The nightlife in Accra is widely considered the ripest moment for parties to come alive.
But that narrative is being downed by a daring afternoon pop-up jam, iMullar Sound System.
The Energy 003 edition of the programme came off at Front/Back in Accra on Saturday, October 22.
By midday, tons of patrons who had converged at the venue met warm-up serenades by Araba.OA with other DJs ready to go.
The eclectic mix of sounds from electric music down to hip-hop and hip-life enriched the space.
Afrolektra, B. Frvnkie, DJ Shagy, Edwvn took turns to heighten the pulse of the experience via the turntables.
It was closed by exciting the duo, DJ Neizer & DJ Juvenile, and the crown could not get enough of the thrill.
The audience was a general mix of Ghanaians and diasporans alike who had found commune in this intriguing getaway from the week’s hustle.
They danced to great music and networked amid the cosy ambience.
In an interview with GQ, Maxwell Adjavon said that iMullar Sound System, there were “no parties that were held during the day that promised what we have gotten used to with our nightlife scene, which has always baffled visitors since not everyone can stay out late. Specific reasons for this anomaly have never been given, and no one has tried to break the status quo until now.”
Meanwhile, the fourth edition is around the corner. December 24th will see a repeat as patrons who missed Saturday’s showdown have already promised to show up this time.
There were some surprise acts such as Kirani Ayat, Larusso, and Yung Demz.
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is alleging that the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has diverted $100 million of Ghana’s oil fund into an offshore account.
The reason for the diversion is unknown, but Mr. Ablakwa says Ofori-Atta’s action is a violation of Article 176 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
Article 176 states that all revenues or other monies raised or received for the purposes of, or on behalf of, the government shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.
Speaking to Nhyira FM’s Nana Jantuah on Kuro Yi Mu Nsem, the Member of Parliament said the Finance Minister would have been jailed if he was a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“One of the grounds listed that Ofori-Atta should be removed from office is that he has diverted at least one hundred million dollars of our oil fund into an offshore account in violation of Article 176 of the 1992 constitution.
“We do not know what he is doing with those oil funds, who are the signatories to those accounts and why he has engaged in that diversion. When you read the latest PIAC report, PIAC has indicted him. What business does Ofori-Atta have in diverting hundred million dollars?”
Mr. Ablakwa says the Attorney-General who should be initiating the prosecution of the Finance Minister is a colleague cabinet minister, which makes it difficult to start the process.
He believes the 1992 constitution should be amended to have an independent prosecution entity without any political affiliation.
“Why should the Attorney General be a cabinet minister under the same government? Why can’t we have just an independent prosecution entity?
“The only one who can initiate the prosecution of [Ken Ofori-Atta], the Attorney General, is a colleague cabinet minister and both sit in the same meeting.”
The North Tongu MP says the Special Prosecutor would have been the best option, but the office has not lived up to expectations.
He thinks the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor has been a disaster and it is more likely causing financial loss to the state.
“That whole arrangement of the Special Prosecutor has been a disaster. It’s not lived up to the promise. We were all excited that we now have an independent person with no nonsense character and he will not be influenced by the politics of the day.
“But let’s be truthful, that office I think that is even now just a matter of causing financial loss to the state.”
The government and the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, are negotiating for an economic rescue scheme, but conversations are not going well, according to renowned economist and elder statesman Kwame Pianim.
In an interview with Accra-based TV3, he claimed that President Akufo-Addo and his troubled Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, were primarily to blame for the current state of affairs.
He claimed that the IMF was waiting for Akufo-Addo to provide a clear statement on the problem.
should accept responsibility for it and take decisive action to address the problems before they arise.
He noted that Ofori-continuing Atta’s tenure in office in the face of calls for his ouster was not resolving matters.
“The IMF negotiations are not going well. I know this for a fact. What the IMF is waiting for is a bold credible pronouncement from the president as he did over [the] COVID.
“The president said I take full responsibility, I am in charge and I am going to make sure that Ghanaians are protected from [the] COVID,” he submitted.
“We need the president to own the crisis. To come out and say, there is nothing that I will not do to stabilize the economy of Ghana, to stop this pressure and the economic crisis that is looming and that there are no sacred cows,” he stressed stating the need to review any and every government programme if need be.
Pushed about how he knew the negotiations were not going well, he insisted: “It is not going well, the negotiations. I know that. That is my business, to keep my ears open, I am a Ghanaian, and I am interested in the economy moving in the right direction.
“We have friends in Washington so what I am saying is that it is not going well,” he reiterated.
Government months back approached the IMF for a support programme amid an economic crisis. Whiles it has partly blamed the aftershock of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, the opposition insists the crisis has been brought on by economic mismanagement brought on by reckless borrowing and unnecessary spending.
The young artiste on his sophomore project connects with his past with a collection of songs that are profoundly personal and address issues like disappointments, poverty, hate, love, sex, betrayals, violence, and mental health.
On “Make a Way”, produced by Gigz Beatz, Larruso expresses his loneliness, isolation, and grudge with his ambitions during the COVID-19 era which had a toll on his mental health. It took his virtual performance on “From Milan With Love: Next Gen” Virtual Concert hosted by Roc Nation, Tidal, AC Milan and DJ Khaled to overcome his fears and achieve his goals.
He is thankful to all forces who are positively behind his progress. He further fused his sexual fantasy and prowess with his nightlife on his second and third tracks “Midnight”, produced by Gigz Beatz, and “Inbox”, produced by Jusino Play.
The young dancehall star believes everyone needs a chance and he is optimistic he will be ready for his big blow when it’s time.
“DO NOT SIT STILL THERE’S STILL MORE TIME”; hard work is the hallmark of the sing jay. He prays on this new song, “11:11”, produced by CaskeysOnit. On “Don’t Shout”, Larruso channels his afrobeat dexterity on an amapiano instrumentation as he believes he is God’s favorite child and he is blessed beyond expectations and will succeed despite the prevailing challenges that befall him. On the Caskyesonit production, the young artiste further calls out all debtors to pay up. CaskeysOnit produced “Don’t Shout”.
On CaskeysOnit’s production, Larruso goes rude and reclaims his position as the dancehall wonderkid in Africa. “War” is to reassure every opponent that he is still a dancehall head who is experimenting with afrobeats. This is to clear the air on rumors about him switching to afrobeats totally.
On his last song, “Believe”, produced by ASWXG, Larruso inspires and reminds himself to believe in the dream and keep focusing regardless of the struggles he faces. This is an ode to himself and to generations after to never lose faith and they should be reminded to keep fighting till they win.
Larruso is keen on telling his stories through music as he develops his sound and we are here to support his journey through.
His request comes after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo urged lawmakers from his party, the NPP, to postpone their demands for Ofori-Atta to be fired over the nation’s economic woes until the IMF bailout negotiations he is leading are through.
Kwame Pianim, however, thinks that Ofori-replacement Atta’s is essential for reviving the economy and rescuing Ghanaians from their current predicament.
The senior statesman, who made these remarks in a TV3 interview monitored by GhanaWeb, outlined the following reasons as the justification for Ofori-Atta to leave office now.
Success of the IMF negotiation:
According to Kwame Pianim, the government’s current negotiation with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout is not going well because the Fund does not see any seriousness on the side of the government.
“What the IMF is waiting for is a bold, credible pronouncement from the president as he did over the COVID-19 (pandemic). And then you need a credible messenger. Ken Ofori-Atta is not a credible messenger.
“Somebody who didn’t want you taking this route, how can you say he should lead it?” he questioned
“The hardship on Ghanaians is unprecedented. So, he Ofori-Atta should save Ghanaians additional misery by stepping down.”
Save the reputation of the NPP
Again, Kwame Pianim said that Ofori-Atta had to go to save the New Patriotic Party’s reputation as good managers of Ghana’s economy.
“NPP has a reasonably good reputation as a good manager of the Ghanaian Economy. And it is time that (the current economic meltdown) is stopped so that irreparable damage is not done to the reputation of the NPP as good managers of the economy,” he said.
Save the legacy of Akufo-Addo
Also, the statesman intimated that Ofori-Atta staying in office would make it very difficult to restore Ghana’s economy and also risks destroying the legacies of President Akufo-Addo.
“If he (Ofori-Atta) does not go and the president doesn’t let him go, we risk irreversibly dragging the president’s legacy and his presidency into the gutters,” he said.
Former Ghana international Laryea Kingston says he put in enough effort to make Ghana’s squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
The 41-year-old was as one of the biggest names in the national team and was instrumental in the country securing a second consecutive World Cup spot.
In 2006, Kingston missed Ghana’s maiden appearance at the global showpiece in Germany due to suspension for an altercation with Senegal’s defender Habib Beye in a group encounter at Africa Cup of Nations.
“I was very disappointed in the decision to take me out of the team for the 2010 World Cup, but I had no one to provide me with some answers,” Kingston told Daily Graphic.
“It broke me into pieces because I had done everything possible and I was in good shape to play for the Black Stars, so I was surprised at the coach’s decision to omit me from the squad.
“What can you do when a coach says you are not in his plans? It was one of the saddest moments of my career, but I had to deal with it.”
He added, “We held a meeting to discuss the final list for the tournament and all Coach Milovan Rajevac told me was that I was not in his plans.”
“I felt he owed me an explanation because with our squad at the time, I didn’t see the reason why I should not make it to the World Cup.”
He has since repeated his demands that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo remove Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta from their positions.
While he is supporting increased calls for Ofori-dismissal, Atta’s he wants Bawumia to be removed from his position as chairman of the Economic Management Team.
Speaking at a public lecture themed: “Building the Ghana We Want,’ in Accra on October 27, 2022, Mahama said it was sad that his previous calls for this action have not been heeded by Akufo-Addo.
“I re-echoed demands by Ghanaians that the finance minister and the Chair of the Economic Management Team, who have been primarily responsible for this economic catastrophe, be relieved of their positions to breed confidence among stakeholders and offer the economy a new lease of life.
“I asked that the President deploys some of the arsenals in the Presidential toolkit and reshuffle his government to inject innovation and freshness of thinking into the running of the country,” he stated.
“I also asked that the President addresses the nation to inform the public of the specific steps he was intending to take to weather the pending economic storm.
“This address was meant to calm the anxiety of the investor community and rally Ghanaians behind any such efforts. Regrettably, the President dug in and failed to do any of these,” he added.
