Parents whose wards are enrolled under government’s flagship programme in Education, free Senior High School (free SHS), spend more on other expenses than the cost the government incurs, a study has revealed.
The study was conducted by Africa Education Watch, an educational civil society organization.
In essence, the financial burden on parents for certain school-related items surpasses the expenses covered by the government through the Free Senior High School program in Africa.
Africa Education Watch found that the government’s average spending per student in boarding schools was GHC 1,147, and for day students, it was GHC 1,107.
This indicates the amount the government allocates or spends per student in both boarding and day schools within the context of the study.
The figures reflect the financial commitment per student by the government for these specific types of schools in the education system.
The education think tank stated that parents spent GHS 2,477 on prospectuses for their wards in boarding schools and an additional GHS 4,000 on other personal items, including perfume, detergents, and sanitary pads, during the 2021–2022 academic year.
Mr. Divine Kpe, Senior Programs Officer at Africa Education Watch, made the presentation during a conference on education financing in Accra.
The report focused on the topic “The Financial Burden of the Free SHS Policy and Implications for Equitable Access to Education.”
The cost borne by the government was analyzed using Free SHS budgetary allocations and expenditures obtained from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, and Parliament for the academic years 2017–18 to 2022–23.
The cost to parents was analyzed using historical prices of prospectus items from the Ghana Statistical Service to cost prospectuses obtained from schools.
According to Africa Education Watch’s report, the prices of prospectuses increased by 38 percent, starting from an initial percentage of 36 during the initial implementation stage of the policy.
Mr. Kpe stated that parents of continuing-day students reported spending an average of GH¢4,400 annually on their children’s education, including transportation (40 percent), breakfast (50 percent), and books (10 percent).
The think tank in its report also revealed that parents of day students spent GHC 5,507 inclusive of prospectus costs, outweighing the government’s spending of GHS 1,107.
The report disclosed that financial constraints contributed to a 15 percent failure of candidates to honour their admission in the 2022–2023 academic year.
It attributed the failure to honour admission to the high cost of prospectuses and other education materials.
To minimize the cost burden of prospectuses, the report recommended that, in the medium to long term, the Ministry of Education must develop and implement a strategy to focus on children from the poorest households using data from the LEAP program.
The report revealed that this approach would enable the government to spend more to cover the full cost of secondary education for students from low-income households.
The report recommended that the Ministry of Finance improve the disbursement of funds under the policy in line with the objectives, implementation arrangements, and cash flow projections.
Ghanaian Reggae sensation, Blakk Rasta, has rendered an apology to President Akufo-Addo over some remarks he made about him.
Blakk Rasta made a claim suggesting that he wished the President dead.
However, he has subsequently apologised, stating that he made the comments out of frustration.
“I want to send an apology to the President (Akufo-Addo). Do you know why? No matter how you hate a man, you should never wish him dead. I was not brought up like that.
“Spiritually, mentally physically and behaviorally. I will never wish a man dead. Out of frustration, we may make some utterances. I just saw the video and told myself ‘No, this is a low blow’.
“Honorably, I apologize to the president of the Republic of Ghana. Much as you are a useless president, I don’t want to see you die. I want to see you live and suffer so that when you finally die, Satan can humbly and honestly sodomize you in hell.
“But I do not want to wish you dead. No. Even when my enemy dies, I don’t jubilate, I pray for him. It was a slip of the tongue. Useless as you are, you and your vice president do not die. Don’t visit an early grave,” he said during the UrbanBlend show on 3FM.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board has decided to temporarily increase the limits for accessing the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT).
The normal annual access limit, which dictates how much a country can borrow in a single year, has been raised to 200% of quota.
Additionally, the normal cumulative access limit, which is the total amount a country can borrow over time, has been increased to 600% of quota.
These adjustments are in effect until the end of 2024. This is a measure aimed at providing more financial support to countries facing economic challenges during this specific time frame.
The mentioned changes aim to provide enhanced assistance to the Fund’s low-income members, like Ghana, amid a difficult and unpredictable global economic situation.
The goal is to offer improved support tailored to the specific challenges these countries face.
The PRGT (Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust) serves as the concessional lending arm of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Concessional means that the loans provided have favorable terms, and currently, they come with zero percent interest rates. This is designed to make financial assistance more accessible and affordable for countries facing economic challenges, especially those with lower income levels.
The zero percent interest rates aim to alleviate the financial burden on these countries as they work towards poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth.
In March 2023, the IMF Executive Board made a decision to conduct an interim review of the PRGT (Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust) access limits.
The review was contingent on achieving substantial progress toward the PRGT’s first stage fundraising target of SDR 2.3 billion. This fundraising goal was successfully met in October 2023, thanks to the contributions of over 40 countries.
The accomplishment of this target paved the way for the planned interim review, which likely involves assessing the effectiveness of the PRGT and potentially adjusting access limits based on the achieved funding levels and the evolving needs of member countries.
The concessional lending through the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is governed by specific access limits. These limits were last reviewed in July 2021, establishing normal annual and cumulative access limits at 145% and 435% of quota, respectively. Quota refers to a member country’s financial commitment to the IMF.
However, in March 2023, the General Resources Account (GRA) access limits, which are applicable to non-concessional lending, were temporarily increased to 200% and 600% of quota.
This adjustment in GRA access limits reflects changes in the global economic landscape. The mention of aligning PRGT access limits with the prevailing GRA access limits indicates a coordination between concessional and non-concessional lending frameworks within the IMF.
This alignment ensures a coherent and responsive approach to the diverse financial needs of member countries in varying economic conditions.
The temporary increase in PRGT access limits provides greater flexibility for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to offer support to countries facing substantial balance of payments challenges.
This flexibility enables the Fund to assist these countries in implementing robust economic programs aimed at either maintaining or restoring sustainable economic positions.
The emphasis on “inclusive growth” suggests that the programs supported by the increased access limits aim not only for economic stability but also for fostering broader social and economic development that benefits a wide range of the population.
Essentially, the adjustment in access limits is a tool to better address the unique needs of countries with significant economic challenges, promoting both stability and inclusivity.
The upcoming Review of the Fund’s Concessional Facilities and Financing, set to be finalized in the Fall of 2024, will encompass an assessment of various aspects. Firstly, it will cover a review of concessional facilities, which includes an examination of access limits. This involves evaluating how much financial support member countries can receive through these facilities.
Additionally, the review will extend to the financing of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). This entails assessing the resources available to the PRGT, focusing on measures to ensure its long-term financial sustainability.
This broader review aims to optimize the effectiveness of concessional support provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to member countries, aligning it with evolving global economic conditions and the diverse needs of these nations.
Flagbearer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has explained why he canceled the nursing training allowance during his regime.
He said he did that in order to use the money to develop health infrastructure in the country.
John Mahama was criticized by the then-opposition New Patriotic Party(NPP) for cancelling allowances of teachers and Nursing Trainees promising to reinstate the allowances when given power.
But speaking to students of Sefwi Wiaso Nurses Training College, John Dramani Mahama explained the reason behind the decision to replace the allowances with loans.
He said his government realized it had to take a number of years for nurses who graduate to be posted to their various stations.
However, if more infrastructure was built, there would be more spaces to be occupied by nurses and more jobs created.
“When we tried to explain the reason why we were replacing your allowances with student loans, people did not understand us. What we wanted to do was build more CHPS compounds, more hospitals, and more health facilities, more health centres so that when you come out you can get work to do that was our intention. But some people took political advantage of it and said they would continue to pay the allowances because they could,” he said.
“Today I’m told that those in their 2nd year have never seen their allowances. My younger sisters and younger brothers, I’m standing on your behalf here to remind Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia that the students of Sefwi Wiaso Nursing Training College say that they are waiting for their allowances because you promised you could pay,” he said while addressing the students,” he added.
A counterfeiting syndicate operating in Accra and Tema has been exposed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The said syndicate is believed to be a major producer of fake foreign currency counterfeiting.
In a one-paragraph announcement (December 15) posted on social media as part of updates on cases that it pursuing, the OSP said the amounts seized came up to US$40 million.
Under the heading ‘Prevention of Corruption’ and subheading ‘Disruption of Foreign Currency Manufacturing Network,’ the OSP wrote of the undated operation:
“OSP has disrupted a syndicate involved in the production of substantial amount of counterfeited foreign currency. Seizures were made in two warehouses located in Accra and Tema, where a substantial amount of counterfeited forty million dollars ($40,000,000.00) was discovered concealed in steel trunks.”
Other corruption prevention cases the OSP is involved in were also part of the post that had the caption: “Since August 2021, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (#OSP) has been actively engaged in a range of activities as part of its comprehensive fourfold mandate, which includes investigations, prosecution, asset recovery and management, and the prevention of corruption.”
It is the first time the office is disclosing this particular operation to the public.
The state-run Daily Graphic in a report stated that sources had told them that it was a highly classified and well-coordinated operation.
Someone is suspected to have given a tip-off to the currency operators about the OSP’s operation and planned swoop. This enabled the suspects to bolt in a hurry and didn’t have much time to pack everything on short notice, their report added.
The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has promised to put Ghana’s economy back on track if given the nod as President of the country.
He said the NDC is endowed with potential men and women who have the ability to turn the country’s economic misfortunes around.
According to him, the next NDC government, when voted back into office, will put the economy back on a sound footing.
Speaking to students of the Sefwi Wiaso Nurses Training College, John Dramani Mahama attributed the hike in fuel prices, foodstuffs, among others, to the mismanagement of the economy by the Akufo-Addo-led government.
“I met some drivers, and they apologized to me for voting me out. A gallon of petrol during my time was GH¢14, but now it’s above … or more; I can’t even tell. All these things are a result of the mismanaged economy.
“We buy fuel with dollars, so if the economy is not managed well and the dollar-to-cedi rate is lower, the prices of goods and services will decrease, but because the economy has been mismanaged, petrol is expensive. The NDC has the men and women to manage the economy very well. When we come back to power, we will ensure we make life better for you people,” he stated.
It would be recalled that the local economy took a nose dive after it was hit with the global pandemic – the Coronavirus – and the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine War.
The governing New Patriotic Party, however, put in measures to make the economy more robust to withstand any shock; locally or internationally.
As part of measures to fix the broken economy, the government run to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a US$3 billion financial bailout programme.
Subsequently, a team from the IMF arrived in the country from July 6 to July 13, 2022, to engage Ghanaian authorities on a possible economic support programme.
A staff-level agreement between the government of Ghana and the IMF was reached in December 2022.
