The new tariffsinclude a 27.15% increase in electricity and 21.55% increase in water.
Tariffs were drastically increased at the request of utility service providers in order to help them recover and sustain their operational costs.
With the new tariffs, consumers will pay 36.12 % extra for what they consume from zero to 600 units.
Also, for lifeline users who consume from zero to 30 units, their increment is 28.52%, while all commercial consumers of electricity and those within the special load tariff will pay five % more from today.
Meanwhile, Ghanaians have complained that the country’s economic situation would make paying for such services problematic.
However, the General Manager in charge of External Communications at ECG, Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku appealed to the public to bear with the rise.
“I think that Ghanaians should understand and help us. The tides in the current economy are not hidden. We know that globally, we have all been affected, so they need to support the company.â€
Both vaccines are bivalent and combine the company’s initial shot with another that specifically targets the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sublineages.
The new vaccination from Pfizer comes in 30-microgram doses that are approved for persons 12 and older.
The modernized vaccination by Moderna is available in 50-microgram doses for adults (18 years of age and older).
The shots can be administered after they’re recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC’s vaccine advisory group is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to support recommending the boosters for use. Then, the CDC director must sign off on the recommendation.
An OK from the CDC would mean updated boosters could be administered within days — both to older people who may have received a booster just a few months ago and younger people who haven’t been eligible for an additional booster during the latest wave of cases.
Booster shift
The updated vaccines do not replace shots for the primary series, but they do replace the booster people older than 12 receive.
“With today’s authorization, the monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are not authorized as booster doses for individuals 12 years of age and older,” the FDA said.
Individuals ages 12 and up are eligible for the Pfizer bivalent booster if they have received their primary series and it has been at least two months since their last vaccine dose. Individuals ages 18 and up are eligible for Moderna boosters on the same schedule.
People too young to receive an updated booster can still be boosted with the earlier vaccine.
The FDA said it will “work quickly” to evaluate future submissions for authorization of bivalent boosters for younger people. Pfizer said in a news release it expects to submit an application for authorization of its updated booster for children ages 5 through 11 in early October, and it’s working to prepare an application for children ages 6 months through 4 years.
“We want to make sure that adults and the adolescents covered by this authorization are able to get the most up-to-date version of a booster vaccine, and that’s why we are no longer authorizing the monovalent — the original — booster for administration as a booster dose to those populations,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said during a news briefing.
About two-thirds of the total US population is vaccinated against Covid-19 with an initial series, according to data from the CDC. But less than half of those with their initial series — and less than a third of the total population — has also gotten a booster.
There’s no plan yet to phase out the earlier vaccines used in the primary series, Marks said, but this is a “transitional year,” when people need to make sure they have a “good base upon which we build … which will help protect us against the unknown.”
“If you’ve not yet received a booster dose, or it’s been several months since your last booster dose, now’s the time to consider getting one,” Marks said.
Officials defend swift authorization
On Wednesday, FDA officials defended their swift emergency use authorization of the updated Covid vaccine booster. Pfizer and Moderna submitted for authorization last week.
“The public can rest assured that a great deal of care has been taken by the FDA to ensure that these updated boosters meet our rigorous safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality standards for emergency use authorization,” Marks said.
The agency has authorized these boosters after studies in mice, but ahead of the results of clinical trials in humans.
This is similar to the way annual flu vaccines are tested each year, but it’s a first for Covid-19 vaccines. The approach has generated some controversy among vaccine experts. In making the authorization, the agency did not call a new meeting of its independent vaccine advisers, who often weigh in on vaccine changes; the advisory group had offered its insight on updating the original vaccine in meetings over the summer.
“We have been planning for and gathering input on our approach to updated boosters since earlier this year,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said during the news briefing. “The FDA has extensive experience with evaluating strain changes for influenza vaccines and is confident in the data supporting these latest booster authorizations.”
In addition to the animal data, the FDA said it was basing its decision on more than a year of experience with hundreds of millions of doses of mRNA vaccines given around the globe. They are also relying on human clinical trials of different bivalent vaccines that target the original Omicron strain. That vaccine has been authorized in the UK, but will not be available in the US. More than 1,400 participants were enrolled in clinical trials of the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent vaccines against BA.1.
Human studies of the bivalent boosters, which combine the companies’ original vaccine with one that targets the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sublineages, have started, Marks said on Wednesday. Data from those studies is expected in another month or two.
Vaccine milestone
“America is the first country in the world that has authorized a bivalent vaccine where the bivalent vaccine targets the viruses out there,” Dr. Ashish Jha, who is leading the White House Covid-19 response, said in a phone interview with CNN on Wednesday.
“We try to do this every year for the flu. We almost never hit it on the mark. This has taken a lot of work by FDA. It’s been about leaning into the science, leaning into some very good modeling. And then really demanding from the companies that they produce vaccines that are going to be that are going to be matched.”
The Omicron BA.5 subvariant has dominated transmission in the United States for more than two months. Last week, it caused 89% — nearly 9 out of 10 — new Covid infections in this country, according to the latest estimates from the CDC.
