Tommy Fleetwood edged out Ryan Fox in a dramatic finish to defend his Nedbank Golf Challenge crown and end a three-year winless run on the DP World Tour.
Fleetwood and Fox went into the final round three shots behind Rasmus Hojgaard and Thomas Detry at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, where play was suspended on Sunday due to thunderstorms.
The leaders had only managed five holes before the delays, though Fleetwood raced into the ascendancy after the restart as he carded a five-under 66, including an eagle and four birdies to triumph.
“It has been a great week,” Fleetwood said. “I already had so many amazing memories with this place and felt like I had such a great connection to it, so this [win] just added to that.”
Victory for Fleetwood was never a certainty until the 18th hole, though, as a wayward tee shot saw Fox bogey the last hole to finish on 10-under, one shot behind the Englishman.
An erroneous drive meant Fox relinquished the chance to not only win the event but also to jump above Rory McIlroy at the top of the season-long DP World Tour rankings.
“I played great and didn’t miss a shot until the 18th,” Fox said. “I certainly would’ve like to have played the 18th a little bit better and made Tommy work a little bit harder, but it’s an incredibly tough golf course to play down the stretch.
“All of us were there or thereabouts with three holes to play, but Tommy was the one who held it together. Fair play to him. If you had given me second at the start of the week, I definitely would’ve taken it.”
Shubhankar Sharma finished on nine-under to claim third, with Richie Ramsay a further shot behind in fourth as Fleetwood secured his sixth DP World Tour title.
It was also his first triumph since winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2019, with the past two editions cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, as Fleetwood climbed to fourth in the rankings ahead of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
Tony Finau collected the third win from his past seven PGA Tour starts as he cruised to a convincing four-stroke triumph at the Houston Open on Sunday.
Finau’s four-stroke lead was the same buffer he held coming into the final trip around Memorial Park Golf Course after posting rounds of 65, 62 and 68.
After winning back-to-back events in July at the 3M Open and the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Finau – who finished with a final-round score of 16 under – has now won more titles in his past seven starts than he did in his first 211 to begin his career (two).
Speaking to NBC after stepping off the final green, Finau admitted he was not comfortable in such an unfamiliar position with a giant lead.
“It feels great – honestly, on the first hole I didn’t know if I had it in me today,” he said. “It was one of those days where I just fought, and fought, and I made a lot of nice putts on the front-nine to calm me into things.
“I’ve never been in this position before, with that big of a lead with nine holes to play. A lot of new nerves, I would say, but overall as the round went on I felt better, and I’m just happy to get the ‘W’ today.
“I’ve always had belief, but the confidence when you win is contagious. I’ve always been a very hopeful person, I work extremely hard on my body and my game, and now I’m starting to bear the fruits of that labour. It feels amazing to have that be the case.
“You never know what’s going to happen in this game, but you always try to put your best foot forward, that’s what I’ve done over the years, and I’m starting to put together a pretty full-package game.”
Alone in second place at 12 under was Tyson Alexander, who had never previously finished better than tied for 44th in his seven PGA Tour starts.
Ben Taylor was the only player at 11 under in third, and there was a further three-stroke gap to the rest of the field.
World number two Scottie Scheffler finished tied for ninth at six under for his second consecutive top-10 finish, while former world number one Jason Day was one further back.
Mauricio Pochettino wants his next coaching job to be with a club capable of winning the Champions League after his experience of working with Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain.
Pochettino departed PSG in July, having won the Ligue 1 title last season having failed to recover their title bid the previous year.
The former Tottenham boss paid the price for another lacklustre campaign in Europe, however, with his star-studded squad eliminated by Real Madrid across a dramatic last-16 encounter.
Pochettino has been out of work since despite offers, and he has now outlined exactly what he is looking for in a new project.
“Talking about projects in football is very difficult,” he reflected. “There are [a] few lucky ones who can be involved in a project in the medium or long term.
“[But] there is more and more demand and less patience in the clubs. The main objective is to win and at the same time create a structure that gives you a livelihood to maintain it.
“After being at a club with Mbappe, Messi, Neymar, it is normal that I would seek to maintain that level. A club that gives the chance to aim for the biggest, like winning the Champions League [would be ideal].”
On countryman Messi, who is likely to have his final shot at winning a World Cup with Argentina at Qatar 2022 later this month, Pochettino feels his narrative helps La Albiceleste sit among the favourites.
“You always have to count on Argentina,” he added.”[But there is also] Brazil, [and] I would include England, France, Spain and Germany.
“Argentina is more favoured than four years ago, especially having won the Copa America. When you have Messi, and everyone understands they have to play for him, dreams can come true.”
Success for Messi would see him follow Diego Maradona – another of the sport’s all-time greats – in leading Argentina to glory.
Pochettino would not be drawn into any discussion around how the two compare as players, as he added: “For me, that debate never existed.
“They are the best in their respective contexts. How do we measure it?
“According to results? If he won the World Cup? Ballon d’Or? Both are in the same place, and it is in the first position.”
Barcelonawould receive a €1billion bonus for being one of the Super League’s founders, club president Joan Laporta has revealed.
Laporta also believes the competition would resemble a “much-improved Champions League”.
Nine of the Super League’s 12 founding clubs withdrew their support in the face of public and media pressure following a botched launch last year, though three clubs have advocated a revival of the competition.
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus have all been vocal in their support for the project, with a new format reportedly being drawn up by A22 Sports’ chief executive Bernd Reichart.
Having organised a meeting with Reichart earlier this week, UEFA hit out at the “greedy plan” of the Super League’s backers, accusing them of jeopardising the future of football.
However, Laporta – who has spent his second spell as Barca president battling a financial crisis at Camp Nou – feels the competition would offer his club several benefits.
“Football can do better”, states Bernd Reichart, our new CEO. That’s why we will organize a broad dialogue with clubs, fans and all those who want to build a better home for #EuropeanClubFootball. Watch his video statement: pic.twitter.com/TbHntRy0pv
“From the outset, for the founding clubs, there is an initial bonus of €1bn, and per season, we could get about €300m annually in this competition,” Laporta told Sport.
“In addition, the key to the Super League is that the clubs will have governance. UEFA will obviously be at the governance table, but the clubs will have the majority.
“The Super League is a great opportunity. But you can only win through dialogue. What the Super League aims to do is improve football.
“It fights for the sustainability of football, so that the clubs come out of ruin, so that the clubs can be more and more competitive and have more resources.
“The Super League will end up as a much-improved Champions League, which will be based on meritocracy, that is, it will be open, without club discrimination, but with guarantees and rules that will allow clubs to have more resources.
“Super League chief executive Bernd Reichart met last Tuesday with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin in a very important step forward.”
Despite their economic troubles, Barca embarked on a significant spending spree in the last transfer window, acquiring the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha.
While the Blaugrana were criticised for gambling the club’s future after selling shares in their future television rights and in-house production company to fund those deals, Laporta says they will look for opportunities to strengthen again in January.
“The economic levers have helped to save the club from bankruptcy and to build a competitive team,” Laporta said.
“But the hole was so big that we still have an operating deficit of €200m annually, as a result mainly of the enormous expenses that we have, especially with the wage bill.
“To sign in winter, we would have to incorporate players that improve what we already have. It’s not easy, especially considering that we continue to have fair play problems due to our elimination from the Champions League, which has reduced our budgeted income.
“LaLiga has already warned us that we will have less capacity to sign. We will try to reverse it by negotiating with LaLiga to reconsider its interpretation [of the rules] and achieve new income with victories in the Europa League or the Supercopa de Espana. Even with some friendly matches during the World Cup.”
George Russell led from the start in a dramatic, stuttering Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday to clinch his first Formula 1 win, holding off Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
Having won the sprint race at the Interlagos Circuit on Saturday, Russell kept his composure while those around him clashed and collided in a race full of incident.
The race was halted by a red flag on the first lap, with Daniel Ricciardo crashing into Kevin Magnussen, and Hamilton was perhaps fortunate to come away unscathed and unpunished after a collision with Max Verstappen following the restart – which saw the world champion handed a five-second time penalty.
A second safety car was brought out after Lando Norris lost power on the track with 19 laps remaining, but another fine restart from Russell saw him see off Hamilton and claim a deserved maiden victory.
Sunday’s race was dramatic from the start as Ricciardo and Magnussen crashed out as early as Turn 8 – and the restart brought another collision, this time between old rivals Hamilton and Verstappen.
Hardly strangers to battles and bruises down the years, Hamilton and Verstappen tussled on Turn 2.
Verstappen got around the seven-time world champion on Turn 1, but despite appearing to have the racing line on the inside on the next corner, it was the Dutchman who was punished after a significant collision – though both cars were able to stay in the race.
Charles Leclerc was also sent spinning into the barrier after an incident involving Norris, but the Ferrari was able to continue.
Hamilton recovered swiftly, with the Mercedes driver clawing his way ahead of Norris, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez.
A three-second loss in the pits cost Verstappen further time, though the Red Bull’s speed was on show as he quickly cruised back into the points.
However, Norris’ vehicle failed him on lap 52, resulting in a second full safety car. Having seen his 11-second lead cut by that stoppage, Russell might have lost his nerve, but a wonderful restart propelled him out of Hamilton’s DRS range.
Sainz came in third, leaving Leclerc dismayed, though the day belonged to Mercedes, who are aiming to cap a frustrating season with a flourish.
Team-mates tussle
There are few friends in F1, it would seem. While Hamilton was happy to congratulate his team-mate Russell on a maiden F1 success, there was frustration within the ranks of Ferrari and Red Bull.
Leclerc was begging Ferrari to instruct his team-mate Sainz to give way, and concede a podium place, in order to boost his chances of finishing second in the world championship.
Verstappen, meanwhile, ignored Red Bull’s instructions to hand sixth place back to Perez if he was unable to pass Fernando Alonso. “I have given you my reasons,” Verstappen said on the team radio.
Magnussen’s weekend ends in sorrow
Haas driver Magnussen took a shock pole in qualifying on Friday, though he went down to eighth in the sprint race. However, by Turn 8 on the first lap, the 30-year-old had crashed out.
