up bra and elbow-length gloves, all black, instructed everyone who is “discouraged and downcast,” to lift up their hands and make a spiritual declaration “repeating what I say.”
“Say, ‘With God on my side, if Wendy Shay has been able to do it, I can equally do it!” she led as the crowd repeated her words in shouts.
With this done, the Rufftown Records talent and self-acclaimed Queen of Ghana Music performed her September 2021 megahit ‘Heat’ featuring Shay Gang.
Wendy has been named Ghana’s most streamed female artiste on Africa’s biggest audio streaming platform, Boomplay, for the year 2022. She garnered more than 30.9 million streams from more than 2 million listeners.
The data was collated between Mondays, November 1, 2021 and October 31, 2022.
An American influencer, Stacy Thiru has alleged a bloody assault on her by bouncers at an Accra-based night club.
The Boston-based lady posted some content of the assault on her social media pages – specifically on Instagram and Twitter.
Starting January 8, she posted a daytime photo of a bloodied tissue paper with the caption: “got beat up by a bouncer last night t***t night club in ghana.”
24 hours later, she posted a video, ostensibly from the incident the previous night. She had blood oozing from her nose as she spoke in almost sobbing voice.
She captioned the post thus: “this is so embarrassing but it is what it is, don’t go to T***t night club is Ghana.
“It’s not fun and the bouncers are extremely abusive. this isn’t the first time i’ve experienced it at that club but it’s definitely my last,” she added.
Whiles GhanaWeb cannot independently verify why Stacy is in Ghana, it is likely that she is in town to enjoy the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Who is Stacy Thiru
An entertainment website describes her as: Model and social media star who is best recognized for her stacythiru TikTok account.
She is very popular on her verified stacythiru Instagram account where she shares modeling pictures. She is a vlogger who shares content to her Stacy Thiru YouTube channel.
Born on November 7, 1999, Stacy Thiru hails from Boston, United States.
Some followers on social media have been commiserating with her on her predicament.
As compared to Friday’s trading of a buying price of 8.6067 and a selling price of 8.6153. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 11.30 and sold at a rate of 12.20.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 10.8110 and a selling price of 10.8237 as compared to Friday’s trading of a buying price of 10.2334 and a selling price of 10.2445.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 9.5361 and a selling price of 9.5455 as compared to Friday’s trading of a buying price of 9.0633 and a selling price of 9.0723.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 11.50 and sold at a rate of 12.40.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.5221 and a selling price of 0.5226 as compared to Friday’s trading of a buying price of 0.4989 and a selling price of 0.4994.
At a forex bureau in Accra, South African Rand is being bought at a rate of 0.45 and sold at a rate of 0.90.
Great Olympics defender Solomon Adomako was in fine form when the Black Galaxies shared the spoils with Algeria in a pre-CHAN tournament friendly.
The enterprising defender was delight to watch in the Black Galaxies 0-0 stalemate against the North African country at the Nelson Mandela Stadium.
The 21-year-old was handed a starting role and put up an impressive show to propel the home-based national team to share spoils with Algeria, the host country for the upcoming CHAN tournament.
The encounter was expected to access the readiness of the lads ahead of the tournament.
With Great Olympics versatile defender, Solomon Adomako leaving no stone unturned at the backline when he was paired at the heart of defence with Hearts of Oak’s Konadu Yiadom.
Adomako excelled to receive applause from the Algerian fans who visited the stadium.
The former Young Apostle star made six brilliant interceptions which got many talking about. His stand out performance ensured Black Galaxies keep cleansheet with Danlad Ibrahim in post.
Having already, being tipped for greatness Solomon Adomako is expected to command a place in Annor Walker’s team when the 2022 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship starts few days to come.
Though, Adomako is not a well-established center-back or right-back in the Ghana Premier League but has proven his standard with Great Olympics, which merit his inclusion in Black Galaxies.
He is expected to maintain his calm and sterling performance for the tournament as Ghana hope to clinch the title after many years of absence.
The two-time finalist will open their campaign on 15 January against Madagascar before taking on Sudan four days later.
Their final Group C match will be against tournament-favourites Morocco on 23 January 23. Ghana’s all three matches will be played in the city of Constantine.
The tournament is scheduled to kick off on January 13, 2023.
Champions Asante Kotoko left it late to deny Great Olympics as Andrew Appau netted in the 10th minute of added time to give his side a point in a 1-1 draw at the Baba Yara Sports stadium.
Great Olympics were on a poor run heading into the game – with three consecutive defeats, but held their own against the Champions on Sunday.
Abdul Bashiru scored the opener for Great Olympics inside 47 minutes after a scoreless first half. Then on, Olympics frustrated Kotoko for a larger part of the second half but their persistence paid off in added time when Appau headed in a cross to earn them a point.
The result leaves Asante Kotoko in third place level on points with arch rivals Accra Hearts of Oak and Accra Lions who have all amassed 19 points – one point behind leaders Aduana FC who play Bibiani Gold Stars on Monday.
According to him, the quick speed of globalization demanded a trained labor force that was imaginative and dynamic, focused on outcomes, and prepared to offer solutions to the problems currently facing humanity.
“To survive the current economic tendencies, we need people who can think critically and act creatively. People with limited adaptability may find it difficult to keep up with changing trends, Mr. Baafi stated on Saturday at the 14th Quadrennial Congress of CLOGSAG in Cape Coast.
Many people failed in life because they could not muster the courage to take risks to test an idea or a business plan they had, he noted.
“I urge you today to be bold in putting your dreams and aspirations into practice to make them a reality,” Mr Baafi said
“What many budding entrepreneurs lack is their ability to allow themselves to be mentored, particularly when they start making some strides, but we must remember that it is in the multitude of counsellors that one can find wisdom.”
“Listen, pay attention to what other people think about your goals and also make room for criticisms.”
On capital, the Deputy Trade and Industry Minister said setting up a business was not all about capital, but having a solid idea, which was demand-driven, would attract business-minded people to buy into it and make things happen.
“It is in this regard that the government is working hard to put measures in place to reduce the cost of doing business and improve the business environment.”
Mr Baafi said the Government was determined to work with Ghanaians to improve on the economic conditions to ensure that young people embraced the opportunities and worked to make the best for themselves and the country in general.
The Ministry and the Ghana Enterprises Agency among others are supporting Small and Medium Scale Enterprises with resources to ensure business resilience for economic transformation.
The main objective is to rebuild industries and the business ecosystem to strengthen the economy and deal with unforeseen shocks or challenges in the future.
Sports journalist Saddick Adams alias Sports Obama has averred that the Ghana Premier League is at a stage of ‘near collapse.’
He wants the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and other stakeholders to admit to that reality whiles stressing that the downturn did not start recently.
He made his views known in a tweet of January 8, 2023 lamenting principally how the league had become a mechanism that produces a standout player who is sold before long.
It’s for the Ghana FA and its assigns to admit to the near-collapse of our league [which did not begin with them by the way].
“Not to continue seducing ourselves that there’s something worthwhile going on with league beyond the praxis of waiting to ship the next player abroad,” his tweet read.
One of the biggest issues that has become topical with the league is the ever dwindling number of fans attending matches.
The small teams are recording numbers in the hundreds while the big teams are barely marshalling 10,000 spectators even at home.
The league is the product of the GFA but it is managed by the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) along with other stakeholders.
It’s for the Ghana FA and its assigns to admit to the near-collapse of our league [which did not begin with them by the way].
Not to continue seducing ourselves that there’s something worthwhile going on with league beyond the praxis of waiting to ship the next player abroad.
The doctor-to-patient ratio in the Upper East Region is not getting any better. Recent statistics peg the figure at one doctor to 23,000 patients.
This means patients in the Upper East Region seeking services of doctors may have to travel to other regions to have their health needs met.
District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Bawku West District, Tahiru Issahaku Ahmed bemoaned the situation which he said was posing a great challenge to the development of the district.
Speaking in an interview with Bolgatanga-based A1 Radio, Mr. Ahmed said the district and the regional health directorate have collaborated on several occasions to attract trained medical doctors to the district and the region as a whole, but the situation is yet to improve.
He stressed that some health facilities in the region have been upgraded but without the requisite personnel to manage them.
“The other day, we were looking at the patient-doctor ratio, and it was almost about 23,000 patients to one doctor and that is serious. My idea was that I would want to see how the Sapeliga Hospital would have a doctor. The Binaba Health Centre has been upgraded to a polyclinic and so it should have facilities that are matching up to a polyclinic and for that matter should also have a doctor, but they currently don’t have a doctor.”
