A Tanzanianfilm has been shortlisted for an Oscars award – ending the country’s two-decades wait for an entry in the awards.
Vuta N’kuvute film – Swahili for tug of war – has been shortlisted in the 95th Oscars’ Best International Film category.
Released in Swahili and with a majority black cast, the film tells the story of a young Indian-Zanzibari girl whose romance thrives on the back of a political revolt in the dying days of British imperial rule.
“The future for Tanzanian cinema is finally in our hands. A wave of Swahili filmmakers grows with pride, intellect and audacity every day,” Amil Shivji, a co-producer of the film, posted on Instagram.
In September 2021, Vuta N’kuvute made history as the first Tanzanian feature film to ever be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Tanzania’s first entry to the Oscars awards was Maangazi: The Ancient One, in 2002.
The country’s Swahili Bongo films are popular in East Africa.
On Monday 19 September, Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest at Windsor Castle, hours after her state funeral. While world leaders and international royals gathered at Westminster Abbey, members of the public filled the streets of London, with at least 26 million British viewers tuning in to watch the service from home.
The Times reports that it was the largest TV audience since March 2020, when then Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement about coronavirus restrictions was watched by 27.1 million people. The figure is likely surpassed, however, if taking into account the public gathered in central London to witness the proceedings in person, with the MailOnline estimating that the gathering was as much as two million.
Data indicates at least 95 percent of TV viewers watched the London part of the service, broadcast simultaneously across networks, with just over 85 per cent of the available audience (22.4 million), watching on the BBC at the peak time. The broadcasting company puts the audience higher than 26, at 28 million, and said that in excess of 32 million people had watched its coverage at some point during the day. It has also been estimated that more than 4 billion tuned in worldwide (which would make the service the most watched broadcast of all time).
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC GATHER TO WATCH LARGE SCREEN LIVE BBC TV COVERAGE OF THE FUNERAL OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II AT TRURO CATHEDRAL Hugh Hastings/Getty Images
The audience was lower than the viewing figures for the Euro 2020 football tournament final at Wembley (29.8 million across the BBC and ITV combined), an event which commanded the highest audience since the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 (32.1 million). It was previously estimated that 33 million viewers watched the news coverage on the day of the Queen’s death, 8 September, although the peak audience watching simultaneously is thought to have been under 10 million.
Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said that an estimated 250,000 people had queued to see the Queen lying in state in Westminster Hall ahead of the funeral. Quickly dubbed ‘The Queue’ by the media, it reached around five miles long at its peak, with waits in excess of 12 hours, and periods of closure when it reached capacity. The London Ambulance Service said that over 2,000 people in the queue had received medical treatment, with 240 taken to hospital.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WATCH QUEEN ELIZABETH II’S STATE FUNERAL ON A TV SCREEN IN HOLYROOD PARK IN EDINBURGH Euan Cherry/Getty Images
The funeral has joined the ranks of the most watched television broadcasts in British history, coming in at number 10 (under events including 1969’s Royal Family documentary, 1970’s Apollo 13 Splashdown, and the 1981 wedding between the then Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales). An advertising ban was instituted across commercial networks such as ITV, as well as for Channel 4, meaning broadcasters could not make significant monetary profit from the viewing surge.
Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral on 19 September was an occasion complete with much pomp and ceremony, befitting her 70-year reign. Much has been reported, however, of King Charles III’s aspirations for a ‘slimmed-down’ monarchy – a notion that’s becoming all the more appropriate in light of the cost of living crisis. So what can we expect from the new King’s coronation, as an event traditionally associated with grandeur and majesty?
Following his mother’s death on 8 September, no date has been announced for the King’s coronation: a milestone that will formally mark his transition to the role of monarch. Royal precedent has typically dictated that the event come many months after the initial accession, due first to the observance of a respectful mourning period, as well as on account of the planning and preparation required. The coronation of the late Queen, for example, on 2 June 1953, came over a year after the death of her father in February 1952. The Telegraph reports that the King will likely be crowned next spring or summer.
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex flew to Britain for the first time since the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in early September they could not have anticipated how long their stay would stretch. Following the Queen’s death on 8 September, Harry and Meghan would remain in the country over the subsequent 10-day mourning period, in order to participate in events honouring the monarch’s life as well as mourn Harry’s grandmother alongside his family.
Now, succeeding the state funeral that was held for the sovereign on Monday, the couple have returned home to their family, flying from Heathrow airport yesterday following their extended absence. The couple’s children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, are unlikely to have spent so long apart from their parents, whose visit to the UK was only intended for less than a week.
THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX, THE QUEEN CONSORT, PRINCE GEORGE, PRINCESS CHARLOTTE AND THE COUNTESS OF WESSEX DURING THE STATE FUNERAL OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY, 2022 Karwai TangTHE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX FOLLOW THE COFFIN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II AS IT IS CARRIED OUT OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY DURING HER FUNERAL FRANK AUGSTEIN/Getty Images
THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX DURING THE STATE FUNERAL OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II Karwai TangTHE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX WPA Pool/Getty ImagesTHE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX FOLLOWS THE COFFIN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II TOM JENKINS/Getty Images
Members of the public will be able to visit the final resting place of Queen Elizabeth II in St George’s Chapel from Thursday 29 September.
The late Queen Elizabeth II has been reunited with her parents, sister and the late Duke of Edinburgh, her husband of nearly 74 years, in her final resting place at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. A committal ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II took place at the chapel on Monday, following her state funeral at Westminster Abbey. A new ledger stone now marks the tomb, bearing the Queen’s name with those of her family.
For centuries, Westminster Abbey was the prime resting place for kings and queens (with Edward the Confessor becoming the first sovereign to be buried there in 1066) until the 15th century, after which British monarchs have also been buried at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Queen Victoria is buried elsewhere; she now rests at the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore, alongside her husband, Prince Albert, who died almost 40 years before her. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor are also buried at Frogmore, although their bodies lie in the Royal Burial Ground.
THE LATE DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S FUNERAL, 2021 WPA Pool/Getty Images
St George’s also holds a number of happy memories, with the Royal Family regularly using it as a location for weddings and christenings. King Charles III and the Queen Consort wed at the chapel in 2005, whilst the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank both married there in 2018.
Her Majesty’s final resting place is set alongside her parents, George VI (who died in 1952) and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, (who died in 2002), and the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret (who also died in 2002), in a small chapel set apart from the main royal vault. The coffin of the late Duke of Edinburgh is set to be relocated from the vault to the chapel, to lie beside his wife.
THE FUNERAL OF KING GEORGE V AT WINDSOR CASTLE, 1936 Print Collector/Getty Images
Built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style, the chapel’s origins date to 1348, when Edward III founded the Order of the Garter and the College of St George at Windsor Castle. Beneath its black and white tiles lie the bodies of nine other English and British sovereigns, including King Henry VIII.
King Henry VI, King George III, King George IV, King William IV, King Edward VII and King George V lie in the royal vault. King Charles I was also buried there after his beheading in 1649, although his tomb remained unmarked until 1837.
“…I believe it is time for him to step aside, for Nana Addo to stop working, and to let capable others take over. Since he lost the battle against Galamsey, he need to step down.
At a celebration in Accra on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, honoring Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s 113th birthday, CPP General Secretary Nana Yaa Akyempem Jantuah declared, “We in the Convention Peoples Party are imploring him to keep his promises.
The President declared, “I have said it in the Cabinet, and perhaps this is the first time I am making this public, that I am prepared to put my Presidency on the line on this matter. I am speaking to a two-day workshop on galamsey for traditional leaders drawn from different parts of the country on Monday in Accra.”
But the Government’s fight against illegal mining was dealt a heavy blow following the widespread controversy on the arrest of Chinese galamsey queen, Aisha Huang and her collaborators.