Ricciardo, who could now face a grid penalty in his last race for McLaren, was to blame for clipping the back of Magnussen’s car, with the Australian compounding the issue when he failed to avoid the spinning Haas, sending both vehicles into the wall and out of the race.
IN THE POINTS
1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +1.529 seconds
3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +4.051s
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +8.441s
5. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +9.561s
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +10.056s
7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +14.080s
8. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +18.690s
9. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) +22.552s
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +23.552s
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 429
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 290
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 290
4. George Russell (Mercedes) 265
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 240
Constructors
1. Red Bull 719
2. Ferrari 524
3. Mercedes 505
4. Alpine 167
5. McLaren 148
Moise Kean scored twice as Juventus leapfrogged Laziointo third place in Serie A after a 3-0 victory at the Allianz Stadium.
Starting up front in Dusan Vlahovic’s continued injury absence, Kean opened the scoring just before half-time with a neat 20-yard lob.
The in-form Italy international then netted his fifth goal in as many games in the 54th minute to make sure of Massimiliano Allegri’s side’s sixth successive league win – the margin widened further by Arkadiusz Milik’s late third.
Victory maintained Juve’s hold over Lazio – who have won only two of the past 36 editions of this fixture – and ensured the Bianconeri carry momentum into the World Cup break.
Kean was a threat from the outset, drilling just wide of the far post.
Nicolo Fagioli then called Ivan Provedel into action from distance, while Milik brilliantly controlled a long ball before bending a 20-yard effort marginally wide of the target.
The hosts broke through two minutes before half-time. Adrien Rabiot robbed Sergej Milinkovic-Savic of possession before his precise lofted ball found Kean, who neatly lifted over the advancing Provedel.
Lazio arrived in Turin having conceded just one away league goal this season, but Provedel was beaten again nine minutes after the restart, with Kean tucking into an empty net after the Biancocelesti goalkeeper parried Filip Kostic’s initial effort.
The visitors struggled to pose a genuine threat at the other end. Wojciech Szczesny comfortably saved tame efforts from Luis Alberto and Pedro, before Milik turned home Federico Chiesa’s inviting centre to cap a fine Juve win.
Both sides occupy the top four heading into the World Cup break, although Juve are certainly the team in form.
Indeed, Allegri’s men have now won four straight home league games for the first time since March 2021, scoring 12 times during that span without conceding. They have not conceded in any of their six consecutive wins home and away.
Clinical Kean
Following his first Serie A brace since March 2019, Kean has now scored as many goals in his past four appearances as in his previous 38.
His two strikes – meaning he has scored in successive Italian top-flight matches for the first time since April 2019 – came from game-high tallies of four shots and three on target.
Bittersweet day for Kostic
Kostic produced an impressive display on the left flank, creating a game-high four chances.
The Serbia international’s sole powerful shot led to Kean’s second goal, too, although he limped off injured in the 64th minute and will hope it is nothing too serious ahead of the World Cup later this month.
Key Opta Facts
– Juventus have kept a clean sheet in six consecutive Serie A games for the first time since December 2018, also under Allegri.
– Chiesa has been involved in a Serie A goal for the first time since January 9 (assist against Roma), a wait of 308 days.
– Juventus are now the team against whom Maurizio Sarri has lost the most games as a coach in Serie A (seven out of 11, W2 D2).
What’s next?
Both sides are on their travels when they return to action on January 4, as Juventus are away at Cremonese while Lazio head to Lecce.
Harry Kane believes England are no longer scared of admitting they can win the World Cup, where he thinks the Three Lions’ poor form may work in their favour.
Gareth Southgate’s side reached the 2018 World Cup semi-final and lost on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 showpiece in what was England’s first major final in 55 years.
But they head to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup short of form after being relegated from the top tier of the Nations League following three draws and three losses in Group A3.
Southgate’s team have not won since a 3-0 friendly victory over Ivory Coast in March but captain Kane says the Three Lions will not shy away from outlining their hopes of lifting the World Cup.
“We have to believe we can win it,” the Tottenham striker told Sky Sports.”I look back at England 10, 15 years ago and it was almost [like] we were scared to say we wanted to win it.
“I think one of the big shifts that we’ve made over the last four or five years with Gareth is not being afraid to say that.
“Look, we’re going to this tournament to win it because we believe we can. It’d be wrong to think otherwise. What’s the point of going to a World Cup and not believing that you can bring the trophy home?
“It’s going to be tough and we’re going to have to work extremely hard, have a little bit of luck and have a lot of things go our way to achieve that.
“But I think it’s important not to be afraid to say that that’s what we’re going there to do.”
Pressure has mounted on Southgate after a dismal Nations League showing, yet Kane says the winless run has lowered expectations and may help England in their November 21 opener against Iran.
“The first game’s really important, for sure,” Kane added. “Of course it hasn’t been the greatest period in a long time for England. Since Gareth took charge – we haven’t had a spell like we’ve had.
“But in a way, before a major tournament that can be a really good thing because it allows you not to be carried away, or even the media or the press to get carried away.
“I feel like if we won every game leading up to this tournament it would’ve been, ‘We’re guaranteed to win it’ and ‘We’re going to win it’, and that can come with a different pressure.
“We feel like being judged on major tournaments is the main thing and the last two we’ve had have been good.”
As for the fitness of Kane, who has been ever-present for Tottenham in the Premier League, the 29-year-old believes the mid-season tournament will help him hit the ground running.
“For sure, I’d rather be going into it playing loads of games where you feel match fit,” he continued. “Sometimes after the season in the summer you have a break and then you have to gear back up to play and you haven’t played a lot of games.
“You can try and train as much as you can but the bottom line is you need to be ready to have all your energy ready for the game, and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“I think major tournaments test you the most in terms of the high pressure. Playing for England is always high pressure but in a major tournament there’s always that added incentive.
“The mentality of being away from home, being in camp for five or six weeks but this one is fairly quick because it’s during the season. Normally you’re away four or five weeks before the tournament and then you’re away four or five weeks in the tournament, so it is a long period of time where you’re just outside your comfort zone.
“But I guess what separates the top nations and the winning nations from the others is who can deal with that the best.”
Kalidou Koulibaly implored Chelsea players “to look each other in the eye” with the Blues players the only “culprits” for the increasing pressure on Graham Potter.
Head coach Potter became the first Blues manager since Jose Mourinho in 2015 to lose three consecutive Premier League matches following a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle.
The tepid nature of the Chelsea showing offered more reason for concern after the Blues managed just seven touches in the opposition box, their lowest since January against Manchester City.
With Potter’s side eight points adrift of the Premier League’s top four, albeit with a game in hand over fourth-placed Tottenham, Koulibaly urged his team-mates to take responsibility for their recent form.
“It hurts, we came here to take three points,” the Senegal international told Canal Plus.
”We knew that they were in a good moment, that they are putting on the intensity and that especially at home they have their audience behind them.
“Today, Chelsea are not in their place and the only culprits are us. So we must look each other in the eye and continue to work to put Chelsea in their place.”
The World Cup break could come at a good time for Chelsea as the Premier League pauses, with the Blues not in action again until a home clash with Bournemouth on December 27.
Koulibaly will head to the Middle East with Senegal, who are in Group A alongside hosts Qatar, Ecuador and the Netherlands, though he hopes Chelsea can atone for their mistakes after the break.
He added: ”The break comes at a good time for us, we need to recharge the batteries, think about something else and come back after the World Cup with a different mentality.”
Cristiano Ronaldo revealed Alex Ferguson convinced him to re-join Manchester United, but the legendary former manager knows there has been “zero progress” since his departure from Old Trafford.
Ronaldo has been the subject of a great deal of scrutiny this season, having pushed for a move away from United prior to the campaign while subsequently falling out of favour with new manager Erik ten Hag.
Although heavily linked with a move to rivals Manchester City, the Portugal skipper returned to Old Trafford in August 2021 on the advice of his former boss, who he revealed is in agreement the club has stalled since the Scotsman’s retirement in 2013.
in a wide-ranging interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, Ronaldo also questioned the Red Devils’ decision to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Ralf Rangnick last season, while admitting a new direction is essential.
“I followed my heart,” he said. “[Sir Alex] said to me, ‘It’s impossible for you to come to Manchester City,’ and I said, ‘Okay, Boss.’
“I feel betrayed.”
EXCLUSIVE: Cristiano Ronaldo tells Piers Morgan he feels like he’s being forced out of Manchester United in an explosive interview.
“Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. The progress was zero. After sacking Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer], they bring in sport director Ralf Rangnick, which is something nobody understands. This guy is not even a coach.
“A big club like Manchester United bringing in a sporting director surprised not only me, but all the world.”
He continued: “I think the fans should know the truth. I want the best for the club. This is why I come to Manchester United.
“But you have some things inside that don’t help [us] reach the top level as City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal. A club with this dimension should be top of the tree in my opinion, and they are not, unfortunately.
“As Picasso said, you have to destroy it to rebuild it, and if they start with me, for me, it’s not a problem.
“I love Manchester United, I love the fans, they’re always on my side. But if they want to do it different, they have to change many, many things.
“He [Sir Alex] knows. Everyone knows. The people who don’t see that, it’s because they don’t want to see; they are blind.”
Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool“never doubted” the quality of Darwin Nunez following the striker’s recent upturn in fortunes.
Nunez endured a frustrating start to life at Anfield following his big-money move from Benfica, receiving a straight card against Crystal Palace in just his third appearance under Jurgen Klopp.
However, the Uruguay international is starting to hit his stride in English football; his two goals in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Southampton taking his tally for the season to nine.
“We never doubted his quality but obviously, when you have a price tag like that and the goals are not flowing like you want, it’s good [he has shown character] and I think he’s done very well,” Van Dijk said.
“He has all the qualities for a modern-day striker. There is a reason why we bought him, and he’s maturing, he’s stayed patient, kept his head down and played and that’s a credit to him. Hopefully, he can keep scoring and stay important for the group.
“Obviously, he learns how we want to play, he learns what we expect from him, he plays a little bit on the left, but also has a free role coming into the middle.
“It takes time. It is a new team, new environment, new country, new language, so it is absolutely normal for him to take a little bit more time [to settle in], but there is no doubt the qualities are there, and the goals will follow.”