Mr. Ahmed complained that even doctors from the area refuse to be posted to the region.
“Our own sons and daughters who are trained as doctors are not willing to come and work here. I am struggling to understand. I don’t know if it is because of the old-time belief that if you grow up in an area and you begin to do well, you will either be hated or killed by your own people which deters them from accepting posting into the region.”
The Upper East Regional Health Directorate in March 2022 at a symposium revealed that all ten medical doctors that were posted to the region in 2021 failed to show up for duty.
In a bid to extract a piece of information from Ajagurajah, the tables turned and at a point, the priest was rather asking Serwaa Amihere some questions he deemed ‘uncomfortable’.
Serwaa hosted Bishop Kwabena Asiamah popularly known as ‘Ajagurajah’ on GHOne TV where they delved into issues pertaining to his family, social, and religious life.
However, in excerpts of the interview that went viral, netizens reacted to the manner in which the guest (Ajagurajah) ‘grilled’ Serwaa Amihere at a point.
Serwaa asked about issues pertaining to other aspects of Ajagurajah’s life and he answered but things took a rough turn when questions relating to his marriage life popped up.
Here is what ensued;
Serwaa: Are you married?
Ajagurajah: I’ll prefer not to say.
Serwaa: Oh marriage too is a secret?
Ajagurajah: its not about it being a secret. Those who know, really know if I’m married or not.
Serwaa: Do you have children?
Ajagurajah: Officially, I have one
Serwaa: I have heard that you have three wives
Ajagurajah: Where did you hear that I have three wives?
Serwaa: How many do you have now?
Ajagurajah: How many do I have now? Are you married?
Serwaa:No
Ajagurajah: Do you have a boyfriend?
Serwaa: Yes
Ajagurajah: Will you be comfortable if I ask you how many boyfriends you have?
A trending video of American rapper Meek Mill has popped up on social media.
American rapper Meek Mill was one of the guests at the Afro Nation concert in Ghana over the Christmas holidays.
A rough riding powerbike session, claims of his phone having been pickpocket at an event, fighting off hoodlums before getting on stage to perform and meeting with the president at Jubilee House, were some major highlights of his time in Accra.
Meek Mill is back in the United States but his name is back in the trends here in Ghana.
On late Sunday, January 8, 2023; the rapper posted an Instagram reel announcing that he was set to release a new track.
It turns out that portions of the said video were shot in and around the Jubilee House during his visit.
Meek Mill is sighted in different places at the presidency, from the frontage, through the main corridors, in the main conference hall – at a point positioned behind the presidential lectern – and later in a sitting area rapping.
Social media users are incensed about what they describe as near desecration of the presidency, citing moral and security grounds.
Major influencers on Twitter especially have attracted comments that are largely critical of government for allowing such sensitive areas to be filmed for a music video.
It must be noted that a small portion of the commenters are justifying it, stating that it is not too much of a big deal.
The Ghanaian pair of Francis Amuzu and Majeed Asjimeru were in action for RSC Anderlecht on Sunday evening when the team lost 3-1 to Royal Union SG.
In the game today, both players started the game for the home team in attack and midfield respectively.
Unfortunately, for RSC Anderlecht, a red card to young defender Moussa Ndiaye in the 10th minute of the first half weakened the team for 80 minutes and over.
While Francis Amuzu would assist Fabio Silva to give RSC Anderlecht the lead for the hosts, it could not save the side from defeat.
Goals from Cameron Puertasm Senne Lynen, and Simon Adingra in the final 10 minutes saw Royal Union SG come from behind to secure a sensational 3-1 win at the end of the contest.
In the game today, winger Francis Amuzu lasted the entire duration of the match.
Meanwhile, Majeed Ashimeru was substituted in the 70th minute.
Former Chief Executive Officer of 3 Music Awards, has reacted to a trending video purportedly shot at the Jubilee House.
Baba Sadiq who was among the first media personalities to weigh in on the trending Meek Mill music video which was shot partly at the Jubilee House, has expressed gross disappointment in the act.
The video went viral late Sunday evening after the musician shared it on his Instagram reel announcing to his fans that the full video will be released soon.
Ghana’s social media space went into a meltdown of sorts with harsh critique directed at the presidency and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Sadiq, who is also rumoured to be lacing his boot to run for Parliament, posted a tweet that read: “A rapper who has since fallen off, flies a drone over the seat of the presidency? Holy cow.
“I think the president is already tired and may possibly hand over power if he is asked nicely. I mean what is this? The height of desecration,” his tweet added.
In the video, Meek Mill is sighted in different places at the presidency, from the frontage, through the main corridors, in the main conference hall – at a point positioned behind the presidential lectern – and later in a sitting area rapping.
Social media users are incensed about what they describe as near desecration of the presidency, citing moral and security grounds.
Major influencers on Twitter especially have attracted comments that are largely critical of government for allowing such sensitive areas to be filmed for a music video.
It must be noted that a small portion of the commenters are justifying it, stating that it is not too much of a big deal.
The management of the University of Ghana has suspended four former Junior Common Room (JCR) Executives of Commonwealth Hall.
According to management, the students had “organized or allowed the organization” of several meetings at the JCR of Commonwealth Hall which had provided a platform for the delivery and publication of “false, reckless and defamatory statements against senior officers of the university”.
Senior Officers of the university affected by these defamatory statements include the office of the Vice Chancellor, the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic and Student Affairs), and the university as a whole.
“Following a complaint lodged against the affected students, the Disciplinary Board for Junior Members conducted a hearing and established a case of misconduct contrary to the University of Ghana Statutes 2011 (as amended) and the University of Ghana Regulations for Junior Members, 2017, against the former JCR Executives of the Commonwealth Hall,” the statement announcing their suspension read.
The conduct of the students, the Disciplinary Committee concluded, also breached Statutes 42(1)(n) and (o) of the University of Ghana Statutes 2011 (as amended), and Regulations 7.11(c)(xiv) and (xv); and (f)(ii) and (iii) of the University of Ghana Regulations for Junior Members, 2017.
Thus in regard of Section 45(g) of Statutes of the University of Ghana 2011 (as amended), the students have been handed three year academic suspensions from the University each.
The students include; Paul Anim Inkoom (President), Bright Gati (Vice President), Daniel Kofi Boakye (Secretary) and Daniel Odoi Nyarko (Treasurer).
Meanwhile, students of the university have been urged to acquaint themselves with the Statutes of the University to avoid falling foul to them.
American rapper Meek Mill has deleted a promo video he posted on Instagram hours after he shared it with his followers on the platform and on Twitter.
Even though no reason has been given for the deletion, it is widely believed that it is from backlash arising from the fact that portions of the viral video were shot in and around the Jubilee House during his recent visit.
The Twitter link that led to the Instagram reel is still up but leads to a blank page.
In the said video, Meek Mill is captured in different places at the presidency, from the frontage, through the main corridors, in the main conference hall – at a point positioned behind the presidential lectern – and later in a sitting area rapping.
Social media users, especially on Twitter, were largely angered with what they describe as near desecration of the presidency, citing moral and security grounds.
Influencers on the platform have also attracted tonnes of comments that are largely critical of government for allowing such sensitive areas to be filmed for a music video.
Meek Mill, Jubilee House and White House were in the top trends from Sunday evening through to Monday morning.
It must be noted that a small portion of the commenters are justifying it, stating that it is not too much of a big deal.
Meek Mill enjoyed himself when he came to town last December as one of the guests at the Afro Nation concert.
From a quadbike riding session, claims of his phone having been pickpocket at an event, fighting off hoodlums before getting on stage to perform and meeting with the president at Jubilee House, these were some major highlights of his time in Accra.
Meek Mill is back in the United States but his name is back in the trends here in Ghana. Along with the presidencies of Ghana and the United States – Jubilee House and White House.
On late Sunday, January 8, 2023; the rapper posted an Instagram reel announcing that he was set to release a new track.
It set off a wave of critique directed at the presidency and the president over how easy it must have been for global showbiz people to have access to the president and even go as far as film what is effectively a security zone for business purposes.
Fund management company Databank will reopen its independent branches on January 10, 2023 – the first time since December 22, 2022, following a shutdown resulting from physical and verbal attacks on its staff by some of its clients.