On May 17, 2023, IMF’s executive board approved Ghana’s $3 billion loan facility.
Lands Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has admitted that President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ben Nunoo Mensah, is the beneficial owner of the 4.4 per cent shareholding in Barari DV Ghana Ltd, a subsidiary of Atlantic Lithium Limited.
He debunked claims suggesting that some members of the Akufo-Addo administration have shares in the said agreement, however, acknowledged that Mr Nunoo Mensah’s stake in the company dates back to 2012.
The Minister’s response followed a challenge thrown by Sammy Gyamfi, the Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to the government to disclose the identity of the one holding a 4.4 per cent stake in Barari DV Ghana Ltd.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement with civil society organisations in Accra on the Lithium deal, Mr Jinapor said the government had nothing to hide regarding the Lithium Lease Agreement and would continue to engage relevant bodies to ensure that Ghanaians become the ultimate beneficiaries of the country’s resources.
“As the debate is ongoing regarding the Lithium Lease Agreement involving academia, civil society organisations, and so forth, the platform is open to talk to each other, jaw-jaw, and brainstorm on managing our natural resources to bring progress,” he said.
“And I believe with our collective wisdom, we can have a positive way forward.”
However, the Minister said it was important to segregate opinions and emotions from the real facts and data.
The government knows the issues regarding mining in Ghana, spanning over a century; therefore, it went through a laborious process to ensure that Ghana’s green minerals, of which Lithium is a part, benefit the people”, he noted.
In that regard, the President insisted that a policy framework be developed for the green minerals before negotiations commenced. Hence, the policy framework developed requires a minimum of a seven per cent royalty rate, higher than the five per cent accepted in other minerals.
Mr Jinapor, for instance, said in the Lithium Lease Agreement signed with Barari DV Ghana Limited, the parties agreed that the State would have a 19% Free Carried Interest with an option of scaling up to a minimum of 30 per cent.
“There is a 13 per cent royalty, higher than the 10 per cent in the previous agreement, 35 per cent corporate income tax, while one per cent of the Company’s revenues would go to the Community Development Fund.”
“There is also a requirement to establish a refinery to process Lithium locally before export.”
“The State also has 3% shares in the local company (Barari DV Ghana Ltd) and 6% in Atlantic Lithium global.”
“More so, the Lease Agreement must go through Parliament for consideration and ratification before it can be validated.”
On refining the lithium ore locally, the Minister said either Barari DV Ltd. could establish a refinery to process it or give it to a third party to do so. That, he believed, would enable the nation to benefit fully from the entire value chain of lithium exploitation.
Madam Nafi Chinery, Africa Director of the Natural Resource Governance Institute, in her opening remarks, said the engagement with the CSOs would allow the government to receive actionable recommendations and inputs to guide parliamentary debates on the proposed lithium agreement.
It would also foster an understanding of the content of the agreement and provide accurate information and data on the potential quality, value, and revenue expected from the mineral’s exploitation to guide public discourse.
Some participants called for amendments to the country’s mining and mineral laws to be in sync with the terms agreed upon in the lithium agreement.
Ten persons believed to be landgurds are facing legal consequences following their actions.
The ten who are accused of engaging in activities of landguards at East Legon have been charged with conspiracy, involvement in land guard activities, and causing unlawful damage.
They have pleaded not guilty.
The court presided over by Mr Isaac Addo has admitted them to bail in the sum of GHC60,000 each with two sureties to be justified.
It further ordered the prosecution led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nana Oppong to comply with the rules of disclosures and adjourned the matter to January 9, 2024.
According to the prosecutor, the complainant Juliana Ayayee Lokko is a pensioner and resident of Community 5, Tema.
The prosecution said the accused person claimed they resided in Accra but had failed to lead the Police to their residence.
The prosecutor said in 2022, the complaint’s brother who resided in London, United Kingdom (UK) acquired two plots of land from Nii Kofi Adjei who also obtained the land from the Okpong We family of Teshie and duly obtained a land title certificate from the Lands Commission.
It said for some time now, any time the complainant and her workers went on the land, the accused persons and other accomplices, now at large, would chase them out with weapons.
Prosecution said the accused persons afterward damaged the complainant’s metal gate valued at GH₵12,000 and damaged some parts of the fenced wall valued at GH₵31,300.
It said on December 13, 2023, at about 0000 hours (midnight), the complainant informed the Police that the accused persons had gone on the land.
Prosecution said the accused persons claimed one Francis had asked them to work on the land and they prevented the complainant from having access to the land.
According to the prosecutor, the Police rushed to the land and arrested the accused persons at about 2 am.
Prosecution said the accused persons were escorted to the Regional Police Headquarters and they were cautioned.
It said the accused persons in their caution statement, claimed they were sent to protect the land by one Francis who is now at large.
Vice Chairperson of the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament, Alex Tetteh Djornobuah, says when road tolls are reintroduced, they will be digitalised.
According to him, this system will reduce the number of human activities and increase productivity.
“Last week at our committee meeting, the Minister and his agency briefed the committee that they are going to reintroduce the road toll. It will not be in the old form. It will be digitalised and at the end of the day the human phase will be minimised and we can save a lot of money,” he said in an interview on Friday, December 15, 2023.
Mr Djornobuah explained that monies generated would be used to help fund the $388 million road projects recently approved by Parliament.
“For example, the reconstruction or the expansion of Ofankor to Nsawam road, I think it will be part of the tolling. Just this afternoon, we passed about $388 million for the reconstruction of the Motorway and in that agreement, there is an introduction of road toll. That means that the PPP or the private person who is going to construct this particular road will use that one as part of the revenue to defray the margin that the government is taking,” he said.
When reminded that it was that the majority caucus pushed for the cancellation of the road toll despite minority concerns about the obvious revenue loss, he insisted that at the time, the government assumed that with the introduction of the e-levy, enough revenue would be generated.
Also, he said the traffic situation around the Motorway was a major reason the Roads Minister had pushed for the cancellation of the road toll. However, now that the road will be reconstructed, traffic would be a thing of the past.
The Sefwi Akontombra MP said “Since both parts of the House has accepted it, I think it’s good news for Ghana and we hope to see the modernization of the road tolls.
On the question of whether the tolls will be increased, he said, “We have to have a national dialogue on how to finance our roads. If we look elsewhere, the government is not burdened with road construction. Looking at the request for various constituencies and elsewhere I think that we need to debate.
“If you look at the other African countries elsewhere our road tolls is the least among the other countries. The reintroduction, I think we should have a consultative stakeholders meeting to agree so that at the end of the day, road financing will not be a burden on our budget.”
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, is advocating for chiefs to actively participate in politics.
Speaking at a meeting with traditional authorities at the Volta Region House of Chiefs, the Speaker said he disagreed with the position of Ghana’s Constitution on chiefs not actively participating in politics.
He contended that chiefs who have already assumed leadership positions must be allowed to take part in active politics.
The meeting was part of activities to commemorate three decades of parliamentary democracy in Ghana.
During the meeting, the Speaker explained that sidelining the chieftaincy institution and preventing it from taking its rightful position to contribute effectively to governance does not benefit the country in anyway.
“I completely disagree with the framers of the Constitution when they say that Chiefs cannot play active politics”, he said.
He said that the Constitution preventing chiefs from contesting political positions was against the basic principles of human rights, as they were denied the right to be voted for.
“The Supreme Court has given us an explanation of what they meant by active politics. But by the franchise, your right to vote is made up of two ingredients. The right to vote for somebody and the right also to be voted for by some people, that is the franchise.
So how can you give them half of it? The chiefs can vote for people but nobody can vote for them. That definitely is wrongful and unlawful. You can say it is constitutional, but basically, it doesn’t sit well with the basic principles of human rights”, he explained.
He complained about the fact that chiefs who are already community leaders were being prevented by the constitution from performing their primary role of leading their respective jurisdictions to develop and ensure that policies are effectively implemented.
“That is oxymoron, contradicting itself. These are some of the intricacies that we have to sit down to resolve. It is not right”, he stressed.
He, therefore, called for an amendment of the Chieftaincy Act to reposition the chieftaincy institution as an integral part of governance, to rectify the contradictions caused by the constitution.
He opined that the reforms could focus on modernizing the chieftaincy institution to meet the current dynamics of society, adding that the state must constantly support the institution to play its mandated roles in helping to develop the country.
Staff of the Ghana Grid Company, GRIDCo are threatening the return of incessant power cuts, popularly known as dumsor, which plagued the country some years back.
This is due to the failure of the government to settle some arrears of industry players.
In a statement registering their displeasure over the situation, the aggrieved staff noted that there will be a return of ‘dumsor’ this Christmas if the financial status of the company is not improved with immediate effect.
“The main cause of the poor cash flow situation is because the Cash Waterfall Mechanism which is used as the mode of payment to the industry players within the sector is not working and is suspected to have been discontinued,” they stated.
In the statement issued by the Senior Staff Association’s National Chairman and addressed to the Minister of Energy, the Board Chairman, and the Chief Executive of GRIDCo, the staff are pointing accusing fingers at ECG for their refusal to pay, in full, for the services rendered to them by the company.
They explain that GRIDCo bills ECG – their major customer – over GH₵100 million per month, out of which only about 18% to 25% is paid, and in an irregular manner.
“The chunk of the revenue sits in our books without any plans to redeem same. This situation has made it difficult to pay suppliers, procure the requisite tools, materials and spares, all of which adversely affect the business,” they wrote.
According to the staff of GRIDCo, the ongoing challenges in the cash flow of the company have implications not only on their operations but also on the service delivery to customers and the general welfare of staff.
They are threatening a possible return to the days of intermittent power outages that characterised the country some years back.
“We the staff groups wish to caution that if the Cash Waterfall Mechanism is not restored immediately or other means of financial support provided for GRIDCo, we cannot guarantee smooth power supply, especially during this festive season and going forward.”
Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has ridiculed the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) for casting doubt over the former’s 24 hour economy policy.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews, he noted that the proposed policy has taken their opponents by storm.
According to Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the NPP is just engaging in rhetoric due to the 24-hour economy policy outlined by the NDC’s 2024 flagbearer, John Mahama.
Speaking on Friday, December 15, the NDC Chairman said, “Our opponents are just blowing hot air because that policy appears to have taken them by storm. This is not a complicated policy to adapt or implement at all.”
He stated that Ghana, which currently operates for just 8 hours, cannot compare itself and compete with European countries that operate 24 hours.