As part of his presentation, the 2020 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, outlined a number of short, medium and long-term solutions to the current economic crisis that the government was grappling with.
In a presentation before Mahama’s address, former deputy Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato-Forson laid out how perilous the state of the economy was and the need for Ghanaians to tighten their belts for hard times ahead.
“I want to make music with Angelique Kidjo,” he said. “She’s been there on my list.”
“Chris Brown, I’ve always wanted to do [music with him],” he again revealed.
Touching his head, he reflected: “I’m thinking in my head like, ‘I’d love to make music with these people’,” but was also categorical in adding he would not force his way to making their acquaintance or securing the collaborations.
“I was with Yemi Alade the other day and we were in the studio. I never spoke about how I can ride through her to meet Angelique Kidjo. It’s not about that. In as much as I want it, I just put it before the universe,” the ‘Sugarcane’ hitmaker said to illustrate his point.
He explained that “in the meantime, I have to be doing me. I have to be getting myself ready,” to be worthy of such an honour.
He also cited how naturally ‘Waiting’, Cina Soul’s new song, on which he featured, happened.
“It was just us in the studio and I was just loving her energy,” Camidoh shared and added that sometimes they go into the studio “just having a good time” and not doing any work and that’s how he likes to work with people; nothing forced but “just vibing.”
Angelique Kidjo and Yemi Alade have two collaborations called ‘Shekere’ and ‘Dignity’.
Camidohwas speaking to the 3Music crew on ‘Culture Daily’.
The free decline of the Ghana cedi has made the economic crisis and mounting public debt more acute for President Akufo-Addo and the Economic Management Team, or EMT.
Dr. Forson warned that the technique and manner in which the government wishes to tackle the debt restructuring will harm Ghanaians, calling the initiative a “Mickey Mouse” strategy.
In offering some solutions to the government on how it can deal with what he described as ‘Ghana’s unsustainable debt’ through debt restructuring, the Minority spokesperson on Finance said:
“The announcement of debt restructuring will mean that Ghana has defaulted on its debt service obligation and will have to renegotiate.
“International credit rating agencies are most likely to downgrade Ghana to D in the coming months as soon as government officially announces debt restructuring.
“The process of Debt Restructuring is similar to the HIPC program. However, the HIPC targeted bilateral and multilateral loans, debt restructuring will target commercial loans.
“Commercial Lenders and others will have to accept a reduction in interest and principal payment or risk default and non-payment.”
“Reduce the Principal Amounts of the debt, (a Principal Hair-cut) and “Reduce the Interest Rate on the debt for bond indebtedness (coupon adjustment).”
He indicated that it is possible to mix and match the three methods above, e.g. maturity extension with a coupon adjustment.
“Debt restructuring is not a science but an art and can be tailored to suit particular debt crises such as Ghana’s problem.
“Creditors can be expected to express strong views about the method chosen to address the sovereign debt problem. Principal haircuts are unfriendly to creditors and maturity extension and coupon reduction are creditor friendly.”
Ghana international, Bernard Tekpetey has backed Ludogorets Razgrad to keep fighting following their narrow 1-0 defeat to Real Betis in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night.
The 25-year-old, who lasted the entire duration of the game put up an impressive display in their match day five encounter in UEFA’s second tier competition.
“No matter how much falls on us,we keep plowing ahead. That’s the only way to keep the roads clear. Fight till the end,” he posted on his twitter page after the game.
In the first half, Tekpetey and his teammates put up a fantastic display but could not get on the score sheet.
Ten minutes into the second half, Real Betis had the breakthrough when French attacker Nabil Fekir scored after he was assisted by Luiz Henrique.
Although Tekpetey was a bright light in the attack of Ludogorets, it could not inspire a comeback at the end of the 90 minutes.
The defeat means that the Bulgarian giants must win their final group game to advance to the knockout stage of the Europa League.
Tekpetey has made 25 appearances for Ludogorets across all competitions, scored eight goals and provided six assists.
Former President John Mahama has asked President Akufo-Addo to take hold of the Economic Management Team to help boost confidence in the economy.
He said the Chairman of the Economic Management Team (EMT), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the Finance Minister have failed.
Due to this, he wants President Akufo-Addo to reconstitute Economic Management Team and chair it himself.
“The president must not only replace his Finance Minister; he must also reconstitute and take control of the Economic Management Team himself,” he said in an address on Thursday, October 27, dubbed “Building the Ghana We Want.”
He insisted the state of the economy makes the Finance Minister’s position untenable.
“I’ve noted the draft motion of censure by the Minority against the Minister of Finance and the recent rebellion of G95 group (95 Majority Members of Parliament) calling for the removal of the minister.
“I’ve also noted the statement of the Majority Leader of a so-called compromise reached that the minister will leave after he has completed the budget and the IMF negotiations.”
According to him, the negotiations are done with a team and not just one person.
“I think this is untenable. Budget preparation and IMF negotiationsare the results of teamwork. They are not the work of one individual.
I fail to see how the absence of the minister will affect the preparation of the budget and the negotiation with the International Monetary Fund.
There surely must be persons with the requisite experience in the NPP to carry on this work. After all, what happened to the mantra we have the men?”
Under Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, the country began as a leader in industrialization on the continent, but over the past few decades, the economy’s structure has shifted toward import dependence, resulting in a massive balance of trade deficit, a rapidly appreciating currency, and worsening unemployment.
To correct this status quo, a team of diverse experts including Kwame Jantuah of Energy Consortium; Andy Akoto, Partner & Head of Advisory-KPMG; Anthony Morrison of the Agribusiness Chamber; Maame Awinador-Kanyirige, an International Trade Expert; and Linus Kumi, Head of Corporate Banking-GCB Bank PLC, all agreed that access to patient capital, a skilled workforce – particularly in technical areas, and firm and decisive leadership are needed.
They spoke on the topic Trade and Industrialisation Catalyst for Economic Growth and Development, during the third and final day of the 11th Ghana Economic Forum (GEF) organised in Accra by the Business and Financial Times (B&FT); and they collectively agreed that most efforts to industrialise the economy have failed because the right balance between access to patient credit and skills training in sectors where the country is looking to develop was not found.
“The human resource is one of the major natural resources we have. For example Singapore, what natural resources do they have? Nil. But are they not a developed country? Because they have invested in their people, today Singapore is doing a whole lot of things. Unfortunately, the youth who are following us have nothing to grab onto, have no direction because we don’t mentor the young ones,” Mr. Jantuah said.
He added that leadership can change the people’s mindset for good, and ensure that decisions are taken in the interest of the nation – which is also lacking.
Focusing on why industrialisation has eluded the country and why initiatives like the One District-One Factory (1D1F) have failed to make significant impact, Mr. Kumi cited lack of patient capital – noting that local lenders typically do not have the type of long-term credit needed to support the country’s industrialisation.
The Pensions Law currently allows for 70 percent of total assets under management to be invested in government securities.
“Today, we are clear that finished petroleum products are what’s taking funding out of the economy. So, what do we do? We need to all put our hands together and fund a refinery and then be able to refine our diesel, petrol and the rest. So, I would risk putting my money into that sector, but we need to also have clear policies, regulatory forbearance to be able to support that,” Mr. Kumi added.
Concurring with Mr. Kumi, Mr. Akoto of KPMG said an industry like car manufacturing or assembling thrives on credit. “If you look at our environment, how many of us can afford cars without credit? So, it is not enough to put a statement on paper; it also requires linkages with other sectors which will ensure those policies make the maximum impact.
“We have to be very deliberate about how we put forth policies, but then move on to ensure that these are executed in tandem with the country’s long-term objectives,” he added.
If necessary, he said, the country should take the route of protectionism… but in an innovative manner in order to grow certain critical sectors of the economy without violating international trade protocols and procedures.
For the Agribusiness Chamber CEO, the only way to industrialise is by ensuring decisions are taken according to empirical evidence and market demands.
Explaining further, Mr. Morrison observed that most policies on industrialisation often lack detailed analysis of comparative advantage, best product variety and market taste – leading to their failure.
Meanwhile, Awinador-Kanyirige described the 1D1F initiative as a good programme but added that it should be reviewed if it is to make the desired impact. In its current form, she said, the policy is good for the long-term; but not every district needs a factory, and therefore it should be adjusted to be more practical. She added that funding also remains a big challenge, and local people who such factories are supposed to benefit could be left out.
Former Asante Kotoko midfielder Salifu Mudasiru put up an impressive display for FC Sheriff Tiraspol in their 3-0 loss to Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League.
The 25-year-old lasted the entire duration of the game at Old Trafford on Thursday evening.
Portugal defender Diogo Dalot put the hosts on their way to victory with a near-post header from Christian Eriksen’s corner a minute before the break.
Substitute Marcus Rashford then headed home Luke Shaw’s left wing cross midway through the second period.
Ronaldo, who was dropped for last weekend’s trip to Chelsea as punishment for refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham eight days ago, put the icing on the cake with nine minutes left to play.
The former Real Madrid forward got his head to a Bruno Fernandes cross. Sheriff keeper Maxym Koval made a low save but as the ball spilled loose, Ronaldo pounced to complete United’s biggest win of the season and extend their unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions.
Mudasiru has made 19 appearances for FC Sheriff Tiraspol across all competitions this season.
Former President John Mahamasays he hopes President Akufo-Addo’s words in his upcoming address to the nation, would bring some sort of relief to Ghanaians amidst the current economic hardship.
Transportation fares have increased by 19%, the country’s currency has rapidly depreciated against the major trading currencies in the past few weeks and fuel prices have equally increased in the latest pricing window.
The economic woes have been felt in the pockets of Ghanaians, compelling people to urge the President to fix the economy.
After several lamentations and agitations about the ailing state of the economy, President Akufo-Addo on Thursday announced that he will address the nation on the economic challenges.
Addressing the nation on the economy at the UPSA Auditorium on Thursday night on the theme: “Building the Ghana we want”, the 2020 NDC’s Flagbearer said President Akufo-Addo’s failure to reshuffle his Ministers and marshal his arsenals to fix the economy has compounded the current economic woes.
“Since this event was advertised, I have been made aware that the President intends to address the nation sometime over this weekend. It is my prayer that his words will strike the right cords in the hearts of Ghanaians. Since my speech in May, the situation has spiraled out of control and the effects have been calamitous for all of us,” he said.