The Criminal Division of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo on Monday, September 19, 2022 ruled that Aisha is a flight risk and would not avail herself to stand trial when granted bail and remanded her in custody.
The Justice of the High Court was of the considered view that, remanding the accused person was in the best interest of justice before remanding her into prison custody to re-appear on October 11, 2022.
After nearly three years of litigation with entertainment giant DC Comics,a small neighborhood bakery in Chile has retained the right to use the brand “Superpan”.
41-year-old Gonzalo Montenegro has been selling bread in his native Quinta Normal, a commune in the Santiago province, for over three decades. As a youth, he would promote his products by wearing a green “Peter Pan” t-shirt, and one with the iconic symbol of the “Man of Steel”.
It was the second one that really stuck with people, and before long, they started calling him “Superpan”, a play on words combining “Superman” and “pan”, the Spanish word for ‘bread’. Over the last 28 years, Montenegro used ‘Superpan’ as a brand to sell his bakery products, but some three years ago, he learned that he was being sued by DC Comics, the owners of Superman
Montenegro told Chilean reporters that his legal troubles began at the height of the pandemic, when he started allowing people in need of money to sell his products under the Superpan brand. He assumes some of them started promoting them online, and that drew the attention of DC Comics, a global corporation and one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies.
The Chilean baker believes that DC assumed that he operated a large chain of bakeries, not a small family-owned neighborhood bakery, otherwise it wouldn’t have made much sense to go after him. But they did, and Montenegro found himself challenged in court over the use of the name Superpan, which DC claimed was “practically the same” as Superman. The lawyers of the corporation argued that allowing Superpan to operate would create confusion and harm the Superman brand.
To make matters worse, Chilean corporation Agrosuper also joined the lawsuit, accusing Superpan of infringing on its own brands, like “superpollo”, “supercerdo”, and others.
Now, after almost three years, Chile’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) rendered a verdict in this case, declaring that Superpan was not infringing on any intellectual property and was free to use the name going forward.
“Our place is social, the bread that is left over we give away; DC believed that he was suing a corporation, a brand, but they found me, a humble guy who was going to be stripped of everything because of the nickname he adopted, out of admiration for Superman, when he was a child,” Montenegro said.
After the legal victory, Superpan was finally able to return to serving its community 100 percent, and even though DC still has the option of an appeal, the bakery’s legal representation believes that it is very unlikely that they will pursue it.
“Our cumulative increment was somewhere around 26%. Because there was a little dispute between that ours and the Ministry, we had to go back and do it again. The Ministry was not offering anything as it were.
“Like we said, they also have to take their data from the NPA to confirm that we have the one that we have. After we’ve all agreed on what the data is, that is when we would do the calculation for the increase,” General Secretary of GRTCC, Emmanuel Ohene Yeboah told JoyNews.
The meeting was rescheduled for Thursday, September 22 to allow the parties to reconsider their proposals, with the hope that they can reach a consensus.
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has cited an increment in fuel prices at the pump and the cost of spare parts as reasons for its proposed increment in transport fares.
Spokesperson of GPRTU, Abass Imoro, is optimistic they will arrive at an acceptable increment when they meet the Ministry again.
“We presented our issue of upward adjustment in lorry fares but we couldn’t conclude yesterday [Monday]. Normally, the GRTCC joins hands with us; so, we all came up with one proposal.
“So, we should keep our fingers crossed. Whatever the outcome [will be] on Thursday, we shall bring it out and sensitise the public about the percentage and when it will take effect.”
Moroccan rights activist Saida el-Alami has lost her appeal against her conviction for insulting public officials and has had her sentence increased from two to three years in prison.
She was arrested in March after denouncing on social media the Moroccan authorities’ treatment of journalists and activists.
Rights groups say the kingdom has stepped up its harassment of opponents, often using bogus charges to have them thrown behind bars.
BOST commenced disciplinary action against its officials after the Auditor-General’srevealed in its report that these employees breached Ghana’s Public Procurement Act when they awarded the streetlight project to Enginmac Company Limited.
According to the report, Enginmac Company Limited, Precious Engineering and Dass-B Electricals competed with one another to win the bid, although they have the same owner.
Eventually, BOST awarded the contracts to Enginmac Company Limited at a cost of ¢178,252.52, something the Auditor-General found suspicious and ordered a cancellation of the contract.
Opening up on some of the financial infractions raised by the Auditor-General’s 2021 report, the Managing Director of BOST, Edwin Provencal, revealed that the engineering companies involved have been blacklisted.
“It’s up to management to use its internal processes to cure the infraction and also where there are lapses to discipline those who are culpable; that process is ongoing and when it ends, it shall call you back and tell you what’s happening to those people.
“…that’s why I raised my hand; I take full responsibility and there are people who work on these things. There are General Managers, there are managers, there are officers and we know them and they are going through the process so they will be dealt with,” he told Blessed Sogah in an interview.
Mr Provencal noted that the Company has identified some process failures which have already been corrected through an internal audit, adding that issues like this would not recur.
Managing Director of BOST, Edwin Provencal
Speaking on the possibility of criminal prosecutions, the Managing Director said no money has been lost and that service was delivered.
“The service was delivered and signed off. It’s just that the process leading to the selection was flawed but no money has been lost.”
After spending the entire night being interrogated by counter-terrorism police, the leader of the largest party in the now-disbanded Tunisian parliament has been freed by the authorities.
Rached Ghannouchi has been accused of complicity in smuggling jihadists to Syria and Iraq, charges he has denied.
According to his lawyer, he will again be questioned later on Wednesday.
His Ennadha party has denounced his interrogation and that of the former prime minister, Ali Laarayedh, as a flagrant violation of human rights.
The Tunisian president, Kais Saied, has brooked no opposition to his rule since dissolving parliament last year.
The pilot of Emiliano Sala’s plane told friends the aircraft was “dodgy” before the flight that killed the Argentine footballer, it can be revealed.
David Ibbotson is heard in audio exclusively obtained by the BBC saying “I’ll be wearing my life jacket” on the journey from France to Wales.
He told a friend he heard a “bang” on a previous flight. The plane crashed into the English Channel in 2019.
It comes as footage shows the last moment the pair were seen alive.
Sala had just become then Premier League side Cardiff City’s £15m record signing from French club Nantes when the plane crashed into the English Channel, killing them both.
Technical difficulties
He was flown by Mr Ibbotson – a part-time pilot who didn’t have a licence to carry paying passengers and whose body has never been found – back to western France to say his goodbyes and collect some belongings.
He flew to Nantes on Saturday, 19 January, and planned to return on the Monday – the day of the crash.
Audio of a telephone call to a fellow pilot has been exclusively obtained by the BBC, revealing for the first time the technical difficulties Mr Ibbotson had on the journey to France.
In it, he says he heard “a bang” during the flight and complained that he could feel a “very low mist” inside the 35-year-old Piper Malibu plane.
“I’m mid-Channel and ‘bang’,” Mr Ibbotson told friend, Kevin Jones, about his flight to Nantes.
“I’m flying along and then ‘boom’. I thought, ‘what’s wrong?’ So I put everything forward and checked my parameters, everything was good and it was still flying, but it got your attention.”
He added: “That Malibu, occasionally you’ve got like a mist every so often. You can feel it, very, very low throughout the airframe.”
In an effort to ensure energy supply amid the conflict in Ukraine, Germany will nationalize gas company Uniper.
The deal will see the German government take on a 98.5% stake in the firm at a cost of €8.5bn (£7.4bn).
Germany is Europe’s biggest importer of Russian gas, and has been particularly squeezed as Russia has reduced supplies in recent months.
Chief executive Klaus-Dieter Maubach said the deal would help Uniper’s role as “a system-critical energy supplier”.
Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine it supplied Europe with about 40% of its natural gas, and has responded to Western sanctions by gradually cutting off supplies.
At the start of this month, it halted supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, claiming repairs were needed – but later said supplies would not resume until sanctions were lifted.
Uniper is the biggest buyer of Russian gas in Germany. In recent months it has had to replace Russian supplies with alternatives from the open market, where prices have soared.
Uniper’s Finnish owner Fortum said the company has accumulated close to €8.5bn (£7.4bn) in gas-related losses “and cannot continue to fulfil its role as a critical provider of security of supply as a privately-owned company”.
“The role of gas in Europe has fundamentally changed since Russia attacked Ukraine, and so has the outlook for a gas-heavy portfolio,” Fortum chief executive Markus Rauramo said in a statement.
“As a result, the business case for an integrated group is no longer viable.”
Under the terms of the deal, the German government will buy Fortum’s shares in Uniper for €500m (£437m) and inject €8.0bn (£7.0bn) of cash into the business.
The government had already taken on a 30% stake of Uniper as part of a bailout agreement in July.
Earlier this month, it also entered discussions with another major gas supplier, VNG, over a possible bailout package.
Economy minister Robert Habeck said nationalising Uniper was a “necessary” step that would help “ensure security of supply for Germany”.
He also said that, despite the loss of Russian supplies, Germany had succeeded in filling its gas storage facilities to over 90% capacity ahead of winter.
“This means that, as a whole, we have coped quite well with the situation,” he said. “But for Uniper the situation became significantly more dramatic and significantly worse.”
At the start of September, Germany introduced a series of measures intended to cut energy use and stave off shortages over the coming months.
Businesses are no longer allowed to keep their doors open throughout the day to reduce the need for heating, and illuminated advertising must be switched off after 10pm.
The halls and corridors of most public buildings will no longer be heated, and offices can only be heated to a maximum of 19C.
In July, energy ministers across Europe also agreed to reduce their natural gas consumption by 15%.
He said the situation had affected their businesses as the water lever of the affected portion was still high.
“That particular portion always floods whenever it rains heavily” he added.
Alhaji Dawud added that the flood had washed away many foodstuffs as well as animals belonging to communities within that area.
He appealed to the government to fix the road immediately as they suffer any time it rained.
Assemblyman for Zogbeli electoral area Mr Sandabi Sandoo said he had received several calls on the incident and he had since made a report to the appropriate authorities.
Mr Sandoo however called on the government to come to their aid and find lasting solution to the flood problem in the district.
An attempt to reach out to the North East Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) proved futile as his phone was not reachable
Chelsea have sacked commercial director Damian Willoughby after he sent “inappropriate messages” to a female football finance agent.
Willoughby sent improper messages to Catalina Kim before he joined the club last month.
Kim was involved with a bid to buy the West London club in March.
“Chelsea confirms that it has terminated commercial director Damian Willoughby’s employment with immediate effect,” a club spokesperson said.
“Evidence of inappropriate messages sent by Mr Willoughby, prior to his appointment at Chelsea FC earlier this month, has recently been provided to and investigated by the club.
“While they were sent prior to his employment at the club, such behaviour runs absolutely counter to the workplace environment and corporate culture being established by the club’s new ownership.”
Last month Willoughby began a second spell at Stamford Bridge following the club’s takeover by an investment group led by businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
Willoughby worked for Chelsea between 2007 and 2010 – and has also worked for Manchester City and EA Sports. But he has been sacked less than a month into the role.
The Telegraph, which first reported the story, said that Kim highlighted the messages to Chelsea’s head of business, Tim Glick, who hired Willoughby.
Kim’s firm C&P Sports Group were involved in British property owner Nick Candy’s bid to buy the club after it was put up for sale by former owner Roman Abramovich earlier this year.
A Chelsea spokesperson added: “The club’s owners are working tirelessly to set and achieve the highest standards both on and off the pitch, and are determined to establish and nurture a culture of transparency, accountability, inclusivity, diversity and opportunity.
“The club is committed to creating an environment which embodies these values.”
According to accounts, Mr. Philemon Yawo, a worker, was hurt during the attack.
On September 20, 2022, Ashaiman Division Kateko’s crime officer, Superintendent Agbemabiase, acknowledged the incident and stated that an investigation is underway to identify the suspects.
The alleged land guards led by one Yabani Sule and Alex have been threatening and attacking people with weapons, closing residents’ shops and selling off lands which some residents claim the police are fully aware of, residents have alleged.
On July 15, 2022, a High Court Judge, His Lordship Justice Daniel Mensah convicted Adu Ofi II (a.k.a Philip) for and on behalf of Odaitse We, Adu Francis King (F.A. Global Estate Ghana Limited) for disregarding a court ruling that ordered them to not work on a disputed land pending final judgment.
However, while the case is still in court, the Tema Regional Police Commander, DCOP Daniel Kwame Afriyie without consulting the court and in total disregard of the ongoing judicial process determined the outcome thus declaring the convicts as the rightful owners of the land in dispute, reports say.
Since then, Philip and Adu Francis King have allegedly been sending land guards to the land to attack workers of Setho Classic Engineering Company and residents against the court order restraining them from doing so.
It is during one of these alleged attacks at Appolonia Kubekrom that they reportedly injured Philemon Yawo and others.
The President of Student Representative Council (SRC) of the Ghana School of Law, Wisdom Victor Kutor, has been removed from office after the Supreme Court of the SRC found him guilty of financial misconduct.
Mr. Kutor was accused of purchasing a car from his business for the SRC and another for himself under dubious conditions.
Additionally, he was accused of using his company name to operate a mobile money business controlled by SRC and using the profits for personal gain.
Decisions for foreign travels embarked upon by the SRC were also unilaterally taken by the SRC President, who single-handedly selected those who travelled.
Mr Kutor, however, has denied all allegations levelled against him.
An earlier committee set up by the Ghana School of Law to look into the alleged financial impropriety found evidence to support a conclusion that Mr. Kutor placed himself in a position where his personal interest conflicted with that of the Ghana School of Law SRC.
One of the key recommendations of the committee was that the requisite statutory processes should be triggered by the appropriate bodies to remove him as president.
The committee also recommended other necessary disciplinary sanctions because of the breach of fiduciary duties and presidential oath.
Meanwhile, the SRC’s Supreme Court is yet to provide its full judgement in the matter.
Former Scotland, Rangers and Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam has announced he has retired as a player, saying: “It’s not been a bad ride.”
The 36-year-old left Dundee this summer after two seasons during which he helped his hometown club win promotion to the Scottish Premiership.
Now he says it is “time for me to move into coaching”.
“Something I feel incredibly passionate about and have been enjoying for the last few months,” Adam states.
Adam was spotted helping West Ham United manager David Moyes during their pre-season training at St Andrews – and more recently with Burnley’s under-23 set-up – as he worked towards completing his coaching badges.
In a social media statement, Adam thanks fans of Rangers, Ross County, St Mirren, Blackpool, Liverpool, Stoke City, Reading and Dundee for their backing during his time as a player and says: “Hopefully I’ve gave you all some memorable moments along the way.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play for some of the biggest clubs in the world, from Champions League nights at Ibrox for Rangers, winning promotion into the Premier League as Blackpool captain, pulling on the famous Liverpool shirt and scoring in front of the Kop, eight incredible seasons at Stoke City to guiding my boyhood club to promotion and playing 25 times for Scotland.”
Adam becomes the second former Scotland midfielder to retire from playing within a few weeks.
Craig Bryson, who for Clyde, Kilmarnock, Derby County, Cardiff City and Aberdeen, ended his career after only eight games with Stenhousemuir, the 35-year-old’s summer move to the Scottish League 2 club having been hampered by an ankle injury that cut short his time with St Johnstone last season.
