After 120 minutes, there was no way to separate the two teams, and Spain’s three penalties—two of which were beautifully saved by goalie Bounou—were all missed.
That left Hakimi to win it for the North Africans with his nerveless spot-kick and spark jubilant scenes in the stands at the Education City Stadium.
“It was a pity. It was decided on penalties in the most cruel way,” said Busquets.
“It was tough, very hard for us. We tried to wear them down, give them the run-around, find spaces. We lacked that little luck for the final ball.”
He added, “Now the most important thing is the national team and not me,” said the Barcelona player.
“It’s a tough night and we have to pick ourselves up and use this as experience for our game. There are some very young players who this will help a lot.”
Morocco are the last African side following the exit of African champions Senegal, Ghana, Tunisia and Cameroon.
Coach Walid Regragui’s side are also only remaining Arab team left in the tournament and will face Portugal in the quarterfinals in Qatar.
A serial murderer who was already serving a life sentence for the decades-old murdersof almost a dozen women has admitted to five more killings.
The Associated Press reports Richard Cottingham, who’s best known as the “Torso Killer,” pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the 1968 rape and killing of Diane Cusick. Cottingham also admitted to the slayings of four other women in Long Island’s Nassau County in 1972 and 1973.
Sentenced to 25 years to life behind bars for Cusick’s slaying, Cottingham received immunity for the other four murders due to a plea agreement.
“Today is one is one the most emotional days we’ve ever had the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office,” District Attorney Anne Donnelly told reporters. “In the case of Diane Cusick, her family has waited nearly 55 years for someone to be held accountable for her death.”
“It was only through advances in DNA technology that the NCDA and our partners at the Nassau County Police Department, could solve this 54-year-old cold case and identify a suspect in Ms. Cusick’s tragic death,” Donnelly added. “We make a promise to her surviving daughter today: we will bring her mother’s killer to justice.”
Believed to be one of America’s most prolific serial killers, Cottingham has claimed he’s responsible for up to 100 homicides. The 76-year-old has been imprisoned since 1980, following his convictions in 11 other killings.
At the time of Cottingham’s arrest in 1980, he was married with three children, while working as a computer programmer for a health insurance company in New York.
He claims that these nurses relocate to the most prestigious nations to continue their professions since there they are given better working circumstances.
Shedding light on the number of nurses to have left the country during and after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the shores of Ghana, David Tenkorang told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, “We have the data of nurses who have migrated out of Ghana and we have about 5,000 nurses who left Ghana in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Averagely, we have between 400 to 500 nurses leaving the country every month. They migrate to the UK, Ireland, Wales, Canada, USA and Australia. These are the areas they are migrating to.”
He shared that a few of these nurses migrate to the Middle East, but described that part of the world as not a so good destination for them (nurses).
Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, has revealed an imminent bilateral agreement between the Government of Ghana and the British Government to send Ghanaian trained Nurses to the United Kingdom (UK) in exchange for financial considerations.
According to Mr Agyemang Manu, this will be similar to an already existing arrangement with Barbados, where he said Ghanaian nurses are excelling.
The MP for Dormaa Central made this known on Monday, December 5, on the Floor of Parliament during the 2023 Budget debate.
Member of Parliament for Ejisu and Deputy Minister of Finance, John Kumah, has iterated that external factors damaged Ghana’s booming economy fostered by the ruling New Patriotic Party.
The Deputy Finance Minister told Umaru Sanda Amadu on Citi TV’s Face to Face that Ghana’s financial condition worsened as a result of global crises such as the breakout of Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Mr. Kumah stated that external disruptive forces exacerbated the country’s debt issue, prompting the Minister of Finance to propose a debt restructuring plan known as Ghana’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.
“We got here through very difficult global circumstances. The economy was doing well before Covid-19 struck and when Covid came, it did not only hit Ghana, it hit the entire world and there were disruptions in supply chains, the introduction of lockdowns, and things generally became expensive, and even now that we are out of the pandemic, one of the symptoms of Covid-19 in every country is high inflation rates. In Ghana, for example, we have seen how inflation levels have shot up from 12 percent to 40.4 percent in October.
“Unfortunately, we were further hit in 2022 by the needless war in Russia and Ukraine which affected energy and that has led to increases in the prices of fuel at the pumps. The trotro driver has to pay more and translated that into increases in fares for passengers and for everyone.”
Mr. Kumah went on to say that the highly criticized debt exchange scheme is just one of the measures the government is doing to restructure the country’s debt and nursing the economy back to health.
“Any objective observer will tell you that, globally, we are heading toward a recession and that means further difficult situations for everyone, so we have to do something and that is why Ghana is making processes to get a program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and one of the conditions to meet the Fund’s program is debt sustainability.”
Keke Palmer has responded to critics who said she looked ugly without make up.
She shared a very special message for the bitter and the stupid on Tuesday.
Per Palmer, who recently announced she’s pregnant while hosting Saturday Night Live, she’s spotted “a few comments” as of late from people who are referring to her as “ugly” due to a lack of makeup. As Palmer explained, such individuals should instead put their energy toward obtaining the help of which they are so clearly in need. Palmer also pointed to the importance of self-confidence, something she wishes she could bottle up for others.
“I just saw a few comments of ppl saying I was ugly cause I wasn’t wearing any makeup,” Palmer said in a tweet on Tuesday, as seen below. “And I really want y’all to get the help y’all need because makeup isn’t real. I’m beautiful in real life, because of who I am, not what I look like.
In a follow-up tweet, Palmer continued, “I wish I could bottle how I feel about myself and sell it. Because some people take comments to heart and these ppl just say anything. I mean truly it’s insane to say anyone is ugly, but especially me.”
Image via Keke Palmer on Twitter
This summer, Palmer received widespread acclaim for her performance as Emerald Haywood in Jordan Peele’s critical and commercial hit Nope. 2022 also saw Palmer launching her Baby, This Is Keke Palmer podcast via Amazon Music.
Speaking with Karla Rodriguez for Complex in November, Palmer said she was drawn to this particular opportunity due to its potential to allow her another avenue to “learn and explore” herself in a more personal setting.
Even though Senegal exited the World Cup at the round of 16 stage in 2022, President Macky Sall commended his team’s performance.
At the knockout stage, Africa’s champions lost 3-0 to England without their key players.
England opened the scoring through Jordan Henderson before Harry Kan scored his first goal of the tournament to double their advantage. Bukayo Saka put the icing on the cake after converting Phil Foden’s cross in the 57th minute to seal a comfortable win for Gareth Southgate’s side.
In a tweet, Senegalese President Macky Sall expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance at the tournament.
He said: “Dear Lions, You have not failed. And you played without Sadio [Mane], [Cheikhou] Kouyate and [Idrissa] Gana. You are among the top 16 teams in the world and England were a strong opponent.”
Morocco are now the last African side following the exit of African champions Senegal, Ghana, Tunisia and Cameroon.
As part of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, the government has disclosed the specifics of a domestic debt exchange that will take place after the Debt Sustainability Analysis is finished (IMF).
Domestic bondholders are expected to exchange their current instruments for new ones in accordance with the scheme, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta stated in a televised statement on Sunday.
Commenting on the development on Starr Today with Joshua Kojo Mensah, Mr. Gatsi indicated that the gloomy picture the conditions are showing is not the fault of the IMF.
According to him, Ghana must fulfill the conditionality before deeper discussions will take place for the bailout.
“So I believe that the government is on the move to ensure that they comply with the pre-condition given by the IMF. We have not displayed the amount of money we borrowed. The IMF was aware of our engagement with the HIPC initiative and most African countries have not shown from the benefit they got from the HIPC initiative. There are no cogent reasons for external debt holders to be providing debt forgiveness etc.
“So I believe from that perspective they are trying to teach us a great lesson and by now all of us will be angry. When the government has overborrowed and not using the funds very well, we will all be alive to answer,” the Dean of the Cape Coast University Business School stated.
“We don’t have an honest government. This is very sad. People are going to die as a result of this announcement. I am telling you the facts. Because this is the same way this same government spent about 25 billion Ghana cedis to wipe away or to rationalize between seven to nine billion they have alleged to have caused by banks,” Mr. Tukornu stated.
The MP questioned why Ghana’s neighbors are not experiencing the same suffering since they were all affected by the COVID-19 outbreak in an interview with TV3 that GhanaWeb was watching.
He continued by saying that the only reason Ghana is in worse shape is because the current administration mismanaged all the funding the nation received as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Why is it that our neighbouring countries are not suffering the way we are suffering? Why is Togo not suffering the way we are suffering? Why is it that Burkina Faso is not suffering the way we are suffering?
“COVID hit all of us; was Ghana the only country that was hit by COVID? Ghana was not the only country that was hit by COVID. As a matter of fact, all those countries (our neighbours) none of them went to the IMF to borrow $3 billion in the name of COVID. None of them.
“As a matter of fact, Burkina Faso went for $20 million. None of our neighbours went to the World Bank to borrow about $906 million… none of them went to their central bank to request (GHS) 10 billion; they ended up borrowing (GHS) 20 billion,” he said.
Also, the MP said that if the government wants Ghanaians to support its policies to get the country out of the current economic mess, it should lead by example by drastically reducing its expenditure.
The Director of Strategy and Business Operations at Dalex Finance, Joe Jackson, has urged organizations and people to support the government’s suggested actions for its debt swap program.
Some business leaders have criticized the government for some components of the strategy.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on the scheme’s pros and cons, Joe Jackson urged the people to maintain composure even if it creates a challenging scenario.