Van Dijk also heaped praise on goalkeeper Alisson, who made a string of impressive saves to keep Southampton at bay during the victory at Anfield.
The Netherlands skipper additionally highlighted Roberto Firmino’s character, with the forward opening the scoring against the Saints after being left out of Brazil’s World Cup squad.
“[Alisson is] important for the group on and off the pitch,” Van Dijk added. “We don’t want him to have to make saves, first and foremost. He had to do so [against Southampton] and he was outstanding.
“Brazil are a very good team, they have two of their best goalkeepers in their squad and in my opinion, the best goalie in the world is Alisson.
“I think Bobby [Firmino] should be in, but who am I to say that? He took it on the chin, all you can do is recover and be ready for the rest of the season and I think he will do that.”
AC Milan technical director Paolo Maldini is still confident his side can mount a challenge for the Serie A title after cutting Napoli’s lead at the summit.
A last-gasp own goal from Nikola Milenkovic handed Milan a 2-1 victory against Fiorentina at San Siro on Sunday in the final game before the World Cup, reducing Napoli’s advantage to eight points.
While that tally is still significant, victory against La Viola was a crucial one as a draw would have seen the deficit in double figures.
With 11 consecutive wins, dethroning an in-form Napoli side when the season resumes in January is a stern test but Maldini feels the race is far from over.
The top five (including four Black artists) richest hip-hop stars amassed a combined wealth of $3.8 billion, according to a report by former Forbes editor Zack O’Malley. The report also noted that Diddy has overtaken Kanye West on the list of 2022’s wealthiest Hip Hop artists. West, who recently changed his name to Ye, saw his net worth drop to $400 million after a series of antisemitic tweets saw major brands cut ties with him, including German sneaker brand Adidas.
His deal with Adidas reportedly accounted for $1.4 billion of his nearly $2 billion net worth. “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness,” Adidas said in a statement.
Also, with $1.5 billion, Jay-Z takes the top spot as the wealthiest Hip Hop artist. Below are the top four Black richest hip-hop artists:
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter ($1.5 billion)
Jay-Z is the wealthiest hip-hop artist with a fortune of $1.5 billion. The bulk of his wealth comes from his Armand de Brignac champagne and Roc Nation Entertainment Company. He also has stakes in startups like Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty lingerie line among others.
Sean “Diddy” Combs ($1 billion)
Diddy replaced West on the list with $1 billion, thanks to his Cîroc partnership with Diageo. He also has stakes in DeLeón tequila and Revolt, along with his music catalog, startup investments and other assets. Diddy becomes hip-hop’s third billionaire.
West lost nearly $1.5 billion of his net worth after making a series of antisemitic tweets, although he has since apologized. He currently has a 5% stake in ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s $3.2 billion shapewear line. There is also his lucrative music catalog and Yeezy, his battered but still valuable footwear line.
Andre “Dr. Dre” Young ($400 million)
The legendary Dr. Dre comes in fourth with $400 million thanks to his Beats partnership, music catalog and ongoing projects. According to O’Malley, documents from Dre’s recent divorce revealed his net worth had dwindled to just over $450 million before the first half of a $100 million settlement was paid to his ex (the second half is said to be due by the end of 2022).
The Marvel sequel earned $180 million in ticket sales from more than 4,396 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to estimates from The Walt Disney Co. on Sunday, making it the second biggest opening of the year behind “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Overseas, it brought in an additional $150 million from 50 territories, bringing its worldwide total to $330 million.
“Wakanda Forever” was eagerly anticipated by both audiences and exhibitors, who have weathered a slow spell at the box office since the summer movie season ended and there were fewer bigger budget blockbusters in the pipeline. The film got off to a mighty start a bit stronger than even the first film with an $84 million opening day, including $28 million from Thursday previews.
“Some may have hoped for $200 million like the first film, but this is solid,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst. “This is the type of movie that theaters really need to drive audiences.”
The first film opened to $202 million in February 2018 and went on to gross over $1.4 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest grossing films of all time and a cultural phenomenon. A sequel was inevitable, and development began soon after with director Ryan Coogler returning, but everything changed after Chadwick Boseman’s unexpected death in August 2020. “Wakanda Forever” became, instead, about the death of Boseman’s King T’Challa/Black Panther, and the grieving kingdom he left behind. Returning actors include Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and Danai Gurira, who face off against a new foe in Tenoch Huerta’s Namor. The film would face more complications too, including Wright getting injured and some COVID-19 related setbacks. All told, it cost a reported $250 million to make, not accounting for marketing and promotion.
AP Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote in his review that, “‘Wakanda Forever’ is overlong, a little unwieldy and somewhat mystifyingly steers toward a climax on a barge in the middle of the Atlantic. But Coogler’s fluid command of mixing intimacy with spectacle remains gripping.”
It currently holds an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and, as is often the case with comic book films, the audience scores are even higher.
Superhero films have fared well during the pandemic, but none yet have reached the heights of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which opened to $260.1 million in Dec. 2021. Other big launches include “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” ($187.4 million in May), “Thor: Love and Thunder” ($144.2 million in July) and “The Batman” ($134 million in March).
“Wakanda Forever” is first film to open over $100 million since “Thor” in July, which has been difficult for exhibitors that are already dealing with a calender that has about 30% fewer wide releases than in a normal year.
Holdovers populated the rest of the top five, as no film dared launch nationwide against a Marvel behemoth. Second place went to the DC superhero “Black Adam,” with $8.6 million, bringing its domestic total to $151.1 million. “Ticket to Paradise” landed in third, in weekend four, with $6.1 million. The Julia Roberts and George Clooney romantic comedy has made nearly $150 million worldwide. “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” and “Smile” rounded out the top five with $3.2 million and $2.3 million, respectively.
Some awards hopefuls have struggled in their expansions lately, but Searchlight Pictures’ “The Banshees of Inisherin,” with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, looks like an exception. The Martin McDonagh film expanded to 960 theaters in its fourth weekend and got seventh place on the charts with $1.7 million, bringing its total to $5.8 million.
“It’s been a very interesting post-summer period for movie theaters, with some gems out there doing well like ‘Ticket to Paradise’ and ‘Smile,’” Dergarabedian said. “But movie theaters can’t survive on non-blockbuster style films. The industry needs more of these.”
After “Black Panther,” the next blockbuster on the schedule is “Avatar: The Way of Water,” arriving Dec. 16.
The weekend wasn’t completely without any other high-profile releases. Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical drama “ The Fabelmans ” opened in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles with $160,000. Universal and Amblin will roll the film out to more theaters in the coming weeks to build excitement around the likely Oscar-contender. Michelle Williams and Paul Dano play parents to the Spielberg stand-in Sammy Fabelman, who is falling in love with movies and filmmaking as his parents’ marriage crumbles.
“This will be an interesting holiday season,” Dergarabedian said. “I think a lot of the dramas and independent films will have their time to shine over the next couple months.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
At the 2022 MTV European Music Awards that took place on 13th, November 2022, Nigerian megastar Burna Boywon the prize for the Best African Act.
Burna Boywas nominated alongside Ayra Starr, Black Sheriff, Tems, Zuchu and Musa Keyz.
Tems lost the Best New Act prize to Seventeen. And Nigerian disc Jockey DJ Spinall was one of the artists who performed at the award show that held in Dusseldorf, Germany.
See full winners list.
Best song
Bad Bunny, Chencho Corleone – “Me Porto Bonito”
Harry Styles – “As It Was”
Jack Harlow – “First Class”
Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
WINNER: Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Rosalía – “Despechá”
Best video
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom”
Doja Cat – “Woman”
Harry Styles – “As It Was”
Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”
Best artist
Adele
Beyoncé
Harry Styles
Nicki Minaj
Rosalía
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Best new
Baby Keem
Dove Cameron
Gayle
WINNER: Seventeen
Stephen Sanchez
Tems
Best collaboration
Bad Bunny, Chencho Corleone – “Me Porto Bonito”
WINNER: David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – “I’m Good (Blue)”
DJ Khaled ft. Drake & Lil Baby – “Staying Alive”
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie”
Post Malone with Doja Cat – “I Like You (A Happier Song)”
Shakira, Rauw Alejandro – “Te Felicito”
Tiësto & Ava Max – “The Motto”
Best live
Coldplay
Ed Sheeran
WINNER: Harry Styles
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
The Weeknd
Best pop
Billie Eilish
Doja Cat
Ed Sheeran
Harry Styles
Lizzo
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Best K-pop
BLACKPINK
BTS
Itzy
WINNER: Lisa
Seventeen
Twice
Best Latin
WINNER: Anitta
Bad Bunny
Becky G
J Balvin
Rosalía
Shakira
Best electronic
Calvin Harris
WINNER: David Guetta
DJ Snake
Marshmello
Swedish House Mafia
Tiësto
Best hip hop
Drake
Future
Jack Harlow
Kendrick Lamar
Lil Baby
Megan Thee Stallion
WINNER: Nicki Minaj
Best rock
Foo Fighters
Liam Gallagher
Måneskin
WINNER: Muse
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Killers
Best alternative
WINNER: Gorillaz
Imagine Dragons
Panic! At The Disco
Tame Impala
Twenty One Pilots
Yungblud
Best R&B
WINNER: Chlöe
Givēon
H.E.R.
Khalid
Summer Walker
SZA
Best longform video
Foo Fighters – “Studio 666”
Rosalía – “Motomami” (Rosalía TikTok live performance)
Stormzy – “Mel Made Me Do It”
Taylor Hawkins tribute concert, Wembley Stadium, London
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”
Video for good
Ed Sheeran – “2step” (feat. Lil Baby)
Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5”
Latto – “P*ssy”
Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
WINNER: Sam Smith – “Unholy” (feat. Kim Petras)
Stromae – “Fils de joie”
Biggest fans
BLACKPINK
WINNER: BTS
Harry Styles
Lady Gaga
Nicki Minaj
Taylor Swift
Best push
Nessa Barrett
WINNER: Seventeen
Mae Muller
Gayle
Shenseea
Omar Apollo
Wet Leg
Muni Long
Doechii
Saucy Santana
Stephen Sanchez
JVKE
Best Metaverse performance
WINNER: BLACKPINK The Virtual | PUBG
BTS | Minecraft
Charli XCX | Roblox
Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience | Wave
According to the artiste manager, Shatta Wale used NAM 1 as a point of contact to get to him because he [NAM 1] was his employer then.