According to the company, the flight heralds the launch of Passion Air’s Sunyani route, which will operate three times each week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and Sundays for a GHS600 cost.
Speaking at an event to welcome Passion Air’s maiden commercial domestic flight to the Bono regional capital, Managing Director of Passion Air, Samuel Ato Hagan said the airline’s Sunyani flight would reduce time spent travelling from Accra to the region to just an hour.
“The airline industry is an important contributor towards economic development and must be protected. It has increased easier and faster movements of goods and passengers within the country as well as creating jobs both directly and indirectly for the populace.
Air transport is no longer a luxury but an important component of economic development where time is of essence. The journey time by road between Sunyani and Accra is about 6 – 7 hours, by air this is within an hour. That saves a whole lot of product hours which could be utilized elsewhere productively,” he said.
He bemoaned the impact of the cedi’s continuous loss in value against major trading currencies and the high cost of fuel on the cost of air fares.
“Just when we were beginning to get some respite from the effects of the pandemic, we encountered, two very strong head winds in the form of the depreciation of the Ghana Cedi against the major foreign trading currencies and the continuous increase in aviation fuel prices. This has had adverse effects on us as a business. Our ticket sales are in Cedis but over 98% of our transactions with vendors and suppliers are in foreign currencies. The price of aviation fuel seems to be flying just as high as our aircraft. The price of aviation fuel has increased by 112% from the beginning of this calendar year. This is a major challenge for us as a domestic operator,” he noted.
He commended the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for taking steps to ensure continued operations in the sector despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Queen’s name has been inscribed on a new ledger stone in the Windsorchapel where she was buried on Monday.
The late monarch was laid to rest with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, in the George VI Memorial Chapel – alongside her parents and sister.
Buckingham Palace says the stone replaces a black slab naming George VI and Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
The names of the Queen and Prince Philip are included under a metal star of the Order of the Garter.
The fresh stone set into the floor also includes the dates of when all four were born, along with the years of their deaths next to their names.
The stone has “George VI 1895-1952” and “Elizabeth 1900-2002” written on it, followed by the metal star, and then “Elizabeth II 1926-2022” and “Philip 1921-2021”.
All four royals were members of the Order of the Garter, which has St George’s Chapel, located in the grounds of Windsor Castle, as its spiritual home. The order of chivalry dating back to medieval times is made up of the monarch and other senior figures including former prime ministers and former military chiefs.
When Philip died in April 2021, his coffin was placed in the Royal Vault of St George’s so that it would be ready to move to the memorial chapel when the Queen died.
The Queen’s sister Princess Margaret, who died in 2002, was cremated and her ashes were initially placed in the Royal Vault, before being moved to the George VI memorial chapel with her parents’ coffins when the Queen Mother died just weeks after her.
The chapel is a pale stone annexe that was added on to the north side of the building behind the North Quire Aisle in 1969.
Image source, Getty Images/Image caption, The Queen (second from left) pictured with her father King George VI, mother Elizabeth, sister Princess Margaret and the Duke of Edinburgh (far left)
A peak audience of around 28 million UK viewers tuned in for the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey and committal service in Windsor on Monday.
However, her burial took place in the evening in a private service attended by King Charles III and the Royal Family.
King Charles decreed on 9 September, the day after the Queen died following her 70-year reign, that a period of mourning would be observed until seven days after the funeral.
He is believed to have flown to Scotland on Tuesday with the Queen Consort to grieve privately.
The pair were pictured in a vehicle which arrived at RAF Northolt and was reportedly bound for Balmoral – the estate on which the King’s Scottish home of Birkhall is located.
Other members of the Royal Family are not expected to carry out official engagements, and flags at royal residences will remain at half-mast until 8am after the final day of royal mourning.
Windsor Castle is currently closed to the public and will reopen on 29 September.
For the past 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II exchanged letters with a woman she had never met in person who lives in Park River, North Dakota.
Adele Hankey, 96, born April 21, 1926, shared the same birthday as the late Queen of England, KFYR reported.
Hankey sent the first letter in 1953 when Elizabeth was crowned. Since then the late Queen sent Hankey handwritten birthday letters each year, making it a birthday tradition, according to the outlet.
Adelle Hankey, Queen Elizabeth’s pen pal of about 70 years.
“I could have jumped out of my shoes,” Hankey told the outlet. “I asked her for a hat. I was hoping she would send me one. But she sent a lovely picture on her birthday.”
Hankey told the outlet that the two never met but shared a passion for cooking.
“The recipes the queen liked were with marmalade. And so do I. How about that?” Hankey said.
Hankey told the outlet that she will miss the communication between her and her friend, the late Queen of England.
“Oh absolutely. You miss your pen pals,” said Hankey told the outlet.
Criticism of England manager Gareth Southgate this summer was “very harsh”, Jack Grealish has said.
England failed to win any of their four Nations League games in June, including 1-0 and 4-0 defeats by Hungary.
However, Southgate led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and a first European Championship final in 2021.
“I thought it was harsh but sometimes that’s what you get if you’re English. I’ve had my fair share,” Manchester City winger Grealish said.
“We reached the [Euro 2020] final last year – then [there was] the [loss to] Hungary at the start of the last camp, but before that the last time we’d lost a game over 90 minutes was Belgium in November 2020.”
England drew with Italy and Germany either side of the defeats by Hungary in internationals at the end of the last league season.
After the four games, Football Association chairwoman Debbie Hewitt insisted English football’s governing body has confidence in Southgate.
Grealish was speaking prior to England’s Nations League games against Italy on Friday and Germany three days later, which are the team’s last fixtures before the 2022 World Cup.
The attacking midfielder, who was signed for £100m by City from Aston Villa, also responded to remarks from club team-mate Kevin de Bruyne who suggested that English players are treated more harshly in the media.
“I can obviously see where he’s coming from a little bit,” said Grealish.
“But I think that’s just the way it is in this country, especially if you’re myself, playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world, who are winning trophies every single year.
“Obviously when I have the price tag on my head that I have, people are going to want to talk. It’s just something that I need to [get on with].
“I keep going back to it, saying embrace it and it’s just part and parcel, but I do see where he’s coming from a little bit.”
The decision was made in response to a special operation the two institutions undertook on foreign exchange parallel market operators, also known as black market operators.
The offenders who were found in the Rawlings Park, Makola, and Tudu hotspots in Accra’s Central Business District are anticipated to be prosecuted.
The local currency has fallen sharply against the dollar and other important foreign currencies, according to claims made by “Black Market” sellers.
“This special operation was part of the Bank’s overall strategy to sanitize the foreign exchange market. Other measures being put in place include enforcement of compliance from licensed foreign exchange bureaux particularly with the taking of customer identification (Ghana card) and issuance of electronic receipt for every forex transaction; intensified public sensitization and media engagements to educate the general public on forex rules and regulations, including the need to avoid the black market,” she said.
The Bank further issued a strong caution to the general public to desist from engaging in the services of foreign exchange businesses operating without a licence.
“The Bank cautions the general public to desist from engaging in foreign exchange business without a licence. Members of the public who patronise the activities of black market operators are equally guilty before the law. The general public must always trade with the Bank of Ghana licensed foreign exchange (forex) bureaux,” she noted.
The Marwako Fast Foodsbranch in Labadi is now open for business again after the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) lifted the restriction.
FDA, in a statement, said the restaurant has complied with all necessary remedial and preventive measures in the wake of the closure of the business.
All branches of Marwako fast foodswere closed down in May 2022, after some customers complained of ill-health after eating at their branch in East Legon, Accra.
“Following the verification of your facility at Labadi to ascertain the level of implementation of Corrective Prevention Actions (CAPA), the FDA wishes to inform you that it is satisfied with the progress made in the implementation of CAPA to forestall any future food poising incident.”