Mr. John Mahama noted that the current economic situation does not warrant the President to be engaging in the “vein glorious pursuit of vindication”.
He reiterated that the country’s challenges are domestic driven.
“There is a desperate attempt to shift blame in an almost robotic fashion. This government recites the same verse in unison, that we are in this perilous situation only because of Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary,” he added.
At the recent Ghana Economic Forum (GEF 2022), organized by the B&FT, a panel of experts from various facets of the tech industry discussed Fintech and the Future of Finance. The panelists were convinced that by leveraging these factors, start-ups in the country will be able to attract more funding and create more useful solutions, solidifying the country’s position as a technology and finance hub on the continent.
Chief Digital and Marketing Officer-GCB Bank, Eric Coffie, expects to see enhanced collaboration between fintechs and other stakeholders, as well as the application of technology to areas where the adoption rate is currently low.
“I am looking toward a future wherein fintechs are going to collaborate and take their solutions into areas like farming, education and health… these areas seem to be untapped at the moment,” he said, as he anticipates a shift from the current focus of payment solutions to what he described as “more impactful”.
Managing Director-UBA Ghana, Chris Ofikulu, re-emphasised the importance of data; saying the stakeholders are failing to fully harness the benefits of data due to the current structures around its collection, analysis, storage and access. “Scaling will depend on how we manage data, and that data management will require proper aggregation of the data, control around general data protection laws, and also their administration.”
He added that if the issues around data are resolved, the country should produce its first unicorn – a US$1billion-valued company – in the medium-term.
Country Manager-AZA Finance, Nana Yaw Owusu Banahene, said over the medium-term – that is, over the next five years – the predominantly urban centres where there is more access to technology tools will see an uptake in decentralised finance and contactless payments.
For the rural and peri-urban areas, he called for further investment to boost existing digital communication infrastructure. “In those markets, with some level of investment from government to streamline the communication infrastructure in those areas, we should see the wider adoption of solutions such as QR codes which are much easier to use,” he explained.
The Director-Regulus Investments and Financial Services, Ankit Tandon, citing a number of areas where India has developed its fintech ecosystem said lessons can be learned from its experience and applied to the Ghanaian context. He added that strong financial markets will be crucial for development of the domestic fintech space.
Advisory Manager responsible for Digital Transformation & Innovation at KMPG, Philip Twum, said the rapidly-changing digital finance landscape requires sector regulators to embrace the wave of change.
“One thing I would like to say to regulators about cryptocurrency is that there is already capacity to regulate it, and I think the regulation needs to be progressive… today, licenced cryptocurrency exchanges work like banks; they have the advanced KYC and related protocols in all the right areas,” he explained.
On his part, Managing Partner-Sustineri Attorneys, Richard Nunekpeku, while commending the BoG for its proactiveness warned of possible fatigue in the issuance of new licences, and stated that there must be a clear road map for the exit of licenced companies who fail to meet certain metrics.
“The BoG could get tired of licencing new innovation. The question is: are all these companies going to be performing in full compliance with these rules and regulations, what are the plans to ensure that as we licence, we exit as well? For some, the technology’s relevance might be eroded; how are we going to exit such companies from the ecosystem? We need a clear roadmap for this; if not, the regulator might end up becoming a roadblock.”
In 2016, the digital economy’s global value was calculated to be US$11.5trillion, or 15.5 percent of the world’s GDP. It is anticipated to grow significantly faster than the ‘conventional’ economy, reaching 25 percent by 2025, according to the World Bank – with Africa accounting for more than US$300billion of this.
Immediate past president of the Chattered Institute of Bankers, Patricia Sappor, has charged the youth to be prepared to make sacrifices if they want to achieve enviable success in their careers.
She advised the youth to know what they want at any point in time, putting in the efforts to see to the realization of that dream of theirs. “I think you should know what you want at any point in time, understanding that growth comes with a lot of sacrifices. I had to make the sacrifices personally in terms of energy, money, time etc.”
With over 22 years working with Ecobank, she describes the work environment as one which compels passion and dedication.
“At Ecobank, the passion to get the work done and achieve set goals compels staff to be over and above for them. I made a lot of sacrifices and always had to make a suitcase ready for travel at any time. So, my life was literally in the air at all time and that was some of the sacrifices I made,” he told Rev Erskine on Y107.9FM’s YLeaderBoard Series.
Being away most of the time, the banker made sure to spend every time she was home with her family, creating unforgettable moments with them.
Big on honesty and integrity, RT. REV. MR.S Patricia Sappor advises her children to eschew these virtues.
“The bible speaks about how dishonest gains are lost in the twinkle of an eye. So, I tell my children that any advantage gained out of dishonesty will not favor them in the future.”
She advises the youth to be appreciative of all things and have a positive attitude towards life.
The 2020 NDC flagbearer claimed, during a discussion titled “Building The Ghana We Want,” held at the UPSA auditorium on Thursday, October 27, that Ghana’s economy had lurched from crisis to crisis, finally leading to the most miserable living conditions in several decades.
He noted that the Ghana Cedi had experienced the greatest depreciation in recent memory—over 62%—against the US dollar in just ten months.
Mahama noted Ghana’s public debt is projected to hover around GH¢522 billion by the close of this year, with a corresponding debt-to-GDP ratio of above 100%.
He said, the debt service obligation arising from this is monstrous and, is making it impossible to finance almost all critical sectors of the economy.
Ghana’s wage bill, the former President observed had shot up through what he described as unbridled recruitment into all sectors of the public service resulting from a poor capacity of the private sector to mop up the teeming youth graduating from all levels of our educational system.
“Worse still, Ghana has been classified as the country with the highest likelihood of debt default, which reflects the multiple downgrades by the international credit agencies,” he stressed.
In building that dream Ghana, former President John Dramani Mahama proposed that the managers of the economy under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo must among others:
“a) Reducing the public debt, debt service obligations and creating fiscal space: The biggest problem with our economy today is the huge size of our public debt, estimated to be around GH¢ 522 billion by close of this year. This must immediately be tackled and stopped from growing further.
b) Cutting cost, reducing waste, and spending wisely: One other major problem that has brought us to this point is the reckless and frivolous spending of our scarce national resources. A fundamental principle in economic management is fiscal discipline even in times of crisis. It is simply not possible to live beyond our means and avoid the kind of economic turmoil we are in today. Rampant over-expenditure has been reflected in the extraordinarily large budget deficits of the last two years, which is set to persist for a third straight year if urgent cost cutting measures are not taken.
c) Stabilizing the currency, cutting the import bill and job creation: My brothers and sisters, the above remedies represent some of the short to medium-term proposals for government to mitigate the total collapse of the Ghanaian economy. There is, however, the need for broad, long-term economic, governance and structural reforms that will guarantee sustained socio-economic growth for our country and help us avoid some of the mistakes that have led us to this perilous point. Our governance structure and institutions are in urgent need of reforms to make them more responsive and in tune with the aspirations and hope of the Ghanaian people.
As compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 13.0018 and a selling price of 13.0148. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 13.15 and sold at a rate of 13.85.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 15.0481 and a selling price of 15.0658 as compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 15.0847 and a selling price of 15.1024.
At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 15.00 and sold at a rate of 16.20.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 12.9848 and a selling price of 12.9978 as compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 13.0853 and a selling price of 13.0983.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 13.00 and sold at a rate of 13.70.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.7263 and a selling price of 0.7271 compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 0.7247 and a selling price of 0.7254.
The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 33.9522 and a selling price of 33.9783 as compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 33.9522 and a selling price of 33.9783.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 16.00 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 20.00.
The Attorney General has taken over the case of En Huang, aka Aisha Huang and three others, before an Accra Circuit Court.
Ms Mercy Arthur, Principal State Attorney, prayed the Circuit Court to give her two weeks as the Office had given the Police further directions to investigate certain aspects of the case after studying it.
According to her, the Police had reached an advanced stage in investigations.
The Principal State Attorney said the State did not take delight in curtailing the rights of accused persons and prayed the court to grant them a short adjournment.
Aisha, aka Ruixia Huang, aged 47, is standing trial with three others namely Huang Jei, John Li Hua and Huaid Hai Hun.
Additionally, Aisha is being held for engaging in mining without license.
They are being held for allegedly engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without valid license.
They have denied all the charges.
Oheneba Adusi Poku, who held the brief of Captain Retired Nkrabeah Effah Dartey for Aisha and two others, prayed the court to admit the accused persons to bail.
The defence counsel said per the statement of the representatives of the AG, it appeared the trial would be delayed and prayed the court to take a second look at the accused persons bail application.
The counsel argued that the accused persons were not in position to interfere with investigations.
Mr Frank Kumakoh, who represented Jei, also repeated his application for bail for his client, saying Jei was a student, and that she only visited a friend at Aisha’s premises when she was picked up.
Mr. Kumakoh held that the charges preferred against the accused persons were not the “actual state of affairs”, and that the court should not use bail as punishment against the accused persons.
“Prosecution is causing delay to punish the accused persons. My Lord, I know your hands are not tied to admit the accused persons to bail. Grant us bail so we can appear before you to defend ourselves.”
The court presided over by Mr Bright Samuel Acquah obliged prosecution and remanded the accused persons into lawful custody to reappear on November 11.
Prosecution’s case was that during the year 2017, Aisha was arrested for similar offences, but she managed to sneak out of the country in 2019, averting prosecution.
It said during the early part of the year 2022, Aisha sneaked back into the country after having changed her details on her Chinese Passport.
Again, prosecution said Aisha allegedly commenced small-scale mining activities without license and together with the rest of the accused persons engaged in the sale and purchase of Minerals in Accra without valid authority granted as required by the Minerals Act.
The prosecution held that Hua, Jei and Hun were also into the sale of equipment used in illegal mining activities allegedly.
It said based on intelligence, the accused persons were picked up.
Eugene Kwame Marfo, the Ghanaian singer and record producer popularly known as Kuami Eugene, has informed fans that his next song is called ‘Single’.
On Wednesday, 26 October 2022, he tweeted “New music on the way: #Single.”
He attached the cover art for the song but did not mention when it would be released.
The cover art captures a lonely Kuami sitting on the bare floor of an empty room while facing an open window. From the motion of the white curtains, it was a windy day.