The staff of the fund management company have been working remotely and engaging clients on digital platforms since the closure but the company in an e-mail and text message to its clients on Saturday, January 7, 2023, said it “will apply a phased approach to re-opening” its physical locations.
The re-opening will commence on January 10 with business resuming at its independent branches located in Accra, Cape Coast, Ho, Koforidua, Kumasi, Sunyani, Takoradi, Tamale and Tema.
This will be followed by the re-opening of Databank co-locations within GTBank and UBA branches located in Accra, Ashaiman, Kasoa, Tarkwa, Wa and KNUST.
The company in an email to its clients last December said it had been affected by the liquidity challenges that have rocked the fund management industry owing to the “macro-economic crisis” facing the country.
It said the crisis had resulted in the company’s inability to pay withdrawal requests and impacted its original two-week estimate for withdrawals.
In an interaction with clients of the firm on Zoom on December 28, 2022, the Chief Executive Officer of the Databank Group, Kojo Addae-Mensah said the firm’s fixed income investments were in government of Ghana bonds which had been affected by the Ghana Domestic Debt Exchange (GDX) programme which was announced on December 5.
He said the announcement of the GDX resulted in the shutdown of the secondary market which denied the firm the ability to sell the bonds to meet client redemption requests.
He added that the secondary market was still closed, so his outfit was engaging the government to in the interim provide liquidity to meet client redemption requests.
Mr Addae-Mensah disclosed that his outfit had engaged security personnel to provide security for its staff and clients at its branches, but this was twisted by some media houses who reported it as intimidation of clients.
In a bid to extract a piece of information from Ajagurajah, the tables turned and at a point, the priest was rather asking Serwaa Amihere some questions he deemed ‘uncomfortable’.
Serwaa hosted Bishop Kwabena Asiamah popularly known as ‘Ajagurajah’ on GHOne TV where they delved into issues pertaining to his family, social, and religious life.
However, in excerpts of the interview that went viral, netizens reacted to the manner in which the guest (Ajagurajah) ‘grilled’Serwaa Amihere at a point.
Serwaa asked about issues pertaining to other aspects of Ajagurajah’s life and he answered but things took a rough turn when questions relating to his marriage life popped up.
Here is what ensued;
Serwaa: Are you married?
Ajagurajah: I’ll prefer not to say.
Serwaa: Oh marriage too is a secret?
Ajagurajah: its not about it being a secret. Those who know, really know if I’m married or not.
Serwaa: Do you have children?
Ajagurajah: Officially, I have one
Serwaa: I have heard that you have three wives
Ajagurajah: Where did you hear that I have three wives?
Serwaa: How many do you have now?
Ajagurajah: How many do I have now? Are you married?
Serwaa:No
Ajagurajah: Do you have a boyfriend?
Serwaa: Yes
Ajagurajah: Will you be comfortable if I ask you how many boyfriends you have?
Moesha Boduong, a former socialite and slay queen responded to Afia Schwarzenegger by stating that she is not in need of prayers.
Controversial In a recent interview, Afia Schwarzenegger claimed that certain people are taking advantage of Moesha’s predicament to benefit financially.
She asserted that all these folks do for her is simply buy her a drink, after which they let her “fool” herself.
According to Afia Schwarzenegger, Moesha right now needs prayers rather than individuals taking advantage of her mental illness to make money.
She also requested that media outlets refrain from interviewing her at this time because she is ill.
Afia Schwarzenegger had said that Moesha Boduong needed prayers from everyone, but Moesha Boduong quickly refuted this.
She claims that for now, she needs endorsement deals rather than prayers since she needs money to travel.
Moesha also made it apparent that she now uses her newfound love of dancing to communicate her feelings.
Her post reads: “I don’t need prayers I need more endorsement deals, plus I get paid to go to places and dancing is my way of expressing how I feel.”
Movie director Pascal Amanfo who once announced being a born-again Christian has advised Moesha Boduong to among others seek mental and emotional help.
His call comes after the socialite engendered conversation with her erotic videos despite renouncing her old ways.
In his open letter to Moesha on Instagram, Pascal Amanfo emphasized that it was imperative Moesha stopped granting interviews and sought reasonable counsel.
“If you would ever hear me, I would ask that you shut down on all interviews, open yourself to reasonable counsel, for all you have been through seek mental and emotional help and guidance, find a trusted spiritual head to be accountable to and receive the light and understanding of who you have become!” Pascal advised in the post sighted by GhanaWeb.
Although Moesha announced in 2021 that she was a born-again Christian and consequently ditched her ‘ungodly’ ways to win souls for Christ, the actress and socialite is back in the news for wearing what some have described as indecent dresses. Recent video clips of her seductive dance moves at pubs have also been in circulation.
In her interview with Deloris Frimpong Manso on The Delay Show, Moesha had no regrets for her actions. She rather offered an explanation after the host mentioned that she appears to have lost it.
“Can’t you dance decently? You have to be all over the place? When they post the video, people are like ‘oh, Moesha needs help, she’s going through a mental breakdown’. Truly that’s not who you used to be. Even though you were a socialite as you put it, you were a socialite with class. Today, you’re standing at a chop bar and dancing. What is that?” Delay asked.
“I know what I want to become,” Moesha replied. “I really want to leave this country and really direct my brand to the US because I really get invitations to go to the US for a lot of events and I’m trying to really build my brand to be an exotic sexy dancer to make money off that.”
However, after carefully observing events, Pascal Amanfo, although excited about Moesha’s decision to ditch the word and follow Christ, opined that Moesha needs help.
My dear Moe @moeshaboduong Those who have a deep spiritual understanding/insight of the “mysteries” of the entertainment industry would know that it is never easy for a person who has tasted the waters of fame and all the trappings of a celebrity status to make that decision and transition to surrender it all and live in total dedication and commitment to God!
I make this assertion as someone who has walked that path in sincerity, brokenness and truth and is in many ways still going through his process!
We cannot know what really transpired in the phase where you yielded or the details of the encounter you had with God, but one thing is sure; you publicly professed Jesus as Lord of your life and indeed if He is, then there are certain things that must be in the light of that truth!!!
The faith we profess has no other standards besides the Word of God imprinted into the Bible and every personal revelation or word God speaks must align with His Word! Not our feelings, emotions or ideas!
To fully understand a Call it is needful to seek counsel from elders in the faith, seek wisdom, be accountable to people, be open to God-defined, faith centered fellowship with saints on the same journey as you.
Your perception of God, your faith or even His call on your life cannot make up a brand of Christianity! No! A thousand times no!
Lastly, I want to publicly admit that I was on an anti-depressant medication at some point in my journey when it felt like the world didn’t understand me and the weight of everything was crushing on me. It took time! It took God to refine, reform and prepare me for what was ahead!
I have always believed there is a Woman God is making out of you! But it is one thing to believe that and another to yield completely to the process and let God finish what He started.
If you would ever hear me I would ask that you shut down on all interviews, open yourself to reasonable counsel, for all you have been through seek mental and emotional help and guidance, find a trusted spiritual head to be accountable to and receive the light and understanding of who you have become!
Pascal Amanfo’s open letter to Moesha Boduong about the need to “shut down on all interviews” and “seek mental and emotional help and guidance” has stoked reactions with the socialite insisting she is mentally stable.
A few moments after Pascal shared the post, Moesha expressed gratitude but stated that she was of sound mind.
“Thank you soo much for this right up, I’m mentally stable and I was never going to say this, but don’t believe all you read about me online,” she wrote in the comment section. “I am a true woman of God; my journey may be different from everyone else and I have my own relationship with GOD.”
A social media user with the handle edwayne_asante was, however, not impressed with the response from the socialite. In his view, the decision to continuously dance erotically was unacceptable.
“It’s not just about reading things online, it’s what we see online and how you behave especially dancing seductively et al, calling yourself sexy woman of God etc. just live your truth. You can’t mock God!” he shared eliciting a response from Moesha as she justified her actions.
“That’s my new brand and the last time I checked Kim Kardashian loves God. Being sexy is not from the devil. I love dancing before God touched me. God don’t hate sexiness!” Moesha retorted.
Her defence triggered more reactions from other social media users. Among others, they argued that the comparison was regrettable.
Although Moesha announced in 2021 that she was a born-again Christian and consequently ditched her ‘ungodly’ ways to win souls for Christ, the actress and socialite is back in the news for wearing what some have described as indecent dresses. Recent video clips of her seductive dance moves at pubs have also been in circulation.