“The alternative is dire. So we have to take a rationale and measured approach to this bitter pill that we are about to swallow. That is the truth of the matter. We cannot be screaming and shouting; panicking won’t solve the problem. It is a bitter pill and difficult situation, and it will make it harder for the government to pick up money for its bonds in the months and years ahead.”
To put the nation’s debt on a sustainable course, Ghana created the Domestic Debt Exchange Program.
Due to the debt restructuring, domestic bondholders will receive interest payments that are zero percent in 2023 and five percent in 2024.
In an effort to reestablish the country’s ability to service its debt, existing domestic bonds as of December 1, 2022, will also be swapped for a series of four new bonds expiring in 2027, 2029, 2032, and 2037.
Treasury bills and individual bondholders won’t be impacted by the scheme, though, and there won’t be any “haircuts” to the bond principal, according to the government.
In order to provide fiscal flexibility and help Ghana meet the requirements for an IMF facility, the debt exchange program aims to divide local bonds into four groups.
Concerns regarding the government’s lack of engagement prior to the program’s introduction have been expressed by several labor groups and the minority in Parliament.
According to the labor unions, the deal will significantly harm them since it may have a detrimental effect on employee pensions.
The Minority Caucus opposes the scheme, blaming President Akufo-and Addo’s his Finance Minister’s financial dishonesty. It also claims that the policy will cause investors to become even more frustrated and deny them of their investment returns.
Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka and actress Nia Longare going their separate ways following the former’s alleged affair with a coworker.
People reports Long and Udoka have decided to end their 13-year relationship, with a source confirming that the couple is “no longer together but remain fully committed to co-parenting their son.”
“The situation is unfortunate and painful, but Nia is focusing on her children and rebuilding her life,” the insider added.
Back in September, the Celtics suspended Udoka for the entire 2022-23 NBA season after it was discovered that he had a consensual, improper relationship with a team staffer.
“I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down,” Udoka said in a statement at the time. “I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”
The breakup news comes days after Long discussed Udoka’s scandal in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. Though she did not reveal her relationship status, Long blamed the Celtics organization for how it handled the controversy.
“I think the most heartbreaking thing about all of this was seeing my son’s face when the Boston Celtics organization decided to make a very private situation public,” Long said. “It was devastating, and it still is. He still has moments where it’s not easy for him. If you’re in the business of protecting women—I’m sorry, no one from the Celtics organization has even called to see if I’m OK, to see if my children are OK. It’s very disappointing.”
Long and Udoka began dating in 2010, before welcoming their first and only child together in 2011. The couple got engaged in June 2015, though they never got around to tying the knot.
He thinks reorganizing the free SHS policy may aid the economy in some way during the current economic crisis, which will lessen the strain on the government.
He contends that while the government has pledged to provide free SHS and must do so, it should also take steps to reduce costs, such as making students responsible for their own meals.
Tory Lanez is now facing an additional charge in the MeganThee Stallion shooting case.
As first reported by The Shade Room on Tuesday, a felony charge of discharging a firearm with gross negligence has been added in the case, which previously saw Lanez being charged with assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying an unregistered firearm in a vehicle. The charges are in connection with an alleged 2020 shooting in the Hollywood Hills area.
When reached for comment on Tuesday, a rep from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office told Complex, “A felony count of discharging a firearm with gross negligence was added to the information.” In court documents viewed by Complex, namely an amended complaint from the State of California dated Dec. 5, it’s alleged that “in the commission and attempted commission of the above offense, [Tory Lanez] personally inflicted great bodily injury upon” Megan Thee Stallion.
Deeper into the court docs, Lanez’s alleged actions are described as involving “great violence, great bodily harm, threat of great bodily harm, and other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, and callousness.”
In an interview with Gayle King for CBS in April, Megan spoke out about the central allegations in the case, notably marking the first time she opened up about the shooting in a TV setting. She also revealed that Tory allegedly offered to pay $1 million if she stayed quiet.
That same month, Lanez was reported to have been found in violation of a protective order in connection with the case.
The Narcotics Control Commission’s Upper West regional command has accused the police of underreporting the amount of compressed substances believed to be marijuana that were seized by a combined police-immigration tax operation on December 1 in Liero, a neighborhood in the Sissala West area.
As a result, the commission has asked the state attorney to assist in locating the packages of suspected marijuana.
A swoop by the patrol team, which consisted of police and immigration officers acting on information, discovered that most of the rooms in the home of a guy (name withheld) in Liero were filled with sacks containing what was thought to be marijuana.
In a statement, NACOC stated that 981 packets of the suspected chemical were held in immigration’s hands, while several other parcels were turned over to the police.
“Upon intelligence, the Commission has since confirmed the items in the custody of the Immigration Services. However, the Police denied the Commission information with regard to the quantity and place of custody of the substances herein referred despite several efforts,” NACOC said in a statement.
Below is the full statement by NACOC
Dear Sir,
NOTIFICATION
NARCOTICS CONTROL COMMISSION Post Office Box 606 Wa — UW/R.
Digital Address: UW — 0021-9492
Date:
5 December 2022
1. The Regional Command of the Narcotics Control Commission wishes to notify and request your outfit’s intervention on the following;
2. That on 1 December 2022, a joint patrol of Police and Immigration from Hamile intercepted compressed parcels of substances suspected to be marijuana in a village called Liero in the Sissala West District.
3. That for reasons unknown to the Commission, the patrol team had a disagreement (between the Police and Immigration officers) and could not reach a consensus on the management of the substances intercepted.
4. That as a result, immigration officers of the team allegedly carried away and are keeping in custody at the Hamile border, 981 of the said compressed parcels whiles the majority of the parcels were left with the police at the scene.
5. That upon intelligence, the Commission has since confirmed the items in the custody of the Immigration Services. However, the Police denied the Commission information with regard to the quantity and place of custody of the substances herein referred, despite several efforts.
6. That sequel to the above, the Commission hereby informs and seeks your intervention to ensure the substances are duly accounted for and steps taken to restore collaboration amongst the security agencies involved.
Yours faithfully,
Issahaque B k (Regional Director)
The program had aided farmers and fishermen in enhancing their food security, the Minister said during a speech at the ceremony held in Koforidua, in the Eastern Region.
He continued by saying that the program had allowed the government to offer Gh2.5 billion in subsidies for better fertilizers and seeds from 2017 to 2021.
“The farmers and fishers who we celebrate today have built this security by responding very favourably to the incentives provided by the government under the flagship programme “Planting for Food and Jobs. ”
“In five years, 2017-2021, the Government provided ¢2.5 billion in subsidies on improved seeds and fertilisers alone in the food crop subsector,” he said.
The Minister said that he had introduced two innovations regarding the Farmers’ Day since 2017.
The introduction of an agricultural fair before the Day’s celebration and the regional capitals taking turns in hosting the event.
Fifteen farmers were given national awards for their distinguished services to the nation.
President Akufo-Addo Akufo-Addo was the keynote speaker of the national climax durbar, held under the theme: “Accelerating Agricultural Development through Value Addition”.
Nana Yaw Sarpong Siriboe, a 43-year-old mixed farmer based at Juaben in the Ashanti Region, was adjudged the 2022 Overall National Best Farmer.
The award-winner took home a cash prize of one million Ghana Cedis, tractor with implements, trailer, a boom sprayer, and other souvenirs.
Nana Sarpong Siriboe has a 900-acre oil palm plantation, 200-acres of maize, over 17, 000 poultry birds, livestock and acres of cocoa, cassava cashew, mango and cowpea farms, with a total workforce of145.
Professor Akwasi Asabere Ameyaw, a mixed-farmer based in the Techiman-North of the Brong-East Region, emerged the Second Runner-Up and was given a tractor with implements.
Mr. Seth Agyei Fosu, also a mixed farmer based in the Kintampo-North of the Brong-East Region, took the First Runner-Up position, and received a tractor, trailer, Disc Plough and Boom Sprayer.
Ontario Provincial Police says a plane in Cornwall, Ontario, crashed on the median of Highway 401, injuring two people(OPP).
On Monday evening, a Cessna 150 reportedly crashed in front of the Bainsville ONRoute around 8:15 p.m. after attempting an emergency landing on the highway near the Ontario-Quebec border.
The federal Transportation Safety Board (TSB) launched an investigation into the crash’s causes.
“They attempted to do an emergency landing on the 401,” Isabelle Langevin, the TSB’s director of regional operations for Quebec, said to CTV News Ottawa. “While lining up to land on the highway they struck a power line that crosses the highway south to north at that particular spot and following that collision, the aircraft collided with the ground.”
One passenger, a 39-year-old man, was airlifted to a nearby hospital in serious condition while the second, reportedly a man in his 20s according to Ornge air ambulance, is in life-threatening condition, said acting Sgt. Erin Cranton, a spokesperson for the OPP.
The plane had taken off from the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield Airport in Quebec, about 17 kilometres east of the crash.
Police shut down the highway after the crash. 511 Ontario Eastern tweeted that police had reopened it around 4:15 a.m.
After 120 minutes, there was no way to separate the two teams, and Spain’s three penalties—two of which were beautifully saved by goalie Bounou—were all missed.
That left Hakimi to seal the victory for the North Africans with his fearless penalty kick and ignite joyful scenes in the stadium’s stands.
“Morocco offered absolutely nothing. Without disrespecting them. In the game, they did nothing,” Rodri said after the game.
“They just waited for the counters. They stayed behind and tried to counter us!”
Spain were also knocked out of Euro 2020 on penalties in the semifinals by Italy.