Bullgod indicated that NAM 1 set up a meeting, and when he showed up, the self-acclaimed dancehall king went down on his knees and begged him to forgive him.
“…I was in the meeting with Bola Ray, NAM 1 and one of his guys called Atsu…but I didn’t know Shatta will be part of the meeting because of our earlier conversation…when I got there, Shatta was sitting there and I sat…NAM 1 now told me, he would want to work with my man and before I knew it, Shatta was on his knees and holding onto my leg to apologise. I told him this was something in the past, so, he should not worry about it…”
The outspoken personality added that after NAM 1 helped them resolve their issues, there was no way he was going to pretend they weren’t friends after Zylofone collapsed.
Bullgod expressed his ‘dying’ love for Shatta Wale even though they are having their differences now.
“NAM1 had patched us up. This is somebody I love. I still love Shatta till today. I have no issues with him. So if NAM1 patched us together and we came together, if Zylofone passes, does that mean we should work again? No!,” he shared.
Bullgod stressed, “NAM 1 had patched us up” adding “this is somebody I love. I still love Shatta today. I have no issues with him. So, if NAM1 patched us together and we came together…”
Public Relations Officer for Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Real or Mona4Reall, Stephen Mingle, known as blogger GyHyper has mocked Ghanaians for sharing fake news of the socialite.
In a post the blogger shared on Instagram, he noted that Ghanaians instead of promoting the artiste’s song are rather spreading fake news.
He also advised Ghanaians to learn to appreciate their own instead of trying to destroy people they see doing well in life.
“This is what you haters should be promoting instead, you chose to celebrate fake news. Ghana, let’s love our own regardless oo.
“That PHD attitude in Gh [Ghana] is becoming too much. You see a person rising then you guys develop serious hate for the person,” he shared.
Montrage’s post comes after it was reported that the musician was involved in an eight-million-dollar fraud while living in the United States of America before moving to Ghana.
She topped Twitter trends on November 12, 2022, after her alleged arrest was made.
While numerous Ghanaians have taken to the micro-blogging site to share their viewpoints, one can’t take their eyes off the many reactions by users.
In some social media reactions, one celebrity blogger disclosed saying, “Hajia 4real alleged boyfriend picture drops, according to reports Hajia photos were allegedly used to scam victims which lead to her arrest in the UK. A report also claims she was engaged in an $8 million fraud.”
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been commended for avoiding his usual expensive luxury jets to fly commercially during his recent Ghana-Egypt-USA trip.
According to Samuel Okudz Ablakwa, who has serially tracked presidential travels for the past two years, the president for the longest period avoided flying a €20,000-an-hour luxury jet.
The North Tongu lawmaker indicated further that Akufo-Addo in his entire itinerary flew commercially until he arrived home on Friday, November 11, 2022, aboard British Airways.
He is hopeful that since the country is seeking an IMF bailout, the president will continue flying commercially to save the Ghanaian taxpayer millions of cedis.
“Since we started our unimpeachable tracking of President Akufo-Addo’s condemnable oligarchic travels some 2 years ago, this has been the longest period he’s avoided €20,000-an-hour luxury jets.
“I can confirm that on his latest Ghana-Egypt-USA trip, the President flew commercial during his entire itinerary and returned Friday night (11/11/2022) aboard British Airways flight BA81 at 8:57 PM,” Samuel Okudzeto Ablakaw’s post on Sunday, November 13 read.
“We all sincerely hope President Akufo-Addo will continue on this responsible path of saving the Ghanaian taxpayer millions of Cedis, especially when the IMF bailout arrives, he said.
“We shall keep tracking, for God and Country. Ghana must be really broke,” Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stressed.
For close to two weeks now, Bullgod [Bulldog] and Shatta Wale have been in a back-and-forth brawl which led the artiste to allege that his former manager has a hand in the untimely demise of Fennec Okyere.
Addressing the issue on United Showbiz, Bullgod, who has sued the self-acclaimed dancehall musician, told the sit-in host, Abeiku Santana, after he had stated clearly that he would not work with the artiste again, it took the intervention of Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly called NAM 1, to make them work together again.
He said, while he was working as the Artists and repertoire (A&R) manager at Zylofone Media, his then-boss, NAM 1, told him that Shatta Wale wanted to meet and apologise.
He disclosed, he had then forgiven the musician, whom he refers to as a brother, and stated categorically to NAM 1 that he didn’t have an issue with the artiste but he insisted on their meeting which he gave in to.
“I want to clear this myth. I was working with Zylofone with Stonebwoy, Becca, Joyce Blessing, Obibini and Kumi Guitar. We were doing our job when NAM 1 called me and said ‘we needed to meet’. So I asked him what the problem was, and he said your young brother [Shatta Wale] wants to meet you and apologise.
“I told him there is nothing there, there is no problem. Because when something happens today, by tomorrow I forget it…I was a little confused [about] where NAM 1 was heading with the chat…When he spoke about him, I realised that he wanted to sign Shatta Wale.
“So, I told him I was there any time he was ready I will be available and he said he will call me. I think for two days he called me and said I should come to his friend’s house…when I was about to move my car, I told my wife. Because when the incident happened it affected my wife the most,” Bullgod narrated on the show which was aired on November 12.
He continued: “The day he did his press conference, I was in the room with my wife for a week or two. We weren’t talking because he had called her to tell her that I was sleeping with another woman somewhere. So, my wife was really mad.
“The day he said whatever he had to say on Pluzz, that was the day my wife started talking to me because she noticed he wasn’t a good person. So my wife said, ‘go and speak, go and speak’ but I never spoke. I never spoke because the world goes in circles, you never know whom you will meet again. So I kept quiet.
“My wife went on the radio the next day, and…she spoke but I didn’t say a word…So when NAM 1 called me, I told my wife and she said it wasn’t a big deal and that we have forgotten about it a long time ago…I was in the meeting with Bola Ray, NAM 1 and one of his guys called Atsu…but I didn’t know Shatta will be part of the meeting because of our earlier conversation…when I got there, Shatta was sitting there and I sat…NAM 1 now told me, he would want to work with my man and before I knew it, Shatta was on his knees and holding onto my leg to apologise. I told him this was something in the past, so, he should not worry about it…”
Bullgod stressed, “NAM 1 had patched us up” adding “this is somebody I love. I still love Shatta till today. I have no issues with him. So, if NAM1 patched us together and we came together…”
Ex-Ghana international, Razak Brimah has indicated his readiness to slot in for any of the injured Black Stars players ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Ahead of the start of this year’s global showpiece, Ghana has been hit with various injury setbacks which has left head coach Otto Addo sweating on his final squad for the tournament.
As already reported by your most trusted football online portal in the country, goalkeepers Richard Ofori and Joseph Wollacott have both sustained various injuries that is set is set to rule them out of the upcoming comment.
In the midst of the injury concern, veteran Ghana goalkeeper Razak Brimah is pleading for a chance to return to the Black Stars.
According to the goalkeeper, he is on standby if his services are needed for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“Always ready for the motherland,” Razak Brimah has said in a post on his social media.
Have you ever wondered how much Ataa Ayi stole in total to be sentenced to 160 years in jail?
Regarded as the most notorious armed robber in the history of Ghana, Raymond Ayee Ayitey popularly known as Ataa Ayi was arrested in 2005 while drying his clothes at his hideout in Teshie-Nungua.
Ataa Ayi whose name became a household name and synonym for a hardened criminal was reported to have engaged in several robbery attacks. As the story goes, it all started when Ayi crashed his master’s car while returning from a festival in Akropong with a passenger and needed to raise an amount of money to repair the car.
He confided in a friend about his situation and his friend introduced him to another friend named Eddie who needed a skillful driver to help him with his criminal activities which involves looting cars.
Despite initially turning down the offer, Ataa Ayi joined the gang of car looters and their first operation in 1999 led them to steal ¢12 million cedis out of which he got ¢2.5 million cedis for himself.
Seeing how lucrative their criminal acts were, the gang made their activities frequent and they terrorized people while hijacking their cars and robbed them of their valuables. One of the victims of Ataa Ayi’s robbery recounted his ordeal and narrated that the gang trailed his car from a bank and made away with ¢22 million cedis he had withdrawn.
Another victim who was a pastoralso disclosed that Ayi’s gang stole his ¢56 million cedis at the church premises. Ghana in the early 2000s was in the process of developing and as such there were few means to transact businesses with the aid of technology such as mobile money and back transactions, hence people carried high sums of money in large quantities.
Ataa Ayi and his gang were estimated to have stolen an amount of ¢700 million old cedis cash plus cars, telephones and pieces of jewellery. The cash amount stolen by Ataa Ayi and his gang would be equivalent to ¢70,000 cedis in 2022.
The President of Division One League side Tema Youth, Wilfred Osei Kwaku Palmer has revealed that if it were up to Black Stars head coach Otto Addo alone, Joseph Paintsil would have been in Qatar with the Black Stars.
He says that the coach sent the Genk player a message suggesting that he was not alone in making decisions on players who head to the World Cup.
GFA President Kurt Okraku has in the past revealed that they will not leave Black Stars call ups in the hands of only one person which is the coach.
‘’ I’m sorry Joe, unfortunately, you do not make the 26-man squad; if it was up to me,I would have called you but I’m not the only one doing this (selection) “ This is what Otto Addo told Joseph Painstil according to Osei Kwaku Palmer in an interview on Pure Fm.
He says that the coach sent the Genk player a message suggesting that he was not alone in making decisions on players who head to the World Cup.
GFA President Kurt Okraku has in the past revealed that they will not leave Black Stars call ups in the hands of only one person which is the coach.
‘’ I’m sorry Joe, unfortunately, you do not make the 26-man squad; if it was up to me,I would have called you but I’m not the only one doing this (selection) “ This is what Otto Addo told Joseph Painstil according to Osei Kwaku Palmer in an interview on Pure Fm.