In her interview with Deloris Frimpong Manso on The Delay Show, Moesha had no regrets for her actions. She rather offered an explanation after the host mentioned that she appears to have lost it.
“I know what I want to become,” Moesha replied. “I really want to leave this country and really direct my brand to the US because I really get invitations to go to the US for a lot of events and I’m trying to really build my brand to be an exotic sexy dancer to make money off that.”
Ghanaian singer and songwriter, Paul Nii Amu Andrew Darko, known professionally as Darkovibes, is thankful for his life after surviving a ghastly accident.
Though details of the crash remains sketchy, the musician revealed the incident happened on the Tema-Accra motorway.
He was reportedly dodging potholes on the stretch when he bumped into one and burst his tyre.
Award-winning Ghanaian musician Eldah Naa Abiana Dickson better known as Abiana has recounted how her stepmother despised her decision to pursue a career in music.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with renowned broadcaster AJ Sarpong on Accra-based Citi 97.3FM, Abiana narrated how her dream of becoming a professional musician occasionally made her receive severe beatings from her stepmother.
“I quite remember when I was young and trying to pursue my career in music, my stepmother was against my dream…when I hear the piano then I would start jumping …. anytime I wanted to go for rehearsal she would say they shouldn’t allow me to go then she would give me severe beatings because I had probably not done my house chores, she narrated.
“She would punish me but would still find my way to go and sing… I love singing so right after SHS, I started to pursue my career … so that was where I started the reality shows and I have never given up,” she added.
Abiana’s journey dates a decade and over, having tried to get into a number of music reality TV shows. In 2013, she joined the Afro Harmony Band as a backing vocalist and later in 2014, the Hy Skull band as a lead singer before launching her music career as a solo artist in 2020.
She is very versatile but has chosen to do what she calls ‘Soul Life’. The ‘Adun Lie ‘ crooner is regarded as one of the best live band performances in the country. While answering a question in line with her biggest test during the band’s era told AJ Sarpong, “Joining the band made me humble”.
She explained that even though she was better than some of the seniors she was playing with,” because when you join the band you see some of the artists’ flaws. Those flaws are lessons for you. Staying humbled helped me a lot”.
Abiana won the Best Vocal Performance award at the 2021 edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards. Apart from her ‘Alemle Lala’ album she also has songs like ‘Adunlei’, ‘Bo Nɔŋŋ Ni’, Shika’ among others
Emmanuel Kofi Botwe, known by his stage nameKwaw Kese and popularly called Abodam is a sensational Ghanaian hiplife artist.
Kwaw Kese is well-known for his hit album Abodam 2007, for which he won five awards at the 2008 edition of the Ghana Music Awards. He is known for doing crazy-like acts during his performance on stage.
However, while speaking in an exclusive interview on Citi 97.3fm, Kofi Kinaata honored the ‘Mad Time’ boss by naming him the ‘Music Professor’.
“Let me borrow words from the Music Professor, Kwaw Kese” Kofi Kinaata beguiled.
Known in real life as King Arthur, Kofi Kinaata is noted for his Fante rap. Apart from his rap prowess, he has grown into a very good singer taking the highlife genre by storm. He is regarded as one of the best lyricists of our time.
“I thank everybody. What I would say before leaving here is that, may God bless our country Ghana you have shown me true love. If thousands hate me, I know that thousands also love me.”
“We continue to ask China for more rapid, regular, reliable data on hospitalizations and deaths, as well as more comprehensive, real-time viral sequencing,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a media briefing in Geneva Wednesday.
Speaking in more detail, WHO executive director for health emergencies Mike Ryan said the numbers released by China “under-represent the true impact of the disease” in terms of hospital and ICU admissions, as well as deaths.
He acknowledged that many countries have seen lags in reporting hospital data, but pointed to China’s “narrow” definition of a Covid death as part of the issue.
The country only lists those Covid patients who succumbed with respiratory failure as having died of Covid. In the two weeks prior to January 5, China reported fewer than 20 deaths from local Covid cases, according to figures released on the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website – even as the outbreak has overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums amid apparent Covid surges in multiple cities.
On Thursday, China’s Foreign Ministry said the country has always shared epidemic information “in a timely, open and transparent manner” and insisted its Covid situation was “under control.”
“It is hoped that the WHO secretariat will take a science-based, objective and just position and play a positive role in addressing the pandemic globally,” spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily news briefing.
Chinese experts would attend a regular WHO member state briefing on Thursday to “respond to technical issues that are of concern to other parties,” Mao said, adding that China would continue to closely monitor possible mutations of the virus and release relevant information.
WHO officials, who have grappled with Beijing’s tight control of data access throughout the pandemic, have become increasingly vocal in their calls for reliable information as a major outbreak rips across China’s urban centers in the wake of an abrupt relaxation of disease controls last month.
The surge in cases in a country of 1.4 billion has also raised global concerns about the potential emergence of new variants – and of China’s levels of monitoring and sharing data. A number of countries have implemented Covid testing requirements for travelers from China, citing a dearth of data on strains circulating there.
On Wednesday, the European Union “strongly encouraged” its member states to introduce a requirement for a negative Covid test for passengers traveling from China to the EU, according to a statement released by the Swedish presidency of the bloc.
WHO’s Tedros said Wednesday it was “understandable” that some countries were taking these steps, “with circulation in China so high and comprehensive data not forthcoming.”
China’s Foreign Ministry earlier this week decried the measures as unscientific and vowed to take “corresponding countermeasures for different situations in accordance with the principle of reciprocity.”
Some health experts around the world have also criticized targeted travel screening as ineffective and voiced concern such measures could fuel racism and xenophobia.
In an online statement updated Thursday, GISAID – an international initiative for sharing genomic data of viruses causing influenza and Covid-19 – said China had continued “to ramp up” its surveillance efforts and preliminary analyses indicated reported data closely resembles that of known variants already spreading globally.
Chinese health officials also presented recent genomic data to a WHO advisory body during a closed-door meeting Tuesday. In a statement Wednesday, the WHO advisory body said the variants detected in China are known and have been circulating in other countries, with no new variant yet reported by the Chinese CDC.
But the advisorygroup and top WHO officials stressed the need for more forthcoming genomic data. The latest situation adds to longstanding challenges for the UN body, which faced criticism at the start of the pandemic that it did not push China hard enough for data amid concerns Beijing was obscuring critical information.
“There’s a lot more data that needs to be shared from China and additionally from around the world so that we can track this pandemic as we enter this fourth year,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on Covid, said Wednesday.
“We need more information on sequencing around the country, (and for) those sequences to be shared with publicly available databases like GISAID so that deeper analyses can be done,” she said.
Tokyo’s Narita airport received the call at 6:20 a.m. Japan time from a man in Germany saying in English that he had put a bomb on the aircraft, NHK reported, citing police sources.
At least five people were lightly injured while leaving the aircraft according to NHK, which broadcast footage of passengers evacuating the plane via emergency chutes.
Pictures shared on social media show an Airbus A320, operated by Jetstar, with chutes deployed and passengers evacuated around the aircraft.
Citing police sources, NHK said the caller claimed to have placed 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of plastic explosives in the aircraft’s cargo hold and demanded to speak with the “manager” or he would set off them off.
No explosives have been found on board the plane, NHK said.
The Chubu airport spokesperson said flights had resumed at the facility following a four-hour suspension and the incident is being investigated.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Putin’s order came after the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, called for a ceasefire between January 6 and January 7, when many Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas.
But Ukrainian officials voiced skepticism about the temporary ceasefire, saying Moscow just wanted a pause to gather reserves, equipment and ammunition.
“What will this accomplish? Only another increase in the casualty count,” he added.
Serhiy Haidai, head of the Luhansk regional military administration, told Ukrainian television: “Regarding this truce – they just want to get some kind of a pause for a day or two, to pull even more reserves, bring some more ammo.”
“Russia cannot be trusted. Not a single word they say,” Haidai added.
Now in its 11th month, the battle that many experts thought would be over within days or weeks has become a grueling war.
Both sides have taken blows in recent weeks: Ukraine’s economy shrank by more than 30% last year, with Russian missile strikes pummeling civilian infrastructure, leaving many without heat in the height of winter. Meanwhile, Ukrainian attacks on Russian barracks have killed a significant number of Russian troops and sparked controversy within Russia.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak responded to Putin’s move on Twitter by saying that Russia must leave “occupied territories” in Ukraine before any “temporary truce.”