He stressed that the country has infrastructures that are being underutilised or badly utilised.
Mr Nketia stated that in every economy, there are essential services that by nature already run 24 hours, adding that “When you go to the government services, there are areas where the customer base is high, you can look at the possibility of introducing a three-hour shift system.”
“Go to the court now and look at the backlog of cases, that creates the impression that our judiciary system is not functioning. So if we have a system where we can have judges sit at night and clear all these backlogs of cases – if anybody wants to invest in the economy and knows that when he runs into a business dispute, the matter can be dealt with expeditiously, won’t he choose that economy to invest rather than going where cases will be in court for 10 years,” he said.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia was however quick to add that his party will not compel anyone to go according to the 24-hour economy.
“But when the policy is rolled out, you will see the business sense in signing up to it and it will be a win-win situation. The government will win and businesses will win.
“When businesses are able to win and have profits, they expand and create more jobs”, he explained.
The NDC Chairman’s remarks come on the back of some assertions made by the Vice President and NPP flagbearer for elections 2024, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Dr Bawumia, in an address, alleged that Mr Mahama lacks an understanding of the policy he is promising Ghanaians.
But Mr Mahama insists the idea is a game-changer because it has been well thought through.
He pledged that the next NDC administration will pursue projects and programmes to transform Ghana into a fully-fledged 24-hour economy by optimising available resources.
He said the 24-hour economy forms part of the NDC’s vision to build the ‘Ghana we want’ and will be premised on building an industrialised, inclusive, and resilient economy that creates well-paying jobs, an equitable, healthy, and prosperous nation, and strengthening Ghana’s role in African and international affairs.
“The 24-hour economy may have finally resonated with Ghanaians. It may be classified as an idea whose time has come due to Ghana’s self-inflicted economic crisis today because the 24-hour economy initiative was well-thought-through and captured on page 105 of the NDC’s 2020 People’s Manifesto,” Mr. Mahama said.
A $338 million agreement for the expansion of the Tema Motorway redevelopment and expansion project has been approved.
The said agreement is between the Roads Ministry and the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The motorway is expected to be expanded to 10 lanes.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday, December 15, while presenting the request, the Chairman of the Roads and Transport Committee, Kennedy Osei Nyarko said the concession period would be 30 years and construction is expected to last for 36 months.
“Mr Speaker it is a 10-lane redevelopment project that they are doing. They are going to expand the lanes with eight interchanges at various sections,” he said.
He added that “the project comprises of three sections – the first section is 19.5 kilometres with a second section of 2.7 kilometres and the third section is 1.5 kilometres.”
Also, the Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee, Isaac Adjei Mensah backed the agreement on behalf of the Minority.
He said “This project is appropriate that is why we support it and we expect that the first tranche will be executed to give room for the second and third tranches,” he said.
Two persons are in the grips of the police for duping donors of the VRA-induced flood victims.
Their arrest, according to the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, was facilitated by the Ministry of National Security and the National Signals Bureau.
In a tweet announcing their arrest, the MP said he received several complaints about the operations of the two suspects, Promise Ahorgah and Mawuli Kwaotse.
“A good number of Ghanaians both home and abroad have reported to me about how these two deceived them through elaborate impersonation methods and collected hundreds of thousands of Ghana Cedis which were not handed over to flood victims as the donors intended,” he said.
He, thus, commended the agencies that made the arrest possible for the prompt response to his complaint.
“I wish to commend the Ministry of National Security and the National Signals Bureau for their prompt response to my complaint by tracking and apprehending two unscrupulous individuals who corrupted my disaster fundraising flyers and duped many unsuspecting Ghanaians,” he added.
Further, he revealed that an Accra High Court presided by Her Ladyship Lydia Osei-Marfo on Friday, December 15, 2023, ordered their continuous detention.
“The duo are to reappear in court on the 9th of January, 2024,” he added.
The MP who unequivocally condemned the move by the two suspects said: “It is sheer evil for heartless characters to take advantage of the trauma and devastation of fellow Ghanaians to defraud and exploit compassionate citizens who seek to offer empathetic assistance to their compatriots in distress.”
“May I add that all those criminals out there scamming Ghanaians in my name through fake social media accounts and those promising protocol recruitments and other dubious opportunities at outrageous amounts should know that their days are numbered. We shall get them!” he said.
The MP ended with a note of caution to the general public to be extra vigilant.
President Akufo-Addo has named Aloysius Adjetey as the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA). The presidential appointment signals a significant development in the administration’s commitment to addressing water and sanitation challenges across the nation.
The announcement of the appointment was communicated via a letter signed by Nana Asante Bediatuo Asante, who serves as the Executive Secretary to the President.
This appointment is in line with section 12 (1) of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency Act, 1998 (Act 564).
Aloysius Adjetey will take over from Ing. Dr Worlanyo Kwadjo Siabi, who has served the agency till date.
Profile of Aloysius Adjetey
Aloysius Adjetey is a distinguished development expert with an impressive career spanning over 12 years. He is an alumnus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Development Policy Planning. Furthering his expertise, Mr. Adjetey completed his Masters in Development Studies, majoring in Policy Analysis and Poverty Studies, from the prestigious Erasmus University of Rotterdam, formerly known as the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands.
Adjetey’s career is marked by significant contributions in various fields. He has extensive experience in governance and the economy of Ghana, with a special focus on Public Financial Management. His areas of expertise include economic policy analysis, project management, economic research, financial planning and management, financial programming, poverty reduction, and economic development.
Before this appointment, Adjetey held several key positions. From 2014 to 2017, he served as a Project Management Specialist and Economist at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He was a Policy Analyst at the National Development Planning Commission between 2012 and 2013 and a Local Governance Expert at KfW Entwicklungsbank from 2011 to 2013. Earlier, he was an Economic Planning Officer at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning from 2003 to 2009.
Aloysius Adjetey’s academic journey includes obtaining his Master’s degree in Development Studies, focusing on Poverty Studies and Policy Analysis, from the International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University of Rotterdam between 2008 and 2010. He completed his undergraduate studies with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Development Planning from KNUST between 1999 and 2003.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has declared the suspension of Niger from the regional organization.
The decision, disclosed by the Commission, marks an unprecedented turn of events, raising questions about the circumstances leading to the suspension and its potential ramifications for diplomatic relations within the West African community.
Their suspension came into effect on December 10, 2023, coinciding with the 64th Ordinary Session of the Heads of States.
In a press release, the commission clarified that up until their latest session, the government of Mohamed BAZOUM, who was ousted from office by his guards five months ago, was still officially recognized.
“Until the 64th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government which took place on 10 December 2023, the Authority of the Heads of State and Government considered the situation in the Republic of Niger as an attempted coup, and H.E. Mohamed BAZOUM as the President and Head of State of the Republic of Niger.”
“That position meant that Niger was not suspended from ECOWAS decision-making bodies and that members of BAZOUM’s government could represent.”
However, his removal from office was officially admitted on December 10
“Therefore, from 10 December 2023, Niger stands suspended from all decision-making bodies of ECOWAS until the restoration of constitutional order in the country,” it announced.
President BAZOUM was overthrown on July 26, 2023, by members of his own presidential guard led by Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane.
Ultimatums for the President to be reinstated by ECOWAS and the West fell on deaf ears.
A police recruit, Sadam Sumaila, is in police custody in Pwalugu for forging documents to gain entry into the Ghana Police Service.
Sumaila, who, until his arrest, was having his training at the Police Training School in the Upper East Region, has been arrested for fraud.
According to reports, Sumaila used a forged Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) certificate to gain entry into the service.
Sadam Sumaila, a police recruit at the Pwalugu Police Training School in the Upper East Region, has been arrested for fraud.
Reportedly, Sumaila used a forged Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology certificate to gain entry into the service. He was apprehended when… pic.twitter.com/Vt4cDCbFpS
Renowned dancehall musician Shatta Wale has delivered a cautionary message to aspiring artists, urging them not to be swayed by government promises, citing a dearth of sustainable plans for the Creative Arts Industry. The controversial artist’s words serve as a stark reminder of the challenges facing the sector and raise questions about the efficacy of current governmental initiatives.
His response follows a press briefing held on December 14, 2023, featuring Gyankroma Akufo-Addo, Director of Ghana’s Creative Arts Agency, Mark Okraku Mantey, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, alongside other industry stakeholders, addressing issues within the country’s Creative Arts sector.
In a Friday Facebook post, Shatta, born Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., encouraged emerging musicians to navigate the industry independently and establish their footing.
According to the designer crooner, the government has no plans for creatives.
“Upcoming artiste, please don’t let them lie to you.. I saw it and spoke about it and now I am the industries enemy,” he posted.
“They don’t have any plan for creatives, so please I beg find your way and don’t follow their ways,” he asserted.
During the press conference which was purposely held to launch the #PlayGhana initiative aimed at promoting Ghanaian music across the country and beyond ahead of the festive season, Gyankroma Akufo-Addo, called for a review of Cultural Policy and the Broadcasting Bill to ensure implementation of the 70% local content just like in other countries.
She pledged her agency’s resolve to “push Ghanaian music to the full front of our foray audiences starting at home.”
Third National Vice Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alhaji Masawud Osman, has levied accusations against the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), claiming political bias and proposing a reevaluation of its effectiveness.
Alhaji Osman alleges that 60% of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) staff maintains affiliations with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), raising concerns about potential influences on prosecutions.
He censured Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, casting doubt on his impartiality and advocating for an inquiry into his suitability for the position.
Alhaji Osman additionally asserted that Agyebeng has considerably enlarged the staff of the OSP but has achieved minimal results in the fight against corruption.
He accused Agyebeng of unfairly targeting the NPP, citing the investigation into alleged irregularities at the Customs Division under the current government.
He said the focus solely on auctions from 2016 to 2022 raises questions about why similar events under the previous NDC administration haven’t been investigated.
Additionally, Alhaji Osman criticized the disparity in the OSP’s handling of allegations of vote-buying. He noted the probe launched into the NPP parliamentary primaries while no similar action was taken regarding accusations against the NDC.
Renowned investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has released a trailer for his highly anticipated latest documentary.
The teaser provides a sneak peek into the findings of the investigation.
The minute and some seconds long trailer, shared on multiple social media platforms, showcases glimpses of interviews, footage, and narrative snippets, involving authorities at the Strategic Mobilization Ghana Limited (SML-Ghana), among others.
It comes after Mr Azure announced in a tweet on Thursday, December 14, 2023, that he is set to release another investigative piece that will shake the core of theAkufo-Addo led administration.