Dreams FC have suffered their third defeat of the season in the ongoing Ghana Premier League season.
The Dawu-based club on Sunday afternoon played as a guest to Nsotreman FC in a matchday 6 encounter of the 2022/23 Ghanaian top-flight league campaign.
Unfortunately, for the visiting team, the side lacked the quality to compete throughout the 90 minutes.
The hosts, Nsoatreman FC played some fine football and led by two goals at the end of the first half.
It was all thanks to a brace from attacker Frederick Boateng in the 27th and 44th minutes respectively.
After recess, Dreams FC attempted to make a comeback but only managed to score through Dede Ishmael in the
76th minute.
All efforts to get a second goal to earn a point proved futile as Nsoatreman FC cruised to an important 2-1 victory at the end of a pulsating contest.
The win today has propelled Nsoatreman FC to 6th on the Ghana Premier League table. Meanwhile, Dreams FC have dropped to 12th on the league log.
Hearts of Oak were unable to record their third consecutive win in the Ghana Premier League after sharing the spoils with Karela United on home turf.
The Phobians entertained the Pride of the West at the Accra Sports Stadium in matchday 6 fixture.
The reigning FA Cup Champions who had a season turn around under new trainer Slavko Matic were held to a pulsating 0-0 draw against Karela United on Sunday.
Despite creating numerous scoring opportunities in the game, both teams were unable to find the back of the net.
Hearts of Oak after a back to back wins against Bibiani Goldstars and Kotoku Royals hoped for a win but Karela united proved to be stronger side.
Both teams went into the much-anticipating clash with victories in their previous league encounters.
Hearts of Oak defeated Kotoku Royals 1-0 at away while Karela United inflicted a narrow win over Bechem United in matchday 6.
Slavko Matic side currently sits 10th position on the league log with 9 points whiles Karela United occupies 7th spot with 10 points.
The Ghana Premier League will go on a one month break for the 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar.
The league is expected to bounce after the biggest soccer mundial in the Asian country.
The new investigative piece on illegal mining titled ‘Galamsey Economy’ by Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ Tiger Eye P.I. will proceed as scheduled after the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) suddenly made the venue available.
Anas’ Tiger Eye P.I had earlier alleged that barely 24 hours to the premiere, the AICC said the venue was no longer available despite paying the charge which was increased by about 30 percent at the eleventh hour.
The documentary exposes alleged bribery, and corruption as well as corruption-related offences in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining otherwise known as galamsey.
But in a sudden twist of events, the AICCthrough a release said the premiere will proceed as scheduled.
According to the AICC, the misunderstanding was due to a scheduling mix-up on the part of the staff at the venue and not due to political reasons.
“The initial confusion was due to a scheduling conflict at the level of the AICC staff and not in any way a political decision as being speculated.”
“The matter has been resolved. We have made contact with the organisers and the event is expected to come off as scheduled.”
Delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have retained Abdul Nasir Saani as the party’s Upper West Regional Chairman.
Mr. Nasir Saani obtained 227 votes, beating his only contender Alhassan Adams, contrary to earlier speculations about his defeat.
Alhassan Adams polled 157 votes, losing the chairmanship slot with almost all the aspirants who pitched camps with him during the campaign period.
The incumbent regional secretary, Charles Lwanga Puozuing also retained his seat after polling 233 votes, beating Nicodemus Dery who left his position as regional youth organizer to contest the secretaryship slot.
Mr. Nicodemus only managed to get 151 votes.
The first regional vice chairman, Kwame Mumuni, the second vice chairman Musah Issah as well as the deputy regional secretary Nura Danwanaa were however all retained unopposed.
Below is the full list of results:
CHAIRMAN
1 ABDUL NASIR SAANI=227
2 ALHASSAN ADAMS=157
Ghanaian forward Abdul Aziz-Yakubu has expressed his happiness after scoring to propel Rio Ave to victory over Arouca in the Portuguese League.
The striker scored the game’s only goal to give the away team a 1-0 victory over their opponents. It was the Ghanaian attacker sixth goal of the campaign.
Despite both sides having excellent opportunities to score goals in the first half, the game’s first 45 minutes finished scoreless.
The visitors were given a penalty kick at the hour mark, which the striker skillfully scored to give Rio Ave a 1-0 lead with 30 minutes remaining.
Four minutes later, Rio Ave was given another penalty kick; this time, Yakubu’s compatriot Emmanuel Boateng took the shot, but the hosts’ goalkeeper saved it.
The visitors won 1-0 to take all three points and climb up the league standings with 18 points from 13 games.
In a post sighted by Footballghana.com, the enterprising forward has expressed his joy after scoring to give his side a narrow win.
“Goal number 6 and keep chasing more. See you soon” he tweeted.
A private legal practitioner and a member of the National Democratic Congress, (NDC), Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo has warned party members to eschew complacency and work hard towards victory in the 2024 elections.
Speaking on Citi TV on Sunday, Mr Kpakpo Samoa Addo said the NDC’s biggest enemy ahead of the 2024 general election is not the New Patriotic Party but complacency.
“I have always said that our biggest enemy for 2024 is complacency,” Mr Samoa Addo said, adding that the party must shun massive rallies and adopt the Jehovah’s Witness’ approach of evangelism to woo new members and convince die-hard NPP supporters to choose the NDC and ditch the NPP in 2024.
Mr Samoa Addo warned that the current economic challenges are not enough to hand victory to the NDC, but hard work, sacrifice and vigilance will ensure that the party is victorious in 2024.
His comments echo that of the former Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, who on Saturday charged members of the NDC to be united and remain focused ahead of the next general elections.
Speaking ahead of the NDC’s Volta Regional Delegates Conference in Ho, the former MP for the Avenor-Ave constituency now Akatsi South, urged members of the NDC not to be complacent and work hard towards the elections in 2024.
He also called on members of the party to desist from wooing delegates with money and favours for votes ahead of the general elections in 2024.
“The statement is that we should not be complacent as a party. The mid-term elections in the United States have taught us that hardship alone, inflation and the economy cannot win an election…So let us not be complacent.”
Ghana’s Black Stars have been dealt a massive blow as first and second choice goalkeeping duo of Jojo Wollacot and Richard Ofori have been ruled out of the World Cup because of injury, Footballghana.com can report.
Wollacot pulled out in Charlton Athletics 3-3 draw against Burton Albion on Saturday after injury his finger in the warm up.
A close source has told Footballghana.com the former Swindon Town shot stopper suffered what seems to be a serious injury and has been ruled out of the biggest soccer mundial to be staged in Qatar.
Meanwhile, the second vice captain of the national team who was not in action for Orlando Pirates in the South African Premier League will miss the tournament.
As a result, Asante Kotoko goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim has been handed late call up to the Black Stars.
The former Ghana U-20 goalkeeper who was named in the 55-man provisional squad lists was initially dropped by the technical handlers of the Black Stars.
But recent injuries to first and second choice goalkeepers of the national team have boosted Danlad Ibrahim’s chances of making his first World Cup appearance.
The biggest soccer mundial has been scheduled for November and December this year, with 32 countries set to battle it out for the covetous trophy in Qatar.
Ghana will open their World Cup account against Portugal before taking Uruguay and South Korea respectively.
The Black Stars will announce their final squad on Monday, November 14.
Ghana is making a return to the global showpiece after missing out in Russia 2018, where France emerged as winners.
A former Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, has urged members of the National Democratic Congress to ensure that the NDC wins the 2024 elections, otherwise the party will disintegrate.
Speaking at the NDC’s Volta Regional Delegates Conference in Ho on Saturday, the former MP for the Avenor-Ave constituency now Akatsi South, called on party members to sacrifice to ensure the party achieves its target in the next elections.
“We are a social democratic party, we put people at the centre of what we do so please I beg you, colleagues I beg you, we have to win the 2024 elections otherwise NDC will be disintegrated, let’s sacrifice for this party for once,” Mr Doe Adjaho said.
Mr Doe Adjaho also has charged members of the party to be united and remain focused as the current economic crisis is not sufficient to guarantee the party a victory in the 2024 general elections.
“The statement is that we should not be complacent as a party. The mid-term elections in the United States have taught us that hardship alone, inflation and the economy cannot win an election…So let us not be complacent.”
“Hardship is a factor, and cost of living is a factor, but it is not sufficient. We have to work hard, we have to be united and present a united front in this region and in the party,” Doe Adjaho said.
The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) and the Colleges of Education Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghana (CENTSAG) say they will on Monday, November 14, 2022, reactivate their indefinite strike.
This follows government’s failure to address concerns raised over their conditions of service despite a five-day grace period.
Last week, the associations in a joint statement accused the government and the Ghana Education Service (GES) of unfair treatment over the years.
In January 2022, CETAG called off its weeks of strike after an assurance to resolve the non-implementation of its 2017-2020 conditions of service, but those resolutions are yet to be implemented 10 months on.
Leadership of the two groups, therefore, gave the Ghana Education Service (GES) five crucial working days to address the following outstanding concerns, but following the expiration of the timeline, the staff have moved to lay down their tools again until their demands are met.
The joint statement issued on Sunday, November 13, 2022, read, “the National Councils of both CETAG and CENTSAG held separate emergency and affirmed the decision to reactivate our suspended indefinite industrial actions effective Monday, 14th November 2022. Our decision to withdraw our services indefinitely is as a result of the following”:
1. Failure of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to make available to CETAG and CENTSAG draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which clearly captures what the parties mutually agreed on at the end of our negotiations for us to study before proceeding to sign off.
2. Unilateral variation of the effective date of CETAG’s 2021 Conditions of Service (CoS) by FWSC from 1st January, 2022 to 1st January, 2023 contrary to the Rules of Engagement for the negotiations.
3. Unilateral determination of April 2023 by the FWSC as effective date for placing First Degree Holders of CENTSAG on 17H on the SSSS contrary to the Rules of Engagement for the negotiations.
4. Undue delay of the Ministry of Education to give approval for the payment of compensation for the all-year-round work to staff of the colleges of education.
5. Unfair retrospective deduction of office holding allowances paid to some members of CENTSAG and CETAG by the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD).