‘Single’ will be released as a follow-up for Kuami’s hit ‘Take Away’.
Recently, the artiste announced his partnership with record company EMPIRE’s African subsidiary EMPIRE Africa.
He is also currently touring New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific.
Meanwhile, Founder of the 3Music Network, Baba Sadiq Abdulai, appears to have heard the song earlier in the year and praised it on Twitter predicting it will be the biggest song for the festive season.
“@KuamiEugene [Kuami Eugene] is about to have the biggest hit of the last quarter,” he said.
Baba Sadiq added: “A personal favourite song” and revealed it had been snubbed earlier by Kuami’s Lynx management: “[It] got subbed for his earlier releases in the year.”
According to Rosy Fynn, the Ghana Country Director for the Mastercard Foundation, the organization is working on solid strategies to help entrepreneurs get ready to take advantage of the numerous opportunities the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents.
She claims that the Foundation has initiated significant discussions with the AfCFTA secretariat as part of its preparations to identify chances for young businesspeople who are succeeding to get into the continent’s largest market.
She said the Foundation will involve these entrepreneurs in a number of capacity-building programmes to make sure they are well-positioned for the opportunity, and to give them an understanding of how they can join-in and do business with other companies.
“There are actually concerted efforts and discussions going on with the AfCFTA to find opportunities for young people to take advantage of trade opportunities, and this is something that is certain. The Mastercard Foundation is going to be definitely involved in training and building up capacity to be able to take advantage,” she said at the Youth Economic Forum (YEF) in Accra.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement will create the largest free trade area in the world, measured by participating countries involved. The pact connects 1.3 billion people across 55 countries with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) valued at US$3.4trillion.
It can help 30 million people escape the worst types of poverty; but in order to fully realise its potential, considerable policy changes and trade facilitation measures must be made.
This, the Mastercard Foundation believes, is arguably the best opportunity for the economy’s most significant transformation; as such, it will remain committed to getting behind the ambitions of young Ghanaians and creating pathways to dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for them.
With the Young Africa Works strategy in place, it seeks to enable access to dignified work opportunities for some three million young people by 2030 through enhanced efforts in the agricultural sector; and also exploring opportunities in emerging sectors, especially in the digital economy.
The Foundation is optimistic that by doing this, and working alongside their partners – government, the private sector and young people – it will unlock the youthful potential to contribute in building back the economy and creating work opportunities for themselves and others.
As part of the YEF, participants were taken through masterclass sessions on entrepreneurship, marketing and agribusiness among others, to receive knowledge on how to position themselves in the various sectors so as to fully take advantage of existing opportunities.
Black Stars midfielder Thomas Partey was in action for Arsenal in their 2-0 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening.
Partey climbed off the bench to replace Albert Sambi Lokonga in the 56th minute as the Gunners missed a chance to seal top spot in Group A.
After a goalless first-half, Joey Veerman opened the scoring for PSV from 16 yards and a header by substitute Luuk de Jong after a mistake by keeper Aaron Ramsdale on his European debut saw Mikel Arteta’s side lose in Europe for the first time this season.
PSV also had three goals ruled out for offside as Arsenal were well beaten.
Mikel Arteta’s side need to beat Zurich in their final group game next Thursday at Emirates Stadium to guarantee a place in the last 16.
If they fail to win and PSV beat Bodo/Glimt in Norway, Arsenal will face two extra games in the knockout round playoffs, where teams that finish third in the Champions League group stage, including Barcelona, drop into.
Partey has made 11 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions and scored one goal in the process.
Arsenal host Nottingham Forest on Sunday as they aim to get back to winning ways in the Premier League on Sunday.
Former President, John Mahama has blamed the Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Attafor the country’s economic woes.
According to him, the President’s seeming inability to remove Mr. Ofori-Atta from office is making the situation worse.
“To be clear, we’re in this mess because of an untouchable Finance Minister relying on his Databank workers and neglecting the advice of seasoned experts at the Finance Ministry. He has been left to run this economy into the ground’.
We’re in this mess because of the so called solid Economic Management Team, who over the last several years has been unable to call the President’s cousin (Ofori-Atta) to order when he embarked on a reckless borrowing spree”.
Speaking at a lecture on the economy on Thursday, he stressed that the incompetence of the sector minister and the entire Akufo-Addo regimeaccounts for the depreciation of the Cedi and the other economic challenges plaguing the country.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we in the NDC will not have dared been reckless or would we have been allowed to be irresponsible in the handling of the public purse and the nation’s resources as the NPP has done.
We would not have been reckless and even society would not have allowed us to do some of the things that they have done. We’ve had our set of challenges in government. But nothing we did, or the outcome thereof has come anyway near close to the disaster unfolding before our eyes today”, he said.
The theme for the lecture was ‘Building The Ghana We Want’.
Touching on the hardship facing Ghanaians, he assured that the next NDC governmentwill rescue Ghana from its current state through prudent economic reforms and policies.
He also urged the current regime to consider measures such as a cut in the number of government appointees as a means of salvaging the economy.
Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo will on Sunday, October 30, also address the nation on the economic challenges facing the country and its people.
The President made this known in a Facebook post on Thursday.
The address is scheduled for 8:00pm, and will be telecast on ‘GTV and on major television networks across the country’, the post said.
The address by the President comes in the wake of recent public agitations about the ailing state of the economy.
At the moment, Ghana’s economyis reeling under pressure; a situation which has led to an increase in the cost of living as well as what some have described as a ‘galloping inflation’.
The country’s local currency is also battling a fluctuation against the US dollar and other major trading currencies across the globe.
Coupled with graduate unemployment and the general hardship in the system, many Ghanaians have subsequently bemoaned the situation and called on government to speedily resolve the crisis.
For some, the President’s upcoming address, therefore, comes as a welcome relief amidst the prevailing challenges.
Meanwhile, government says it is working to put the economy on a better footing.
Speaking in an interview on “Move with SammyKay” Mzbel indicated that ZionFelix is making people portray the “Minalyn Touch” owner as a bad person and that hurts her because Mina is a very humble, quiet and sweet lady who always wants peace around her yet ZionFelix doesn’t defend her when she’s been dragged on social media.
Mzbel, however, stated that if only Mina had listened to her advice, she wouldn’t find herself in the situation she is now and that is because ZionFelix does not respect her as a woman.
According to her if Zion accords Mina some level of respect, he would have hidden his relationship with the other lady from Mina but he did not.
The vociferous Mzbel also added that due to her special attachment to Mina and how pained she feels for her troubled emotions because of Zion’s attitude towards her, she no longer talks to Mina anymore.
Mzbeldescribed ZionFelix as a selfish person who only thinks about himself.
The embattled Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to be fired by December 31, 2022, according to Andy Appiah Kubi, a legislator representing Asante Akim North in the House of Representatives.
He acknowledged that the group of more than 80 MPs attended a meeting where President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo pleaded with them to hold off on asking for the dismissal of Ofori-Atta until two pressing concerns had been resolved.
He told Accra-based 3FM in an interview that they understood that Ofori-Atta will be done with Phase One of his International Monetary Fund responsibilities by next week and his work on the budget and appropriation will end by December this year after which he will leave office.
“…personally, I understood the president to be saying that when the matters come to a close he would do our bidding. The whole IMF programme will end in April but the first phase, which is necessary for our budgetary preparations will end next week.
“The understanding is that the end of the first phase and the conclusion of appropriation, which is December, our understanding is that at that place, he will effectuate our request and indeed give and take, the maximum he can run up to is in December before Christmas.
“So, we condition our minds that all things being equal, we expect that to happen latest 31st December 2022,” he added.
But their meeting with the president ended in a deal that Ofori-Atta concludes first stage talks with the International Monetary Fund and sees to the presentation of the 2023 budget and its appropriation before he is removed.
With a burgeoning music career, urban gospel artiste Scott Evans is gradually establishing an enviable brand for himself.
The musician, who has earned a number of nominations in various awards schemes in recent times, is set to perform at this year’s Ghana Music Awards UK.
The ‘Ma Pe Ke’ hitmaker has also been nominated in the Best New Artiste and Gospel Song of the Year categories in this year’s Ghana Music Awards UK.
He will be performing alongside other gospel artistes like MOG Music, award-winning artiste Diana Hamilton and Joyce Blessing on the night.
Scott Evans who has been in the industry for close to about 2 years expressed excitement about his Ghana Music Awards UK gig.
“Performing at Ghana Music Awards UK and MOG’s New wine concert feels good, fulfilling, and amazing. It makes me understand that there is space, room for me and also proves the evidence of my hard work and how good, impactful my music is,” he said in an interview.
He added that he believes the United Kingdom has a good market for music and a great audience.
“Performing there is going to give me a big mileage and audience as well. Being in the music scene professionally 4 years and never seeing myself leaving to work in the UK, it’s good news for me and my team,” he added.
He also thanked his team and everyone who has always believed in the brand of Scott Evans and yearned for more.
He will also be performing at MOG Music’s New Wine Concert.
The ‘Best Side’ hit maker who has dominated the charts on various media platforms has also been nominated for ‘Best New Artiste’, Best Gospel Music Video and Urban Gospel song at this year’s Praise Achievement Awards.
The hype priestess in an interview on E-Splash show revealed that the child in question is not her biological child.
According to her, she is her niece adding that the mother of the child died during childbirth. She adopted her and has been raising her ever since.
Phyna also revealed that although the child is presently staying with her aunt, she intends to relocate her.
When the interviewer asked her: “How is your child by the way? Your baby girl?” she responded: “My baby girl? Yeah, she is fine, I have not seen her, she is with my aunt. It’s not like she is my child o. She is my elder cousin’s child, his wife died before giving birth.
“Since then I have been taking care of her, a lot of people think she is my child and yes she is. I am planning on bringing her with me when I am less busy.”
This particular song by Wendy is riddled with foul words, however, during an interview with Okay FM’s Abeiku Santana, she has disclosed of receiving countless testimonies and compliments after it went viral.
“Some of the comments and compliments that have come out of this song is that have saved their lives,” she established.
She added that while ladies are sending her innumerable messages about how her music saved them, some men have additionally done same.
“All over the world, a lot of people, a lot of women, not just women, some men texted me and told me how much have helped them. These are men who have also been abused by the women they were in relationships with. Just people who are going through stuff in life,” she added.