“What started as an open-minded documentary to investigate what was being done to curtail revenue losses in one sector is turning out to be the biggest scandal to hit the Akufo-Addo presidency.
“The cure is worse than the disease, like acid being used to treat mild sore throat. Stay tuned! Anyway, can you guess the ministry or minister involved?” he added.
The documentary will be aired on Monday, December 18, 2023.
Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Augustina Naami has demonstrated her commitment to inclusivity by donating eight wheelchair ramps to the Ghana Society of the Physical Disadvantages in Kaneshie.
The donation, which was carried out on Sunday, December 10, 2023, was in an effort to create a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities.
The wheelchair ramps were strategically placed to enhance accessibility at key locations within the society’s premises. Six ramps were installed at the entrances of bathroom facilities, ensuring that individuals with disabilities can navigate these spaces with ease. Additionally, two ramps were dedicated to toilet facilities, while another was placed at the sales outlet, providing accessibility to the point where products are sold.
One of the notable improvements was the installation of a concrete cover over a previously open gutter in the middle of the school. The concrete cover replaced a split metal cover, which was identified as a potential hazard for individuals with disabilities. Dr. Naami’s donation addressed this concern, making the environment safer and more accessible for everyone.
Dr. Augustina Naami expressed her motivation for the donation, stating that the primary goal was to empower individuals with disabilities to move freely without the fear of falling or encountering unnecessary stress. Her commitment to the Breaking Barriers campaign is rooted in the belief that every person, regardless of physical ability, should have equal access to facilities and opportunities.
The centre manageress of the Ghana society for the socially disadvantaged in Kaneshie, Mrs Evelyn Ampadu on behalf of the occupants and management of the centre expressed gratitude for Dr Naami’s generosity, emphasizing the positive impact these wheelchair ramps will have on the daily lives of their members.
“The management and students utilizing the facility extend a warm and sincere thank you to Dr. Augustina Naami for her invaluable donation of wheelchair ramps. The impact of this philanthropic gesture transcends the mere installation of ramps; it extends to the profound transformation of daily experiences for individuals with disabilities within the facility.
Prior to the installation of these ramps, occupants faced significant challenges accessing essential areas such as bathrooms and other facilities. The fear of falling and sustaining injuries created a barrier that impeded their freedom of movement and, consequently, their overall quality of life. However, with the introduction of the wheelchair ramps, a palpable sense of relief and empowerment now exist in the facility.
The positive impact of Dr. Naami’s donation is already resonating throughout the facility. Students and staff alike express their newfound sense of security and comfort, as these ramps not only address physical barriers but also alleviate the emotional toll associated with navigating a world that may not always be designed with inclusivity in mind.
This act of generosity has created a ripple effect, inspired hope and fostering a stronger sense of community within the facility. The management and students look forward to a future where such acts of kindness continue to pave the way for a more inclusive and compassionate society. Dr. Augustina Naami’s donation has not only built physical ramps; it has constructed bridges of understanding, empathy, and support, creating a legacy that will resonate for years to come.”
About the ‘Breaking the barrier campaign”: Barrier-Free Environment for Persons with Disabilities
Dr. Augustina Naami, a distinguished senior lecturer and the Head of the Department of Social Work at the University of Ghana Legon, is leading a transformative initiative with the Breaking Barriers campaign. Focused on the creation of a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities, Dr.Naami’s campaign is rooted in extensive research conducted in 2018, revealing the profound impact of access barriers on the socio-economic, political participation, and psychological well-being of individuals with disabilities.
The culmination of this research effort resulted in an evidence-based manual that serves as a practical guide to address major physical and transportation barriers faced by persons with mobility disabilities. Dr. Naami’s vision is to bridge the gap between research and actionable change, ensuring that the insights gleaned from her academic work translate into tangible improvements in the lives of those facing accessibility challenges.
Putting her ideas into practice, Dr. Naami initiated the campaign in 2020 by designing an accessible, portable, and foldable wheelchair ramp. The campaign gained further momentum in 2022 when she constructed six accessible ramps across five public basic schools in the Ga East Educational Directorate.
On December 10th, Dr. Naami took a significant step forward by donating eight wheelchair ramps to the Ghana Society of the Physical Disadvantages in Kaneshie. This donation, strategically placed at key points within the society, including bathroom and toilet facilities, as well as the sales outlet, signifies a commitment to enhancing accessibility, inclusion, and safety for persons with disabilities.
The Breaking Barriers campaign sets a goal of constructing a minimum of five ramps annually, contributing not only to local communities but also aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 11, “Make Cities And Human Settlements Inclusive, Safe, Resilient And Sustainable.” Dr. Naami emphasizes that persons with disabilities are integral to the vision of a sustainable future, as underscored by the theme for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2023: “United in action to rescue and achieve the sustainable development goals for, with, and by persons with disabilities.”
Dr. Naami advocates for increased representation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes, urging a departure from tokenism to ensure their voices are genuinely heard.
She is calling upon governments and stakeholders to align their rhetoric with action by allocating budgets for disability inclusion. Dr. Naami emphasizes the importance of collaboration, noting that, despite not being an engineer herself, she collaborates with a mason without formal education to construct ramps that are more accessible for persons with disabilities.
In her rallying cry, Dr. Augustina Naami invites everyone to join hands in making environments more accessible, fostering an inclusive society that paves the way for the full participation and integration of persons with disabilities. The Breaking Barriers campaign stands as a testament to the power of grassroots efforts in driving meaningful change and breaking down the barriers that hinder the progress of an inclusive society.
Renowned investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has released a trailer for his highly anticipated latest documentary.
The teaser provides a sneak peek into the investigative revelations.
The minute and some seconds long trailer, shared on multiple social media platforms, showcases glimpses of interviews, footage, and narrative snippets, involving authorities at the Strategic Mobilization Ghana Limited (SML-Ghana), among others.
It comes after Mr Azure announced in a tweet on Thursday, December 14, 2023, that he is set to release another investigative piece that will shake the core of theAkufo-Addo led administration.
“What started as an open-minded documentary to investigate what was being done to curtail revenue losses in one sector is turning out to be the biggest scandal to hit the Akufo-Addo presidency.
“The cure is worse than the disease, like acid being used to treat mild sore throat. Stay tuned! Anyway, can you guess the ministry or minister involved?” he added.
The documentary will be aired on Monday, December 18, 2023.
Prince Harry won 15 arguments in his case against Mirror Group Newspapers for getting information in a wrong way for stories about him.
The judge agreed with him on almost half of the 33 stories he used in his claims of phone hacking and other methods.
The High Court discovered that the Mirror newspapers often and regularly used phone hacking.
Prince Harry said it was a really good day for telling the truth and being responsible.
He won £140,600 in money because of what happened to him. His lawyer said outside the court that the decision was good and supportive.
“This situation is not just about hacking. It’s also about a widespread pattern of illegal and terrible behavior, along with attempts to hide the truth and get rid of evidence. The extent of this wrongdoing can only be shown through the legal process,” he said.
“I was told that if you try to kill dragons, you will get hurt. ” Prince Harry said that even though it may be costly, it is important to do whatever is necessary to have a free and honest press.
He also asked the police and prosecutors to look into charging the company and anyone who has broken the law.
The Mirror newspapers – Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and People – have also faced big consequences. It’s estimated that they have already spent £100m on fines and legal fees from past hacking cases.
MrJustice Fancourt said that the Mirror newspapers had regularly and commonly gathered information illegally.
Some of the articles that Prince Harry won were about his relationship with Chelsy Davy and the arguments they had.
Prince Harry has said that people are bothering his personal relationships and he won a case about a story called “Harry’s date with Gladiators star” which was about him going to see TV presenter Caroline Flack.
A spokesperson from Mirror Group Newspapers said they are happy with the court’s decision because it helps the company move on from something that happened a long time ago.
“We are really sorry for what happened in the past, and we have accepted our mistakes. We have also paid the right amount of money to make up for it. ”
The important decision comes after Prince Harry went to court in June. He was the first senior royal in modern times to give a lot of evidence in person.
He was questioned for two days about his claims that the group’s newspapers had published a lot of stories about him, for many years, by hacking into his phone and using other illegal ways to get information.
Mr Justice Fancourt found that Prince Harry had experienced some phone hacking and other dishonest ways of getting information, but it wasn’t a lot.
Prince Harry told the court that someone invaded his privacy and it hurt his relationships with people, like his ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, and he received a lot of hate.
“He said that the media has lied to me and hidden the bad things for my entire life. ”
The lawyers for the Mirror Group said the claims were greatly exaggerated. They tried to argue that the prince’s evidence didn’t definitively prove that he was hacked even once, but they were not successful.
The prince has been given money as compensation, but he wanted to go to court to show that his phone was hacked and he was treated unfairly. This caused a lot of stress and trouble in his life.
Prince Harry’s success might inspire many others who are thinking about making similar claims.
Two people who brought claims with Prince Harry – Nikki Sanderson and Fiona Wightman – were told they waited too long.
The judge said that the whole newspaper group’s board didn’t know about the phone hacking. But he thinks that the former CEO and legal director knew about it.
MrJustice Fancourt said he believed journalist Omid Scobie’s evidence that Piers Morgan was told about phone hacking involving Kylie Minogue when he was the editor of the Daily Mirror.
Prince Harry is in a legal fight with Mirror Group, as well as with other newspaper companies like Associated Newspapers and News Group Newspapers.
He has been involved in a lot of legal battles and arguments, but this was the most important decision yet, because a judge made a decision after a full trial.
Kenya has made a deal to send workers to Saudi Arabia, according to President William Ruto.
Kenya made a deal on Thursday to send nurses and other skilled workers to a country in the Middle East. They plan to send 2,500 workers in the first group.
“Before, we only sent local workers, but now we can send trained workers to Saudi Arabia and other countries,” President Ruto said on Friday. He also said that the workers will get paid 200,000 Kenyan shillings ($1,300; £1,000) every month.
The announcement comes almost a week after Kenya’s labor ministry said it will send 1,500 workers to Israel with a guaranteed monthly income of $1,500.
President Ruto went to Germany last month to talk about getting 200,000 jobs for people in Kenya.
Mr Ruto has been searching all over the world for jobs for Kenyans. He believes Kenyans are known everywhere for working hard.
Mr Ruto wants more Kenyans to work in other countries to help with the unemployment problem in Kenya. He hopes they can send money back to help with Kenya’s foreign exchange reserves, which have been getting smaller and making the Kenyan shilling weaker.