Morocco are the last African side following the exit of African champions Senegal, Ghana, Tunisia and Cameroon.
Coach Walid Regragui’s side are also only remaining Arab team left in the tournament and will face Portugal in the quarterfinals in Qatar.
As compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 13.0973 and a selling price of 13.1105. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 13.35 and sold at a rate of 14.20.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 15.9926 and a selling price of 16.0112 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 15.6834 and a selling price of 15.6834.
At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 16.10 and sold at a rate of 16.90.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 13.7974 and a selling price of 13.8123 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 13.7974 and a selling price of 13.8123.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 13.45 and sold at a rate of 14.00.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.7535 and a selling price of 0.7542 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 0.7535 and a selling price of 0.7542.
The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 33.8492 and a selling price of 33.9858 as compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 33.8411 and a selling price of 33.9670.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 16.00 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 20.50.
For the CFA, it is trading at a buying price of 47.7192 and a selling price of 47.7706.
At a forex bureau in Accra, CFA is being bought at a rate of 18.50 CFA for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 23.50 CFA for every 1 Cedi.
Five women who have long accused comedian Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting them earlier in their careers have brought new claims against him.
TMZ reports the womenjointly filed a lawsuit on Monday in New York state court, accusing Cosby of assault, battery, infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment, while also naming NBCUniversal as complicit to the 85-year-old’s actions.
The charges were filed under New York’s new Adult Survivors Act, which gives survivors of sexual abuse a one-year window to file complaints that would otherwise be prevented by the statute of limitations.
The five plaintiffs include actresses Lili Bernard and Eden Tirl, who each appeared on The Cosby Show, as well as Jewel Gittens, Jennifer Thompson, and Cindra Ladd, the last of whom is a former Hollywood executive who previously accused Cosby of raping her in 1969.
“Each plaintiff was sexually assaulted and battered by defendant Bill Cosby in the same or similar manner when he used his power, fame, and prestige, including the power, fame and prestige given to him by [the] defendants … to misuse his enormous power in such a nefarious, horrific way,” the suit states.
Lawyer Jordan Rutsky, who represents all five women, said, “It was well-known that Bill Cosby would regularly take young women into his dressing room, and when you read the complaint, you’ll see there were instances where staff saw this happening and even encouraged the plaintiff to submit.”
The news comes a year and a half after Cosby was freed from prison. He served more than two years of a 3-to-10-year sentence following dozens of women accusing him of rape and sexual assault.
Cosby’s spokesman Andrew Wyatt has rejected the accusers’ claims, calling the lawsuit “frivolous.”
“As we have always stated, and now America can see, this isn’t about justice for victims of alleged sexual assault, it’s ALL ABOUT MONEY,” Wyatt stated.
“We believe that the courts, as well as the court of public opinion, will follow the rules of law and relieve Mr. Cosby of these alleged accusations. Mr. Cosby continues to vehemently deny all allegations waged against him and looks forward to defending himself in court.”
After recently acting as the opening act for Chris Brown and Lil Baby’s joint tour this past summer, Druski will embark on his own headlining comedy tour in the spring of 2019.
Set to kick off March 2 in Richmond, Virginia, the acclaimed comedian’s Coulda Woulda Shoulda Tour is scheduled to hit 30 venues, highlighted by stops in New York, Miami, Chicago, and Atlanta, among other cities.
“It’s a dream come true to headline my own comedy tour,” Druski said in an official statement. “I’ve been fortunate to tour alongside several of the biggest musicians in the world and get valuable experience, but now I’m ready to take the next step in my career. I’m coming off my most successful year in comedy and it’s time to show the world my growth as an entertainer.”
Druski’s meteoric rise over the past few years has been assisted by co-signs from A-list artists-turned-friends like Chloe Bailey, Drake, Jack Harlow, and Ella Mai. Aside from appearing in music videos for Drake, Harlow, and Lil Yachty, among others, Druski has starred in commercials for brands such as Bud Light Seltzer, Beats By Dre, AT&T, Call of Duty, Mountain Dew, KFC and Google Pixel.
Prior to opening for Lil Baby and Chris Brown on their One of Them Ones Tour last summer, Druski was enlisted to serve as official host of J. Cole’s 2021 The Off-Season arena tour, which also included appearances by 21 Savage and Morray.
Under its Ghana Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, the government has asked domestic debt holders to voluntarily swap about GH137 billion of domestic notes and bonds of the Republic for new instruments with a different term arrangement.
When this is finished, the government will have some breathing room in its budget as it expects to lower domestic interest payments, which are anticipated to be GH31.29 billion in 2023 out of a total of GH52.55 billion.
At a post-2023 budget meeting, Professor Quartey said: “With this, our debts are going to come down once they make those savings. Therefore, the interest payments can be channelled into some of the programmes that have been outlined in the budget.
“For instance, you’ve seen some funds earmarked toward agriculture; but when you look at the 2023 budget, we’re going to spend so much at about GH¢18billion on the education sector – less than agriculture and industry. So going by what I see, quite a good proportion will go into education; but also some will go into other critical sectors.”
“Growth is not going to be as high as we’ve been witnessing, because it takes investment to grow. In the past we have relied on external sources and foreign capital to invest in infrastructure for capital expenditure. Unfortunately, that avenue is virtually closed to us for a while; and therefore we are only going to spend 1.8 percent of our GDP on investments. So, growth is going to stifle,” he said.
“But having said that, if we are able to sign onto an IMF programme and we get on track, I believe there’ll be other donors who come on board as well as some bilateral partners and we can revise some of these figures in investment and manufacturing,” he stated.
Focus on agriculture
The Director called for a special focus on agriculture as the sector remained resilient during major shocks like COVID-19.
“Although these numbers are not very impressive when compared with the other sectors, we note here that the sector was very resilient during major shocks like COVID-19. Moving forward, attention should be paid to processing and food storage infrastructure to ensure food security,” he said.
Primarily, the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative – which started in 2017 to provide subsidised inputs to farmers – continues to be a conduit for growing the agricultural sector. In 2023, the agricultural sector is projected to grow by 2.6 percent as against 0.7 percent in 2022.
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has expressed worry about the potential negative impacts on the country’s healthcare system of the bilateral agreement between the governments of Ghana and Britain to send qualified Ghanaian nurses to the United Kingdom.
The Association claims that even while the agreement is admirable, if it were to fully implement, there may be a shortage of properly educated nurses.
Perpetual Ofori Ampofo, the president of the GRNMA, said in an interview with Citi News that there are now just a few professionally educated nurses in the system, therefore the government must train more nurses to prevent having a detrimental influence on the bilateral agreement.
“You realised that we have a lot more of the certificate holders as against a lower number in terms of the diploma holders and degree holders. So we are training them in high numbers, meanwhile, there are professional members who are not the best, and these are the same people taking care of Ghanaians, so we need to change and also look at building the infrastructure of GRNMA, and helping build the caucus, so that they will be in a better position to train more specialist nurses and midwives, to boost the human resources capacity of the nation.”
“At that point, you will definitely have adequate numbers to work in Ghana and at the same time migrate elsewhere to work. But in the current circumstances, although we cannot abrogate what we have done with the UK, it’s going to come back and hit us,” the President of GRNMA said.
The Ghanaian government and the British government are about to reach a bilateral deal to transfer nurses training to the UK in exchange for financial benefits.
This was revealed by Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu on Monday, December 5, during the discussion of the 2023 Budget on the House Floor.
“We are engaging with the government of the United Kingdom, and we are just about to sign a memorandum of agreement after cabinet approval to begin to send nurses for training and work there and come back home after three years.
“Ghana is going to benefit from the little money that the UK government will pass on. For every single nurse that goes away, when we finish the agreement, it is likely we will get over 1000 pounds to come and support the health system in Ghana. ”
The Ghana Football Association has declared that the 2022–23 MTN FA Cup Competition’s championship game would take place on June 17, 2023 at an unnamed stadium.
Given the impressive final matches played at Accra and Baba Yara Stadium in the previous two competitions, the FA Cup Organising Committee is anticipated to announce a location for this year’s edition of the renowned knockout competition.
Before the final match, the semi-finals matches will also be played on May 13 & 14, 2023.
The knockout competition will bounce back in the week of Christmas with mouthwatering Round of 64 matches scheduled to be played from December 20-29, 2022 at various match venues across the country.
Winners from this round will advance to the Round of 32 which will be played from January 20-23, 2023.
Below is the revised calendar for the MTN FA Cup competition.
Financing is a key enabler for agribusinesses and farmers, but acquiring it has frequently grown more difficult over time due to a number of variables, both on the demand side (farmers) and the supply side (financial institutions).
The unwillingness to repay loans, diversion of funds and produce, bad operational and financial record-keeping, and actions by the agricultural institution or individual, among other issues, are some obstacles on the demand side.
The supply side also has its own challenges which cannot be overemphasised. They include delay in processing time; financial institutions’ lack of technical ability to assess and monitor agri credit; financial institution staff’s inability to understand the nature and structure of most agribusiness operations.
Mr. Korboe – speaking to the media on the sidelines of a Supply Chain Action Network (SCAN) meeting organised by the Centre for Applied Research and Innovation in Supply Chain-Africa (CARISCA) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) – noted that to surmount all of these challenges, both financial institutions and agribusinesses, including farmers, must be responsible in their dealings.
“The two parties – the one demanding funding and the one supplying – should all fulfil their responsibility well. Sometimes you don’t need to run to banks to raise finance, it should depend on your scale of operations.