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) hereby lifts the suspension of catering services placed on your facility at Labadi.
Earlier investigations showed that samples of food and some juice drinks from various branches of Marwako Food Limited were contaminated.
The FDA had also established that the levels of sanitation and hygiene in the food preparation areas in all three facilities were poor.
But after the lifting of the ban, FDA further indicated that despite the clearance, it will be conducting follow-up inspections to ensure full compliance with the code of hygiene practices.
“Please note that the FDA would be conducting follow-up inspections in line with timelines specified in your CAPA to ensure full compliance to the code of hygiene practices”, the statement concluded.
United States Park Police say the Washington Monument is temporarily closed and a man is in custody for allegedly vandalizing the monument with paint on the evening of Tuesday, September 20.
The man splashed red paint and wrote a profane message on the base of the Washington, DC monument, police said.
Park Police are unsure at this time if the temporary closure will affect public visitation of the monument which would normally reopen at 10:00 am the following day. Repairs and cleaning of the paint will be handled by National Park Service conservators. The iconic structure on the National Mall is named for George Washington, the country’s first president.
The Governing Council of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has appointed three Associate Professors.
The Associate Professors are; Prof. Fidelis Quansah, Prof. Kofi Osei-Frimpong, and Prof. Emmanuel Selase Asamoah in the Faculties of Management Studies and Information Technology and Communication Studies.
Prof. Fidelis Quansah is the Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies. She is a Senior lecturer and teaches both undergraduate and graduate levels.
Prof. Quansah is an astute marketing professional with over fifteen (15) years of industry experience and thirteen (13) years in academia. She is also the impetus behind the establishment of UPSA’s Enterprise and Innovation Center, which seeks to encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship in young people.
Prof. Kofi Osei-Frimpong has published extensively in the area of service design, service delivery and experience, customer engagement, online customer support, artificial intelligence and consumer engagement, and social media brand engagement.
He currently serves as a Coordinator of UPSA’s Doctoral Studies. He is also a research fellow at the Vlerick Business School, Belgium, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Supply Chain Management – Ghana (CISCM).
He is a Lead Subject Matter Expert in Distribution Chain Management and a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana.
Prof. Emmanuel Selase Asamoah is the Cognate Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Studies.
Prof. Asamoah is a researcher and an academic with a passion for practical research. He has more than 30 publications in the form of books, peer-reviewed journal articles, and conference proceedings. He has attended and presented papers at several conferences in Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu overcame a late wobble to beat Japan‘s Moyuka Uchijima in the first round of the Korea Open in Seoul.
Raducanu, 19, double-faulted on match point when holding a 5-0 lead in the second set before winning 6-2 6-4.
Victory set up a last-16 match against Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer.
Raducanu had been 10th in the world rankings in August but has dropped to 77th after losing in the US Open first round earlier this month.
Uchijima, 21, who has never played a Grand Slam match and is 126th in the rankings, won four games in a row in the second set to peg Raducanu back to 5-4 before the Briton served out the victory after one hour 18 minutes.
Wickmayer, 32, is a former world number 12 but is now 460th in the world rankings. She returned from maternity leave earlier this year after giving birth to her first child, Luana, in April 2021.
The payment of allowances to nurses on a one-year required rotation at various health facilities across the country has been approved by the Ministry of Finance.
With effect from October 1, 2021, until September 2022, 5,239 diploma nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals who passed licensing tests will each receive GH871 per month.
“The emoluments of the interns should be charged against the compensation of employees vote of the Ministry of Health in the 2022 annual estimates”, a statement from the Finance Ministry said.
Ghana international, Majeed Ashimeru has reacted to RSC Anderlecht’s big win against KV Kortrijk in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League.
The midfielder was in action for his team on Sunday and put on a top performance to help his team.
On the matchday, Majeed Ashimeru was on the scoresheet where he scored with a header.
Speaking in a post-match interview, the midfielder said the win is important as it gives RSC Anderlecht confidence going forward.
“It was important that we won. We wanted to show what Anderlecht stands for. Normally I don’t score with my head. It’s my second header of my career,” the Ghana midfielder said.
Majeed Ashimeru added, “It has been some time since the supporters saw us play like this. Now we can clear our heads in the ten-day break. I think this is a new start and gives us confidence.”
The midfielder after missing out on selection for the latest Ghana squad will have no part to play when the Black Stars take on Brail later this week on Friday.
New Ghana defender, Tariq Lamptey says he feels excited and ready for Ghana’s friendly against Brazil on Friday, September 23, 2022.
The Brighton and Hove Albion right-back is among the five players who have been handed a maiden call-up to the national team having completed their nationality switch in June.
As part of the preparations for the 2022 World Cup, the four-time African champions will take on the five-time world champions in an international friendly in France.
Speaking ahead of the game, the former Chelsea defender said he feels proud and excited ahead of the game.
According to him, he is looking forward to making his debut against the South American side.
“I am very proud to be here and I am really determined to train hard, give the best as I can and I looking forward to the game on Friday,” he told the Ghana FA website.
“In this game, you have to prepare very well, you prepare based on how you want to play and we are already excited and looking forward to play against the team on Friday,” he added.
Ghana will take on Nicaragua in their next friendly game in Spain.
The Black Stars have been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay for the Mundial scheduled to be played from November 20 to December 18 later this year.
Over 70 people and businesses engaged in the business of purchasing and selling foreign currencies without a license from the top bank have been detained by Bank of Ghana employees working with the Ghana Police Service.
The action followed a specific operation the two organizations undertook on foreign exchange parallel market operators, also known as black market operators.
The perpetrators who were caught in Accra’s Central Business District, notably Rawlings Park, Makola, and Tudu, are expected to face prosecution.
The rapid depreciation of the local currency in comparison to the dollar and other important foreign currencies is attributed to the “Black Market” dealers.
Speaking to Citi News after the exercise, Head of Forex Exchange Bureau at the Bank of Ghana, Adjoa Konadu Torto, noted that the move is part of measures to check the free fall of the local currency.
“This special operation was part of the Bank’s overall strategy to sanitize the foreign exchange market. Other measures being put in place include enforcement of compliance from licensed foreign exchange bureaux particularly with the taking of customer identification (Ghana card) and issuance of electronic receipt for every forex transaction; intensified public sensitization and media engagements to educate the general public on forex rules and regulations, including the need to avoid the black market,” she said.
She indicated that the exercise will continue in other parts of the country in the coming days.
The Bank further issued a strong caution to the general public to desist from engaging in the services of foreign exchange businesses operating without a licence.
“The Bank cautions the general public to desist from engaging in foreign exchange business without a licence. Members of the public who patronise the activities of black market operators are equally guilty before the law. The general public must always trade with the Bank of Ghana licensed foreign exchange (forex) bureaux,” she noted.
The rest are the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Vocational Training Institute.
Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, inaugurating the steering and technical committees to supervise the implementation, commended the AFDB for the support, “, especially at the time where donor funding was weaning”.
He said PSDPEP’s goals were in line with the Government’s National Decentralisation, Policy and Strategy Programme which focused on local economic development, physical decentralisation and rural development.
“Health is a major component and we are happy this is coming on board to help. In meeting the targets of this project majority of our strategies on growth and development will be actualised,” he said.
Mr Amoah advised the committees to work assiduously to ensure the expected outcomes were met timely and successfully.
The Deputy Minister also urged the committees to consider issues of cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The Committees have been tasked to, among others, ensure that all project beneficiary institutions perform their roles satisfactorily and also ensure that the project implementation failures are corrected expeditiously.
The membership comprises officials of the Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development and Decentralisation, Education, Health, Finance, Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
The rest are the Gender, Children, and Social Protection, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations; the University of Ghana, MASLOC; the Ministry of Information, the Ghana Statistical Service, and the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA).