Former Central Region Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Allotey Jacobs, has commended Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, over his visit to the Paramount Chief of the Kusaug Traditional Area, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II.
The Vice President’s visit was in efforts to call for peace in Bawku, following years of instability.
Speaking in an interview on Peace FM’s morning show, Kokrokoo, Mr Jacobs expressed his admiration for Dr Bawumia’s move, stating that the Vice President exhibited boldness by going to Bawku.
“It shows that courage and [it tells the people of Bawku] that look, I’m part of you and that’s why he was well received by the Bawku Naaba. And what he has done shows that he is the rising star from the Northern Region,” Mr Jacobs said.
Additionally, he mentioned that given the consequences of such conflicts which include the loss of life, loss of property, etc., Dr Bawumia’s visit aimed at ending the conflict in the area is a step in the right direction.
“[The North] is also our food basket so when little trouble comes there it has its own implications. So from now, I will call the Vice President ‘The Star of the North.”
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, paid a courtesy call on the Bawku Naaba. During his visit, he called for an end to the instability that has plagued Bawku, as a means to address the ongoing conflict.
He stressed the destructive impact of the conflict on the community and urged the Mamprusis and Kusasis to cease violence and seek peaceful resolution through the constitutional process.
There are reports of big fighting near the capital of Sudan, Khartoum. Many civilians who were forced to leave their homes because of the war live there.
People who saw it happening say that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) entered al-Jazira state in a big way.
It was a pretty safe place.
Since the fighting started in April, about seven million people from Sudan had to leave their homes.
Less than a week ago, local leaders said that the fighting groups in Sudan had agreed to meet in person to talk and try to stop the fighting.
However, the fighting is getting worse and the people who have been forced to leave their homes are preparing to run away to save themselves once more.
Fighting for control of Khartoum made almost 500,000 people move south to al-Jazira.
However, the RSF launched a big attack and now there is fighting near the state capital, Wad Madina, with fighter jets flying overhead.
This area grows a lot of food, but because of the war, many people who need help getting food cannot get it.
Gazprom has been getting gas from the Sillimanite field, which is in UK and Dutch waters, since 2020.
Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said it is not okay for gas from the UK to support Putin’s illegal war against Ukraine.
The government said it would increase the pressure on Russia’s economy.
The Sillimanite field is 200km away from the Dutch coast. It is run by Russian company Gazprom and German company Wintershall together. The gas from the field is brought to land in the Netherlands.
The UK, the US and the EU have put strict rules to make it hard for Russia to make money from selling energy. This is to stop them from using that money to pay for the war in Ukraine. There is no proof that this is against the law.
Some top Gazprom leaders, including the boss Alexei Miller, are not allowed to do business with the UK government. But the company Gazprom itself is not affected by these rules. The company still sends gas to Europe through pipelines, but not as much as before the war.
Financial records indicate that Gazprom International UK, a branch of the large Russian energy company, made a profit of €45m before taxes in 2022. They also paid a dividend of €41m to their immediate owner company, Gazprom International Projects BV in the Netherlands. Another payment of €1. 7m was made in June this year.
The company is owned by PJSC Gazprom, which is located in Moscow.
It has also found and paid for its own soldiers to fight in Ukraine.
Sir Ed, who used to be in charge of energy, said it is very wrong that the gas from the UK is helping Putin’s war in Ukraine.
The campaign group Global Witness said it was a sign that the UK’s way of dealing with Russian oil and gas is not good.
“The government is against the war, but it doesn’t make sense to let a company owned by Russia make money from the North Sea while their militia fights in Ukraine,” the statement said.
A government representative said they will keep working with other countries to stop Russia from getting our goods and technology that they could use for their military. This will make it harder for Russia to fight in modern wars.
“Putin and his followers will suffer the consequences for unlawfully invading Ukraine,” he said.
We will keep making it harder for Ukraine’s enemies to make money, and we will punish anyone who tries to find ways around our sanctions. We won’t stop until Ukraine wins and there is peace.
The company had to pay €29 million in taxes. They split the money between the UK and Dutch governments. This means that the energy companies had to pay €4m in taxes in the UK because of high prices after the war in Ukraine, and €5m in taxes in the Netherlands.
The money Gazprom International UK makes comes from selling things to other countries, the records show. The company stopped selling gas to Wintershall in September and started selling it to Gunvor, a Swiss-based trading company, according to the accounts.
Gazprom’s energy supply business in the UK was taken over by the German government last year because its parent company was about to go bankrupt. The business had many business customers. Its new name is SEFE Energy.
Wintershall and Gazprom didn’t answer the BBC’s questions.
The United States says that two cargo ships in the Red Sea were attacked by missiles from Yemen.
One person was attacked by a drone and another by missiles from a region in Yemen controlled by the Houthis, a rebel group supported by Iran.
They were attacked in a narrow strait of water called Bab El Mandab, which is very important for world trade.
There was another attack on foreign ships in the area during the Israel-Hamas war.
The Houthis, who took control nine years ago, have said they back Hamas and are attacking ships heading to Israel.
A person from the US military said that they know something from an area in Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels hit a ship and caused damage, and there was also a fire reported.
The large ship, named Al Jasrah, is owned by a German company called Hapag-Lloyd and registered in Liberia.
A Hapag-Lloyd spokesperson told AFP that the ship was traveling to Singapore from a port in Greece called Piraeus. No one got hurt and the ship is moving towards where it needs to go. Second boat was attacked.
On Friday, a US defense official said a ballistic missile hit another ship flying the flag of Liberia in the Bab El Mandab. The missile started a fire and a US Navy ship was on the way to stop it.
Israel wants the US to take action against the attacks, but the US is worried that doing so could make the situation with Israel and Hamas worse and lead to Iran fighting back.
Instead, there would probably be a group of different countries’ ships working together to protect ships and take down any missiles or drones that come their way.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who is visiting the Middle East, said the Houthis are a big threat to shipping and trade in the area.
He said Iran is mostly to blame for the attacks. He said that even though the Houthis are carrying out the attacks, Iran is the one giving them the weapons to do it.
“Iran needs to stop these attacks on its own because they are a big problem for international law and peace. ”
More things happened in the area on Friday. There was a report about another ship being taken over in a different place.
The UK’s maritime trade agency got a report that a ship’s crew lost control of the ship and it’s now going towards Somalia in the Arabian Sea.
“At the moment, the UKMTO said that all crew members are safe. ”
On Friday, Ambrey, a company that protects ships at sea, said that a ship called MSC ALANYA, registered in Liberia, was approached by a small boat with Houthi members who told the ship to go in a different direction.
No one has admitted to causing the incidents.
The recent attacks are happening after a few attacks in the southern Red Sea. This is making insurance more expensive for ships and some might have to take a longer route around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea.
The Houthis are in a war with the government of Yemen that is supported by Saudi Arabia. They say they are part of a group of countries that oppose Israel, the US, and the West, and are connected to Iran.
This month, they attacked many commercial ships. A US warship had to step in. In November, they stole a cargo ship.
Warships from the US, France, and Britain are watching over the Red Sea and have used missiles to shoot down several flying objects.
The Bab El Mandeb Strait is a 20-mile wide pathway that divides Eritrea and Djibouti from Yemen.
Around 17,000 boats and 10% of all the world’s trading pass through it each year. Every ship that goes to or from the Indian Ocean has to pass through the Suez Canal.
Ace Investigative Journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, is set shake the country with another explosive documentary.
In a tweet on Thursday, December 14, 2023, Mr Azure said the piece will shake the core of the Akufo-Addo led administration.
“What started as an open-minded documentary to investigate what was being done to curtail revenue losses in one sector is turning out to be the biggest scandal to hit the Akufo-Addo presidency.
“The cure is worse than the disease, like acid being used to treat mild sore throat. Stay tuned! Anyway, can you guess the ministry or minister involved?” he added.
AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ****************************************** What started as an open-minded documentary to investigate what was being done to curtail revenue losses in one sector is turning out to be the biggest scandal to hit the Akufo-Addo presidency. pic.twitter.com/ZLDqSuFYkS
This comes after his colleague Undercover Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, announced the premiere of another documentary, which has been scheduled to be released in January, 2024.
Anas made the revelation at the Disruptionlab Network Event in Germany where he and Stephanie Busari of CNN had a discussion on the role of the undercover journalist in combating organized crime in Africa.
He said the project, which focuses on organised crime syndicates in Ghana, will be shocking and gory.
Speaking on his latest project, Anas Aremeyaw Anas said the documentary will be shown on BBC Africa Eye.
Parliament has officially sanctioned the cultivation and regulation of cannabis for industrial and commercial purposes.
This development comes in the wake of the endorsement of the Narcotics Control Commission Regulations 2023, legitimizing cannabis with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of 0.3.
During his contribution to the passage of the Legislative Instrument, Interior Minister Ambrose Dery emphasized that this should not be construed as the legalization of recreational marijuana.
He clarified that cannabis with THC of 0.3 is not yet cultivated in the country and that the ministry is now preparing to bring such types into the country.
However, Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, asserts that this legislation is prone to abuse and predicts that the cultivation of cannabis will not positively impact the fortunes of the country.
He warned that the passing of the law and its subsequent abuse could exacerbate an already dire mental health situation in the country.
“And none of you is talking about the potential of abuse and how that can degenerate into mental health problems we already have in this country. Why are we pretending that this is going to solve our problem? Minister? Do you even know how many people in this country are smoking weed?” he quizzed.
“Even electricity that the sources we produce we are known, we are unable to police the amount of electricity we produce in this country. You are not talking about giving license to people to produce weed. While I don’t have the potential of stopping this, the fact is that Ghana is blessed enough with gold, diamond and just recently we found E-Levy, none of them is able to save our country,” the MP added.
Meanwhile, the new Vice Chair of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, Sarah Adwoa Safo disagreed with Mr Agbodza.
According to her, cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes will help Ghana economically.
“We’re not talking about just a leaf in someone’s backyard, we’re talking about a whole industry that is been created. And if we have our fertile lands here, and we can grow and make sure that the right framework is in place, I don’t see why we can’t take advantage of it,” she said.
Cannabis of THC 0.3 has little to no psychoactive effects and can be purposed into ropes, paper, and other building materials among others.
Member of Parliament for Adaklu and Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has sounded a cautionary note regarding the enforcement of laws pertaining to the use of cannabis, commonly known as “wee.”