“Report to the bankers periodically; you don’t wait till there is a calamity before you rush to the bank. It creates a bit of bad taste. Banks are in the business of lending money to farmers and businesses are also producing the crops to make money. In every relationship, everyone must accept that they will have to be transparent and work together as a team,” Mr. Korboe said.
“For us at CARISCA, we want to listen to our stakeholders so we will pick out areas we can research into, and from an action perspective find solutions we can present. We want to go beyond publishing in journals by providing real solutions,” he said.
The meeting was on the topic ‘Supply Chain Financing: the Fintech and Traditional Banking Perspective’, held in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The SCAN meeting is one of the avenues whereby stakeholders in the agricultural and health supply chains are brought together to brainstorm on pressing issues which seek to positively change global supply chains and impact the lives of people in Africa and beyond.
According to a note released by Rand Merchant Bank’s research division, the cedi ended the first trading period after the announcement up more than 4 percent against the US dollar, with rates on the spot and future markets improving to GH13.5 for US$1.
Given the diverse and generally unimpressive performance of currencies on the continent relative to the US dollar, RMB remarked that the cedi’s status as the “standout performer” was all the more remarkable.
“Movements in the currency market suggest that investors viewed the debt exchange announcement over the weekend in a positive light. The Ghanaian cedi was the standout performer in the African currency market yesterday, gaining in excess of 4 percent against the US dollar to close at 13.5 in what was otherwise a mixed session for African FX,” the note read in part.
The development represents a modest, albeit welcome, change in fortunes of the cedi – which has had to endure the ignominy of being the world’s worst-performing currency after depreciating by more than 55 percent against the dollar this year, adding GH¢93.86billion to public debt stock as it rose to GH¢467.37billion at the end of September.
The DEP was introduced as government seeks fiscal space over unsustainable debt – which currently gulps in excess of 60 percent of government revenue – with the goal of qualifying for a US$3billion programme from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The fiscal authority is expecting holders of local debt to voluntarily exchange approximately GH¢137 of domestic notes and bonds by December 19, 2022 for new instruments maturing in 2027, 2029, 2032 and 2037 with corresponding coupon payments of O percent in 2023, 5 percent in 2024 and 10 percent from 2025 until maturity.
Market observers are keenly watching the development, even as they anticipate guidance from government’s treatment of its foreign debt.
While it is still very early days, RMB Africa Research believes a successful implementation of the DEP will see investors gravitate toward Ghanaian assets in the medium-term.
“While fiscal pressures in Ghana remain acute, given the deep valuation on offer amid signs that the country could return to a sustainable fiscal position in the medium-term, investors are beginning to rotate back into Ghanaian assets,” RMB added.
It’s very rare for Nigerian presidential hopeful Bola Ahmed Tinubu to talk directly to the media.
At a recent much-publicised event in London, questions from the press were all answered by aides.
Frustrating for those present, perhaps, but more so for the Nigerians clamouring for answers ahead of February’s election, not just on the key policy issues of insecurity and unemployment, but on how Mr Tinubu amassed his personal wealth.
Finally, he has broken his silence and agreed to an interview with the BBC.
I asked him just how a Tinubu presidency would be different from the current Buhari presidency – after all, they are both from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Buhari has “done his best”, says Mr Tinubu.
“I am different. I am Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I have governed Lagos. I’ve built a modern state that could be a country on its own. I have led an administration that’s so prudent.”
Despite being credited with reshaping Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, the question of his personal wealth – and the source of it – is a big point of contention for Nigerians.
If you’re visiting the wealthy suburb of Ikoyi in Lagos, you can’t fail to notice Mr Tinubu’s enormous mansion.
By that he means beefed-up military and security forces.
And if he had to choose one of the two other main candidates, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who is standing for the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, popular among young Nigerians, who would it be?
He makes it plain – he feels neither are up to the job.
“They are not as competent as any other person out there. They have no track record. None of them is qualified except me.”
The final decision, of course, will be up to Nigerians.
You can watch Peter Okwoche’s full interview with Bola Tinubu on Focus on Africa at 17.30 GMT on BBC World News
The 900-meter road-over-bridge project at Afienya in the Greater Accra area was officially opened by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday.
The overbridge was built as a component of the 97.9 km standard-gauge rail line project in the Eastern Region from Tema to Mpakadan.
The project was designed in the early 2000s by the then-Kufour Administration as a component of an intermodal transportation system that included road, rail, and lake transit to ease the flow of people and freight from the southern half of the country to the northern sector.
The project, according to President Akufo-Addo, is a significant step in the nation’s effort to improve and extend its infrastructure.
Currently, domestic and transit freight is transported by road via Kumasi, Tamale, Bolgatanga, Navrongo, and Paga from Accra, Tema to Northern Ghana and then on to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
The President expressed concern about the nation’s overreliance on its road system.
He said that the absence of alternate modes of transportation, particularly between Accra and Kumasi, had led to congestion, rapid degradation of the roads, and a spike in traffic accidents.
He said that the initiative was a component of plans to build a multimodal transportation connection along the Volta Lake between Tema and Buipe.
The 96% finished project was financed by a credit line Ghana was given by the Exim Bank of India.
It is anticipated to be finished by the end of March 2019.
The execution of the project, according to President Akufo-Addo, is evidence of the close historical links between Ghana and India.
According to him, the project will correct the disparity between long-distance transit and domestic freight movement from Accra, Tema, and the North to the South via the Volta lake transportation system.
Additionally, the project will lower the cost of freight transportation and increase safety while enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of the Tema Port.
Additionally, it would reduce the expense of shipping goods and conducting business in Ghana.
“This project will not only increase the amount of transit freight passing through the Volta lake, but it will also increase domestic shipping to and from the lake and support local businesses and agriculture.”
When the project is completely operational, it would connect Tema Port to the lake transportation network, particularly the North-South movement, across a 400 km distance, according to him.
It would make it possible to transport agricultural products and containerized freight from the Northern enclave in the Afram plains to the port of Tema and other locations using the Volta Lake.
The project is anticipated to relieve some of the strain on the road system, particularly the Eastern Corridor, which is now undergoing active development.
Additionally, it would reduce the price of moving big goods and offer economical, dependable alternatives for people not covered by the corridor’s road transportation network.
The project’s development pleased President Akufo-Addo, who asked the contractors, Messrs AFCONS Infrastructure Limited of India, to finish the unfinished work on time.
He toured the New Afienya railway station before inspecting an additional 300 meters of the Senchi rail bridge that crosses the Volta lake.
The Authority stated in its most recent public alert that the compromised social media accounts are used to engage in fraudulent activity including, but not limited to, investment fraud, online shopping scams, job recruiting scams, romance scams, and money solicitation.
“A second trend has to do with a WhatsApp user being lured to expose his/her nudity over a video call with someone they think they know. The session is recorded by the other party (or an associate) without the knowledge of the victim. The malicious actor then comes back to extort money from the victim in exchange for not releasing the video,” the alert said.
Modus Operandi
A potential victim would either receive a call from an unknown number, or a message from a friend (whose social media account may have been compromised) requesting the victim to share a one-time password (OTP) (usually a 6-digit verification code) sent to the victim’s number as a text message.
The scammers apply social engineering, typically creating a sense of emergency and request for the OTP which was sent to the victim. The victim would thereafter lose access to the account after providing the scammers with the verification code.
The scammers, after gaining access to the victim’s account then target persons and groups on the victim’s contact list as the next potential victims. Through this, the scammers would impersonate the victim’s friends and promote other fraudulent activities or solicit funds.
The scammers’ request would be on the pretext of helping them to join online groups such as work or school groups or sign up and claim prizes for fake lucky draws allegedly conducted or joined.
Sextortion (Sexual Extortion)
A potential victim would typically make a new friend on a social media platform e.g., Facebook. Eventually, the two parties exchange WhatsApp numbers and the chats continue over there, establishing a level of trust and familiarity.
After some time, a video call is initiated over which the victim ends up being persuaded to go nude. Unknown to them, the session is recorded by the other party.
Some days afterwards, the other party (or an associate) will contact the victim indicating that they have these videos and will threaten to release them in public unless they receive a specified payment.
In some cases, the criminals will go ahead to share it online, provide a link (URL) to where it is and indicate it would only be taken down when they are paid. The demands typically do not end once the first payment is made.
Preventive & Mitigation Measures
Countering Account Takeovers: Enable ‘Two-Step Verification’.
Open WhatsApp Settings.
Tap Account > Two-step verification > Enable.
Enter a six-digit PIN of your choice and confirm it.
Provide a valid email address you have access to or tap Skip.
Note: Providing the email address is recommended. Otherwise if you forget your PIN, you will have to wait 7 days before you can reset it.
Tap Next.
Confirm the email address and tap Save or Done.
Avoiding Sexual Extortion Schemes
Avoid initiating and/or participating in video calls of an intimate nature i.e. where nudity is displayed, sexually explicit acts are performed etc.
If you receive a ransom demand, do not make payment. Instead, report it immediately to the CSA’s Cybersecurity/Cybercrime Incident Reporting Points of Contact for guidance.
General Recommendations
The following measures are recommended to prevent online scams:
Never share your social media application account verification codes with anyone.
Protect all your social media application accounts by enabling the ‘Two-Step Verification’ or ‘Two-Factor authentication (2FA)’ feature.
Be aware of who has physical access to your phone. If someone has physical access to your phone, they can use your account without your permission.
Do NOT be impulsive – Beware of unusual requests from strangers or even your social media contacts.
Do NOT believe – Be wary of claims that you have won a prize, especially if you have not participated in any campaign or lucky draw. Check official websites to determine whether the lucky draw offers are legitimate.