“First. Ukraine doesn’t attack foreign territory and doesn’t kill civilians. As RF [Russian Federation] does … Second. RF must leave the occupied territories – only then will it have a ‘temporary truce’. Keep hypocrisy to yourself,” Podolyak said.
The proposal for a temporary truce also raised eyebrows among the international community.
US President Joe Biden expressed skepticism on Thursday, telling reporters that he was “reluctant to respond anything Putin says. I found it interesting. He was ready to bomb hospitals and nurseries and churches on the 25th and New Year’s.”
He continued, “I mean, I think he’s trying to find some oxygen.”
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price described it as “cynical” and that the US had “little faith in the intentions behind” Russia’s proposed ceasefire.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Thursday also warned that the promise of a ceasefire would not bring “either freedom or security” to the people living under Moscow’s brutal war.
“If Putin wanted peace, he would take his soldiers home, and the war would be over. But apparently, he wants to continue the war after a short break,” she said in a tweet.
Putin’s order comes after he spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – who has attempted to position himself as a broker between the Russian president and the West – where Putin said he was open to “serious dialogue” regarding Ukraine, but Kyiv must accept the “new territorial realities,” according to a Kremlin statement.
The full statement from the Kremlin on Thursday read: “Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to introduce from 12:00 January 6, 2023 until 24:00 January 7, 2023, a ceasefire along the entire line of contact between the parties in Ukraine.
“Based on the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the combat areas, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and give them the opportunity to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on the Day of the Nativity of Christ.”
Kirill has been a vocal supporter of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and gave a sermon in September in which he said that “military duty washes away all sins.”
The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church has also been locked in a feud with Pope Francis, who has described the invasion of Ukraine as Russian “expansionism and imperialism.”
And in May, the Pope urged Patriarch Kirill not to “become Putin’s altar boy.”
In November, a branch of Ukraine’s Orthodox church announced that it would allow its churches to celebrate Christmas on December 25, rather than January 7, as is traditional in Orthodox congregations.
The announcement by the Kyiv-headquartered Orthodox Church of Ukraine widened the rift between the Russian Orthodox Church and other Orthodox believers.
In recent years a large part of the Orthodox community in Ukraine has moved away from Moscow, a movement accelerated by the conflict Russia stoked in eastern Ukraine beginning in 2014.
Ukrainians, who have suffered nearly a year of conflict, expressed distrust of Putin’s announcement.
In the southern region of Kherson, Pavlo Skotarenko doesn’t expect much to change. “They shell us every day, people die in Kherson every day. And this temporary measure won’t change anything,” he said.
From the frontlines in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region, a Ukrainian soldier told CNN that the temporary ceasefire announcement looked like an effort to clean up Russia’s image.
“I do not think that this is done for some military tactical purpose, one day will not solve much,” the Ukrainian soldier, who goes by the call sign Archer, told CNN by phone.
“Perhaps this is done to make the image of the whole of Russia a little more human, because so many atrocities are constantly emerging, and this could earn them few points of support from the people,” the soldier said.
And in the capital Kyiv, where Russian attacks during New Year soured even the most modest celebrations, Halyna Hladka said she saw the temporary ceasefire as an attempt by Russians to win time.
“Russia has already shown active use of faith in numerous kinds of manipulations. And besides, in almost a year of war, Russia has not behaved itself as a country capable of adhering to promises,” she said.
CNN’s Victoria Butenko, Betsy Klein, Svitlana Vlasova and Dima Olenchenko contributed to this report.
Motorbike taxi riders alerted police after they saw the box dumped by the roadside from a vehicle with a concealed number plate, The Standard and The Daily Nation newspapers reported, quoting police sources.
Activist Edwin Chiloba’s remains were found on Tuesday near Eldoret town in Uasin Gishu county, where he ran his fashion business, independent rights group the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) said.
Research suggests acceptance of homosexuality is gradually increasing in Kenya, but it remains a taboo subject for many. The country’s film board has banned two films for their portrayals of gay lives in recent years.
The death drew condemnation from several human rights groups, including the International Commission of Jurists Kenya section, which called for the speedy investigation and apprehension of those behind his killing.
“Chiloba’s death is a tragedy and an affront to human dignity and violation of the right to life #JusticeForChiloba,” it said on Twitter.
Resila Onyango, Kenya National Police Service’s spokesperson, said officers had arrested one person in connection with Chiloba’s death.
“Words cannot even explain how we as a community are feeling right now. Edwin Chiloba was a fighter, fighting relentlessly to change the hearts and minds of society when it came to LGBTQ+ lives,” GALCK, a Kenyan gay rights group, said on Twitter.
Under a British colonial-era law, gay sex in Kenya is punishable by 14 years in prison. It is rarely enforced but discrimination is common.
The crisis in the Kimberley – an area almost three times the size of the United Kingdom – was sparked this week by severe weather system Ellie, a former tropical cyclone that brought heavy rain to the vast region.
Among the worst-hit locations was Fitzroy Crossing, a town of around 1,300 people where supplies were being airlifted in due to the flooding, which authorities have said is the state’s worst on record.
“These floods are having a devastating impact, many of these communities … are communities that do it tough, and the resources simply aren’t there on the ground,” Albanese told reporters in the city of Geelong, in Victoria state. “My government stands ready to provide whatever support is requested.”
Western Australia emergency authorities said Australian Defence Force aircraft were being used to assist flood-hit communities, and Chinook helicopters were en-route to help relocated impacted residents.
The nation’s weather forecaster said severe weather was no longer occurring in the state but that “the situation will continue to be monitored and further warnings will be issued if necessary.”
The emergency in the country’s far northwest comes after frequent flooding in Australia’s east over the last two years due to a multi-year La Nina weather event, typically associated with increased rainfall. Some regions have endured four major flood crises since last year.
In a photograph distributed by the coastguard on Monday, the migrants are shown perched on the rudder of the oil and chemical tanker Althini II.
The Althini II arrived in Las Palmas in Gran Canaria on Monday after an 11-day voyage from Lagos in Nigeria, according to Marine Traffic, a ship-tracking website.
The migrants were taken into the port and attended to by health services, the coastguard said on Twitter.
The Spanish-owned Canary Islands are a popular gateway for African migrants attempting to reach Europe. Spanish data shows migration by sea to the archipelago jumped 51% in the first five months of the year compared to a year earlier.
Last year, more than 20,000 migrants crossed from the West African coastline to the Canary Islands, according to the Red Cross. More than 1,100 of those people died at sea, the organization said.
In the same year, a 14-year-old Nigerian told the Spanish newspaper El Pais that he hid for 15 days in a room atop the rudder of a cargo ship carrying fuel, as it journeyed from Lagos to the Canary Islands.
Poverty, violent conflict, and the quest for job opportunities continue to fuel migration out of West Africa, the Red Cross says.
Up to 60,000 Hong Kong residents will be able to cross the border into the mainland as a gradual reopening of border control points begins, Hong Kong leader John Lee told media on Thursday following an announcement from Beijing.
The shift will eliminate what had been a mandatory quarantine for travelers from Hong Kong to the mainland. All travelers will be required to test negative for Covid via a PCR test within 48 hours prior to crossing, and passenger quotas apply to travel in both directions.
The changes come amid Beijing’s sudden dismantling of its stifling Covid controls, following nationwide protests. The apparent reopening of the mainland comes after three years of self-imposed global isolation, during which efforts to resume regular transit with Hong Kong were repeatedly delayed.
Most of previously bustling border crossings between Hong Kong and mainland China had been shut since early 2020, placing a heavy burden on families and businesses with ties on both sides.
The quota includes 50,000 people to travel via three land checkpoints, while the remaining 10,000 are for people traveling via the Hong Kong International Airport, two ferry piers and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
The cap does not apply to Hong Kong residents traveling back to Hong Kong from the mainland, nor mainland Chinese traveling back to the mainland from Hong Kong, Lee said.
In addition to testing, advance bookings will also be required for some travel.
According to a statement from China’s State Council, flights from Hong Kong and neighboring Macau to mainland China will resume and caps on passenger capacities will be lifted; the number of flights will increase in a “phased and orderly” fashion, the statement said.
Land and maritime border control points between mainland China and Hong Kong and Macao will also resume in a “phased and orderly” manner.
China will also resume issuing tourist and business visas for mainland Chinese residents traveling to Hong Kong, the statement added.
Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini were hanged early Saturday morning, Fars News reported. The pair, who allegedly took part in anti-regime protests last year, were convicted of killing Seyed Ruhollah Ajamian, a member of the country’s Basij paramilitary force, in Karaj on November 3, according to the Iran’s judiciary news agency Mizan.
In December Karami’s parents took to social media in a plea for his life. “Please, I beg of you to please lift the execution order from my son’s file,” the father of the 21-year-old karate champion said.
As many as 41 more protesters have been sentenced to death in Iran, according to statements from both Iranian officials and in Iranian media reviewed by CNN and 1500Tasvir, but the number could be much higher.
Meanwhile, the politics editor of independent Iranian newspaper Etemad Online, Mehdi Beyk, was detained on Thursday, according to a tweet from the publication. The arrest came amid a crackdown by Iranian authorities following the protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last year after she was apprehended by the state’s morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. The protests have since coalesced around a range of grievances with the authoritarian regime.
Beyk was detained by officials from Iran’s Ministry of Information, his wife, Zahra Beyk, said on Friday.
He was arrested after he “interviewed the families of several of those arrested in the ongoing demonstrations,” according to pro-reform activist outlet IranWire.
The journalist’s “mobile phone, laptop, and belongings were confiscated,” his wife tweeted. It is unclear so far why Beyk was arrested.
Iranian officials have previously arrested some individuals for their criticism of the government’s response to the demonstrations.
One of Iran’s best-known actresses, Taraneh Alidoosti, was released on bail Wednesday, state-aligned ISNA said, after she was arrested following her criticism of a protester’s execution.
Known as a feminist activist, Alidoosti last month published a picture of herself on Instagram without the Islamic hijab and holding a sign reading “Women, Life, Freedom” to show support for the protest movement.
Alidoosti was not formally charged but was initially arrested for “lack of evidence for her claims” in relation to her protest against the hanging of Mohsen Shekari last month in the first known execution linked to the protests.
A Mexico City federal judge halted the extradition of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán’s son, alleged drug cartel leader Ovidio Guzmán, to the United States on Friday, a day after he was arrested in an intense operation in northern Mexico that led to the deaths of 29 people.
On Thursday, Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard confirmed that there is an arrest warrant in the US dated September 19, 2019, but said the possible extradition of Guzmán would not be immediate due to the formalities of the law. He also stated that Guzmán has ongoing legal proceedings in Mexico.
CNN has requested a response from Guzmán’s defense but has not yet heard back.
Guzmán’s father, “El Chapo,” had escaped from Altiplano prison on July 11, 2015 through a mile-long tunnel that featured a motorcycle on tracks. He was later captured and convicted in the US four years later of 10 counts, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, drug trafficking and firearms charges. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years and ordered to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture.
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Ovidio Guzmán was previously arrested by federal authorities in October 2019, but was released on the orders of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to avoid further bloodshed.
His latest arrest comes days before US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visit Mexico City to attend the North American Leaders Summit.
Capturing Guzmán could be a way for López Obrador to show the US that he is “in control of the armed forces and Mexico’s security situation,” Gladys McCormick, a associate professor at Syracuse University who focuses on Mexico-US relations, told CNN in an email.
“It also defuses the power behind any ask from the Biden administration to stem the tide of fentanyl and other narcotics across the border,” she added.
At a news conference Friday, López Obrador denied that Guzmán’s arrest was linked to Biden’s arrival, saying Mexican authorities had acted autonomously.
“About interpretations, there are a lot of them, we do not share them, we acted with autonomy,” the Mexican President said.
Violent aftermath
After Guzmán’s arrest in Culiacán on Thursday, chaos erupted in the city. The authorities asked citizens to seek refuge due to clashes in several areas.
His arrest was the result of a lengthy operation which involved 200 special forces, Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said Friday. Local officials urged citizens to shelter at home amid clashes with cartel members in various parts of the city.
Guzmán was previously arrested in October 2019 but was freed on the orders of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to avoid further bloodshed.Cepropie/AP
At least 19 suspected gang members and 10 military personnel died during violent clashes in the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa, after authorities arrested Guzmán, along with 21 others. No civilian deaths or injuries were reported.
Security at Altiplano prison has been increased since Guzmán was detained, the minister added.
The President said later on Friday that the city was calmer and officials were working to clear the roads.
“In Culiacán, we opened all the blocked roads and we are working on removing the vehicles that are alongside the streets,”López Obrador said.
The state of Sinaloa, where Culiacán is located, is home to one of the world’s most powerful narcotics trafficking organizations, the Sinaloa Cartel, of which “El Chapo” was the leader.
A soldier keeps watch near the wreckage of a truck set on fire by drug gang members in Sinaloa, following Guzmán’s detention by Mexican authorities.Reuters
The US State Department wrote that law enforcement investigations indicated that Guzmán and his brother, Joaquín Guzmán-López, “inherited a great deal of the narcotics proceeds” following the death of another brother, Edgar Guzmán-López.
They “began investing large amounts of the cash into the purchasing of marijuana in Mexico and cocaine in Colombia. They also began purchasing large amounts of ephedrine from Argentina and arranged for the smuggling of the product into Mexico as they began to experiment with methamphetamine production,” the State Department said.
The brothers are also alleged to oversee an estimated 11 “methamphetamine labs in the state of Sinaloa,” the State Department says.
It was New Year’s Eve, one of the most cherished holidays in Russia. The recruits in President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine – hundreds of them mobilized just months ago – were billeted in makeshift barracks, a vocational school in the occupied city of Makiivka, in the Donetsk region. Next door was a large ammunition depot.
The soldiers missed their wives, their families, so they turned on their cellphones and called home. Suddenly, HIMARS rockets, satellite-guided precision weapons that the United States has supplied to Ukraine, hit the school, almost completely destroying it, and igniting the cache of ammunition.
That, at least officially, is how the Russian military is explaining the deadliest known attack on Russian forces in Ukraine since the war began in February 2022. The Defense Ministry blamed the troops themselves, claiming the “main cause” of the attack was the use of cellphones “contrary to the ban.” Russian troops are banned from using personal cell phones in the field, since their signals have been geolocated to hone in on and kill other Russian forces.
But that explanation, and details of the attack that have surfaced, have ignited an extraordinarily public national blame game among Russians.
It started with the death toll. The Russian Defense Ministry initially said 63 soldiers were killed, then increased that number to 89. Ukraine claimed it was approximately 400. But even Russian pro-war bloggers, an increasingly influential element in how Russian civilians get their information about what really is happening in Ukraine, dismissed the official count, estimating that hundreds of troops had died. The true number is not yet known.
One of those bloggers, Semyon Pegov, who uses the online handle “War Gonzo” and was recently awarded a medal by Vladimir Putin, also rejected the military’s claim about cell phones, calling it a “blatant attempt to smear blame.”
“Grey Zone,” another blogger, called the cell phone explanation a “99% lie,” an attempt to evade responsibility. He said it was more likely an intelligence failure.
Russian lawmakers chimed in, demanding an investigation into just who had ordered so many troops to be temporarily quartered in one, unprotected building. Sergey Mironov, a prominent politician and party leader, said there should be “personal criminal liability” for any officers or other military personnel who made that decision. And, implying the military had a lax approach to the war, he warned, “It’s time to realize it won’t be the same as it used to be.”
“This is a battle for the future of Russia,” Mironov said. “We must win it!”
Mironov’s comments touched a nerve. Hardliners like him think Putin’s September “partial mobilization” of reservists, calling up 300,000 men, failed to go far enough. They want a full mobilization that would put the entire country on a war footing. And they want revenge on Ukraine.
No one so far, however – at least publicly – is blaming Vladimir Putin for the deaths. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of state-run international network RT and a regular on domestic Russian TV talk shows, said she hoped “the responsible officials will be held accountable” and their names released. But she also hinted the attack could fuel public discontent: “It is high time to understand that impunity does not lead to social harmony. Impunity leads to more crimes and, as a consequence, public dissent.”
Many of the soldiers who perished at Makiivka came from Samara, a city on the Volga River in southwestern Russia, and the families of those killed are mourning their loved ones, bringing red carnations to a rare public memorial service, as priests led people in prayer and a choir sang the liturgy for the young men who had recently been sent to the front.
The Defence Ministry’s admission that significant number of mobilized troops had died in the attack, as well as the open debate among military bloggers, are signs the Kremlin is taking the attack in Makiivka very seriously. After all, the Putin government has the means to shut down reporting on events it does not want the public to know.