6. Deliberate variation of Fuel, Vehicle Maintenance and Off-Campus allowances of CETAG and CENTSAG members as compared to our counterparts in other analogous institutions in the face of rising cost of fuel prices in the country.
The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso Boakye has revealed that the government is looking into selling the Saglemi Housing Project to a private entity.
Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, Mr Boakye said that the decision was taken after some assessment of the project and broader consultations.
According to him, the government could not ignore calls by the people to complete the project. This resulted in government actively engaging Cabinet, the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Office of the Attorney-General and the Ministry of Justice.
However, upon assessment, it was revealed that the “government will have to provide additional financing to the tune of approximately US$46 million to provide off-site infrastructure, that is, water, electricity, and storm drain, to make the housing units habitable.”
“Additionally, there is the need to invest approximately US$68 million to complete the buildings and other essential on-site infrastructure works,” Mr Boakye added.
The Minister explained that after expending approximately US$196 million on the project, the government does not intend to expend additional tax-payers money towards the completion of the project.
Hence “after a painstaking period of assessment, verification and consultations, Government has decided to – Explore the possibility of selling the Saglemi Housing Project, covering the 1,506 housing units, at the current value to a private sector entity to complete and sell the housing units to the public, at no further cost to the state,” Mr Boakye said.
He noted that the proceeds from the sale will come to the state and be reinvested into other affordable housing projects.
Saglemi Housing Project
The 2,172 acres on which the Saglemi housing project is situated were procured in 2002 during the era of President John Agyekum Kufuor.
On August 15, 2012, the late President John Evans Atta Mills gave executive approval to the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to implement the project.
The project involved the construction of 5,000 housing units for sale to public members through mortgages provided by Ghana Home Loans.
The project was implemented by Constrastora OAS Ghana Limited through a buyer’s credit of up to $200 million.
By the end of the stipulated completion date, the original contract of the project had been amended three (3) times, with the project scope reducing from the initial 5,000 housing units to 1,506 housing units, although US$195,854,969.52 representing 98% of the project funds had been expended.
That notwithstanding, the 1506 housing units were at various stages of completion.
None of these 1506 housing units were habitable, because the project currently lacks basic amenities, such as, water and electricity, and other related amenities.
At the same time, a technical assessment report by the Ghana Institution of Surveyors in September 2020, valued the total cost of works on-site at US$64,982,900.74.
Consequently, there is an ongoing criminal prosecution at the High Court to determine the discrepancies with the funds expended on the project, vis-à-vis the valued cost of works and original project scope.
Ghana coach, Otto Addo is set to make late changes in his squad for the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Addo, 44, is scheduled to announce the Black Stars’ final 26-man squad for the Mundial having released a 55-man provisional squad last week.
With less than 24 hours to name the squad, key players have suffered an injury that has ruled them out of the World Cup.
Charlton Athletic goalkeeper and Ghana’s first choice, Jojo Wollacott has been ruled out of the tournament after picking up an injury on Saturday.
The 25-year-old suffered a finger injury against Burton Albion and club insiders have told Footballghana.com that the former Swondown Twon goalkeeper will miss the Mundial.
Orlando Pirate goalkeeper, Richard Ofori is also set to miss the tournament in the Asian country with an injury.
The injury was confirmed by Pirates as the team prepared to play arch-rival Kaizer Chiefs in the semifinals of this season’s Black Label Cup tournament.
Ofori is one of three Orlando Pirates players on the team’s injury list with the other two being defenders Thabiso Monyane and Innocent Maela.
However, a club source speaking to Footballghana.com confirmed the former Wa All Stars goalie will miss the tournament.
Real Mallorca midfielder, Baba Iddrisu has also been ruled out of the tournament.
The dynamic midfielder suffered an injury against Athletico Madrid on Thursday and after several scans conducted, the 25-year-old has been ruled out of the tournament, a club insider told footballghana
Otto Addo is now set to make late changes in his squad as he prepares to officially release the list on Monday mornin
Ghana will open camp in Abu Dhabi and will take on Switzerland on November 17 before flying to Doha for the tournament on November 19.
Ghana will open their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974 in Doha.
Four days later, the Black Stars return to action with a clash with South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Ghana will wrap up their group stage adventure with their much-anticipated encounter with Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.
The Black Stars having missed out in the last edition hosted in Russia in 2018 will be hoping to improve their performance in Qatar after exiting the group phase during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) on November 12, 2022, held its annual awards night to commend journalist who have performed remarkably during the year under review (i.e 2021).
The event, which is the 26th since it’s inception came off successfully at the KempinskiGold Coast Hotel in Accra, with 29 journalists and media houses picking up awards.
It was also a night of glitz and glam, with every attendee displaying their sense of fashion with awesome outfits. Below are some spectacular pictures from the event. Enjoy!
Portia Gabor of TV3 walked home with the prestigious Journalist of the year award..
He explained that although he attempted to stamp his authority on absenteeism he could not succeed in that action.
“I admit that I was not successful in dealing with absenteeism within the lawmakers during my tenure as Speaker of Parliament even though I attempted to stamp my authority on the menace,” Prof. Oquaye bemoaned.
He indicated that regarding the issues involving Sarah Adwoa Safo, the MP for Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central Constituency, both in the Greater Accra Region and Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central Constituency in the Central Region, who absented themselves from Parliament for more than 15 days, confessed that he did not really succeed in absenteeism.
“I must confess that one area which I did not really succeed in is absenteeism in the House, I did not succeed in tackling it and I did not succeed in tackling punctuality but I did it a while and stopped which was unfortunate and also I did not succeed in ensuring that there was even a record of how lawmakers voted,” he said.
“Members must vote in a certain direction, we had two former Members of Parliament contesting for president, who were John Dramani Mahama and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo unlike United States when Barack Obama’s record was brought out as a Senator but we do not have that in the country.”
“It is also important to have these issues because you want to know for instance, if you want to be president, what is your record on women and your record on oil,” Prof. Oquaye pointed out.
He hinted there would be an era where the two sides would have no option but to rely solely on consensus building to get proceedings in Parliament regarding disagreements in the House so as to develop because there would be no alternative to consensus building in relation to the move by the Minority to vote out Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance.
Economic Advisor at the Office of the Vice President, Dr. Tiah Abdul-Kabiru Mahama, says government’s delegation negotiating an oil deal with the United Arab Emirates will wrap up negotiations next week.
It would be recalled that President Akufo-Addo in his broadcast to the nation revealed that his government is working to stabilise prices of petroleum products through new supply arrangements in a bid to tackle the high cost of living.
The Deputy Energy Minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Managing Director of Bulk Oil Storage Transportation Limited, Edwin Provencal and National Petroleum Authority Boss, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid are the key members leading the negotiation.
After two weeks of negotiating with big oil players including the Chief Executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Sultan Al Jaber, the team is expected to make known the conclusion of the negotiations by next week.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Dr. Mahama stated, “The team will actually wrap up this negotiation next week and that is going to; probably will take also a higher level engagement after they have done the technical and ground works.
“So in the course of next week, we expect to have some communication as to the finality of this discussion with the partners or the bilateral discussion thereafter. I’m sure they’ve been there for about two weeks, I’m sure the conclusion is in the offing.”
Meanwhile, he noted that government is taking measures to address the fuel issue sustainably.
“We have Sentio which is a private refinery coming on stream, that will be the first quarter of next month. We’re working to ensure that TOR is revived so that domestic production of crude will be something that we can rely on, we can have some predictability, we can have some certainty of supply which is not going to be affected by forex or exchange rate situation,” he said.
He added that government is also working at reducing the import bill even though an outright ban is out of the picture.
“We’re also trying as much as possible to reduce the import bill, and government announced that rice, oil, tin tomatoes and etc would be…you see government could go for a ban, but the implication of a ban considering the fact that we have WTO who is on non-prohibitive tariff regimes in the basket makes it difficult for government to take any of these drastic measures.
“But in times of crisis like this, government can go for restriction of forex and to conserve forex for essential things,” he said.
In a writ filed at the Supreme Court on Monday, November 7, 2022, Brogya Genfi argued that the legislator, who is a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is constitutionally unfit to run for and be a lawmaker for any constituency in Ghana because he was allegedly convicted of fraud in Australia before 2020 elections.
According to Mr Genfi, a convict, per Article 94(2)(c)(i) of the 1992 constitution is not permitted to hold state and public offices.
Responding to the suit against him in an exclusive interview on Citi TV’s The Big Issue, Habib Iddrisu denied knowledge of the suit.
According to him, he has heard of rumours concerning the suit but he is yet to be served.
“I have also been hearing it on social media, that is all to it. I have not been served, so whatever I hear, I have to be served to know what it is about,” Iddrisu told host Selorm Adonoo.
English-born winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has snubbed the chance to represent Ghana at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Bayer Leverkusen winger has reportedly decided to concentrate on his club football with his on-loan German side rather than lay for Ghana at the Mundial.
According to Evening Standard the Chelsea player who has Ghanaian parents is ready to wait for a future England call-up than play for Ghana.
Hudson-Odoi remains eligible to represent Ghana as FIFA rules state that players can still switch international sides if a player has made no more
than three appearances for their country, all of those appearances came before the age of 21 and none of them were in a major international tournament.
He had to wait until November 2022 to represent Ghana as he will be handed the clearance by October this year but did not give Ghana the go-ahead to file his documents for a nationality switch— three years after his last appearance for England — but given that would enable him to play in the World Cup in Qatar.
Hudson-Odoi last played for the Three Lions of England in 2019 and has not played for England ever since.
The new rules states: “At the time of being fielded for their last match in an official competition in any kind of
football for their current association, they had not turned 21 years old.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, the Chelsea player who is presently on loan at Bayer Leverkusen says that he will not be playing for Ghana at the World Cup.
Asked if talks had taken place with Ghana, Hudson-Odoi cracked a smile and said: “Nothing I would say at
football for their current association, they had not turned 21 years old.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, the Chelsea player who is presently on loan at Bayer Leverkusen says that he will not be playing for Ghana at the World Cup.
Asked if talks had taken place with Ghana, Hudson-Odoi cracked a smile and said: “Nothing I would say at the moment on camera, I would love to tell you, but I couldn’t say.