Always verify the authenticity of the request by contacting your friend, but do not do so through the social media platform as the account might have been taken over by scammers.
Do NOT give – Do not transfer money or give out your personal information, bank account or credit/debit card details, and One-Time Password (OTP) to anyone, including family and friends.
If you are contacted by anyone claiming to have images and/or videos of you of an intimate nature requesting a payment in exchange for not releasing them to the public, report it immediately to the CSA’s Cybersecurity/Cybercrime Incident Reporting Points of Contact for guidance. Do NOT make any payments.
For the first time ever in Ghana, the National Lottery Authority will host Rebecca Paul, President of the World Lottery Association, and Lynne Roiter, General Secretary.
Rebecca Paul the first woman to be elected for the coveted position of President for the World Lottery Association has also been re-elected for a second two-year term.
In Vancouver, she was voted to a second term as the WLA’s leader in October of this year.
In addition, Madam Paul has played a significant role in spearheading numerous reforms and promoting worthy causes inside the various Lottery Bodies around the globe.
Along with the seasoned General Secretary, Lynne Roiter and other top executives from the World Lottery Body will attend the seminar on responsible gaming, which is being hosted by the National Lottery Authority of Ghana and coordinated by the African Lotteries Association.
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako-Atta, has said the mode of collecting road tolls in the country will change when it is re-introduced.
According to Mr. Amoako-Atta, the payment of road toll will be via electronic means when the levy is reintroduced in 2023.
“We are going to build modern expressway which will come with tolling facilities but those tolling facilities will be electronic tolling facility…if it has to come, it will be done electronically,” he said.
He urged road users to be prepared to pay more money for the toll to enable the government to construct enough good roads.
“The whole year, we were getting an average of GH₵78 million depending upon the ground condition, that amount of money cannot even build 10km of road. We were paying the lowest toll in the whole world. Meanwhile, we want excellent and good roads in our country.
“We want good things, we must be prepared to pay for more. We will no longer be paying the 50 pesewas and ₵1.”
Government in November 2021 announced the scrapping of road toll collection on all major highways across the country.
A year after, the government has made a u-turn to reintroduce the collection of the toll.
The reintroduction of the road toll is one of the revenue measures contained in the 2023 budget presented to Parliament by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
“The fiscal policy measures to underpin the 2023 Budget for consideration and approval by Parliament include the reintroduction of tolls on selected public roads and highways with a renewed focus on leveraging technology in the collection to address the inefficiencies characterized by the previous toll collection regime,” paragraph 462 of the 2023 Budget statement reads.
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has stated that they will offer their full support only if the revenue from the collection of the toll would be used solely on road maintenance.
On Tuesday, December 6, Kumah said on Joy FM that individuals who reject the measure face terrible repercussions and that even if they challenge the government, the likelihood is that they will still experience harsher results.
When asked if the administration was optimistic about the exchange’s acceptability, he replied: “At first, some would express doubts, but when you explain the gravity of the issue, where we are, and how we can all get out better, most of them agree…
On the issue of institutions that refuse to sign on, he cautioned; “then you don’t get the carrots, the benefits, the buffers that are provided. You are on your own, it means that you are open to default in terms of if the markets are unable to redeem (the bonds).”
When the question of government being sued by institutions was raised, he responded by saying that if the system is broken or in the case of an economic crash, there will be little to nothing to sue for.
Government might have overborrowed – Kumah admits
“We are not a perfect institution. We can make mistakes, and our decisions are allowed to be criticised,” he said on the Joy FM Super Morning Show in response to public criticism over management of the economy.
Kumah, who is also Member of Parliament for Ejisu, added that the current state of the economy was also due to after effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, even though there has been some improvements since then.
The government has come in for backlash after it announced a domestic debt exchange for institutional bondholders as part of measures to secure an International Monetary Fund, IMF, programme before the end of the year.
The debt exchange has received stiff fightback especially from a number of institutions including the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) who are insisting that the debt exchange should not affect pensions.
The deputy minister in the same interview also spoke about how excessive borrowing could have triggered the current economic crisis.
According to him, the government could have considered other alternatives to financing its projects and programmes aside from borrowing.
“Maybe the levels of borrowing have been too much and that could be one of the areas. Maybe we should have looked at more alternatives for financing our various programmes but of course, every nation is built on debt, it is what you do with it and what happens [that matters].
“I know we are where we are because, if you borrowed in 2017, 2018 and 2019, US$3 billion of investment each year and you were expecting the returns after 2020 and Covid-19 struck, and brought your economy to almost zero, it means that you are already in a very difficult situation.
“So, this is the reality of what happened, it’s not like we borrowed and did things that didn’t benefit the country,” he added.
Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, on December announced a number of measures under the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange (DDE) programme.
He said the announcement was in line with the government’s Debt Sustainability Analysis as contained in the 2023 budget he presented to Parliament on November 24.
Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bouno, has expressed his joy at helping his team defeat Spain 3-0 in a shootout to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals following a scoreless draw.
After 120 minutes, Spain’s three penalties—two of which goalie Bounou superbly saved—were not successful in separating the two teams.
That left Hakimi to win it for the North Africans with his nerveless spot-kick and spark jubilant scenes in the stands at the Education City Stadium.
“I’m so happy for the team — they did a great job all through the game,” Bounou told beIN Sports.
“We understood (how to play) the game from the start, so I’m so happy for this win.”
Morocco are the last African side following the exit of African champions Senegal, Ghana, Tunisia and Cameroon.
Coach Walid Regragui’s side are also only remaining Arab team left in the tournament and will face Portugal in the quarterfinals in Qatar.
The primary defense is that government shouldn’t ever intervene in pensions, the majority of which are held in institutional bonds.
All debts have been divided into four categories as part of a restructuring exercise that has been made necessary by recent economic headwinds, according to an announcement made by Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta on December 5.
Whiles individual bondholders and investors in Treasury Bills were exempt from the exchange, the Minister outlined the main modalities as follows:
“Under the Programme, domestic bondholders will be asked to exchange their instruments for new ones. Existing domestic bonds as of 1st December, 2022 will be exchanged for a set of four new bonds maturing in 2027, 2029, 2032 and 2037.
“The annual coupon on all of these new bonds will be set at 0% in 2023, 5% in 2024 and 10% from 2025 until maturity. Coupon payments will be semi-annual.”
Since the announcement, the following bodies have kicked against the programme.
National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT)
Speaking to the press in Accra on Monday (December 5) the President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu, said that if the government proceeds with its plan, his union and other labour unions in the country will lay down their tools.
“We enter into a contractual agreement that I am buying bonds at ‘X’ per cent. So, I have informed the beneficiaries that I have bought bonds on your behalf at this rate. All of a sudden, government who is the party on the other side of the agreement comes to say, for me, this is what I can pay, take or leave it.
“This will not be accepted, my union NAGRAT, the teacher unions do not accept this. We are members of the forum made up of the public sector unions and we want to assure our members that we will resist this move by the government,” he said.
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA)
The GRNMA through a press statement registered their dismay and disappointment at the proposed Debt Exchange programme.
The Association explained the basis for its rejection stating that “Pension funds are a collection of contributions of individuals. By design they are meant to protect the vulnerable during retirement.
“Thus any treatment of “individuals” as stated by the Minister of Finance must be indeed extended to all individuals as with pension funds including our GRNMA Fund, a Provident Fund for over 101,000 contributors who are nurses and midwives within the nursing and midwifery fraternity;
“Pension funds, particularly Tier 3 schemes, were encouraged to hold their investments for a minimum of 10 years. Since its inception in 2012, most schemes have just met the 10 years or will be 10 years next year.
“Debt exchange for pension funds will mean that workers will not have access to Tier 3 funds after waiting for 5 – 15 years. This is simply unacceptable! To the National Pension Regulatory Authority’s (NPRA) regulations, all Pension Schemes have most of their assets in GOG securities,” the statement read in part.
Ghana Medical Association (GMA)
The GMA in a statement on December 6 said the debt restructuring programme will have a negative impact on its members’ pensions funds and healthcare delivery in the country.
“The GMA is also concerned about the negative effect of the debt exchange programme on Private Health facilities, private health insurance and mutual schemes that have invested heavily with Government of Ghana bonds.
“This we believe will impact negatively on patient care, medication supply and claims management,” the statement said.
Trades Union Congress (TUC)
“We have taken special note of the statement by the Minister for Finance that the Debt Exchange Programme is voluntary. The TUC will scrupulously analyse the propriety or otherwise of the participation of pension funds of its members in the programme.
“We are assuring workers, that the TUC and its Affiliate unions will do everything in our power to ensure that our members are fully protected and that not even a pesewa of pension funds is lost in the Debt Restructuring Programme,” the TUC said in a statement issued on December 5, hours after the Minister’s announcement.
“We have carefully analyzed the announcement by the Minister of Finance on the Debt Exchange Program and are of the opinion that it is injurious to the interest of contributors to pension schemes,” the Chamber said in a December 6, 2022 statement.
Tourism operators in Indonesia are still trying to recover from the devastating impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the country’s parliament has passed new laws that some fear could turn tourists away once again – because having sex out of wedlock is set to be outlawed.
The controversial laws, which critics have been labelled a “disaster” for human rights, also ban unmarried couples from living together and restrict political and religious freedoms. There were protests in Jakarta this week, and the laws are expected to be challenged in court.
The new criminal codes are set to take effect in three years and apply to Indonesians and foreigners living in the country, as well as visitors.
It has been widely reported in nearby Australia, where some newspapers have dubbed it the “Bali bonk ban”.