Even in this “open” discussion, several commentators have raised the possibility that “informants” may have tipped off the enemy, a go-to conspiracy theory that Russia’s state-run propaganda outlets often promote. Then there is the usual complaint after almost any tragedy in Russia, blaming it on “khalatnost:” negligence.
But the finger of blame, so far, is pointed only at military leaders, no higher. President Putin has made no public comment about the Makiivka attack, a strong indication that he intends to remain as far away as possible from an obvious debacle.
Image caption, Around 950 people have been arrested in relation to the 6 January 2021 riots, but the FBI is still looking for 300 more individuals believed to have committed violent acts that day
The partner of a US Capitol Police officer who died a day after the 6 January 2021 riot has sued Donald Trump for wrongful death.
On Wednesday, the FBI said it will offer $500,000 (£420,730) to anyone with information that can help them catch the suspect.
The US Capitol riot erupted two years ago as Congress certified President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
The mob stormed the Capitol following a speech from Mr Trump, who was speaking at a rally one mile from the Capitol grounds. In his speech, Mr Trump claimed election fraud and called on then-Vice-President Mike Pence to overturn the results.
“We’re going to walk down to the Capitol,” Mr Trump said in the speech. “If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
In the same speech he also told them to “peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard”.
During a commemoration event on Thursday at the White House, Mr Biden called the events of 6 January an “inflection point” of US history.
“It’s hard to believe that this could happen right here in America,” he said.
“January 6 is a reminder that there is nothing guaranteed about our democracy,” Mr Biden added.
Image caption, US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died one day after the 6 January 2021 riots
‘Wrongful death’
One woman was fatally shot during the riots by a police officer. Three others who were on Capitol grounds that day died from natural causes.
One of them was Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died a day after the riots from a series of strokes.
While Mr Sicknick did not suffer any injuries during the riot, a lawsuit filed by his family on Thursday alleges the violent mob played a role in his death.
His family sued Mr Trump on Thursday for wrongful death, claiming that the former president “intentionally riled up the crowd” and that Mr Sicknick died as a result of “the injuries that violence caused”.
“Many participants in the attack have since revealed that they were acting on what they believed to be Defendant Trump’s direct orders in service of their country,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also accuses Mr Trump of violating Mr Sicknick’s civil rights, assault and negligence, and is seeking $10m in damages.
Mr Trump has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
On Thursday, Mr Biden awarded several presidential citizen’s medals to officers who responded to the 6 January riots, including a posthumous medal for Mr Sicknick, saying he “lost his life after protecting the citadel of democracy.”
Since the attacks, a Democrat-led congressional probe also examined Mr Trump’s role in inciting the riots.
In December, the US House committee probing the 6 January attack asked federal prosecutors to charge Mr Trump with obstruction and insurrection – marking the first time in US history that Congress referred a former president to be criminally prosecuted.
You might be asking yourself, “why can’t I attract a good man?”
Well, it has NOTHING to do with your physical beauty or lack of “physical beauty”.
Haven’t you seen and known women who are “average” looking but are able to attract high quality men, and other women who are more physically gifted, only to be rejected again and again by men?
Why would that be? I mean, what’s with that?
Don’t Be Like Other Women Who Fail To Attract Men…
As you probably know, too many women in our society are failing to attract men. Or at least the “right” type of men.
Have you ever wished that a particular man would just start to like you or feel hopelessly attracted to you? Maybe you hoped he would just want to spend more time with you?
Maybe you tried to act a certain way around him or tried to ‘impress’ him to get his attention, but eventually you found out the unfortunate truth…
He somehow wasn’t attracted to you? (And you don’t know why!)
Well, the good news is that attracting a good man comes down to your mindset and to your ability to understand a few fundamental truths about men (and what they value).
Here are the top 3 reasons why women fail to attract men…
Failure Reason 1: Women Are Afraid Of Being Women
That’s right, women are actually scared of being women.
How many times have you seen women who are uncomfortable just being themselves?
I don’t mean wearing Prada, Chanel or sexy high heeled shoes. I mean: are you truly an individual, the unique version of you – vulnerable, authentically feminine and therefore precious?
Every man wants to feel like he has something precious to hold onto. But with a lot of women these days, they’re not comfortable being authentic, despite the fact that the topic of vulnerability and authenticity has taken off in the last decade.
People seem to know a lot about vulnerability intellectually, yet know nothing about it’s actual application.
With women, it’s almost like they don’t have their own permission to be themselves…
Perhaps you know someone, intimately, who’s like this?! (ie. YOU?)
Well, it isn’t really your fault. Sometimes, by being an authentic woman, you can really get yourself into dangerous situations if you were to bring attention to yourself.
(I’m sure you know other women who have been taken advantage of by men!)
But here’s the problem…if you’re not comfortable being a woman, (and men are attracted to women), then how are you going to be able to attract men?
How will you be seen as attractive to men? How will men find you desirable?
Also, how would you be a woman of intrinsic value to men?
It will be hard for you to attract men!
No matter how much you will them to be attracted to you, and no matter how hard you try to impress him, in general, you won’t be able to attract good men if you’re not 100% comfortable being a woman.
So it’s time for you to get in touch with your true feminine energy again and be ok with the fact that you ARE a beautiful woman.
And of course, it’s very important for you to stay safe, but don’t let that stop you from being the woman that men are attracted to.
Failure Reason 2: Women Have Been Raised To Be Masculine By Our Society.
This is a big answer to the question “why can’t I attract a good man?”
Many women today live a very masculine life. They take on a masculine job, speak in a masculine tone of voice and act and hold themselves as if they are competing with other men.
There’s nothing wrong with this by the way, it’s a woman’s birthright to achieve the results she wants; in fact, just as good and better results than men are.
However… being in the masculine energy will instantly kill the attraction that most men will feel for you.
Why?
Because they’ll feel like you’re just like another “guy” friend and there would simply be no polarity.
And he will pick up on this instantly.
(You’ll definitely find it hard to get out of the friend zone with men.)
Think about a time when a man was eyeing you, you could feel him eyeing you, and you could feel him trying to get your attention, but you were repelled.
Now, you may not even be consciously aware of it, but you had already picked up on his energy and make a judgement about whether he was suitable or not within the first 1 second of seeing him.
These reactions are wired in to us as women. We simply cannot be mating with every single male – he has to be giving off signs of having good genes, and great mate potential.
Men do this to you too. And when you are in your masculine, men feel it.
For attraction to occur between a man and a woman, there has to be the masculine-feminine polarity. And without it, you can still be great friends…but achieving attraction…is impossible.
So, most of us women (who have learnt to get a good paying job, secure that career…etc) need to come back to our feminine core and spirit when it comes to men.
It’s that femininity and that sense of being an intrinsically valuable women that so many women have lost touch with… that will be most attractive to men.
This is not to say you need to give up your career, it just means that you can’t always live in your masculine mode all the time. You have to achieve a balance between femininity and getting results in your career/business.
Failure Reason 3: Women Don’t Understand What Naturally Triggers Men To Feel Attraction!
You see… we live in a society where most of us are utterly confused!
Research shows that all of us are being bombarded with over 10,000 sales messages every single day. No wonder we sometimes get unsure about what to do! There’s simply too much clutter around us!
Have you noticed that intuition has become unpopular? Have you also noticed that common-sense has become rather uncommon?
And worse still, a lot of us women have lost our natural “womanly” intuition!
We are confused about what actually makes men attracted to us and what doesn’t make men attracted to us.
With all the assault of advertising in this 21st century, they’ve really tried to confuse us and keep us feeling insecure so that we collapse under their control.
(I’m talking about the media here, the big corporate industries who only care about their bottom line of sales…)
It’s time for us women to take back control and empower ourselves.
It’s time for us to learn what makes men emotionally attracted to us.
It’s also time for us to re-discover the “Natural Attraction Triggers” that men are genetically hardwired to react to.
Once we discover and put these “Natural Attraction Triggers” to use, us (the lucky ones) will never run out of men who are attracted to us.
We will never run out of men who want to be in committed relationships with us, and want to take care of us for life.
Learn The Attraction Triggers That Get A Man’s Blood Boiling Uncontrollably
See, you don’t have to be “physically gifted”.
Attraction Triggers work regardless of who you are, (or who you’re NOT), your age, your height and weight, regardless of whether you think you have the ability to attract men or not.
They work because it is genetically hardwired in men to seek out these specific triggers.