Expressing his concerns, Agbodza warned that the legislation might be susceptible to abuse, necessitating a careful and balanced approach to its implementation.
“And that anybody caught using cannabis for recreational purposes on the belief that it has been legalized will only be putting themselves in trouble,” he said.
On Thursday, a Legislative Instrument brought forth by the government through the Interior Minister reached maturity. This legislative tool will bring into effect the previously enacted law legalizing the utilization of cannabis for industrial and medicinal purposes.
Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, Dr Dominic Ayine, emphasized that Parliament has not approved legislation to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes.
“And none of you is talking about the potential of abuse and how that can degenerate into mental health problems we already have in this country. Why are we pretending that this is going to solve our problem? Minister? Do you even know how many people in this country are smoking weed?” he quizzed.
“Even electricity that the sources we produce we are known, we are unable to police the amount of electricity we produce in this country. You are not talking about giving license to people to produce weed. While I don’t have the potential of stopping this, the fact is that Ghana is blessed enough with gold, diamond and just recently we found E-Levy, none of them is able to save our country,” the MP added.
Meanwhile, the new Vice Chair of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, Sarah Adwoa Safo disagreed with Mr Agbodza.
According to her, cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes will help Ghana economically.
“We’re not talking about just a leaf in someone’s backyard, we’re talking about a whole industry that is been created. And if we have our fertile lands here, and we can grow and make sure that the right framework is in place, I don’t see why we can’t take advantage of it,” she said.
A crash between two subway trains during rush hour in Beijing hurt 102 people, according to Chinese state media.
Over 500 people went to the hospital after the accident happened around 7:00 pm local time (11:00 am GMT) on Thursday.
The trains crashed into each other while going downhill on the Changping subway line during a heavy snowstorm.
By Friday morning, 423 people have left the hospital.
While it doesn’t happen a lot, there were accidents on the Chinese capital’s transportation system because the tracks were slippery from snowstorms.
The train couldn’t stop on the icy tracks and crashed into the back of another train.
The impact made the last two carriages of one train come loose. We don’t know which train was uncoupled.
Pictures and videos on the internet show people crowded inside train cars, stuck in the dark because the power went out. Some people were using hammers to break windows to get some fresh air.
A video was posted on a Chinese social media app showing a woman who looks like she passed out, lying across some train seats.
67 people are still in the hospital getting treatment, and 25 are being watched closely by doctors. No one died.
The event made Chinese internet users very angry and they left strong comments about it. Some people were surprised by how many injuries there were, and others were upset about the trouble the accident caused.
“Does Beijing Subway not have anyone to fix things and check them regularly. ” “Are we not valuing the lives of hundreds of people enough. ” asked a Weibo user. Beijing Subway is run by the city government and has 27 subway and rail lines in the city.
Beijing Subway said sorry for the accident and promised to pay for the medical bills of the people who got hurt.
Because of the bad weather, the train operator wants the trains to be driven by a person and for there to be more space between each train. The part of the subway line where the incident happened, which includes three stations, was closed on Friday.
Snow in Beijing has made it hard for people to travel by road, train, and plane.
The weather will get very cold in northern China soon.
Weather experts said that it will be much colder in most areas of the country from Thursday to Sunday, with temperatures dropping by 8 to 12 degrees Celsius. This means it’s going to be very cold in Beijing this weekend, with temperatures dropping below -20C.
In a few cities, officials have closed schools and stopped train services.
As the harmattan season intensifies across the region, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) is cautioning drivers to prioritize safety on the roads.
In a recent advisory, the GMA emphasized the need for motorists to take precautionary measures, including the use of fog lights, to navigate through the challenging weather conditions.
“We advise that when visibility becomes very poor especially early in the morning and then at dawn, motorists should take necessary precautions, especially by using their fog lights and also driving within the speed limit,” GMA said in an interview with Citi News on Thursday, December 14, 2023.
The Harmattan, known for its dry and dusty winds, reduced visibility, and low humidity, poses unique challenges for drivers. With concerns about road safety at the forefront, the GMA is urging all road users to exercise increased vigilance and adhere to safety guidelines.
He also entreated farmers to take precautions on their farms.
“Also, people who go to farms, we advise that they take the necessary precautions to prevent any fire outbreak,” he said.
“Again, since we will be having particles in the atmosphere, we advise that maybe we can put on our nose masks during this period to avoid taking in a lot of those particles into our respiratory systems.
“This is because we are realising that we have the dry continental wind invading our country, and we expect this condition to last, especially for the entire period of December right from now to the end of the month.
“This means that we are going to be getting a lot of this dryness coming from the Sahara and the Sahel regions into our country.
“And then also the dust conditions will be accompanied by winds which are coming from the northern part of the continent into our country,” he said.
The group said Chamusse helped fight for freedom of the press and expression in the country.
The Committee to Protect Journalists is very upset about the journalist’s killing and wants the authorities in Mozambique to thoroughly investigate what happened.
Mozambican officials have not said anything about the murder yet.
An Indian man who is said to have planned to kill a Sikh leader living in the US has asked the highest court in India for help with his case.
The US government has accused Nikhil Gupta of attempting to pay someone to murder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Mr Gupta is in prison in Prague and is asking the court to help him get out and have a fair trial.
“The Supreme Court says the case will be heard on January 4th,” his lawyer told the media.
Rohini Musa said that Mr Gupta was arrested unfairly and they are trying to send him to the US.
“He has been ordered to be extradited. ” “We haven’t received a copy of the order,” Ms. Musa, who is speaking for Mr. Gupta’s family, told the media.
“He has already been sent to another country. ” She said we can’t find him or know where he is.
In November, prosecutors in the US accused Mr. Gupta of planning to kill at least four Sikh separatists in North America, including Mr. Pannun
They said Mr Gupta gave $100,000 in cash to someone to kill Mr Pannun in New York.
Prosecutors said the person hired to kill someone was actually working secretly for the government.
He was said to have been told what to do by an Indian government official, but the official was not named or charged in the legal document.
Mr Gupta could go to prison for up to 20 years if he is found guilty.
Mr Gupta says he was arrested by people who called themselves US agents without a warrant. He also says he hasn’t had a fair trial yet.
It also says that he was kept alone in a small room and his rights were ignored. He was made to eat beef and pork, even though it goes against his religious beliefs.
The petition says he has been unfairly treated for political reasons and wrongly accused of working with the Indian government to kill an American in the US, even though he has no ties to the country.
Mr Gupta’s family has asked the Indian government to help get him released and make sure he gets a fair trial.
They also want an Indian lawyer to help him in the Czech Republic and the US.
In July, Mr Bazoum was removed from power by the military.
Ecowas said in a statement on Thursday that a recent summit of its leaders in Nigeria acknowledged that Mr Bazoum’s government was taken over by the military in a coup.
Niger has been suspended from Ecowas until things are back to normal in the country.
Ecowas thought there was a coup in Niger at first, so they waited before suspending the country.
Ecowas put sanctions and warned of using military force after the coup.
Member of Parliament for the Ningo Prampram Constituency has revealed that he once wanted to join the military.
In an interview on Starr FM, he noted that he admired former President Jerry John Rawlings to the extent that he wanted to walk in his footsteps.
“Growing up, Rawlings was one of my role models, my idol. In fact, my first son (Jeremiah) was named after him, that is how much I adored the man,” he said.
He also noted that one of the factors that triggered his decisions was how Mr Rawlings was being treated at the time. Sam George said he was frustrated when the current President, Nana Akufo-Addo, who was then the Minister for Foreign Affairs, prohibited Mr. Rawlings from accessing the VIP lounge at the Kotoka International Airport and visiting military installations.
“I felt pissed off, so I said I was joining the cadet and when I finished, I was going to enlist in the army to follow Rawlings’ footsteps. I was very displeased with the way he was treated at the time. I thought it was unfair.”
He also mentioned that this informed his decision to join the cadet during his days at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and subsequently, purchased the army recruitment forms in 2005 after he graduated.
“Growing up in Nigeria,…if you live here in Ghana, you don’t understand. Rawlings is seen as a God in Nigeria, held in high esteem. Because the Nigerians had their version of Rawlings in 1979, General Idiagbon who was killed and they thought that Idiagbon was the one who was bringing discipline and started the kind of disciplinary reforms Rawlings started,” he said.
“You talk to Nigerians about Rawlings and he’s seen as a whole standard. So growing up there, it was a thing of pride. And for me to come to Ghana in 2001 when he had just left power and to see the way he was being treated, as a young boy, 17 or 18 years old, it really made my blood boil,” the Lawmaker told Host Bola Ray.
He said he was discouraged from joining the military by his mother after he bought the army recruitment forms.
The ancient Maya thought that the cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula were very special because they believed they were doors to the gods of the underworld.
These caves underground are one of the purest water systems in Latin America.
They are calm, while there is a lot of noise and building work happening right above them.
The Mexican president‘s new train project, called the Tren Maya (Maya Train), is almost finished. The last columns and tracks are being built.
The network will be 1,500 kilometers long and stretch from Chiapas state to the border with Belize. Its supporters believe that this will bring tourism and development to the jungle.
The Tren Maya had to deal with many challenges before it started its first trip. It cost about $28. 5 billion, which is three times more than expected.
They say that cutting down trees along the route has been really bad for the homes of animals like jaguars, scarlet macaws, and spider monkeys.
Members of a group called “Sélvame del Tren” took us through tunnels and caves to show us how the train is affecting the clean water in the area.
Cave diver Bernadette Carrión says, “This water is cleaned by nature and safe to drink,” as we go into a cave called “Oppenheimer,” named after the damage around it.
“If this place gets dirty, nothing will be able to live here,” she says.
In the cenote, you can hear water dripping from the rock into pools below.
There is a big ceiling above us with pointy rocks hanging down. It is a really amazing sight, but not many people have seen it because Oppenheimer is not included in tourist trips or local visits to cenotes.
Water flows under the ground in the Yucatán and connects the caves to the sea.
The more we make the middle of the peninsula dirty, the more we make the ocean dirty. Ms Carrión says that the coral reefs and algae are already being harmed, which is affecting the production of oxygen.
As we walk and swim in the underground maze, famous Mexican water expert Guillermo D. Christy shows the rocky landscape where the limestone has been worn away to create rivers and caves.
He says the mineral formations called stalactites, which filter rainwater, are getting blocked by cement dust.
The team doesn’t hold back when talking about the train. They call it a “huge monument” and say it was built for a proud leader.
Above the land, the Tren Maya has caused different opinions and separated communities.