Touching further on the controversial song which has generated countless conversations on social media since its release, Wendy referenced that it was made from a place of pain.
“As an artiste the only way I can expel my frustration and anger is through music. I believe that for any woman who has gone through an abusive relationship, these are some of the words that will come out of your mouth.” Wendy indicated.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama, will address the nation on the current economic situation at 7pm tonight.
The address dubbed “Building the Ghana we want” is taking place at the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) Auditorium.
The address comes at a time when the country is experiencing a severe economic crisis, amidst the fall of the cedi, high inflation, astronomical surges in the prices of petroleum products, among other things.
Mr Mahama is expected to propose solutions geared towards averting the current economic hardships.
In a picture shared by blogger, Sammy Kay, Blacko was captured with two middle-aged women, a young boy and a young man.
From the angle the artiste took his picture, many netizens have indicated that the fair-coloured woman to Blacko’s right is his mother, while the two young men were his brothers.
Blacko’spost comes after social media went crazy when it emerged that one of Black Sherif’s tracks off his ‘The Villian I Never Was’ album, titled, ‘Oh Paradise,’ was solely dedicated to his late girlfriend, Clementina.
Referring to her as an unforgettable first love, the musician in that particular track narrated how her death had a lasting effect on him.
Meanwhile, after the video went viral, the father of the late Clementina Konadu, Black Sherif’s ex-SHS lover, disclosed that he needed a solid explanation as to why Black Sherif used his daughter’s name for a song and made money off it.
He also added that he wanted an explanation regarding Black Sherif’s true relationship with his late daughter and accused him of possibly killing his Clementina.
Former NBA point player Eric Bledsoe was arrested for domestic violence earlier this week, TMZ Sports reports.
Bledsoe was arrested on Wednesday after officers responded to a call claiming that he had struck his girlfriend. When authorities arrived at his Lost Hills, California residence, Bledsoe was booked for misdemeanor domestic violence. The 32-year-old former NBA player was taken to the Lost Hills Sheriff’s station, but has since been released.
His girlfriend, who has not been named, reportedly shared a since-deleted post on Instagram that showed a red mark across her face. “NO RELATIONSHIP LIKE THIS IS EVER WORTH STAYING IN,” the post read, per TMZ. “Domestic violence is real! This wasn’t the first time but I sat here and stayed so it’s my fault!! … ERIC BLEDSOE really is a monster.”
Bledsoe most recently played for the Los Angeles Clippers, where he also began his NBA career in 2010.
“Black PantherWakanda Forever” made its long-awaited world premiere Wednesday night in Hollywood, with director Ryan Coogler and the film’s star-studded cast paying tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman.
The Marvel sequel takes place following the death of Boseman’s King T’Challa, with the people of Wakanda — especially Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and M’Baku (Winston Duke) — grieving their loss and searching for a way for their kingdom to endure.
As T’Challa’s death plays a major role in the story of “Wakanda Forever,” Boseman’sabsence during the evening’s premiere cast a shadow over the celebration.
Amid great speculation that Shuri will assume T’Challa’s mantle of the Black Panther in “Wakanda Forever,” Wright shared her feelings about creating a sequel without Boseman on the carpet.
Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri in the Marvel adaptation of the “Black Panther” comics, attends the premiere in an elegant pantsuit. REUTERS
“I’m bracing,” Wright told Variety. “I’ve seen some members of Chad’s team. When we lock eyes, we know how this feels. We have to take a step away. I see my aunt locking my eyes with me, she’s very proud. I have to take a step away…It’s emotional. We’re trying to hold it together.”
Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige shared his own thoughts on Boseman, expressing gratitude that they were able to work together, even if it was for all too brief a time.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” star Lupita Nyong’o crosses her arms over her chest in the Wakandan salute. The gesture comes from the ASL motion for ‘hug’ or ‘love’ and has been widely popularized. REUTERS
“I got to have him in my life for the short time that I did,” Feige shared. “More importantly, he did it at such a young age, such a body of work, that it will last forever. Generation after generation after generation will get to feel his presence.”
Feige was also greeted by Coogler during his interview, offering some glowing praise for the filmmaker on his big night.
Daniel Kaluuya looks dashing in a dark suit as he walks the red carpet. Kaluuya is not reprising his role as W’Kabi in the “Black Panther” sequel.
WireImage
“He’s one of the best people I’ve ever met, one of the best filmmakers,” Feige said. “Maybe the best person I’ve ever met.”
“This is hyperbole! This is hyperbole right here,” Coogler laughed, before offering some kind words in return to Feige. “Incredible producer!”
Michael B. Jordan, who starred as the antagonist in 2018’s “Black Panther” attends the premiere of the sequel in Los Angeles. WireImage
Along with returning cast members, new entrants to the world of Wakanda include Michaela Coel as Aneka, a captain and combat instructor in the Dora Milaje, and Dominique Thorne, who makes her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Riri Williams a.k.a. Ironheart, as well as representatives for the kingdom of Talokan, led by Tenoch Huerta Mejía’s Namor, one of Marvel’s oldest characters.
Also appearing with Rihanna on the red carpet was her partner, A$AP Rocky. AFP via Getty Images
In the comics, Namor has been both a friend and a foe; it seems Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole have found a way to demonstrate both sides with this antagonist.
Like Marvel Cinematic Universe entries, much of the plot for “Wakanda Forever” has been shrouded in secrecy.
Angela Basset wears an elegant, metallic gown on the red carpet for the Los Angeles premiere of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. John Salangsang/Shutterstock
One major news item was revealed early Wednesday though, when Disney confirmed that Rihanna would sing an original song written for the film, titled “Lift Me Up.” The song marks Rihanna’s first new music in six years.
Actress Danai Gurira walks the red carpet for the Los Angeles Premiere of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, in which she reprises her role as Okoye, a member of the Dora Milaje.
John Salangsang/Shutterstock
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” hits theatres on Nov. 11.
Sources who have worked with the artist formerly known as Kanye West have claimed he’s long-held a fascination with Hitler.
CNN reports that several people who have been close to Ye said he once wanted to name an album after the Nazi leader. “He would praise Hitler by saying how incredible it was that he was able to accumulate so much power and would talk about all the great things he and the Nazi Party achieved for the German people,” said one business executive, who chose to remain anonymous. Those in his close circle were apparently “fully aware” of his alleged interest in Hitler, and four sources said his 2018 album Ye was at one point almost named Hitler.
The executive claimed Ye created a hostile work environment, and his “obsession” with Hitler is at least partly to blame. They left the position and came to a settlement with Ye over alleged harassment in the workplace. When they cut ties with the multi-hyphenate, they signed a confidentiality agreement in which Ye denied the allegations made against him. Ye apparently also openly spoke about his “admiration” for the Nazis and Hitler’s propaganda, and said he read Hitler’s manifesto Mein Kampf.
The report comes not long after former TMZ employee Van Lathan Jr. said Kanye professed his “love” for Hitler during his infamous 2018 “slavery was a choice” interview. One of the sources who spoke with CNN said they were present during that TMZ visit, and corroborated Lathan’s comments.
Kanye has made many anti-Semitic comments as of late, and in his latest rambling interview he spoke with MIT research scientist Lex Fridman. He shared many false statements about the Holocaust, abortion, and the Jewish community. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, he repeated a conspiracy theory about Jewish philanthropist and activist George Soros, who he claimed “would use the Black trauma economy to win an election.” Even stranger, he suggested “a Jewish doctor” diagnosed him with “bipolar disorder and shot me with medication.”
His embrace of dangerous conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric first started when he publicly expressed his appreciation for Donald Trump in 2016, but he’s been far more outspoken in recent months.
It all recently kicked off after he sported a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt alongside notorious far-right political pundit Candace Owens, who was once forced to explain her own praise of Hitler at a congressional hearing about white nationalism in 2019.
The artist formerly known as Kanye West’s Donda Academy is immediately closing for the remainder of the school year, according to a new report.
The Times shared a piece on Thursday in which an email to parents was cited, with Donda Academy principal Jason Angell most notably informing them that the school “will close for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year effective immediately.”
The move comes amid ongoing criticism and fallout spurred by a number of remarks made by Ye, both in interview settings and on social media, that have been widely called out as anti-Semitic. Unlike past controversies involving the artist, some longtime fans have also been more openly critical of Ye’s actions (and their immediate impact) this time around, including the “Ye da [G.OA.T.] no [cap]” guy.
Per the latest report, Angell’s email notes that the decision to close Donda Academy for the rest of the school year was made “at the discretion of our founder.” However, the current plan is for the school to “begin afresh” late next year.
“Our leadership team will be working diligently to assist all families during this transition, ensuring that every scholar has what they need to succeed in their next community in a prompt and gracious manner,” Angell’s email is reported to have said.
According to the school’s official site, the daily schedule for students included “full school worship,” core classes (i.e. math, science, and language arts), lunch, and recess. “Enrichment courses” are also listed as having been part of the curriculum, with offerings including classes on visual art and parkour.
News of Donda Academy’s (seemingly temporary) closure follows a prior report from TMZ revealing that the school’s basketball team had been removed from the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classics schedule in response to Ye’s recent actions.
Complex has reached out to Donda Academy for comment. This story may be updated.
Russia‘s President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused the Western nations of escalating the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and accused them of eroding the principles of collective security, with the substitution of international law for the so-called rules-based order.
Speaking at the 19th meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club in a forum themed The World After Hegemony: Justice and Security for All, Putin launched a scathing attack on the “so-called West” for attempting to instate one “hegemonic” rule.
‘They’re fuelling the war in Ukraine..’: Putin
The Russian President slammed the western nations for trying to escalate the war in Ukraine. “They’re fueling the war in Ukraine,” said the head of the Russian Federation, adding that they have been fueling tensions around Taiwan, destabilizing the world food and roiling the energy markets. “As far as the last one is concerned, it is not deliberate, [I] don’t doubt that,” Putin said at the meeting. Russia’s leader noted that energy and food security was impacted globally due to a number of systematic errors committed by the Western authorities, referring to crippling sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation in response to its invasion.
Putin accused the West of playing a “dangerous” game as he asserted that the dominion of the world “is precisely what the West has decided to stake in this game. But this game is a dangerous, dirty, and bloody one.” He further iterated that such acts contest the “sovereignty of peoples and nations, their identity and uniqueness and have no regard whatsoever for the interests of other countries.” He furthermore stated that humanity, which stands at a crossroads, has two options – “either continue to ‘accumulate all of the problems that are certain to crush all of us’ or nations can work together ‘to find solutions.’”