These “Attraction Triggers” are like nature’s scientific laws, as consistent and as reliable as the law of gravity. It doesn’t matter if you apply them, or if I apply them, they will work.
And if you do apply them, then they will work for you as well.
Men are “Genetically Hardwired” to React to these Attraction Triggers…
It’s a fact. Us human beings have all evolved from earlier, more ancient forms of life. Starting as sea creatures, and lizards, to mammals to what we are now – homo-sapiens.
You don’t have to like that fact, but you’ll have to live with it.
But here’s what’s interesting…because we have evolved from these earlier creatures, we all have parts of what psychologists call “the lizard brain” inside of us. That’s right, every single one of us has it.
And this lizard brain is responsible for our survival and reproductive instincts. It is there to make sure that us as a species will live on and pass our genetic information on to the next generation.
None of us could have ever arrived here in the 21st century if we didn’t have (and use) our survival and reproductive instincts.
(In fact, those animals which do not have these instincts have become long extinct! Because they cannot survive without the lizard brain.)
Think about the smell of a female dog in season. That smell would attract and catch the attention of all the male dogs in the area.
The male dogs would get so excited that they would literally fight over who will mate with the female.
This is not because they choose to fight, it’s because they’re genetically programmed to do so in order to mate with the female.
Imagine the queen bee… once she matures, she flies around on her “mating flights” and emits her queen pheromone or scent that attracts many different (up to 50) male bees to mate with her.
This scent is a trigger for males to get excited and pay the ultimate attention to the queen bee (because the males die after mating. Sad, but true).
So we can say the same about human males having these triggers for attraction. There is a list of “Attraction Triggers” that will automatically make men’s blood boil with excitement.
Example Of An “Attraction Trigger” For Men
The way you walk (your gait), can instantly make men desire you, but unfortunately, most women don’t know the first thing about the “attractive feminine walk”.
You see… It’s all about the hips.
They’ve done research and what the scientists have found is that when men look at a woman walking, the first place their eyes land…is on the woman’s hips.
And instantly, the man gathers information about how fertile the woman is, as well as her genetic structure. And it is through this information that he will either be “turned on” or not.
You may already know that the wider a woman’s hips are, the higher the chances of her being fertile and having a successful child birth, and therefore the appearance of wide hips are a strong “Attraction Trigger” for men.
No wonder on the catwalk, the stick-thin hipless “supermodels” walk with that overly-exaggerated hip shunt to give the “illusion” of having wider hips. (Even though these skinny supermodels have as much of a set of hips as a match stick…)
But the good news is that you can use this knowledge also to make yourself more desirable.
(I’ve gone into a lot more detail about this and also included exercises for you to implement to master this in my program, so if you want to know more, keep reading…)
Of course there are many other potent “Attraction Triggers” and together (when used synergistically), a man’s reproductive instincts will kick in and I will guarantee his blood will pump faster ‘uncontrollably’ underneath his skin.
It doesn’t have to make any logical sense, it just works.
And for all the skeptical people, yes, there have been literally dozens of proper scientific research to show and prove how effectively these triggers actually work. (And the truth is, all these attraction triggers are based on our instinctive need to reproduce, and are literally hardwired into us.)
These attraction triggers are proven by science, tested in the field, and ready for you to implement today to instantly make yourself the epicenter of desire in any room.
So Here’s What I Have Done For You…
I’ve done all the research for you and I’ve condensed everything down to 17 of the most powerful, most usable and actionable “Attraction Triggers” so that you can immediately use them to make men trip over themselves with desire for you.
I’ve put down what these triggers are, and most importantly, the action steps for you to take right now to use these triggers to not only get the attention of any man you choose, but also to put him under your “love spell”!
Think about becoming at least 5 times as attractive as you are right now, doubling your sex appeal, and having a hypnotic influence over any man.
(By the way, I want to teach you 5 secrets to having your man fall deeply in love with you and beg you to be his one and only. These 5 secrets are inside of my brand new program. Click HERE to get yourself a copy before they run out!)
Renee is the founder of The Feminine Woman & co-founder of Shen Wade Media where we teach women how to show up as a high value high status woman whom easily inspires a deep sense of emotional commitment from her chosen man. Together with her husband D. Shen at Commitment Triggers blog, they have positively influenced the lives of over 15 million women through their free articles and videos as well as 10’s of thousands through paid programs through the Shen Wade Media platform.
Connect deeper with her work through the social media links below.
Has your relationship been dragging along in an uncommitted state for some time now? Did he totally freak out, stonewall or run away the minute you brought up taking the relationship to the next level? Or perhaps he seemed so into you, you were both sailing into a blissful commitment, then suddenly he just wants to be friends, he won’t commit, or says he’s not ready. You’re left wondering what makes a man want to commit?
Now here you are likely feeling stressed, worried, even rejected because he won’t commit to you. Am I right? You’ve fallen for this man and thought he was falling too. His ambivalence and confusion hurts so badly! It’s hard not to take it personally. You may even feel compelled to run after him, to let things drag on in this uncommitted state, and accept whatever crumbs he may be willing to give.
Here’s what I know for sure. You deserve a man who makes you a priority, who loves you, who commits to you. A man who is marriage material. Yes, men can sometimes take a bit longer to get to commitment, but there is a point when enough is enough. The longer things drag on, the worse you’ll feel about yourself and the more time you waste. And at the end of this post watch the video on why men commit to some women and pull away from others.
So is there hope? Yes. In fact, through my dating and relationship coaching program, we’ve helped tons of women just like you get through this difficult stage and come out of it with a commitment from their guy. Even after the guy initially said he won’t commit or isn’t ready. Here are some of the key steps that work.
If He Won’t Commit Put Him on Probation
Generally, if you’ve been dating for over three months and your partner isn’t responding positively to your talks about becoming exclusive, it may be time to step back. And if you have been dating for more than a year and he’s not responding to your talks about marriage, it may be time to put the relationship on probation.
When I say step back or probation, I mean you need to let him know that you may be leaving him so that he has a chance to work on things. The key is to deliver the message in a kind and mature way that shows you mean business. This will optimize the chance that he will rise to the occasion so that your relationship can grow deeper.
The Probationary Talk:
Start in a mature, kind, and loving way.
Be specific about what is not working.
Be clear about your thoughts about the possible end of the relationship.
Touch on the losses you both will have if things end.
Suggest some actions or ask him for his thoughts on what actions he might suggest to turn things around.
For example you might say: It would be very sad and painful to lose all that we have built up, for one of us to have to move out, to lose our connection. I thought you might be the one but now I’m not so sure. I’m creating an amazing and fun lasting partnership in my life. I want to get married and believe you are that person. If that’s not for you, it’s not for you. What do you think?
Don’t throw this speech in his face as an idle threat during fights or something you endlessly harass him about to gain power in the relationship. If you turn it into an emotional ultimatum, you will lose personal power in the relationship.
Show him what life is like without you.
If he continues to drag his feet and if he won’t commit, you must take a stand. The single most powerful thing you can do is show him the cost of losing you. I know your heart is breaking. But you cannot settle. You must remember that you deserve commitment! This is a matter of self-love, integrity, and self-protection. Don’t allow yourself to endure further disappointment or to waste more of your invaluable time. So work on overcoming your abandonment fears and get moving.
The Cost of Loss Talk If He Won’t Commit
I recommend you first have a “Cost of Loss” Talk with your partner. Again in a strong, powerful way with no drama, tell him something like: My commitment to myself is that I will be married and have children. And it’s time for me to take action. I would love to have that with you because we would make unbelievable teammates and parents together. You are a generous and kind person and would make the best father. But you said you don’t want marriage. So if it can’t be with you, I am going to do it with another man who can be a great teammate and father to my children. Even though I love you, if you simply cannot or will not do it, I am breaking up with you completely. I am taking all my things out of your apartment and you will not be seeing me again.
And then, follow through. This is key. Move out. Stop calling. Cut off contact. And plan some fun activities for YOU. Set new goals, take up a new challenge. If he won’t commit, let him experience missing you.
What Makes a Man Want to Commit?
So you’re wondering, what makes a man want to commit? In these cases, if your guy realizes what he has lost he may take a bold step towards you. For example, when I say bold, I mean he will show obvious signs of transformation. He will buy the ring and /or go into couples therapy or Relationship Coaching with you, or make plans to move in with you. Then you will feel a real shift in commitment! Men who don’t respond to losing you are not going to commit. Ultimately, the relationship isn’t that important to them. So please move o
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