The Maya village of Vida y Esperanza has been divided by Line 5, the part of the train track that goes from Cancún to the south. A maintenance station is being constructed across from the school.
The government paid the villagers for their land and most people in the area think the train will help the economy, especially those who support Amlo.
But Benjamin Chim had his land destroyed and turned into a quarry for the railroad. He didn’t get paid for them because, like many Maya farmers, he couldn’t prove they were his.
“We have been farming this land for 40 years,” he says, while pointing to a scene of complete destruction with trucks moving around.
Mr Chim says he asked for the property deeds but never got them. The army, who are building and running the train, said he can go back to the land once the project is finished. However, at that time, it won’t be able to be used.
While we were talking, soldiers told us to leave the area.
During construction, the plan for Line 5 was changed because luxury hotel chains asked to have it removed from near their hotels.
Activists are concerned that the building surveys were done quickly and they worry that the elevated sections of the track could fall down because the cave network is complex, like honeycomb or Swiss cheese.
In a special interview, the Tren Maya director, General Óscar Lozano Águila, said it is very safe.
“If you ask me as a soldier, technician, or systems operator, I will still say that all Mexican and international tourists on our train will be safe. ”
He says that building it was a big achievement because the ground beneath the track is not strong, but he made sure it was built to strong and strict rules.
“We all worked together to reach this great goal. ” This is a really amazing piece of infrastructure.
Amlo thinks the Tren Maya is important to improve Mexico’s train services.
As part of his big plan, about 20,000km (12,500 miles) of train tracks that are only used for carrying goods will be used for passengers again. Also, a new freight line that goes from one coast of the country to the other is being made to be just as important as the Panama Canal.
President López Obrador says it is very important for the country’s growth.
We came out of the tunnels and found a hidden historical treasure called Manitas, which is a cenote with 31 ancient handprints on the cave walls.
Long ago, it was a place where some of the first people in America were buried.
Amlo’s train could bring lots of new visitors to the Yucatán Peninsula. However, the quick development could also destroy the valuable secrets on which the area was built.
The police in India have arrested a man who is said to be an important person involved in the security breach at the parliament.
Lalit Jha, who is a teacher, gave himself up to the police in Delhi, India on Thursday. He hasn’t been brought to court yet.
Four more people were arrested on Wednesday and now face charges under a tough anti-terror law.
They have been taken to jail by the police for a week.
The break-in at parliament has been the main news in India since Wednesday. It happened on the 22nd anniversary of a terrible attack on the parliament. This was just a few hours after the Prime Minister and others honored the people who were hurt or killed in the attack.
Two men named Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma went into the MPs’ room, yelling and creating smoke. Two more people named Neelam and Amol Shinde were taken into custody for yelling chants and using colored gas outside the house.
The four people in their 20s and 30s told the police that they were jobless and wanted to show they were unhappy with the government’s rules.
The police have not found any link between the four people they arrested and any political groups.
Some news reports say that Mr. Jha is the suspected leader who planned the security breach. He hasn’t said anything since the breach.
The Times of India newspaper said that Mr Jha gave himself up to the police, and he was with another man who was also arrested.
On Wednesday, a lawyer told a court in Delhi that the protest was a carefully planned plot while asking for custody of the four other accused.
The breach has caused a big political argument – on Thursday, 14 opposition lawmakers were told they couldn’t be in parliament because they were protesting. They want to talk about the breach and are asking Mr Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to say something about it.
They also want something to be done to Pratap Simha, a member of the BJP party, who they say signed the passes for the people who entered the public gallery in parliament without permission.
Mr Simha and his party have not said anything about this officially. One of the people who is accused, Manoranjan, is from the area that Mr. Simha represents
The highest court in Nigeria will soon make a decision about whether to release separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu.
Mr Kanu leads a group called the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) that wants to make a new country in south-eastern Nigeria.
He wants to be let out of jail because he believes there is no reason for the government to keep him there. The government wants to keep him in jail for a longer time and is asking the court to agree.
Mr Kanu was arrested in 2015 and then ran away from Nigeria in 2017 while he was waiting for his trial to start.
He has been in jail since 2021, when he was brought back from Kenya to be charged with terrorism.
Last year in October, a court said Mr. Kanu should be released because there were legal problems with how he was sent to jail.
The government tried to stop the separatist leader from being released because they were afraid that he might run away and cause trouble.
Some leaders from the south-eastern part of Nigeria want him to be set free.
Sixty people who died in fighting between different groups in Manipur, a state in India, will be buried almost eight months after the violence.
64 people who died in the fighting were given back to their families on Thursday.
The Meitei group and Kuki group started fighting on May 3rd because they couldn’t agree on how to share government benefits.
At least 170 people were killed and many more had to leave their homes because of the violence.
64 dead bodies were being kept in government morgues since early May. They belonged to the Kuki and Meitei communities. They were flown from the city Imphal and Churachandpur district to their families in other areas of the state.
The Committee on Tribal Unity, a group that helps tribal communities in Manipur, asked for a 12-hour closing on Friday in Kangpokpi district in memory of the Kuki victims.
The committee said that giving the bodies back was a long process and the return was eagerly anticipated after eight months of sadness, heartbreak, and hopelessness.
The fighting between the Kukis and Meiteis has been very violent, with lots of people being killed and women being sexually assaulted. Most of the people who have been killed are Kukis.
In August, the highest court in India made a group of three retired judges from high courts to check on how to help and support people in the state.
The committee’s report said that out of 175 people who died during the fights in the state, they were able to identify 169 of them, but only 81 of the bodies were picked up by their families.
In November, the court told the state government to help bury or burn the bodies that were not claimed in morgues by December.
The United Nations help group in Afghanistan said that violence against women and girls has always been a big problem, even before the Taliban took control of the country.
“But now, these types of incidents happen a lot because of the problems with money, finance, and people’s well-being in the country,” UNAMA said. More and more, women have been forced to stay at home. This makes them more likely to experience violence from their family or partner.
Before the Taliban took control again in 2021, there were 23 government-supported shelters for women’s safety in Afghanistan. According to UNAMA, these shelters have disappeared.
The Taliban officials told UNAMA that women should not need shelters because they should be with their husbands or male family members. Someone said that shelters like this are “a concept from the western world”.
The officials said they would ask the male family members to promise not to harm the woman survivor.
If there were no men in her family to stay with, or if she might be in danger, the survivor would be sent to prison to keep her safe. This is like how some people who are addicted to drugs and people who don’t have a home are given a place to live in the capital city of Kabul, according to UNAMA.
UNAMA said that this would mean taking away someone’s freedom without a good reason.
“Punishing women in a vulnerable situation by keeping them confined could make their mental and physical health worse. It could also make them feel like victims again and put them at risk of being discriminated against and stigmatized when they are released. ”
UNAMA said that the Taliban did not handle gender-based violence complaints clearly or consistently for a year starting on 15 August 2021.
For instance, it’s hard to tell the difference between criminal and civil complaints, which means women and girls might not get the legal help they need.
Most complaints are dealt with by men. The United Nations said that because there are not many women handling complaints, it makes it hard for survivors to speak up.
People who have experienced something bad can no longer be sure they will get help for their problems, like through the legal system or getting money to make up for what happened to them. UNAMA reported that people are scared of the Taliban government and how they do things, so they don’t want to ask for help from the official justice system.
Between 2001 and 2021, there were some moves to improve women’s rights, like changing laws and policies. But now, these changes have almost all gone away.
Since the Taliban took over again in 2021, they have almost completely gone back on their promises to allow women to work and go to school.
In Afghanistan, only young girls can go to primary school. Young girls and women are not allowed to go to school or college.
They can’t go to parks, gyms, and pools. Beauty shops are closed, and women have to cover their bodies except for their eyes. They need to have a male family member with them if they are traveling more than 72km (45 miles).
Hungary said no to giving Ukraine €50bn ($55bn; £43bn) in EU aid, even though they agreed to start talking about Ukraine joining the EU.
“Last night’s shift summary: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said they vetoed giving extra money to Ukraine after talks in Brussels on Thursday. ”
EU leaders said they will start talking about aid again at the beginning of next year.
Ukraine needs a lot of money from the EU and US to keep fighting against Russian forces that are in their country.
Mr Orban said no to help shortly after EU leaders said yes to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia joining the EU.
Hungary, which is friends with Russia, has not supported Ukraine’s membership, but did not stop it from happening.
Mr Orban briefly left the room where they were negotiating. Officials said it was planned and helpful. The other 26 leaders continued with the vote.
He said on Hungarian state radio on Friday that he tried for eight hours to stop his EU friends from going ahead, but he couldn’t persuade them. He said Ukraine joining the EU would take a while. If the parliament in Budapest wanted to, they could still prevent it from happening.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was happy about the EU’s decision to start talking about Ukraine joining the EU. He called it a win.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that Ukraine still has money for a few more weeks, so we don’t need to give them aid right now, despite Mr Orban’s disagreement.
“We said yes to the 26 countries,” he added. Viktor Orban from Hungary has not been able to do that yet. I think we can make a deal at the beginning of next year. We plan to do this in late January.
At a meeting in the early morning on Friday, Mr. Michel said that almost all EU leaders agreed on the aid package and budget plans for the group. But Sweden still needs to get approval from its parliament.
“He said we will talk about this again soon and we will try to all agree. ”
Ukraine really wants the $61 billion in US military help, but it’s taking a long time for the decision to be made because the Democrat and Republican politicians can’t agree.
Ukraine fought back against Russia’s occupying forces, but they had to stop when winter started. People are worried that Russia has stronger weapons and could win.
President Zelensky’s wife, Olena, said in a BBC interview last week that Ukrainians could be in serious danger of dying if Western countries don’t keep giving them money.
Ukraine and Moldova want to join the EU because Russia attacked Ukraine. They both became candidates last June, but Georgia was not chosen at that time.
Mr Zelensky was happy about the EU saying he could be a member. “Ukraine won this. It’s a win for them. ” A win for all of Europe. “Winning helps us feel motivated, inspired, and stronger,” he wrote on X.
Moldova’s President Maia Sandu said she was happy to welcome Ukraine on the path to joining the EU. “We owe our presence here today to Ukraine’s strong fight against Russia’s harsh invasion,” she wrote.
This year, Moldova said Russia was trying to take control of Chisinau.
White House Adviser Jake Sullivan is happy that the EU decided to start talks with Ukraine and Moldova. He thinks this is an important step for them to join Europe and the Atlantic partnership.