Russia earlier accused the “nuclear US-UK-France troika” – the nuclear alliance of NATO, of waging a proxy-war strategy against Moscow by bringing weapons into Kyiv, and expanding the alliance to its eastern flank, posing a grave threat to Russia’s national security. In a statement made at the Military Security and Arms Control summit in Vienna, Moscow lambasted US’ Democratic majority leader Steny Hoyer for “openly declaring that the US is in a state of war with Russia”. Hoyer (D-Md.) was arguing on the House floor about the ongoing inflation of energy costs due to Russia’s war.
The Kremlin also previously refuted the United States’ narrative of it waging a “nuclear war” saying that such a conflict “must never be fought” and that any military conflict between nuclear powers “must be avoided as declared by P5 countries”.
Moscow accused the West of flaring the Ukraine conflict by supplying weapons to Ukraine to kill Russian commanders and its military forces.
The Duke of Sussex’s memoir will be published on 10 January, his publisher Penguin Random House has said.
The book by Prince Harry – which will include his own account of his decision to give up royal duties and move to the US – will be titled Spare.
Random House said: “As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling – and how their lives would play out…
“For Harry, this is his story at last.”
Some of the proceeds from the book will be used to support British charities, including Sentebale and WellChild. The publisher confirmed this was in the form of two donations of $1.5m and £300,000 respectively to the two named charities.
Spare, the title of Prince Harry’s memoir, is presumably a nod to the phrase that monarchies need an “heir and a spare”.
Prince William is the heir and Prince Harry will tell his version of his life in that ambiguous territory of the “spare”, the younger royal sibling unlikely to ever be on the throne and therefore looking for their own sense of purpose.
This book, a guaranteed best-seller before a page has been printed, promises “raw, unflinching honesty”, and the cover shows a steely-looking Prince Harry.
But it will also have to be a delicate balancing act. Much has changed since this book was first announced. Queen Elizabeth II has died, his father is King, Camilla is Queen Consort. The book itself is now later than expected.
There will be more of an appetite for tell-all tales, rather than therapy speak about self-discovery. But how many bridges will be burned by saying too much? How many of the incendiary grievances raised by Prince Harry and Meghan in the Oprah TV interview will get another rerun?
Who will he spare in the process?
When the deal for Prince Harry to write his story was announced in 2021, the prince promised he would reflect “the highs and lows” and be “accurate and wholly truthful”.
That theme is picked up in the publicity statement for the book, which says: “With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.”
The book will be published on the same date worldwide and it will be available in 16 languages.
Music standom is a fierce beast and Kanye’s group of stans are among the most ferocious. Over the years, they’ve stood behind him and responded to Ye’s antics by labeling him a troubled and misunderstood genius. Even thinkpieces published in major publications have focused on his mental issues. Complex has largely focused its coverage on the positive, too. Meanwhile, many of his biggest longtime supporters, collaborators, and corporations have opted for silence—until very recently.
Now, day one fans are no longer willing to drink Kanye’s Kool-Aid and people are vocalizing their frustrations, especially on fan forums and social media. On KTT2, a public fan forum that discusses all things Ye, one fan pointed out, “This is the first time in the 15 years [I’ve] been listening to him that I’ve seen his fanbase turn on him.” On KTT2, under the thread “Do You Love Ye?” stans shared their disapproval of Kanye’s current era. “Sorry, I will hate him. I will not just ignore anti-Semite and racist comments,” one person wrote. Another wrote, “Ignoring him is not holding him accountable.” On another KTT2 forum for Ye, a fan wrote, “It looks like the bridge is officially burned and there’s no returning.”
“Ignoring him is not holding him accountable.”
Chris Lambert, who has been running the “Watching the Throne” podcast along with his co-host Travis Bean since 2015, agrees. “I do think it’s the most tumultuous that it’s ever been, and the most that people are starting to lean away,” Lambert tells Complex.
The platform was initially conceived as a place to discuss Ye’s discography, but the content has evolved to touch on a variety of topics about the artist including his fashion and lifestyle. Over the past seven years, the platform has reached tens of thousands of Kanye fans, becoming one of the top trending music podcasts on iTunes. Its YouTube channel provides in-depth analysis of Ye’s work to more than 45,000 subscribers, while its Twitter account reaches more than 100,000 with updates about Ye’s life, interview soundbites, flashbacks, and more. Lambert has observed many different Kanye eras, but tells Complex the tipping point that affected fans’ opinions of Ye and their engagement came in 2018.
“Ye himself stepped away from just fashion and music and started getting into politics, philosophy, social commentary,” Lambert tells Complex. “He had always been philosophizing on those things, but I think from the perspective of the artist commentating, not from the perspective of a politician commentating or somebody that’s trying to have more of an effect on things and take a leadership role.”
2018 is better known as Kanye’s MAGA era. During that time, he visited the White House and publicly supported the Trump administration amidst a tumultuous political climate, but also used his platform to speak against the idea of group-thinking and embracing individualism. That same year, Kanye agitated fans after he appeared in a TMZ interview stating, “Slavery was a choice.”
Image via Getty/Kevin Winter
While Lambert acknowledges that fans started to question Ye’s actions, he says it was easier to understand his philosophy. “A lot of the stuff revolving around Trump and even his TMZ comments was about the ways in which people think and that if you’re part of a group, you can’t think differently than the group or else you’re ostracized from the group,” Lambert explains. “Rallying around that as a concept and applying it specifically to his life and his political views—that, to me, was something that even if I didn’t agree with the political views, there was a layer of understanding. It felt pertinent and relevant.”
The difference between 2018 and present day, however, is that Kanye has transitioned from sharing ideas and opinions to spreading hate speech. And instead of apologizing for his harmful comments after initially receiving backlash, he has doubled down on them many times over in various interviews.
“That’s really the line for me,” Lambert states. “I can step back and see the philosophy behind this, even if a lot of people are focusing on the messaging of the hat and what the hat means. But everything with the hate speech has been a lot more intense.”
“It doesn’t seem like it’s something that is dissipating.”
A couple of years after the White House visit, Kanye embarked on his own presidential campaign, where he incited women’s groups by spreading anti-abortion rhetoric during his rallies. After a period of silence, Ye re-emerged at the top of 2022, making death threats and other disparaging comments toward Pete Davidson, Kim Kardashian’s boyfriend at the time.
Most recently, Kanye has been on an even longer tirade. It started at Paris Fashion Week on October 4, where Kanye wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt during his YZY Season 9 show. He received further scrutiny after mocking Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who criticized his fashion choice in an editorial piece. Ye later sat down with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson to discuss his Yeezy line, and made a series of offensive claims about the Jewish community. He later amplified his anti-Semitic theories on Revolt’s Drink Champs, although the episode was eventually taken down.
Since that final incident—which served as the straw that broke the camel’s back—the fashion industry has largely severed ties with Ye. Balenciaga, the high end fashion brand has had a longstanding relationship with the rapper since 2015, cut ties with the creative artist on Oct. 21. It was also reported on Oct. 24 that Def Jam has parted ways with Kanye’s imprint G.O.O.D. Music. And on Oct. 25, after weeks of backlash, Adidas, which partnered with Ye on his billion-dollar Yeezy shoe brand, terminated his contract with the rapper.
Lambert, who is Jewish, explains that Kanye’s anti-Semitic remarks on Drink Champs and social media have already caused a ripple effect. “The first hour of Kanye making the Defcon tweets, I had somebody call me the Jewish ‘K’ slur. I don’t think I’ve been called that seriously in my entire life,” he says.
Getty Images /Ferdaus Shamim
A super fan who goes by ProdByZaqq on social media—best known for writing “Ye da [G.OA.T.] no [cap]” under every Kanye post—most recently distanced himself from the rapper, too. “This is just insane. Bro wtf. I can’t stand this shit at all, this world got too much hate already,” he wrote on Twitter under a related article. The person behind Kanye Doing Things, an Instagram account that shares photos and memes of Ye, also shared a negative post on Oct. 24, calling him “an anti-Semitic piece of shit.”
For Lambert, deciding what and how to post about Ye now is a bit of a balancing act. “It’s been a bit of cognitive dissonance the last couple weeks because there’s something that’s dovetailing now,” Lambert admits. “Personally, it’s become a lot more difficult to casually repost something that’s like Ye at a basketball game because what’s going to follow this? Even if he apologized on Piers Morgan, what’s he going to say in the next interview? It doesn’t seem like it’s something that is dissipating. So, it’s just like, how do I pick and choose what parts I’m promoting or not promoting when all of it kind of feels part of the whole?”
“This world got too much hate already.”
Based on social media and chatter in public forums, there are still some fans holding out hope and support for Ye. In a fan forum titled “Is this the end for Kanye,” one hopeful fan predicted that the rapper would bounce back from his current position. “People will forget about these [in a] few days and move on,” another person wrote. “He’ll have a period of being quiet where people say they miss him and he’ll come back.” And on Twitter, some people are still referring to Ye as a “genius.” “Kanye is a genius and y’all are gonna be SICK when they take him out for speaking the truth that everyone is blind to,” one fan wrote on the 18th.
Kanye has also gained new supporters since he started spewing his hate speech. Of the nearly 20,000 accounts “Watching the Throne’s” Twitter follows, Lambert notes many of them are actually embracing and amplifying many of Ye’s anti-Semitic sentiments.
Lambert breaks Kanye fans down into three levels: level zero doesn’t generally like the person or his music; level one only likes the music; level two likes the music and is interested in the person; level three, “you’re all in.” Fans from level zero to level one have probably disconnected a while ago, but he says “those level two and three fans, the 75 to 90 percent range, will find a way through this.”
As time has shown, there is always a chance for folks to bounce back after cancellation, especially in this digital era. Even if Kanye takes a hiatus or publicly apologizes, will his legacy forever be changed? According to data site Luminate, Kanye’s album sales are down by 23 percent and his radio airplay has decreased by 17.5 percent.