The Project Technical Committee will regularly review project implementation and report to the Project Steering Committee and its membership of all project beneficiaries.
Mr Kofi Frimpong, the Executive Director, Social Investment Fund, said the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many sectors of the economy, especially the health and small and medium enterprises, hence the focus of the project on skills development in those areas.
He stated that the credit and entrepreneurship arm of the project was expected to benefit at least 24,800 directly and 50,000 indirectly through the Bank’s Youth Entrepreneurship and Investment Fund (YEIB).
Mr Emmanuel Fordjour, Desk Head of AfDB at the Ministry of Finance, said the project was well thought-out and that the GNA, would see some of its offices renovated and re-tooled to deliver on its mandate.
The University of Ghana would be empowered to be able to develop vaccines.
Mrs Yvonne Quansah, the Director, External Resource Mobilisation and Economic Relations at the Ministry of Finance, who Chairs the PSDPEP Steering Committee, gave an assurance that it would discharge its duties to ensure the effective implementation of the Project.
The England-based duo of Daniel Amartey and Mohammed Salisu have arrived in France to join the camp of the Black Stars.
The national team of the West African country is camping in France this week to prepare for the friendly match against Brazil.
On Monday, 23 players arrived in camp and started training under head coach Otto Addo and his assistants.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced that Daniel Amartey and Mohammed Salisu have also joined the team.
“Daniel Amartey and Salisu Mohammed have teamed up with the rest of the squad in Deauville- France for the International friendly against Brazil on Friday.
“The duo touched down in Paris around 16:00Hrs and were quickly taken to the team Hotel in Deauville. Their arrival means Coach Otto Addo is spoilt for choice in Central defence as Ghana builds up to the two games against Brazil and Nicaragua. Daniel and Salisu are expected to train with their team mates on Wednesday in Deauville,” part of a GFA statement has said this evening.
Earlier in the morning, Felix Afena-Gyan and Richard Ofori also reported to camp.
The Black Stars will play Brazil in Le Harve on Friday before taking on Nicaragua in Lorca, Spain on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.
Through the arrangement, the PFIs would offer firms participating in the scheme loans ranging between GH100,000 and GH500,000 totaling around GH5 billion over the following three years.
The money would be used to purchase equipment or machinery to increase production and generate more high-paying jobs, particularly for young people, as well as to support firms’ requirements for expansion.
Mr John Awuah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ghana Association of Bankers (GAB), signed for the coordinating institution of the PFIs, which is GAB.
In his speech at the programme, Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance, said the signing of the agreement showed the commitment on the part of the Government and the private sector to strengthen links between education and job market stakeholders.
He explained that the partnership would provide access to finance, skills, and markets for young Ghanaian entrepreneurs and increase the ability of the private sector to create decent and sustainable jobs.
“Fundamentally, we had to adopt this approach because the pandemic taught us, we must re-orient our approach towards structural transformation and react with a clear plan to reap the benefits of our population dividend by building an Entrepreneurial State,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.
Dr John Kumah, the Deputy Minister of Finance, said the partnership was critical in the Government’s quest to build future entrepreneurs and make Ghana an entrepreneurial State.
Dr Kumah said the YouStart programme was to deliberately grow start-ups and make them contribute to the Government’s agenda of creating three million jobs but depend largely on the support of banks.
He, therefore, urged the PFIs to sustain their support to the programme and ensure its extension to entrepreneurs with businesses in rural areas to help create jobs and uplift many living in those areas from poverty.
The CEO of GAB, told the Ghana News Agency that the banks saw the support as a responsibility to help grow businesses with financial and other needed support to build the economy.
“Part of the COVID-19 pandemic has taught as that we need to have a homegrown economy, one that is owned and managed by Ghanaians. This signing is an attestation that the public and private sector can work together to create value and the entrepreneurial nation we’ve all been yearning for,” Mr Awuah said.
He noted that the Banks had worked with the Finance Ministry to design the YouStart programme to help propel businesses forward, particularly younger and smaller businesses.
“It is a positive development. We only must ensure that what we’ve put on paper, when it gets to execution, we all come to the table in a way the agreement has been signed,” Mr Awuah encouraged.
Providing a brief on the programme, Mr Andy Ameckson, Acting Coordinator, YouStart, said under the commercial part, Banks would provide loans to beneficiary businesses at interest rates lower than the market rate.
“There will not be any collateral for businesses to access loan under the programme, and the recovery is also dependent on them [beneficiaries],” Mr Ameckson pointed out.
The pilot phase of the YouStart programme was implemented in February 2022, involving 85 young entrepreneurs, and currently awaiting the availability of the President for the launch and full-scale implementation of all three modules.
The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) and National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) are the implementing agencies of the programme, whose goal is to create a Wealthy, Inclusive, Sustainable, Empowered and Resilient (WISER) society.
They would be supported by the National Youth Authority, Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service and Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) in its roll-out.
Descending up to 40 meters beneath the Baltic Sea, the world’s longest immersed tunnel will link Denmark and Germany, slashing journey times between the two countries when it opens in 2029. After more than a decade of planning, construction started on the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel in 2020 and in the months since a temporary harbor has been completed on the Danish side. It will host the factory that will soon build the 89 massive concrete sections that will make up the tunnel.
“The expectation is that the first production line will be ready around the end of the year, or beginning of next year,” said Henrik Vincentsen, CEO of Femern A/S, the state-owned Danish company in charge of the project. “By the beginning of 2024 we have to be ready to immerse the first tunnel element.” The tunnel, which will be 18 kilometers (11.1 miles) long, is one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects, with a construction budget of over 7 billion euros ($7.1 billion).
By way of comparison, the 50-kilometer (31-mile) Channel Tunnel linking England and France, completed in 1993, cost the equivalent of £12 billion ($13.6 million) in today’s money. Although longer than the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, the Channel Tunnel was made using a boring machine, rather than by immersing pre-built tunnel sections. It will be built across the Fehmarn Belt, a strait between the German island of Fehmarn and the Danish island of Lolland, and is designed as an alternative to the current ferry service from Rødby and Puttgarden, which carries millions of passengers every year.
Where the crossing now takes 45 minutes by ferry, it will take just seven minutes by train and 10 minutes by car.
The roof of the first production hall where the tunnel sections will be built in Denmark was completed on June 8, 2022. Femern A/S
Faster journey
The tunnel, whose official name is Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, will also be the longest combined road and rail tunnel anywhere in the world. It will comprise two double-lane motorways — separated by a service passageway — and two electrified rail tracks. “Today, if you were to take a train trip from Copenhagen to Hamburg, it would take you around four and a half hours,” says Jens Ole Kaslund, technical director at Femern A/S, the state-owned Danish company in charge of the project. “When the tunnel will be completed, the same journey will take two and a half hours.
“Today a lot of people fly between the two cities, but in the future it will be better to just take the train,” he adds. The same trip by car will be around an hour faster than today, taking into account time saved by not lining up for the ferry. Besides the benefits to passenger trains and cars, the tunnel will have a positive impact on freight trucks and trains, Kaslund says, because it creates a land route between Sweden and Central Europe that will be 160 kilometers shorter than today.
At the moment, traffic between the Scandinavian peninsula and Germany via Denmark can either take the ferry across the Fehmarnbelt or a longer route via bridges between the islands of Zealand, Funen and the Jutland peninsula.
Work begins
The project dates back to 2008, when Germany and Denmark signed a treaty to build the tunnel. It then took over a decade for the necessary legislation to be passed by both countries and for geotechnical and environmental impact studies to be carried out.
While the process completed smoothly on the Danish side, in Germany a number of organizations — including ferry companies, environmental groups and local municipalities — appealed against the approval of the project over claims of unfair competition or environmental and noise concerns.