“At the moment it’s more just focusing on the best I can do here. You never know what will happen in the future.
“Obviously the Ghana-England situation has been on my mind for a while. But I think right now it was more of the focus of coming here, really getting myself back into shape, playing a lot of games and just feeling like myself. Right now my mind is just open.”
According to her, the prevalence of the disease continued to soar in the country and it was important that citizens take seriously the practice of regularly testing to know their sugar levels for prompt management and care.
Mrs Denyoh was speaking at a diabetes screening exercise organised by the Association at the Tema Station in Accra yesterday ahead of this year’s World Diabetes Day (WDD).
Marked every November 14, to coincide with the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922, the WDD is celebrated to draw attention to multi-stakeholder efforts to tackling diabetes as a public health issue.
The president of NDAG, who is the chairperson of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), West Africa, expressed concern over the fact that majority of Ghanaians especially the youth were diabetic but were oblivious of it contributing to the high disease burden and mortality rate in the country.
“Between 2020 and now, diabetes has killed more people than COVID-19 but there is a fund for COVID-19, there are policies and guidelines for treatment and management yet diabetes, which is the third leading chronic non-communicable disease in the country hasn’t got.
Diabetes care needs attention because it has been neglected over the years and the government must intervene to reduce the disease prevalence,” she stated.
Mrs Denyoh mentioned the need for the government to implement policies that allow for citizens to stay physically active like “creating bicycle lanes, clearing pedestrian walkways, directing institutions like the Ghana Education Service among others to enforce physical education periods.”
Making reference to this year’s WDD theme; “Education to protect tomorrow,” the NDAG president called for greater attention on children and the youth to ‘save’ them from suffering the condition.
“If we are going to protect the future, then we have to protect our youth and we can do so by teaching them to eat right, right exercising habits, we must go back to our previous lifestyle where we used to play ampe etc, so that they can have more exercises.
“Unfortunately we are doing a lot of major roads and interchanges but there are no lanes for cycling, pedestrian walkways have been taken over etc and we hope that in the nearest future these things are addressed so people cycle more, walk more to stay active,” she said.
Further appealing to the government to cap or subsidise prices of diabetes products in the face of present economic hardship, Mrs Denyoh advised persons with diabetes to stick religiously to their medication, visit the hospital regularly, exercise regularly, and adhere strictly to diets recommended by their physicians.
“Being diagnosed or knowing is 50 percent solved and if you know and understand diabetes, you should know that no herbal product will flush out the condition from your system so I will entreat people who have been diagnosed with diabetes to continue taking their medication as prescribed, exercise, eat right and test often to maintain their sugar level,” she urged.
Ghana Impact Project has donated $10,000 and other items to the Orthopedic Training Centre at Adoagyiri in the Nsawam Municipality.
Ghana Impact Project which is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), presented the cheque and items on Sunday, November 6, 2022.
The President of Ghana Impact Project, Mr. Kobby Okum said, “Our mission is to provide prosthetics, wheelchairs and crutches to the physically challenged in Ghana. We’re doing this to not only help with their mobility but to raise their self-esteem. We would like to see Ghana someday where the physically challenged are confident that they can pursue their Ghanaian dream.
Mr. Kobby Okum who came with his family added, “I chose OTC because it’s the only organization that got back to me after writing several letters.
Sister Elizabeth Newman, Director, OTC, who received the donation on behalf of the Centre, expressed gratitude for the assistance.
“The Center provides rehabilitation, consultation, physiotherapy, orthopaedic appliances and also offers charity care for children who are physically challenged, “she said.
Sister Elizabeth Newman said the Divine Word Missionaries started the centre in 1961, founded by Brother Tarcisius de Ruyter (SVD) with the primary purpose of rehabilitating physically challenged persons in Ghana and West Africa.
Head Mistress of OTC, Miss Louisa Enyonam who is also a former patient offered congratulations to Ghana Impact Project for the support and added that OTC had produced many great people.
“It’s sad that, up to date, the country still cannot accept the physically challenged in our system. We don’t have facilities that are conducive for the physically challenged,” she said.
The Centre comprises an orthopaedic clinic, a workshop, a children’s department and the prosthetics and Orthopedic Training College.
“Not being voted for does not mean you are not part of the Party… because at every point in different times people are required to execute a particular task for a result,” he said.
Mr Asiedu-Nketia gave the advice in an address to delegates at the Bono Regional NDC Conference to elect regional executives for a four-year term, at the Ahenfie Hotel at Berekum in the Bono Region.
He said what the NDC needed was a good selection of executives capable of wresting power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Election 2024.
Mr Asiedu-Nketia encouraged aspirants who might lose to understand that they would be called upon whenever their services were needed, saying: “The Party needs a collective effort to beat the NPP in the next general election”.
He advised the delegates to reward aspirants who worked hard for the party by voting them back into the executive positions.
More than 400 delegates were expected to vote to elect executives for four positions, with seven of the aspirants going unopposed.
Regarded as the most notorious armed robber in the history of Ghana, Raymond Ayee Ayitey popularly known as Ataa Ayi was arrested in 2005 while drying his clothes at his hideout in Teshie-Nungua.
Ataa Ayi whose name became a household name and synonym for a hardened criminal was reported to have engaged in several robbery attacks.
He confided in a friend about his situation and his friend introduced him to another friend named Eddie who needed a skillful driver to help him with his criminal activities which involves looting cars.
Despite initially turning down the offer, Ataa Ayi joined the gang of car looters and their first operation in 1999 led them to steal ¢12 million cedis out of which he got ¢2.5 million cedis for himself.
Seeing how lucrative their criminal acts were, the gang made their activities frequent and they terrorized people while hijacking their cars and robbed them of their valuables.
One of the victims of Ataa Ayi’s robbery recounted his ordeal and narrated that the gang trailed his car from a bank and made away with ¢22 million cedis he had withdrawn.
Ghana in the early 2000s was in the process of developing and as such there were few means to transact businesses with the aid of technology such as mobile money and back transactions, hence people carried high sums of money in large quantities.
Ataa Ayi and his gang were estimated to have stolen an amount of ¢700 million old cedis cash plus cars, telephones and pieces of jewellery. The cash amount stolen by Ataa Ayi and his gang would be equivalent to ¢70,000 cedis in 2022.
After being declared wanted with his pictures scattered across the country, Ataa Ayi went into hiding. Initially thought to be staying at Chorkor, Ayi later moved from the community after he got a tipoff that the police were looking to apprehend him.
A team of police led by ACP Kofi Boakye managed to arrest some members of Ayi’s gang while killing others who engaged them in a gun battle.
Grapevine has it that Ayi stayed in the house for weeks unknown to many, till he had an argument with his sister’s daughter and the most wanted man showed his face and was identified by some of the tenants.
On 28th February 2005, whiles Ataa Ayi was drying his clothes, a team of police laid ambush at the house and arrested him from his hideout.
Currently, a changed man, Ataa Ayi has pleaded with government to grant him pardon.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah,has presented 30 pieces of adjustable hospital beds to three hospitals in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti region.
The hospitals were the Kuntanase Government Hospital, St. Michaels Hospital and Jachie Health Centre.
Per the ratio of distribution, 15 of the beds would be given to Kuntanase Government Hospital, 10 to St. Michaels Hospital, and the remaining five to Jachie Health Centre.
Presentation
Mr Osei-Mensahsaid the gesture for instance, would increase the bed capacity of Kuntanase Government Hospital from 45 to 60 and consequently improve healthcare delivery in the district.
He expressed his gratitude to the district for rallying behind him since his days as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area till now.
According to him, this enormous support from his home district would make him the longest-serving Ashanti Regional Ministerby the end of 2022.
“On how we got the beds, a good friend of mine had the opportunity, so I also expressed interest and applied and the benefactors approved my request. I strongly believe that this would save a lot of lives, and attract more blessings to us all. But for the immense support of Bosomtwe District, I would not have risen to become the Ashanti Regional Minister,” he said.
“President Nana Akufo-Addo handed me the opportunity because of the strides I made as a three-term Member of Parliament for the area. By the end of November this year, I would be the longest-serving regional minister in the region,” he added.
The Regional Minister hinted that another consignment of hospital equipment would soon be delivered to the district.
The District Chief Executive of Bosomtwe, Joseph Kwasi Asuming, expressed appreciation to the regional minister for the commendable gesture to the district.
He noted that the district would continue to offer its support, to enable him to carry out his mandate.
The DCE, therefore, implored the hospital administrators to take good care of the beds.
The Sodoohene, Nana Opoku Asare, praised the regional minister for his efforts to improve healthcare in the area.
He, however, appealed to the government to make more effort because there are numerous unanswered requests by the district.
“We thank the minister for the gesture. In fact, we the chiefs are very elated, but our expectations have not really been met yet. As managers of our economy, it is our wish that you keep us in your thoughts and help us deal with the challenges we face here,” he said.
An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a police officer to 12 years imprisonment for assisting an ex-convict, Harold Davies Johnson, to travel abroad without serving his jail term at the Nsawam Prisons.
This was after Detective Lance Corporal Kwame Adu Asabereh was found guilty by the court at the end of the trial.
The officer was said to have allowed himself to be corrupted by Johnson, an ex-convict, to assist him to travel abroad and escape serving his jail term.
He was charged with forgery of official document, abetment of crime, and corruption by a public officer.
The facts of the prosecution led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Emmanuel Nyamekye before the court presided over by Mrs Patricia Amponsah are that Officer Asabereh was a police officer stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
The prosecution said in 2019, a case of defrauding by false pretences involving Harold Davies Johnson, aka Emmanuel Snowden, a British national, reported by Dr Shadrack Asare, was referred to Asabereh for investigations.
It said after investigations, Officer Asabereh was instructed to charge and arraign Johnson on the charge of defrauding by false pretence.
Mr Johnson was then put before the court presided over by Naa Adjeley Quaison. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
The prosecution said the convict was handed over to Asabereh, the case officer, to be sent to Nsawam Medium Prison.
Surprisingly, the prosecution said, Asabereh failed to send Mr Johnson to Nsawam and sent him to his (Asabereh’s) house at Sapieman where he stayed for some time.