German leader Olaf Scholz said that he was happy that other leaders showed their support for Ukraine and Moldova, and he believes that both countries are a part of Europe. A diplomat at the meeting said that Mr. Scholz suggested that Mr. Orban should leave the room so that the vote could happen.
The leader of Hungary said on Facebook that he doesn’t agree with his colleagues about Ukraine joining the EU. Hungary does not want to join in this wrong choice.
Mr Orban thinks that Ukraine shouldn’t receive a lot of money from the EU because it’s not a member of the group.
Earlier today, President Vladimir Putin made fun of Ukraine and said that Western support was running low. He said, “Sorry for being rude, but they are getting everything for free. ” But those free things might not be available forever.
Negotiations to join the EU can last a long time, so Ukraine’s decision on Thursday doesn’t mean they will definitely become a member.
Countries that want to join the European Union need to make changes to follow rules about things like laws and the economy. The EU’s leaders have said Ukraine is doing a good job, completing over 90% of the required changes in areas like justice and fighting corruption.
The French coastguard says that a boat with 66 people on it got into trouble about 8km (5 miles) from the French coast.
The people who survived were brought to Calais. The person who got hurt is in the hospital getting help.
The coastguard is still looking for the missing people using airplanes and boats.
French authorities said they arrived at the boat at 1:00 in the morning and found that one of the boat’s tubes was flat and people were in the water.
One person who was not awake was taken to Calais Hospital by helicopter, while the others were brought to land by a few rescue boats.
The rescue happened a couple of miles away from the French coast near Grand-Fort Philippe, which is 20km east of Calais.
For 11 days, the windy weather in the Channel made it hard for anyone to try crossing. But finally, someone tried to cross it today.
730 people traveled in the first three days of December when the sea was smooth.
This year, over 29,000 people came to the UK in small boats. This is a decrease of about one third compared to last year.
The UK government wants to make sure that boats don’t come into the English Channel.
It is moving forward with a plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda, even though the Supreme Court said the plan is not allowed by law.
The English Channel is a very busy and dangerous place for ships. About 600 tankers and 200 ferries travel through it every day.
In August, at least six people died when a boat carrying migrants sank in the Channel near the French coast.
In November 2021, more than 27 people died when their small boat sank while trying to go from France to the UK. This is the most deaths in one event ever recorded.
A list is currently circulating on social media, purportedly unveiling a roster of individuals eyeing for the Vice President slot within the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The unverified compilation, consisting of names like Chief of Staff, Frema Opare; Roads Minister, Kwasi Amoako Atta; Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu; Energy Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Education Minister, Yaw Osei Adutwum etc., has triggered widespread curiosity, with many Ghanaians wondering who among these names will finally end up as the running mate of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
The Chief of Staff’s name has emerged as one of the key contenders for the position. As a seasoned political figure, Frema Opare is believed to possess the potential to become the Vice President. There are also rumors from deep throat sources in the ruling New Patriotic Party that top guns in the New Patriotic Party are trying to impose her candidacy as the Vice President on Dr Bawumia.
Roads Minister, Kwasi Amoako Atta, is recognized for his role in infrastructure development in the country. Since January 2017, he’s held the position of the Roads Minister after his appointment by president Akufo-Addo. Nonetheless, there are circulating rumors suggesting that influential figures within the New Patriotic Party are attempting to advocate for his candidacy as the Vice President, potentially imposing it on Dr Bawumia.
Rumors are also rife that Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu, is also among the list of persons staunch members of the NPP are imposing on Dr Bawumia.
But the Akufo-Addo family is imposing Frema Opare and Amoako Atta and Ursula Owusu on Bawumia. The greed from this family is too much. Anyway whoever they choose Mahama is waiting
Rebecca Akufo-Addo Speaker of Parliament Social Media Supreme Court Ama Busia
Ursula Owusu is a familiar face in Ghanaian politics. The inclusion of her name fuels discussions about the potential advantages her communications skills could bring to the NPP’s electoral pursuits.
As the Education Minister, Yaw Osei Adutwum’s name on the list adds an educational dimension to the speculated contenders. Ghanaians, however, are contemplating how his background in education could shape the party’s appeal in future elections.
Energy Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, is no stranger to navigating complex portfolios. His presence on the list has ignited conversations about the possible influence of his energy sector experience on the party’s agenda.
All these names have emerged as potential candidates to support Dr Bawumia and compete against former President John Mahama and his Vice President. Although he has not made a selection yet, there are also speculations that he might go back to pick Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman.
The University of Wisconsin has agreed to a deal that lowers the number of diversity jobs in its schools in return for giving staff raises and doing building projects.
Regents agreed to the deal on Wednesday night, which was supported by the Republican controlled state legislature.
The agreement, valued at $800 million, stops hiring new diverse employees until 2026 and changes the way 43 current positions work.
However, the state’s governor is against the agreement.
Tony Evers, who is a member of the Democratic Party, said that Republicans are using university funding as a way to push their own political ideas.
He said that the Republican Speaker of the legislature, Robin Vos, used bullying tactics to negotiate and does not like public education.
Mr Evers said that the school already agreed on pay raises for staff and money for campus improvements in the budget that was passed in July. He also mentioned that the state could have used its funds to help the school and stop people from losing their jobs.
The budget that was approved by Republicans gave a six percent raise to many state workers. But a committee led by Republicans later decided not to give the raise to University of Wisconsin workers.
Mr Evers said that the Republican’s vote today shows they are using their power too much and in the wrong way to control and disrupt the government.
After the vote, university leader Jay Rothman said the agreement was needed to make both sides happy.
Mr Vos said it’s just the beginning of our efforts to get rid of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at University of Wisconsin campuses.
The group voted 11 to 6 to approve the plan in a video call. Last week, they said no to the deal with a 9 to 8 vote because Democrats complained about the limits on DEI funding.
Some of the leaders who changed their mind said they needed more time to look at the plan.
“The vice president of the board, Amy Bogost, said that we can’t ignore the big problems that our universities are facing. She, along with two others, changed their vote to support the deal. ”
The Regents who said no to the deal thought that the way it was made could cause problems in the future.
“I didn’t join this board to get involved in political games,” said regent Angela Adams, as reported by the Associated Press. “In my opinion, we shouldn’t trade financial support for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus. ”
Many democratic state politicians criticized the deal, and Rep Dora Drake said it was “racist”.
“It’s unfair to students, teachers, and staff who are people of color because their experiences should not be valued based on money,” she said.
The debate started after the US Supreme Court said in June that universities can’t use a person’s race when deciding who to admit.
Affirmative action policies aim to make schools more diverse. However, conservatives have strongly criticized them.
A 17-year-old boy from England who disappeared in Spain in 2017 has been found in France, the authorities confirmed.
The teenager named Alex Batty was found in the town of Revel, which is east of Toulouse, on Wednesday morning.
Six years ago, 11-year-old Alex was on vacation with his mom and grandpa in Spain when they went missing.
A police officer told the media that Alex was brought to a police station by a driver who was worried about him.
The boy said he had been in France for two years, the police source said. The police also said he looked like the last picture of Alex.
He was healthy and said he was not treated badly in any way.
The office in Toulouse said to the media that they can confirm the identity of the missing child. The family said it’s true.
In 2018, Alex’s grandmother, Susan Caruana, said on the BBC that she thought Alex’s mom and grandpa had taken him to live with a spiritual group in Morocco. She also takes care of him legally.
She said they wanted a different way of living and didn’t want Alex to attend school.
A reporter in the area told the media that a delivery driver saw the boy walking with a backpack and skateboard in the mountains and felt bad for him, so he gave him a ride.
Remi Buhagiar from La Depeche newspaper said that the boy and the person spent three hours in the car and the boy shared his story.
“He said he had been living in a traveling community where people move from place to place. ” He didn’t have to, but he thought his mother was strange and didn’t want to live like that. He wanted to do his own thing, so he left.
Alex walked through the hills for many days, Mr Buhagiar said.
“I don’t know if she received the message,” he said.
Many people are drawn to the area near the Pyrenees mountains because they want to live in different ways.
The British police have been reached out to through the embassy in Paris.
Deputy Executive Director of the Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP), Ghana, Benjamin Boakye, has shared documents detailing the cause of Ghana’s $170 million judgment debt to the Ghana Power Generation Company.
He made the revelation on Twitter. As per the document, the primary concern revolved around the reinstatement of an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
The then Minister of Energy was supposed to write a memo to the president recommending the reinstatement of the EPA but did not despite several reassurances that it would be done.
When you read the $170m judgement debt on GPGC, you'll understand how people sleep on the Job to engineer financial haemorrhage. The Value of the contract was ~$134m if it worked, without discounting for my economic benefit. We don't know the accrued interest yet. @BBSimonspic.twitter.com/elsWKX1S6L
On Wednesday, December 13, 2023, Member of Parliament for North Tongu,Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, released a document indicating that the government has sanctioned the disbursement of US$20 million (GH¢230.5 million) to settle a judgment debt owed to the Ghana Power Generation Company (GPGC).
The Member of Parliament accused the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government of intentionally orchestrating the judgment debt for the purpose of creating, looting, and distributing the country’s resources.
“I hope the Ministers who wrongfully terminated the GPGC contract and wilfully caused financial loss to Ghana are preparing for the day of reckoning,” he said.
A court in the United Kingdom (UK) awarded a $140 million arbitral against Ghana for the termination of a power deal with GPGC, a subsidiary of international commodities company, Trafigura, in 2021.
The Government of Ghana (GoG) was ordered by the court to pay the full value of the Early Termination Payment of $134,348,661 together with the “Mobilisation, Demobilization and preservation and maintenance costs” of the value.
Not only is the GoG going to pay the $134,348,661, but the court has also ordered Ghana to pay all the interest that has accrued from it.
The court also asked the government to pay the cost of the arbitration and the legal fees of GPGC, which amounted to over $3 million.
Ghana’s sensational musician, Justice Amoah, known in showbiz as Patapaa, has given the Christmas classic “Jingle Bell” a new twist, leaving fans in stitches and spreading festive joy like never before.
Known for his infectious energy and unique style, Patapaa took to the stage with an irreverent and side splitting rendition of the beloved Christmas tune “Jingle Bell.”
The artist, renowned for his catchy tunes and unconventional performances, injected a dose of laughter into the holiday season with his comical take on the festive favorite.
For those seeking a mood boost and a dose of unfiltered merriment, Patapa’s rendition of “Jingle Bell” is an absolute must-watch.