Dredging works started off the German coast in the fall of 2021. Femern A/S
In November 2020 a federal court in Germany dismissed the complaints: “The ruling came with a set of conditions, which we kind of expected and we were prepared for, on how we monitor the environment while we are constructing, on things like noise and sediment spill. I believe that we really need to make sure that the impact on the environment is as little as possible,” says Vincentsen. Now the temporary harbor on the Danish site is finished, several other phases on the project are underway, including the digging of the actual trench that will host the tunnel, as well as construction of the factory that will build the tunnel sections. Each section will be 217 meters long (roughly half the length of the world’s largest container ship), 42 meters wide and 9 meters tall. Weighing in at 73,000 metric tons each, they will be as heavy as more than 13,000 elephants. “We will have six production lines and the factory will consist of three halls, with the first one now 95% complete,” says Vincentsen. The sections will be placed just beneath the seabed, about 40 meters below sea level at the deepest point, and moved into place by barges and cranes. Positioning the sections will take roughly three years.
A wider impact
Up to 2,500 people will work directly on the construction project, which has been impacted by the global supply chain woes. “The supply chain is a challenge at the moment, because the price of steel and other raw materials has increased. We do get the materials we need, but it’s difficult and our contractors have had to increase the number of suppliers to make sure they can get what they need. That’s one of the things that we’re really watching right now, because a steady supply of raw materials is crucial,” says Vincentsen.
Michael Svane of the Confederation of Danish Industry, one of Denmark’s largest business organizations, believes the tunnel will be beneficial to businesses beyond Denmark itself.
This full-scale trial cast of a tunnel element was built in July 2022. Femern A/S
“The Fehmarnbelt tunnel will create a strategic corridor between Scandinavia and Central Europe. The upgraded railway transfer means more freight moving from road to rail, supporting a climate-friendly means of transport. We consider cross-border connections a tool for creating growth and jobs not only locally, but also nationally,” he tells CNN. While some environmental groups have expressed concerns about the impact of the tunnel on porpoises in the Fehmarn Belt, Michael Løvendal Kruse of the Danish Society for Nature Conservation thinks the project will have environmental benefits.
“As part of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, new natural areas and stone reefs on the Danish and German sides will be created. Nature needs space and there will be more space for nature as a result,” he says. “But the biggest advantage will be the benefit for the climate. Faster passage of the Belt will make trains a strong challenger for air traffic, and cargo on electric trains is by far the best solution for the environment.”
Movie producer and actress Ama K. Abebrese has tipped herself as the first Ghanaian to possibly win an Oscar in the next five years.
She observed that with the international feats Ghanaians in the diaspora are attaining in movie industry, she’s certain that a Ghanaian will win the prestigious award.
Speaking on ‘Xclusives’ with Noella Kharyne Yalley in Spain, she said “there are times and seasons. However, do not be surprised if an African, a Ghanaian wins an Oscar.”
“It is going to happen. I am going to win an Oscar. Until it’s done, some people will not believe it,” she stressed.
She added, “Rocky Dawuni was nominated for a Grammy; other Ghanaians have also been nominated; Wizkid got nominated and won; Burna Boy also won so the truth is Africans, Ghanaians, it is possible.
“I just realised something with film – the business of film is not like music at the moment. When that changes, it will get to a point where people will start talking about it,” the actress noted.
Athletic Bilbao forward, Nico Williams, has revealed that he was surprise after receiving his first Spain national team invite.
The winger, whose parents hail from Ghana, had represented Spain at junior levels and was opened to switching nationalities in future.
However, Spain manager Luis Enrique named him in the squad for the Nations League game against Switzerland and Portugal.
“I’m very happy to be here, I found out when the call came out,” he told Spain national team media.
“I had no idea that I was in the pre-list, it has been a joy for my whole family and I am going to perform here.
“My parents and my whole family are proud of me and now we have to continue.
“My feet on the ground, I want to work, for the coach to see me. I thank him for this opportunity and I’m going to give my best on the pitch,” he added.
Nico’s senior brother, Inaki Williams has switched nationality to play for Ghana and he is expected to make his debut against Brazil on Friday.
Ama K. Abebrese, a Ghanaian actress, has expressed her displeasure with those who disparage the country’s film industry.
Movies with weak plots and inferior production values are two things that Ghanaian filmmakers have long been criticized for.
Talking on ‘XCLUSIVES’ with Noella Kharyne Yalley, the entertainer, expressed that people need to appreciate the efforts producers put into movies and not always demonize them.
“You don’t have to like my work. It is not my fault that you don’t like everything because it is Ghanaian. Just do not down it. That is my issue.
“Sometimes you find a Ghanaian denigrating somebody’s work which probably the person used their last penny to produce,” Ama K. Abebrese said.
She added, “until you step into a producer or a director’s shoes, you wouldn’t know the sacrifices they’ve made.
“Any producer will tell you the challenges or what they have to go through to get their film made with very little support because of their passion. Just because you do not like it, doesn’t mean somebody won’t love it,” she added.
The entertainer empowered people who were enthusiastic about delivering and not be discouraged.
“I want to encourage people who are passionate about anything, it does not matter what it is don’t be discouraged,” she motivated.
Black Stars captain, Andre Ayew, has insisted the national team will need stability and consistency to succeed at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana will engage Brazil at the Stade Oceane in Le Havre on September 23 and against Nicaragua in the South-eastern Spanish city of Lorca four days later as part of the preparations for the Mundial slated for November 20.
Ahead of the games, five out of the six players who have completed their nationality switch have been named in Ghana’s squad for the game.
Andre, 32, speaking in an interview said head coach of the side, Otto Addo, assistants Mas-Ud Didi Dramani and George Boateng, as well as Chris Hughton as technical advisor, would provide the right guidance and some stability needed for the team’s progress at the World Cup and beyond.
“I remember an interview about a year ago during which I said that we needed to get some stability in what we did because it is stability and consistency which would take us to the next level, and hopefully we can get a core team and a core staff that is here for a while from whom we can learn and build something big for this football-loving nation,” the Al Sadd forward told Graphic Sports.
Spain-based Williams, Brighton wing-back Lamptey, Stephan Ambrosius of German side Karlsruhe, Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer of Hamburg SV, and Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu are all expected to make their debut for the Black Stars.
In November, the Black Stars will take on Switzerland in their final preparatory game.
The Black Stars have been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
As compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 9.0055 and a selling price of 9.0145. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 10.25 and sold at a rate of 10.45.
At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 11.60 and sold at a rate of 11.90.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 9.0268 and a selling price of 9.0366 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 9.0102 and a selling price of 9.0200.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.5098 and a selling price of 0.5103 compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 0.4685 and a selling price of 0.4690.
At a forex bureau in Accra, South African Rand is being bought at a rate of 0.45 and sold at a rate of 0.80.
The president’s claims that his administration has built 1,800 kilometers of roads throughout the nation have been refuted by a road contractor with roots in Kumasi.
Mr Akwasi Yeboah said asphalt overlays are done on already existing roads and not wholly built roads in the country.
“It is the reason many Ghanaians contested they have not seen that number of roads as contained in the president’s State of the Nation Address (SONA),” he noted.
“In Kumasi alone, the Manhyia South Constituency with the Minister for Energy, Mathew Opoku Prempeh as the Member of Parliament (MP), was the largest beneficiary of the asphalt overlays,” Mr Yeboah put forth.
Giving a breaking down of the president’s assertion, Mr Yeboah said going by the president’s figures means that each of the 275 constituencies across the country should have at least 39 kilometres of roads.
“As we speak no such feat exists in many of these constituencies across the country,” he narrated.
“It is the reason many of the residents in Kwabre East, Barikese among others in the Ashanti Region demonstrated for not seeing anything in terms of roads in their respective areas,” he said.