Indonesia’s economy heavily relies on tourism from Australia, which was Indonesia’s number one tourist source before the pandemic. Thousands of people fly to the tropical island of Bali every month to bask in its warm weather, indulge in cheap Bintang beers and rave at all-night beach parties.
Bali weddings are quite common, and thousands of Australia’s graduate students fly to Bali every year to celebrate finishing high school.
For many young Australians, a trip to Bali is seen as a rite of passage. Others go there a few times a year for quick, cheap getaways.
But as soon as news trickled through that the raft of new laws were becoming reality, after being mere rumours for years, doubt over future trips set in.
On Facebook pages dedicated to tourism in Indonesia, users tried to make sense of the changes and what they mean for foreign visitors.
Some said they would start travelling with their marriage certificates, while others who were not married said they would go elsewhere if the laws meant they would not be allowed to share a hotel room with their partner.
“You will be bribing your way out”, said one user on the group Bali Travel Community.
“Good way to ruin the tourism industry of Bali,” wrote another, while others agreed it was “scare tactics” that would be impossible to enforce.
Under the new criminal codes – of which there are 600 – unmarried couples caught having sex can be jailed for up to a year and those found living together could be jailed for up to six months.
Critics say holiday-makers could also become ensnared.
“Let’s say an Australian tourist has a boyfriend or a girlfriend who is a local,” Andreas Harsono, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
“Then the local parents or the local brother or sister reported the tourist to the police. It will be a problem.”
Visitors have been told not to worry too much, because police will only investigate if a family member makes a complaint – such as a parent, spouse or child of the suspected offenders.
But that is dangerous in itself, Mr Harsono said, as it opens the door to “selective law enforcement”.
“It means that it will only be implemented against certain targets,” he told ABC radio.
“It might be hotels, it might be foreign tourists… that will allow certain police officers to extort bribes or certain politicians to use, let’s say, the blasphemy law, to jail their opponents.”
‘Australians shouldn’t be worried’
While much of the chatter online reflected the Aussie attitude of “no worries, mate”, there is still a strong undercurrent of concern.
Australians are acutely aware of how serious getting in trouble with the Indonesian authorities can be – even for relatively minor offences.
A spokesperson for Indonesia’s justice ministry tried to calm concerns by suggesting that the risk was less for tourists because anyone making the police complaint would most likely be an Indonesian national.
“That means Australian [tourists] shouldn’t be worried,” Albert Aries was quoted as saying on Australian news website WAToday.com.
Image caption,The new law affects Indonesians and foreigners, but police will only investigate if they receive a complaint from a family member
But Bali cannot afford to have another blow to its tourism sector. Its recovery from the pandemic is slow, and many businesses and families are still trying to get back what they lost.
In 2019, a record 1.23 million Australian tourists visited Bali, according the Indonesia Institute, a Perth-based non-government organisation.
Compare that to 2021 – when just 51 foreign tourists visited the island for the entire year because of the pandemic, Statistica’s records show.
Indonesia’s tourism is strengthening though – in July 2022, the Indonesian National Statistic Bureau recorded over 470,000 foreign tourists arrivals in the country – the highest number since the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in October last year.
Phil Robertson, the Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch tweeted that the new laws will “blow up Bali’s tourism”.
‘I really depend on tourism’
A tour guide called Yoman, who has worked in Bali since 2017, told the BBC the impact from the new laws could be “very severe” right across Indonesia, but especially on the holiday island.
“I am very, very worried, because I really depend on tourism,” he said.
Bali has a history of events – both man-made and natural disasters – that have affected visitor numbers to the island.
“The Gulf war, Bali bombing, volcano eruptions, Mount Semeru (volcano), Mount Rinjani (volcano) and then Covid. Bali tourism is easily affected,” Yoman said.
But the Indonesian government has brought in initiatives to try and lure foreigners back to its idyllic shores.
Just a few weeks ago, it announced a tempting new visa option, allowing people to live on the island for up to 10 years.
And of course it is not just tourists from Australia who could be affected.
Canadian travel blogger Melissa Giroux, who moved to Bali for 18 months in 2017, told the BBC she was “shocked” the law actually came through, after years of talk.
“Many tourists will prefer to go elsewhere instead of risking going to jail once the law is enforced,” said Ms Giroux, who pens the blog A Broken Backpack.
“And I’m not even thinking about the single people who come to Bali to party or the ones who fall in love during their travels.”
Residents in and around Tema will face a 48-hour water supply interruption as a result of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) operation to repair 40-year-old pumps at the Tema Booster Station.
Water from the Kpong Treatment Station is kept and further treated at the Tema Booster Station before being sent to settlements in that eastern region of Accra.
According to a statement released on Tuesday and sent to the Ghana News Agency by Mr. Stanley Martey, GWCL Head of Public Relations and Communications, the exercise will take place from Wednesday, December 7 to Friday, December 9, 2022.
According to the announcement, GWCL engineers will construct new machinery, including powerful pumps at the Tema Booster Station, using revenues produced internally by the business.
This will improve the volumes of water distributed in the area and boost pressures.
All towns in Tema, Industrial Area, Baatsonaa, Coca-Cola, Kasapreko, Lashibi, Klagoon, Sakumono, Ashaiman, and Adjei-Kojo are among the areas that might be impacted.
More include the towns of Martey Tsuru, Airport Hills, Santoe, Trassaco, Afresco Estate, Manet Court, Regimanuel Estates, and others nearby.
In order to prepare for any scenario, the statement stated that the GWCL Management has hired water tankers to deliver water to vital service providers including hospitals and schools. It also urged residents of the impacted regions to stockpile adequate water.
According to the statement, “GWCL Management has made arrangements to assure that engineers working on the project would work round-the-clock and would not leave the project site until the work is entirely completed.”
It apologized for the inconvenience the shutdown would create while assuring the public that supplies will resume right away as the “mission is achieved.”
It advised the general public to get in touch with the business via WhatsApp at 0555123393, 0555155524, or by phone at 0207385088, 0207385089, or 0207385090.
For Vodafone landlines and mobile phones exclusively, the toll-free number is 0800 40 000; for all other networks, it is 0302 218240.
Ghanaian musician, Kwaw Kese, has expressed disappointment in the Ghana Police Service and the Inspector General of the Ghana Police (IGP), Akuffo Dampare, for what he described as acting nonchalant when Shatta Wale confessed that Bullgod killed his manager, Fennec Okyere.
In a video shared on his Instagram on December 5, 2022, Kwaw Kese said, “It’s been one month since Shatta Wale came out to say he has been keeping secrets about how Bullgod planned and killed my manager. I don’t know what is happening in this Ghana again. Now the Ghana Police are still sitting on this case and not taking any action. If somebody confesses to killing somebody and we are still doing investigations, I don’t know what the investigation is about.”
The ‘Dondo’ hitmaker indicated that Shatta Wale’s allegation was enough grounds for the police to act, while questioning why they have seemingly been silent over the matter.
“Shatta Wale confessed that he has been keeping a secret and since Bullgod is bringing out his secret, he is also bringing out that secret, and that secret is that he, Bullgod planned and killed my manager. What evidence again are you Ghana Police waiting for before you take action? The day the incident happened. The day Shatta Wale confessed. I called the IGP. After that, they issued a statement and after that, it has been a month and both Shatta Wale and Bullgod are walking there for free,” he added.
Kwaw Kese however called out Mrs. Ursula Owusu who is believed to be the late Fennec’s godmother, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dampare and the Attorney General minister for what he described as developing cold feet on the issue.
“How do the laws work in Ghana? I am wondering if Mr IGP, Mr Dampare is still in the country. I am wondering if the AG, the Attorney General is still in the country, and I am wondering if Ursula Owusu, who happens to be Fennec’s godmother, is in this country, and I am wondering if they heard or know about the confession that Shatta Wale made. Which evidence again do you guys need? Ghana Police which evidence again do you need to take action in a murder case? The whole world is watching. I have been to the police once since I came back. Because of this issue, I came back and still no action is being taken. It means Ghana Police don’t care about people who have been killed.
“Mr Dampare, IGP, I respect you a lot. The day Fennec was murdered, you came to the house. The day Shatta Wale confessed, I screenshot the thing for you, and you called me back. I thought the action was going to be taken. There is no action being taken. We need justice. Shatta wale says he is ready to confess in court, so if it’s the court you will take it, make you guys take go make Shatta wale come to confess,” Kwaw Kese added,” he added.
On November 2, Shatta Wale alleged in a Facebook post that his former manager, Bulgod, planned the death of one ‘Fenick’.
“Bull Dog since u r bringing out secrets. You will tell Ghanaians. What happens to Fenicks Murder !! And I am not joking about this time!! I am ready to tell the court about what you told me about you and your men and how you planned that foolish act get ready. This Akuffo Addo won’t give you a murder chance to be on our streets !!! Watch how this ends !!! You can’t fight time !!!” read the post sighted by GhanaWeb.
Over the years, the entertainment industry has discussed whether sexual relationships among artistes and their managers are good and healthy for business.
This particular topic has popped up during a discussion on a radio show, where Ghanaian singer, Adina Thembi, was compelled to also share her two cents on it.
Speaking on Takoradi-based Spice FM, Adina has maintained that she sees nothing wrong with it.
Emphasizing her points, the ‘Shoulder’ hitmaker said it is totally okay for an artiste and a manager who are both two adults to build a sexual relationship.
She added, that as long as their professional and personal lives do not conflict, they are good to go.