The prosecution said investigations also showed that Mr Johnson promised to assist Asabereh to travel abroad and based on that, Asabereh released Johnson’s passport to him.
The convict then travelled to the United Kingdom without serving his sentence.
The prosecution said Officer Asabereh forged the Police Removal of Prisoner Book to suggest that Johnson had been sent and received by prison authorities at Nsawam.
The prosecution said when Officer Asabereh was nabbed, he admitted the offence.
The events of May 15, 1979 during a mutiny attempt by some junior rank officers of the Ghana Armed Forces set the tone for what would later become a bloody usurping of the then government.
General Acheampong was replaced with his deputy, Lieutenant General Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo to form a new version of the Supreme Military Council.
Despite the promise and plans for elections to be held in June 1979, Rawlings who was a junior officer in the Ghana Air Force with the rank of Flight Lieutenant on May 15, 1979, led six other soldiers to stage a coup against the government of General Akuffo.
Their attempt however failed and Rawlings who was arrested by the military was publicly sentenced to death in a General Court Martial and imprisoned, although his statements on the social injustices that motivated his actions won him civilian sympathy.
While awaiting execution, Rawlings was released from custody on 4 June 1979 by a group of soldiers and subsequently staged a successful coup against the Akuffo Government and the Supreme Military Council.
The immediate actions of the 15-member Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) chaired by Jerry John Rawlings included the execution of several senior military officers and former heads of state who had been accused of corruption and contributing to economic decline and impoverishment of the Ghanaian people.
Generals Kotei, Joy Amedume, Roger Felli, and Utuka, as well as the three former Ghanaian heads of state; Acheampong, Akuffo, and Akwasi Afrifa were all executed by firing squad.
The underlining reasons for toppling the government and the subsequent executions that followed largely bordered on corruption by SMC members.
Despite the promise to return the country to civilian rule, the SMC was seen as attempting to hang on to power.
To the likes of Jerry John Rawlings and other junior rank officers, the military had become discredited in the eyes of the public and needed a housecleaning.
Lower ranking members in the military deemed members of the SMC as guilty of corruption and ought to be brought to trial.
The conduct of General Akuffo did not paint a good picture of himself as probes and inquiries into state enterprises by Akuffo’s government saw no actual prosecutions to the dismay of many.
In all, the SMC was deemed as not committed to reforms and that their members were guaranteed immunity in any legal proceedings that were to be brought against them in connection to their dealings and finances.
Beyond the killing of the SMC members, Rawlings later implemented a much wider “house-cleaning exercise” involving the killings and abduction of over 300 Ghanaians.
1. She is a member of the Royal family. According to Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, she is a cousin to the Asantehene.
“I’m from the Ashanti Region, direct descendants of the Royal Family. The Otumfuo is my cousin. My grandfather had 2 or 3 brothers who were Asantehenes in succession,” she said.
2. She grew up and moved around in 3 towns before returning to Accra to school.
“I was born in CapeCoast. My brother and I were born in Cape Coast. My sister was born in Swedru. My father was then the head of UAC in Cape Coast. We were moved to Tarkwa.
“We were moved to Nkawkaw. It was booming. At the time, I believe they wanted to send my father to Kumasi but the British had a system of not letting anyone move to their area so he was moved to Nkawkaw in a year. My real schooling started in Accra,” she said.
3. She was homeschooled by her mother who was a teacher till she moved to basic school
“First we started with my mum just teaching us in the house because my mum was a teacher by profession and then we were moved to Progress School. It was close to Osu Cemetery.
“I went to Ghana International School prior to Secondary School at Achimota,” he added.
4. She was one of the best in Athletics at Achimota School.
“I was the sprinter for Achimota School – 100 meters, 200 meters and the relays. And high jump and long jump,” she noted.
5. Her course in secondary school got changed following an interesting incident. She failed to go to the morgue when it was a requirement to pass for the course.
“It’s a bit embarrassing because when I was in lower 6, I chose to do science and the teacher took us twice to the Korle Bu morgue. First we had to go and see those at the burns, they will explain to you how people are treated and all, it was okay but the second time they took us to the morgue and I was at the door. They expected everyone to go in there, they were doing something that they wanted us to see but I stayed at the door, he was beckoning me but I was still standing there so he came to me and said, let’s go in there and I said no, I’m not going in there. There are dead bodies in there, I’m not going in there.
“He told the headmaster, there’s no way I can do science so I was sent back to the arts class,” she added.
6. She was led to attend KNUST against her wish to school at the London School of Economics.
“My applications were both to Legon and KNUST. In legon I opted with some coercion from my uncle to do economics. There was some problem and the students went on strike so the umiversities were closed.
“So we stayed at home. My dad then said since you want to do economics, I have been to the London School of Economics so I’m travelling, you come with me and I’ll put you in school. So he asked me to go say goodbye to my uncles; the architect and the Economist and he asked me where you are going to and I told him. He said, you are not going anywhere.
“He said go and sit in your car and go, I’ll talk to your father myself. I get home and my mum is asking if I said my goodbyes. My dad comes from work and says my uncle is coming for them to have a discussion about the trip. It was like she got entry into Tech, let her go into Tech.
“He literally took me and got them to put me back in architecture. After my uncle left I went and told him I wanted to do arts. I changed,” she added.
Nana Konadu was speaking on Citi TV’s Footprints program.
(AICC) would not be available for use on Monday (November 14) and Tuesday(November 15, 2022).
With 24 hours to the first screening at 5 pm on Monday, Tiger Eye P.I. in a statement issued today said the management of the AICC informed it that the venue was no longer available for use on the said dates.
It said it had already fulfilled every requirement of AICC to use the place including payment for the venue despite last-minute changes in cost by about 30 per cent.
“Tiger Eye is saddened that barely 48 hours to the public screenings, when invitations have been sent to the diplomatic community and other high-profile individuals in society, and flyers sent out to the public, we have had to look for a new venue,” the statement said.
“We would like to apologise to the public for the inconvenience in change of venue. Our agent is securing another auditorium and we will update the public soon on the new venue.
“All tickets already out are valid for the new venue”.
Read the entire statement below;
13 November 2022
PRESS RELEASE
GALAMSEY ECONOMY EXPOSÉ:
ACCRA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE PREVENTS TIGER EYE FROM USING VENUE FOR PUBLIC SHOWING
1. Tiger Eye P. I. hereby informs the public that it has been stopped from screening its latest undercover investigative piece titled ‘Galamsey Economy’ at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) which is scheduled this Monday and Tuesday (14 &15) of November 2022.
2. Management of AICC informed Tiger Eye through our agent on Saturday, 12 November 2022, that the venue is no longer available for use on the said dates.
3. Tiger Eye has already fulfilled every requirement of AICC to use the place including payment for the venue despite last minute change in cost by about per cent (30%).
4. Tiger Eye is saddened that barely 48 hours to the public screenings, when invitations have been sent to the diplomatic community and other high-profile individuals in society, and flyers sent out to the public, we have had to look for a new venue.
5. We would like to apologise to the public for the inconvenience in change of venue. Our agent is securing another auditorium and we will update the public soon on the new venue.
6. All tickets already out are valid for the new venue.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has eulogized his former boss, the late Jerry John Rawlings as he commemorates two years of Mr Rawlings’ passing.
Mr Rawlings died two years ago on November 12.
In a Facebook post, Mr Mahama recalled “It is 2 years already since the passing of President Jerry John Rawlings, fondly called JJ.
“He steered our nation for 19 years, during which time he laid a solid foundation for our 4th Republic.”
“In these stormy times of economic uncertainty, he is remembered for his astute leadership in similar circumstances in the past. His legacy lives on and continues to shape the moral compass of many,” he added.
He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically-elected President of Ghana.
Rawlings initially came to power as a flight lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force following a coup d’etat in 1979.
Prior to that, he led an unsuccessful coup attempt against the ruling military government on 15 May 1979, just five weeks before scheduled democratic elections were due to take place.
After initially handing over power to a civilian government, he took back control of the country on 31 December 1981, as the Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
In 1992, Mr Rawlings resigned from the military, founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and became the first President of the Fourth Republic.
He was re-elected in 1996 for four more years.
After two terms in office, Mr Rawlings stepped aside and endorsed his vice-president, the late John Atta Evans Atta Mills, as a presidential candidate in 2000.
The new entrant has contested the chairmanship position twice, 2012 and 2018 but has lost, he returned to contest this year, 2022.
At the end of the conference on Saturday, November 11 2022, Agbavitor pulled 203 out of a total of 581 votes cast whilst the incumbent got 130 votes, given the chance to Mawutor Agbavitor as the newly elected Chairnman for the region.
Delivering his victory speech, Mawutor Agbavitor said he will work with the other new executives cordially, adding that he’s poised to rekindle NDC in the region and obey principles of founder of the party, the late J.J. Rawlings.
Agbavitor emphasised that, his key aim is to work “for victory in 2024” and that he will not hesitate to do what is needful until victory is gained.
In the vice Chairmanship race, personal aid to the late Transport Minister, the late Dzifa Ativor, Egypt Kobla Kudoto pulled 220 votes followed by Divine Fiakpui Dzahini with 193 votes, making the two vice chairmen for the NDC.
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel A. Jinapor on Saturday, 12th November 2022, co-Chaired the first ministerial meeting of the Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) with the United States’ Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Secretary John Kerry, as the Minister’s final participation in the ongoing COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
The meeting which was attended by 28 Ministers and five observer countries, was to develop a framework for 2023 and beyond to achieve the objectives of the Partnership.
In his remarks, Mr Jinapor pledged the commitment of the Government of President Akufo-Addo to work with members of the partnership to deliver on forests and nature-based solutions to climate change.
He said forests and nature-based solutions can deliver up to a third of global climate solutions, and “Ghana, as a respected member of the international community, is fully committed to supporting global climate action”.
The FCLP is a new political forum that brings together governments and partners to work to implement solutions that reduce forest loss, increase restoration, and support sustainable development.
It creates a platform for Heads of State and Government and their Ministers to combine their political efforts to accelerate global action to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, while delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation.