He noted that 39 kilometres of roads can journey from the Kumasi-Suame roundabout to the Techiman area in the Bono Region.
Mr Yeboah made these revelations in an interview with Mr Emmanuel Quarshie (The Hitman), host of Accra 100.5 FM’s Ghana Yensom morning show on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
“Mr Hitman, let me use your medium this morning to correct this notion that has been lingering all this while in relation to roads constructed by this government,” he said.
He commended the president for his quest in ensuring many of the asphalt overlays were done.
He was quick to add that in less than two years, potholes have begun to emerge on many of the roads thereby blaming his colleague contractors for not being forthright in their work.
He said 90 per cent of contractors in the country are not truthful with their jobs.
He added that the contractors did the same thing during John Mahama’s era by building the same asphalt overlays which have diminished.
He disclosed that many recent contractors are doing shoddy jobs compared to roads built in the days of former president J.J Rawlings.
“Some roads built in Rawlings’ era lasted more than 30 years but what are we seeing today? A road is built and in less than two years you start seeing pot holes.
“Many of these roads built by Nana Akufo-Addo are crying for repair works,” he said.
Ghana face Brazil in what promises to be an intriguing pre-World Cup friendly in France on Friday, September 23, 2022.
The games will be filled with superstars who need no introduction to football fans across the world. Also, young talents with so much potential and a high ceiling are expected to make their mark in the game.
Brazil will walk into the match with a galaxy of stars while Ghana will look to rely on a few big names in their team to make the difference.
Out of the two sets of the quality squad, GhanaWeb put together a combined eleven with Brazil dominating the lineup.
Alisson
The Liverpool goalkeeper is miles ahead of the goalkeeping options of both Brazil and Ghana. Therefore, he takes the number one spot.
Tariq Lamptey
Brazil have a strong squad, but they are missing a reliable right fullback. Hence, Ghana’s Denis Odoi and Tariq Lamptey appear as the right choice for the position.
Lamptey gets the nod over Odoi in that regard. The Brighton full-back on a good day is every coach’s choice for the position.
Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva is the first name on the list for the centre-back position, ahead of the others.
The Chelsea defender is highly rated and is regarded as one of the greatest centre-backs to have played the beautiful game.
Marquinhos
Thiago will be partnered with Marquinhos, who has consistently proven to be one of the best in the business.
Alex Sandro
Brazil’s Alex Sandro gets the nod in the left-back position due to his experience.
He is also the best amongst the left-back options in both squads.
Thomas Partey secures a place in the combine eleven without a spin of thoughts.
For both Arsenal and Ghana, he is the main man and whenever he is not around his team fumble.
Casemiro
Brazil midfielder, Casemiro may be out of form but there is no doubt that the Manchester United man deserves a place in the team.
He and Partey in a double pivot role will be one to watch.
Neymar
Neymar slots into the team as the skimmer. He is Brazil’s all-time top scorer and needs no introduction regarding the quality he brings to the fore.
He seems to be back in form and has already bagged a combined 19 goals and assists in all competitions(11 goals, 8 assists).
Inaki Williams
Black Stars striker, Inaki Williams will lead the line. He has pace to run in behind defenders and also has good hold-up play.
Although he has scored just two goals, he stands out and poses more threats than the typical strikers in both squads.
Vinicius
The Real Madrid youngster has established himself as one of the best U-23 players in the World.
Many rate him as one of the big names to lead the new generation of talented footballers.
He has been flying for Real Madrid this season, scoring five goals in all competitions.
He picks up the left flank in the team.
Mohammed Kudus has been the star man for Ajax this season. He has scored 6 goals in 7 appearances, showing much potential and therefore deserves a place in the team.
Due to Kudus’ versatility, he takes the right wing of the team.
Senegal’s President Macky Sall wants sanctions against Zimbabwe to be lifted.
He made the call in his address to the 77th UN General Assembly in New York.
The Senegalese leader, and the current chairman of the African Union, said the measures against Zimbabwe were aggravating the suffering of the people.
The US and the European Union (EU) maintain sanctions on Zimbabwe, citing a lack of progress in democratic and human rights reforms as well as restrictions on press freedoms.
The sanctions target both specific individuals and companies – including President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe’s economy has faced deep economic crises over the past few years with periods of hyperinflation – but there’s little evidence to suggest that the sanctions are responsible.
President Sall was the first African leader to address the General Assembly.
He urged the Security Council to address conflicts in Africa in the same way it addressed other conflicts.
He also called for reforms in the council that would make it more inclusive and possibly grant Africa a permanent seat.
Mr Sall also called for Africa to be given a seat in the G20 group, which includes leaders of the world’s 20 major economies.
More African leaders are expected to address the UN general assembly on Wednesday on the second day of the high-level debate.
The Black Stars of Ghana held their second training session at the Le Stade du Commandant Herbert ahead of their friendly matches against Brazil on Friday, September 23, 2022.
Coach Otto Addo and the technical team led the players in a successful training session without injury worries but filled with smiles as the team continued to prepare for their big test.
Richard Ofori and Felix Afena Gyan who arrived late took part in the training session that was held on Tuesday.
Also present were key players like Inaki Williams, Tariq Lamptey, Thomas Partey, Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Alexander Djiku, Baba Iddrisu, and Baba Rahman among others.
Ghana’s in-form attacking midfielder, Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Antoine Semenyo, Fatawu Issahaku, and Elisha Owusu were also present during the training session.
The match forms part of preparations for the Black Stars ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has disclosed that based on the information at his disposal, he is certain that Aisha Huang is guilty of the accusations made against her.
Mr Jinapor stated in an interview with journalists that if proven guilty of the allegations against her, ‘Galamsey’ queen Aisha Huang will be prosecuted and imprisoned in a Ghanaian jail.
“Aisha Huang has been arrested today. She is being prosecuted and she will be prosecuted under Ghanaian law in Ghanaian court if she is found guilty which I believe she should be found and I think I am not making prejudicial comments but I am saying that given the fact that I have, I am expecting that Aisha Huang will be found guilty, convicted and sentenced and thrown into Ghanaian jail,” he said.
He further stated that other 154 persons of different nationalities have also been arrested.
These prosecutions, he said, are a testimony to the government’s fight against the menace.
“Not just related to Aisha Huang but generally deal with foreigners. Three or four days ago, we arrested 154 foreigners who were involved in illegal small-scale mining and even how to keep them was a problem…Aisha Huang’s case should not be looked at in isolation, it should be looked at in the context of foreigners being involved in Ghanaian criminality and how we deal with it.
“The assumption that the President’s whole might and effort revolve around Aisha Huang [not true],” he added.
Meanwhile, a total of 164 suspected illegal foreign minershave been apprehended by a military anti-galamsey taskforce, Operation Halt II, in the Eastern Region’s Anyinam and Mampong.
The suspects include 159 men and five women, the majority of whom are foreigners from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, and Ivory Coast.
The operation, conducted by Ghana’s Armed Forces, forms part of the government’s relaunched campaign against “galamsey,” or illegal small-scale mining.
Over 100 alleged members of a youth gang arrested in Tanzania will be arraigned to answer to criminal charges in the city of Dar es Salaam.
The authorities are working towards containing criminal activities carried out by the Panya (Swahili for rat) Road gang.
The gang, which has members aged 14-30, has been in operation since 2016 and is widely known for using machetes to raid homes and carry out robberies.
Jumanne Muliro, the Dar es Salaam regional police commander, said more than 300 police officers have been deployed across the city to arrest suspected gang members.
Last week, police confirmed killing six people in connection with criminal activities in the city.
This was just a few days after the gang reportedly invaded a neighbourhood at night and killed a second-year university student identified as Maria Basso.
An incident of violent robbery involving the gang was also reported last week in the city’s Temeke district.