“There is nothing wrong as long as the artiste is not underage. If she is mature enough and the two of them understand that this is what they are doing and can separate that from their work and make sure they are successful, then that’s fine. If you are a professional and you know this is your job description, knowing that day in and day out this is what you supposed to do for the artiste, the artiste also understands that she is supposed to do music then that’s fine. That is how it should work, so any extra thing is extra. Their (sexual relationships) are all extra-curricular activities,” Adina asserted.
Earlier in September 2019, popular artiste manager, Bullgod stated that one of the key ways to control and handle a female artiste properly, it is to get sexually involved with them.
“If you want to manage a female artiste successfully, you have to be in a relationship. An emotional and sexual relationship with the artiste,” Bullgod said during a discussion on United Showbiz.
According to her, the past few months have been challenging for people all over the world particularly, Ghanaians. Hence she needed to introduce a sound and an escape for people to feel free “from a world of stress and depression”.
In an interview on Y107.9 FM’s “Dryve of Your Lyfe” with Kojo Manuel, she considered this year as a sensitive period and therefore she needed a song to “preach to people to live life despite its complications.”
“You can never have enough of enjoyment you know and like I said this year has been very difficult for everybody and I think this is not the time to remind people of their pains. This is not the time to release something to depress people more. I needed to release something that will give people a little bit of excitement and hope and when they listen they’ll just move with the vibes rather than think through the lines,” she shared.
“I just think that for me I’m spreading the gospel of enjoyment and living life. Life is just one and I mean there’s nothing we can do about it. Enjoyment is all about living the live, living in the moment because life comes at you fast. Let’s calm ourselves with this songs and say enough to the overthinking and depressions,” she continued.
Having had a boisterous year touring cities in Europe and the States, S3fa has returned to Ghana and is already prep for the epic December festivities in the country.
The singer has dropped another banger titled, ‘Enjoyment’ available on all music download and streaming platforms.
Animal’s video combines vivid storytelling, music and dance to warn leaders whose actions cage the dreams of the young.
The song by Kwesi Arthur and Dayonthetrack is soothing, danceable and loaded. The message the artistes convey in the song stands out in
the track’s riveting music video.
Unlike the soft tunes of the song, armed men grab a corrupt Prime Minister in the first scene of the video. This sets an interesting pace for
the video and promises lots of suspense.
As the captain of the rebels, Dayonthetrack leads the armed men to steal loads of cash in the trunk of the Prime Minister’s car. The politician
was then sent to Kwesi Arthur, who is seen as the leader of the rebels.
After the capture, the rebels danced while holding arms to show the joy of securing the bag.
The movement of the rebels from a shanty residence to a plush settlement where the politician was waylaid show the frustration of the
growing populations in slums.
The cinematography blends the setting, lighting, movements and energy of the characters to perfectly depict the message of the song.
Director David Duncan uses rapid editing techniques to increase the pace of the video while moving back and forth from the storytelling to the
euphoric armed men. The shots in the video shows the length these armed men are willing to go to set themselves free.
The music sends a calm but fierce warning about what could happen if the problems of young people in the country are continually neglected.
Overall, ‘Animal’ is a very important piece that speaks to the condition of young people who yearn to live their dreams but are prevented from
doing so because of the constraints the society put on them.
Government’s proposed debt restructuring programme has been greeted with heavy criticism.
The Chamber of Corporate Trustees of Ghana has rejected the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme which was geared towards restoring the nation’s capacity to service its debt.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta indicated on December 5, that the objective was “to invite holders of domestic debt to voluntarily exchange approximately ¢137 billion of the domestic notes and bonds of the Republic, including E.S.L.A. and Daakye bonds, for a package of New Bonds to be issued by the Republic.”
But the Chamber of Corporate Trustees begs to differ.
In a press release on Tuesday, the Chamber believes the structure will do more harm than good to investors under its umbrella.
Their fear is borne out of the President’s initial position that there would be no haircuts, a position which has changed a few weeks on.
“On 30th October, 2022, The President of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo addressed the nation and assured all Ghanaians that “there would be no haircuts on pension funds”. A few weeks after this announcement, we are all witnessing, rather surprisingly, a major U-turn from that position.”
The Chamber further insists that the Domestic Debt Exchange programme will not auger well for pension contributors.
“We have carefully analyzed the announcement by the Minister of Finance on the Debt Exchange Program and are of the opinion that it is injurious to the interest of contributors to pension schemes,” the statement read.
On the back of this, they explained that “the Pensions Chamber would like to assure contributors to pension schemes that the industry has not agreed to the debt exchange programme proposed by the
Ministry of Finance.”
The statement was signed by the Chamber’s Executive Secretary, Thomas Kwesi Esso.
Furthermore, the group says though it acknowledges the negative effect of inflation on the pension fund assets, the need to reduce government’s debt burden “should however not be done to the detriment of contributors to pension schemes.”
The government of Ghana has allotted some GH¢80 million to be disbursed towards the construction of the national cathedral in the 2023 budget statement and economic policy laid before parliament by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Government’s expenditure projection for the years 2024, 2025 and 2026 also reveals that an additional 64 million, 75.5 million and 108 million Ghana cedis totaling 247.5 million Ghana cedis would be spent on the construction of the cathedral between 2024 and 2026.
In a panel discussion on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, the PPP Chairman asked government to “suspend all non-essential projects like the National Cathedral. We are in an economic crisis, yet you want to push money into the construction of this project; does it make sense?”
After winning the final game of Group G, Cameroon became the first African nation to defeat Brazil at a FIFA World Cup.
Last Friday, December 2, the Brazilians and African juggernauts engaged in a thrilling match.
A decisive header from Vincent Aboubakar in stoppage time gave Cameroon a slender 1-0 victory in a game in which the Indomitable Lions were reduced to 10 men by the end.
The win means Cameroon are the first African country to defeat Brazil at a FIFA World Cup tournament.
Speaking after the game, Cameroon head coach Rigobert Song said he has trust in the youth players in his team.
“You need to trust youth. Henri Michel gave me an opportunity. He saw the potential in me. Now I’m the coach and I see potential in my young players.
“I knew (Ngom Mbekeli) was a good, quality player. He just needed an opportunity to show that. Hopefully, his performance can motivate other local players,” the coach said.
Unfortunately, for Cameroon, the side could not advance to the Round 16 stage despite beating Brazil.
A Banking Consultant, Dr. Richmond Atuahene, has intimated that government’s proposed debt exchange programme can land the country into a very difficult situation.
Ghana is inviting eligible holders to exchange GH₵137.3 billion of the domestic notes and bonds, including Energy Sector Levy Act Plc and Daakye Trust Plc, for a package of New Bonds to be issued by the country.
According to Dr. Atuahene, rather than only implementing the debt exchange programme, the government could have also employed the debt rescheduling programme and debt re-profiling programme to ensure our debts reach sustainable levels.
He explained that just implanting one debt operation could hit the country very hard and prove counterproductive in the end.
“It’s not a one size wear. As I said, there are so many models or options for us, but it looks like we have stuck to one which could make it very difficult for us. We could have looked at in addition, a little bit …they don’t want the word ‘haircut’, but per my calculation if you do even 5% of it, NPV value, you will get somewhere.
“And then you do the rescheduling and the re-profiling and a bit of….but if you take one and go straight to it, it’s going to hit the country very, very hard,” he said on JoyNews’ PM Express.
Dr. Atuahene explained that the debt exchange programme could affect output in the country, which could lead to high unemployment rates and lower revenues for the country.
“Nobody thinks about the output, it’s going to have effect on the output. And it will in turn affect revenue generation, because if people are being laid off, production is going to go down, how are you going to get taxes on the profitability and what have you? So we’re in a very critical situation and I believe it is not too late.
“They should get back and consult very well. Consultation matters because we have various good people who understand this so that we can tell people. But the way as it is, as if somebody has got a jacket he just put it on your head ‘take it or leave it’. I mean if you have my money and you tell me take it or leave it then it means you mean I should go and die,” he said.
The impacted bondholders may go ahead and submit a legal challenge to resolve the issue in court, according to the Bolga Central lawmaker, given the decision by finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta to disregard the attorney general’s legal counsel.
“Ken Ofori-Atta disregarded the express legal advice of the AG to illegally and unilaterally rip the debt exchange program’s contractual bond agreements into pieces, in violation of its terms of agreement.
Affected bondholders need to go to court, Mr. Adongo stated on social media.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on Monday announced domestic bondholders with the exception of Treasury bill holders will be affected by the debt exchange program.
Per the arrangement, bondholders will get 0% interest in 2023, 5% in 2024 and 10% onwards. The bonds will also be redeemed in 3 installments within 10 years.
According to documents in possession of Starr News. the Attorney General advised against any unilateral variation of Collective Agreement Clauses (CAC). The AG in his legal advice to the finance minister asked for domestic bondholders to be engaged before any such move.
According to the A-G, the debt exchange programme can at best be voluntary given the legal ramifications.
“In the absence of an agreement with parties, it would be unlawful for the government to unilaterally introduce CACs into bond agreements and may constitute an event of default under clause 12 of terms and conditions of the bond issued under the programme” Mr. Dame stated in his advice.
“Voluntary engagement with parties to bond agreements would be able to produce the outcome of a voluntary modification and inclusion of CACs on bondholders” he added.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on Monday announced domestic bondholders with the exception of Treasury bill holders will be affected by the debt exchange program.
Per the arrangement, bondholders will get 0% interest in 2023, 5% in 2024 and 10% onwards. The bonds will also be redeemed in 3 instalments within 10 years.
The Chamber of Corporate Trustees has already rejected the debt exchange program announced by the finance minister.