Getty Images /Gotham/GC
Until now, many people speculated that to be canceled was nothing more than a myth. In fact, plenty of celebrities have come back after being canceled. Kevin Hart’s net worth rose to $450 million after he was “canceled” for his resurfaced homophobic tweets that lost him the hosting gig at the 2019 Oscars, and Travis Scott is gearing up for his next album following the 2021 Astroworld tragedy.
In fact, Lambert declares Ye’s legacy is “always dependent on the next era.”
He adds, “I do think, overall, his intentions are not as problematic as his messaging often is… It’s just a question of what energy he brings to things. And if he’s able to do so with the care that he seems to bring to his music and his lyricism, then I think people are going to stick around. But if it continues to be off-the-cuff anger, people are going to get exhausted.”
Whatever the next chapter holds, this current downward spiral serves as a cautionary tale for other celebrities, that the tables eventually turn—even for the biggest of idols.
Kanye “Ye” West is back on Instagram with a new message after the fallout surrounding his latest controversies, including his anti-Semitic comments and controversial “White Lives Matter” shirts.
The 45-year-old rapper and designer lost numerous partnerships, collaborations, and deals in the wake of his comments, including ones with Adidas, GAP, Balenciaga, Vogue, his management team at CAA, and reportedly Def Jam Records.
In his latest post titled “LOVE SPEECH,” Ye acknowledged these losses, which have caused him to be knocked off the Forbes billionaires list.
“I lost 2 billion dollars in one day and I’m still alive,” Ye wrote. “This is love speech. I still love you. God still loves you. The money is not who I am. The people is who I am.”
It’s been a tumultuous few weeks for Ye who debuted his controversial White Lives Matter shirts at Paris Fashion Week, and followed that up with a series of controversies, including multiple anti-Semitic remarks, which caused his Instagram and Twitter accounts to be temporarily locked.
Numerous brands and celebrities, including his ex Kim Kardashian, have spoken out in the weeks since, condemning anti-Semitism and racism.
We can thank the “Black Panther” sequel for Rihannafinally returning to the world of music.
The “Fenty” founder tweeted Wednesday about her forthcoming single, “Lift Me Up,” which is set to release on Friday.
The original song will be featured on the soundtrack to the new Marvel movie, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The song will mark Rihanna’s first new music as a solo artist in six years.
According to a press release, the tune was written by Rihanna, fellow artist Tems, Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson and “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler as a tribute to the late “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman.
Boseman died in 2020 at age 43 following a private battle with colon cancer.
“After speaking with Ryan and hearing his direction for the film and the song, I wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from all the people that I’ve lost in my life. I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them,” Tems said in a statement.
“Rihannahas been an inspiration to me so hearing her convey this song is a great honour.”
The song was recorded in five countries and Rihanna sharedonly a snippet of it on social media.
There had been speculation that she would release something new in anticipation of her performance as the headliner for the upcoming Superbowl Halftime Show in February.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By” will be released on November 4. The film hits theatres on November 11.
In an interview with Abeiku Santana on Okay FM, the artiste disclosed that she cries and speaks in ‘tongues’ when she sits to meditate one-on-one with God.
“When the Holy Spirit descends on me, I speak in tongues, I cry, my heart is broken, yeah. That’s my secret… You don’t have to know my secret,” she disclosed.
According to Wendy, she doesn’t cry because she is in pain or sad, but instead because she is filled with joy.
“The last time I was spirit-filled…I think it was actually yesterday. It’s a regular thing I do. I like to connect to my source.
“It’s not like I cry because I am sad, it’s tears of joy. A joy in my heart that makes me happy,” she said.
During the interview, the ‘Survivor’ artiste opened up on her most recent song, ‘Warning,’ which saw her using vulgar words to describe how her friend snatched her boyfriend.
According to Wendy, she only expelled her frustration and anger by composing a song about her relationship, and people reached out to her to let her know her song helped them.
Diana Hamilton after marrying her husband, Dr Joseph Hamilton, longed to have children, but it took almost six years for God to answer her deepest prayer.
According to the celebrated Ghanaian gospel singer, she cried and broke down a couple of times during her days of waiting, but through it all, she trusted in God for a miracle.
Now a mother of twins, Michael and Michaela, she has admonished those who suffer childlessness to keep up the good faith.
“When God blesses you with a child, you just have to praise to Him… There is a young lady who has been in a long time of waiting. I heard her speaking with another guy and she is like, when I am going through it, just pray for me in your closet and when God does it, praise him with me,” she said.
Diana Hamilton told Joy Prime’s Roselyn Felli that bad comments couldn’t break her down due to her faith in God. She narrated how she used to cry every month until her breakthrough came.
“When I was waiting on God, the comments came. I am an easy-go person…yes, we will come home and cry. “I cried at the end of every month when I was hopeful and it didn’t happen. Like a Christian, you don’t cry like an unbeliever, you cry as somebody who has hope but if you don’t cry then you are being a hypocrite, I trusted God and when he did it, I cried. I was short of words,” the award-winning singer disclosed.
In the past few days, a couple of blogs have shared photos and videos of Gloria Sarfo’s natural face with a touch of wild analysis.
Unclear what triggered that particular agenda, these blogs made a mockery of the actress’s face with bold headlines.
Perhaps, Gloria’s face did not measure up to their beauty standards, which was evident in the long articles that condemned her ‘no make-up’ looks.
But the actress, who has remained silent on the issue for a while now, has decided to speak up.
The 2020 AMVCA winner, who seems fed up, has taken to her Instagram page to address her detractors.
Gloria stormed her Instagram page with a slideshow of 20 ‘no makeup’ pictures of herself, accompanied by a caption directed at her critics;
“WCW. Now here’s a REAL NO MAKEUP show reel of myself!!! I’m not shy to show how I came into this world. I’ve never been, and I won’t be, So feed your eyes, people, yes you especially. You want more? Well, I have more.”
Chancing on the post, scores of fans, including celebrities, have asked her to pay no heed to such criticism.
The likes of Vim Lady, Kisa Gbekle, Oheme Woyeje and others have shown love to the actress.
This isn’t the first time a female celebrity has been dragged in a similar light.
Flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season has just begun in the northern hemisphere, and the consensus among experts is that the 2022-2023 season is shaping up to be more severe than in the past few (relatively mild) years. It might even be worse than seasons before COVID-19.
Health data company IQVIA has been analyzing data from insurance claims filed by doctors’ offices, hospitals, and urgent care centers in the country for three decades, and focused on case trends over the previous year. The team found that diagnoses of flu are already tracking at record highs. Even before flu season began, back in spring 2022, cases of influenza began trending well above average for the past three years, reaching nearly 950,000 cases weekly by mid-October (compared to around 400,000 at the same time in 2019, just before the pandemic began).
These higher rates aren’t completely unexpected. Influenza cases dropped significantly during the pandemic’s first two years, when people had less contact with one another and generally followed mitigation measures for controlling COVID-19, such as wearing masks and social distancing. Those behaviors helped to suppress the spread of flu. But, says Murray Aitken, executive director of the IQVIA Institute, the current flu numbers are “trending above every year since 2012 by a significant amount.”
Experts are also concerned about another troubling flu trend. Flu season in the southern hemisphere, which often gives the U.S. a preview of what to expect, struck early and hard this year. Australia, for example, confronted its worst flu season in five years, with nearly 30,000 lab-confirmed cases of influenza at its weekly peak in June; flu season there tends to peak later, between July and September.
Other respiratory viruses—SARS-CoV-2 and RSV—are also on the rise. COVID-19 is still responsible for about 260,000 infections each week in the U.S. on average, and labs that are part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System have reported a 500% increase in percent of positive tests for RSV from early September. RSV affects children and the elderly most severely. “This virus is hitting extremely hard this year,” says Dr. Juanita Mora, spokesperson for the American Lung Association and an allergist and immunologist at the Chicago Allergy Center. One reason why cases are climbing so quickly (especially among younger children), and so early in the season, could be because COVID-19 restrictions that closed schools and kept kids at home protected many of them from getting any infections over the past two years. “Generally 100% of kids will have had RSV by age two, but that’s not the case now,” Mora says. “Over the past three years, we have had no RSV season, so we have a cohort of kids who are lacking the immunity they might normally have.”
While a vaccine to protect kids from RSV exists, it’s only approved for kids at highest risk of developing severe disease, such as premature babies and those born with lung or heart disease. The vaccine requires monthly injections throughout the infection season, and most kids aren’t eligible to get vaccinated. For them, says Mora, the best protections are the same behaviors that shield kids from flu and COVID-19: keeping kids up to date with the flu and COVID-19 shots, washing hands often, and avoiding close contact with kids who are coughing or sneezing.
With flu and RSV cases rising so fast, hospitals in some parts of the country are already feeling strained. But the situation could get worse as new COVID-19 variants, some of which are evading vaccination protections, continue to proliferate this winter.
What’s contributing to the rapid and historic rise in respiratory diseases? It’s likely a combination of factors, including the mild seasons during the earlier part of the pandemic as well as sluggish vaccination rates against flu. Although it’s still relatively early in flu season, flu vaccine uptake is running nearly 9% behind where it normally is by now during pre-pandemic years.
Experts say that while these signs are concerning, the U.S. isn’t necessarily doomed to suffer a viral season as severe as countries like Australia. If more people get their flu and COVID-19 shots, that could dampen the effects of the viruses circulating more heavily than usual.
For more than a decade, the American Heart Association (AHA) urged people to follow “Life’s Simple 7”— a checklist for cardiovascular health that includes maintaining a nutritious diet, avoiding smoking, and getting adequate physical activity. Good adherence to each domain yields a high score, which health experts have long used to determine a person’s risk for heart problems. But in June, the group announced that the program was expanding to “Life’s Essential 8” to make room for another, less-recognized pillar of cardiovascular health: good sleep.
New research suggests that sleep deserves its elevated status. In a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on Oct. 19, researchers tracked cardiovascular events—like cardiac arrest and strokes—among 2,000 middle-aged and older people for an average of about four years. The goal was to compare how well AHA’s Simple 7 predicted cardiovascular events, versus when sleep was included. Without sleep, researchers found, a low Simple 7 score was not significantly associated with cardiovascular disease (although past research had linked it to cardiovascular risk). When sleep was weighed in, however, they found it predicted future cardiovascular disease more accurately. What’s more, people who scored the highest on the Essential 8 scale had nearly half the risk of cardiovascular disease events than people who scored the lowest. How long and how well someone slept were both similarly influential for cardiovascular health.