In a statement, the Pensions Chamber assured pensioners it has not agreed with government on the debt restructuring moves.
Ghana, Cameroon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Senegal are among the nations.
Unlike the 2018 FIFA World Cup when no African country advanced to the Round 16 stage, two countries in this year’s tournament progressed from the group stage.
While Ghana, Cameroon, and Tunisia would go home, Morocco and Senegal advanced to the last 16 stage.
The success means Africa now has done better at this year’s mundial than the 2018 tournament.
Meanwhile, the 24 points accrued by African countries at this year’s tournament is the best to be ever picked by African reps since 1998.
At that tournament, the African representatives only picked 15 points.
Unfortunately, it appears Africa may not have a rep in the quarter-final stage.
Senegal are already out after losing to England. Today, Morocco will face off with Spain in hopes of winning to advance to the last 8 stage.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on Monday announced domestic bondholders with the exception of Treasury bill holders will be affected by the debt exchange program.
Per the arrangement, bondholders will get 0% interest in 2023, 5% in 2024 and 10% onwards. The bonds will also be redeemed in 3 installments within 10 years.
According to documents in possession of Starr News the Attorney General advised against any unilateral variation of Collective Agreement Clauses (CAC). The AG in his legal advice to the finance minister asked for domestic bondholders to be engaged before any such move.
According to the AG, the debt exchange program can at best be voluntary given the legal ramifications.
“In the absence of an agreement with parties, it would be unlawful for the government to unilaterally introduce CACs into bond agreements and may constitute an event of default under clause 12 of terms and conditions of the bond issued under the programme” Mr. Dame stated in his advice
“Voluntary engagement with parties to bond agreements would be able to produce the outcome of a voluntary modification and inclusion of CACs on bondholders” he added
“Ken Ofori-Atta ignored the express legal opinion of the AG to illegally and unilaterally shred binding terms of the bond agreements in the debt exchange program. Affected bondholders must proceed to court” Mr. Adongo wrote on social media.
The Chamber of Corporate Trustees have already rejected the debt exchange program announced by the finance minister. In a statement the Pensions Chamber assured pensioners it has not agreed with government on the debt restructuring moves.
Find portions of the legal opinion of the AG on the debt exchange programme below:
Only two positions remain in the World Cup quarterfinals after the booking of places by the Netherlands, Argentina, France, England, Croatia, and Brazil.
The round concludes this evening when Cristiano Ronaldo will try to motivate Portugal to victory over Switzerland. Group G winners Morocco will face off against Spain today.
The knockout phase got under way with Netherlands cruising to a 3-1 victory over the United States.
Louis van Gaal’s men will face Argentina in the last eight after Lionel Messi inspired the South Americans to a 2-1 win over Australia.
Olivier Giroud became France’s all-time top scorer as they overcame Poland 3-1, while England saw off Senegal 3-0 following some hairy moments in the first half to set up a clash with Les Bleus.
Croatia booked their place in the last eight with a penalty shootout win over Japan.
Their reward is a quarter-final showdown with Brazil, who looked majestic as they swept South Korea aside 4-1.
Qatar 2022 round of 16 fixtures and results
Check out the key information for all the last-16 fixtures below.
Saturday, December 3
Netherlands 3-1 United States (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan)
Argentina 2-1 Australia (Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan)
Sunday, December 4
France 3-1 Poland (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha)
England 3-0 Senegal (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor)
Monday, December 5
Japan 1-1 Croatia (Croatia win 3-1 on penalties, Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah)
Brazil 4-1 South Korea (Stadium 974, Doha)
Tuesday, December 6
Morocco vs Spain (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, 3pm, ITV1)
Portugal vs Switzerland (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, 7pm, ITV1)
Quarter-finals. Friday, December 9
Croatia vs Brazil (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, 3pm)
Netherlands vs Argentina (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail,7pm)
Saturday, December 10
Morocco or Spain vs Portugal or Switzerland (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, 3pm)
England vs France (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, 7pm, ITV1)
Semi-finals: Tuesday, December 13 and Wednesday, December 14
The top male scorer in men’s international soccer, Cristiano Ronaldo has made a colossal impact on Portugal over the past 20 years.
The veteran forward has scored some spectacular goals and has come up clutch on several occasions — helping his nation win their first major honour in 2016.
Ahead of the last-16 tie with Switzerland, we take a look at five of Ronaldo’s best international strikes.
Portugal 3-3 Spain (2018)
The 2018 World Cup did not end in glory for Ronaldo but he did play his part in helping Portugal progress past the group stages.
Drawn into Group B with Morocco, Spain and Iran, the No7 knew he had to be at the peak of his powers to carry his country through in Russia.
The match against Spain was a thriller for the neutral — Ronaldo had already bagged a brace but found himself 3-2 down in the 90th minute.
Drawing a foul on the edge of the box, he stepped up and curled past David de Gea, who could only watch the ball sail past him.
The point ended up earning Portugal a place in the latter stages of the tournament but they fell to Uruguay in the last 16.
Hungary 3-3 Portugal (2016)
Cristiano Ronaldo scored with an audacious flick against Hungary in 2016
Ronaldo’s brace against Hungary back in Euro 2016 was crucial in Portugal’s run to the final and eventual triumph over France.
The European giants found themselves behind on three occasions in the game and Ronaldo brought them back from the depths twice.
His first, at 1-0 down, was a special flick from a cross — the former Manchester United man wrong-footed the keeper to become the first player to score at four European Championships.
At 3-2 down, Ronaldo struck again. This time with a deft header that soared past Gabor Kiraly to tie the game.
Portugal did not win the match but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s contributions sealed passage to the knockout stages.
Armenia 2-3 Portugal (2015)
Ronaldo provided another masterclass in a Euros qualifier against Armenia in 2016, netting a hat-trick to seal victory for Fernando Santos’ side.
Portugal went 1-0 down early on before the phenom equalised from the penalty spot.
He then scored twice in three minutes — including a stunning long-range effort — to prevent an Armenian comeback.
The Real Madrid legend was given acres of space in the final third and he thundered an effort into the top right corner, leaving goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky with no chance.
It may have only been a qualifier but Ronaldo‘s strike will mean that the match lives on in the memory of most football fans.
Portugal 2-3 Ecuador (2013)
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a famous volley against Ecuador in 2013
The only game to make it onto our list where Ronaldo was on the losing side but his goal against Ecuador deserves a mention.
In a match of no significance, the ex-Juventus striker pulled off an outrageous piece of skill and topped it with an incredible finish to draw his team level at the time.
Reaching an overhit cross, Ronaldo flicked the ball over the head of an Ecuadorian defender and smashed home a half-volley.
It was a goal of the highest standard — even for one of the greatest of all time — and it has been earmarked as one of his most memorable strikes.
There is still time for him to add another worldie to his collection, but he will do well to beat his goal in Guimaraes.
Portugal 2-1 Netherlands (2012)
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace in the last-16 tie against the Netherlands at Euro 2012
The Netherlands were a hot favourite to win Euro 2012 having made the final of the World Cup two years earlier.
In this last-16 clash, Ronaldo came up with the goods once again to secure Portugal’s passage to the quarter-finals by scoring a brace in Kharkiv.
Rafael van der Vaart gave the Dutch the lead but the Madeira-born talisman was deadly on the counter-attack and equalised soon after.
Ronaldo struck again in the second half, showing calmness and composure to cut back onto his right before wrong-footing the keeper and slotting home.
The victory saw Portugal continue their charge but they fell short once again, losing to Spain on penalties in the semi-finals.
In an adomonline.com report, the female composer disclosed that she sometimes would see the ‘Maame Hw3’ artiste smiling at her and not saying a word.
However, in a dream she recounted, she said, “it was a weird dream. She [Ebony] was pregnant and teaching in a classroom.”
Iona described waking up with sharp pains in her chest when she dreamt of Ebonyuntil she thought it had gone far, and she requested spiritual assistance.
“At a point, it became very scary. Even when I was doing something, I see her standing by. In one of the dreams, she had come back and some people were chasing us and took her away.
“The pain I felt in the dream when I woke up, I felt the same chest pain and at that point, I knew I had to get spiritual help,” she said.
According to Iona, she sought the help of some pastors who prayed with her and she has since not seen the late Ebony Reigns again.
When asked if she had approached Ebony’s family about the issue, the budding artiste replied that people would have thought she was doing it for attention.
“The reason is that Ghanaians can easily misinterpret your intentions. They can attribute it to me wanting fame or chasing clout, so I kept quiet and dealt with it myself,” she said.
The American died on Sunday after coaching players like Andre Agassi, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Boris Becker.
He established the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, which is now the IMG Academy, and has long established a reputation as one of the sport’s most recognizable instructors.
Bollettieri also coached Tommy Haas, who on Monday gave him an emotional tribute.
The German posted on Instagram: “So many memories, I am not sure where to begin. Nickiiiii, that’s how I have called you for the longest time.
“Thank you for your time, knowledge, commitment, expertise, the willingness to share your skill, your personal interest in mentoring me and giving me the best opportunity to follow my dreams.
“You were a dreamer and a doer, and a pioneer in our sport, truly one of a kind.
“I surely will miss you around the academy, our tennis talks, miss showing of [sic] your tan, white teeth and body fat, miss watching you do Tai Chi, miss playing golf with you watching you try to cheat, eating a Snickers bar and running for the bushes, and hearing all about your plans even at the age of 91.
“Thanks again for everything……..
“RIP Nickiiiii.”
Monica Seles and Jim Courier were among the other players who were coached by Bollettieri.
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