Sleep’s important role came as no surprise, says Nour Makarem, lead author of the study and assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Past research has linked poor sleep to less-healthy habits, including less nutritious diets, lower physical activity, and greater psychological risk factors for heart disease, including stress. Sleep is also tied to other threats to cardiovascular health, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Other research has suggested that sleep affects the mechanisms underlying these conditions, says Makarem, including the hormones that control hunger, the body’s response to insulin, and the systems that govern metabolism.
“Over the past few years, there’s been so much accumulating evidence showing that different aspects of sleep are related to future risk of heart disease, but also studies elucidating what the underlying physiologic mechanisms are,” says Makarem. “It’s become more and more clear in the scientific literature that poor sleep is an important risk factor for heart disease.”
Despite the growing recognition that sleep is important, most adults aren’t getting enough of it. In 2020, about 33% of U.S. adults were getting less than seven hours sleep, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for adults 18 to 60. People ages 25 to 44 were especially likely to not be getting enough sleep, as were Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders and Black adults. Researchers have pointed out that inequality can make it harder for some people to get enough sleep. For instance, Black Americans have been found to have less restful sleep, which has been linked in part to stress.
Another problem, says Makarem, is that getting a good night’s sleep isn’t always seen as a priority. “Sleep seems to be the first thing that people squeeze out of their schedules when they’re busy, either socializing or working,” says Makarem. “The first step is to make time for sleep.” Makarem also suggests building up good sleep habits, including keeping to a regular sleep schedule; taking the time to relax before bed without a screen from a TV or phone, and keeping your bedroom quiet and dark.
Makarem notes that more research is necessary beyond her study, including research that follows people over a longer period and clinical trials that can test whether screening for sleep problems and changing sleep habits can improve cardiovascular outcomes. However, she stresses that the weight of evidence suggests that sleep is important for heart health. “We spend a third of our life sleeping,” says Makarem. “It’s so important to preserving so many aspects of our health and functioning.”
According to Michael Bozumbil, the Chief Executive Officer of PETROSOL Ghana Ltd., there are and will continue to be countless job opportunities in Africa’s energy sector, even after the continent makes the transition from using fossil fuels to more environmentally friendly energy sources like renewable energy.
He has consequently instructed the youth to get ready to swindle them.
The energy business is changing in appearance but not in essence, according to Mr. Bozumbil.
In this regard, he asserted that the world will always require energy, while the source of that energy may occasionally change.
He, therefore, went further to encourage those desiring to build career in the energy sector not to be frightened by the news about energy transition and end up staying away from pursuing careers in the energy sector; instead, they should develop even greater interest in the sector because of its enormous growth potential.
Mr. Bozumbil was addressing the youth, mostly students of tertiary
institutions, at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Accra during this year’s Energy Career Seminar, organized by the Energy Quest Foundation, to create awareness and interest in the energy sector among the youth. The theme for this year’s event, which was the second edition, was “Energy Career Planning and Opportunity”.
According to Mr. Bozumbil, with over 40% Africa’s population not having access to electricity, it presents itself as a great energy market with enormous investment and job creation opportunities for the youth of Africa.
This is particularly so because Africa is a continent with abundant energy sources, including renewal energy. He thus entreated the youth to view discussions about energy transition as great news and deploy their creative abilities in addressing the energy needs of Africa to make it a better continent to live in.
He again indicated that even with the advent of electric vehicles, fossil fuels or petroleum products will continue to form a major part of the energy mix of Africa over the next 3 decades. He therefore asked the youth who will be working in the petroleum sector to have an energy industry-wide mindset and build transferable skills that will enable them transit well into the emerging
energy segments.
Mr. Bozumbil went further to educate the youth to appreciate that the energy industry is not restricted to engineers or technicians but demands varied expertise including finance, health and safety, human resource, logistics, economics, among others and thus urged the youth to look out for such opportunities.
He encouraged them to be ready to start at the base by taking up low-level jobs and learning the rudiments so as to build the required capacity for enduring careers.
Mr. Bozumbil said PETROSOL, which is a leading ISO-certified privately-owned Ghanaian oil marketing company, has over the years provided opportunity for young graduates of tertiary institutions to be trained, absorbed as staff and provided on-the-job coaching and that most of them are performing excellently leading to the growth of the business.
He, therefore, said PETROSOL’s doors are always open to provide such opportunities for the youth provided they possessed PETROSOL’s core values and the required work ethics as well as are ready to humble themselves and go through field work.
Internship opportunity was given to 3 participants who arrived on time at the event.
The Ghana cedi (GH) experienced increased selling pressure in the third quarter of 2021, which led to a 1.77 percent quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) depreciation against the US dollar – as opposed to a 0.59 percent depreciation in the second quarter of 2021 and an appreciation of 0.55 percent in the first quarter of 2021.
As the economy rebounded due to increasing oil prices, the demand for forex during the time period came from the manufacturing, energy, and commercial sectors, according to a research.
Although the Ghanaian local currency – the cedi – is confronted with heightened risk, Databank has maintained its year-end forecast for the interbank Bank of Ghana (BoG) reference rate at GH¢6.05/USD (± 10Pesewas).
Currently, the imminent depreciation risks emanate from threats of a taper-induced selloff which heightened since the third quarter of 2021, as well as rising import demand. Last week the cedi depreciated against the dollar, trading at GH¢6.08 compared to GH¢6.07 the previous week, amid increased FX demand from investors repatriating bond maturity proceeds.
Per the outlook, Databank said: “We maintain our year-end forecast for the interbank BoG reference rate at GH¢6.05/USD (± 10 Pesewas). A potential taper-induced outflow of foreign portfolio investments amid the rising import demand is a depreciation risk in the fourth quarter of 2021.”
“The Ghana cedi (GH¢) endured increased selling pressure in 3Q21, which resulted in a 1.77 percent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) depreciation against the US dollar – as against depreciation of 0.59 percent in the second quarter of 2021 and an appreciation of 0.55 percent in the first quarter of 2021. During the period, demand for forex came from the commerce, manufacturing, and energy sectors as the economy recovered with higher oil prices.”
Following the tapering policy announcement by the US Fed, there has been an upturn in the Dollar Index (DXY) – pushing above 94 points as of the end of September 2021 against 92 points prior to the announcement. The rising DXY indicates a global strengthening of the US dollar against major currencies, with more upside potential.
“We also observe a steep increase in US benchmark yields, narrowing the carry trade opportunities for investors in emerging and frontier markets. We view these developments in the global financial markets as a depreciation risk to the GH¢ as foreign capital inflows reduce in favour of the less risky US Treasury securities and the benchmark US dollar,” Databank stated.
Ghana’s external account balance remained resilient during the first 8-months of 2021, with gross forex reserves at US$11.4billion (5.2 months of imports) as of August-2021. The trade surplus narrowed by 35.6 percent YoY to US$874million (1.2 percent of GDP) compared to 2.0 percent of GDP in August-2020 as contraction in the mining sector weighed on export revenues. Concurrently, the ongoing recovery in economic activity increased the total import bill by 8.6 percent YoY, reducing the trade surplus.
However, the investment company said the Eurobond issued in the first half of 2021 combined with 70 percent balance of payment (BoP) allocation of the US$1billion special drawing rights (SDRs) boosted gross reserves and strengthened the BoG’s support for the cedi; while the US$1.5billion inflows from the COCOBOD syndicated loan should add an extra layer of support for the cedi to anchor the US$GH¢ around the GH¢6.0 mark by the full year 2021.
The BoG’s fortnightly forward forex auction results show that the central bank has increased its intervention on the forex market.
However, he said that there have been many difficulties in the region’s rice production, with the lack of mechanical driers being the main issue.
Mr. Kukubor explained that the government’s unwillingness to assist smallholder farmers leads to the post-harvest losses by making mechanical driers unavailable.
Speaking at the Ghana Economic Forum in Accra on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, he asserted that many farms have been submerged due to the climate changes experienced in recent times.
He noted that farmers cannot import goods now because of the Cedi depreciation against major trading currencies, especially the US dollar.
“Volta will be referred to as the rice region but is having serious issues with that sector. Inasmuch as the current government is committed to cutting down on importation, already, importation is no longer favourable to importers because of the dollar issue,” he said.
“There isn’t effective mechanization or infrastructure like the mechanical dryer that can at least be able to dry the rice at the quality that is needed so it’s a bit challenge and the post-harvest losses will be more,” he added.
Frank Kukubor called on government to as a matter of urgency pump money into the agricultural sector to help boost the local economy amidst the crisis.
At 8 o’clock on Sunday, October 30, 2022, the address will be given.
This occurs in the midst of calls for the Finance Minister’s resignation, the cedi’s sharp depreciation, significant inflation, and an overall rise in the cost of living for Ghanaians.
It has been under tremendous pressure in recent months for the Ghana cedi to reach a record high of GH16 to the dollar before declining to GH13.70 as of October 27, 2022.
According to the most recent data issued by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), food was the main cause of Ghana’s inflation, which is currently at 37.2%.
Frank Kukubor, a farmer, claims that the lack of proper government food security measures is the root of the problem.
He claimed that the nation’s inability to produce enough food to feed its people.
Additionally, Mr. Kukubor claimed that the volta region’s infrastructure had not advanced sufficiently to support agricultural production.
This, he said, has led to a shortage of the country’s stock reserve.
In his view, these gaps have to be filled to build a robust agricultural system to avert any global shocks in future.
Speaking at the Ghana Economic Forum in Accra on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, he said, “with respect to the total food stock we have as a reserve for the country for 2020/2021, it was just 8.2%. What that basically means is that, if our current production cannot meet our needs…it’s indeed very scary and we need to have a rethinking.”
He urged government to focus on building the capacity of smallholder farmers to produce more.
The conference gave the President a forum to speak with economic players about the best ways to ease the burden on businesses and the hardship of everyday Ghanaians.
The GNCCI’s concerns on the state of the economy currently.
The cost of doing business in the country is rising due to the rapid depreciation of the cedi against major foreign currencies, interest rates, high fuel prices, and high inflation policy rates.
More specifically, the outlook for the country’s economy is getting worse due to rising public debt, weak domestic revenue performance, the balance of payments issues and a lack of fiscal restraint, which led to a credit rating downgrade and the loss of external financing.