A recent offshoot of the BA.4 variant, BA.4.6, has slowly grown in prevalence to claim second place. Across the country, it caused about 8% of new infections last week, but it has taken off more in the Midwest — Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska — causing an estimated 17% of new infections there.
Famed for being a tough league to adapt to, Erling Haaland is taking to the Premier League like a duck to water.
After scoring his first hat-trick for Manchester City at the weekend — in its 4-2 win over Crystal Palace — having joined from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, Haaland repeated the feat on Wednesday night.
It took the Norwegian striker just 26 minutes between his first and third goal in the first half to complete the feat, as City romped to a 6-0 win over newly-promoted Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium.
It means that Haaland has now scored a remarkable nine goals in his first five Premier League appearances, breaking the previous record of eight set by Mick Quinn and City’s all-time top goalscorer, Sergio Agüero.
Afterwards, Haaland hailed his teammates and the impact they’ve had on his game, calling the team’s performance “amazing.”
“It was about keep doing what we did in the second half against Crystal Palace,” he said
The actress stated on her Instagram page that it is common for individuals to make sure victims get away from their abusers.
But repeatedly criticizing and belittling them simply makes their situation worse.
“We shouldn’t begin by requesting their reasons for remaining,’ What keeps you there? No, you are only making their difficulties worse. They have either been brainwashed or mentally abused and believe it is their responsibility.
Some of them are led to believe that they are worthless without their partner, according to Stella Damasus.
She explained that these questions can traumatise the victims further, especially since their self-esteem has been affected.
Stella Damasus added, “so it is not fair to ask them these questions making them feel the way their spouse makes them feel. The best way to do it is to understand, listen and then find help for them.â€
She stated that people can help abused victims in many ways including finding shelter for them, and reporting the case to law enforcement agencies among others.
“Whatever you can do for them start there,†the actress said.
Serena Williams, playing what could be the last US Open of her storied career, won her second-round singles match Wednesday evening, downing world No. 2 Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (4) 2-6 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
“After I lost the second set, I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness, I got to give my best effort because this could be it,’” Williams told ESPN in an on-court, post-match interview.
Williams looked better than in previous matches this year, where she was still trying to shake the rust of a long layoff.
In Kontaveit, however, Williams faced a much sterner test and was undoubtedly the underdog on paper but certainly not with the full house at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
A boisterous but behaved crowd cheered her every point.
She referred to the long layoff in her interview Wednesday but said, “I love a challenge.”
Williams will next face Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round. Tomljanovic, who was playing at the same time as Williams on Wednesday, defeated Russian Evgeniya Rodina 1-6, 6-2, 7-5.
And Williams is not playing just singles; she will open doubles play with her sister Venus Williams on Thursday night.
“I need more matches,” she told ESPN. “I love rising to the challenge. Yeah, I haven’t played many matches, but I’ve been practicing really well. In my last few matches, it just wasn’t coming together. I’m like, This isn’t me.”
Things have changed since she started playing at the Open, she said.
She began singles play Monday with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Danka Kovinić of Montenegro. It was Williams’ third match since announcing in Vogue magazine she will “evolve away from tennis” after the US Open.
“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people,” Williams said in the Vogue article published earlier this month.
“Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me,” she said.
At her post-match news conference Monday, Williams was asked if this is definitely her last tournament.
“Yeah, I’ve been pretty vague about it, right?” she said with a smile. “I’m going to stay vague because you never know.”
The opening-round win over Kovinić was the best Williams had looked since making her comeback from injury. She has managed to win just one match since returning to the circuit in June and was unable to get close to the form that helped her win her last grand slam title in 2017.
But Kontaveit, who had said she was excited to play against Williams, encountered a player who showed no signs of wanting to hasten her retirement.
“I think she played really well,” said the Estonian during the post-match news conference. “I mean, I thought I didn’t play a bad match at all.”
After the players split the first two sets, Williams stepped up her play for the decider, Kontaveit said.
“She really switched it on from there,” she said. “There’s a few points here and there where I feel like I could have done better on my serve maybe. I mean, she was returning better. She was playing the rallies better. I felt like she did everything a little bit better in the third set.”
The passionate pro-Williams crowd was also a challenge, Kontveit added.
“I mean, I think they were not rooting like against me. They just wanted Serena to win so bad,” the Estonian said. “So, I mean, I don’t think it’s a personal attack against me or anything. I mean, it’s fair. I mean, she deserves this, yeah.”
 The Greater Accra Region’s Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Yohane Amarh Ashitey, has defended President Akufo-Addo in the face of claims that the President is not properly setting priorities.
In an interview he granted in Accra, Hon. Yohane Amarh Ashitey addresses criticism that the President and his government have voted US$140million to host the 2022 edition of the Africa Games at a time when the country is going through hardships.
“I do not really understand what the critics want the president to do, announce that Ghana is abandoning the hosting of the Africa Games so that we can all bow our heads in shame?†the MCE asked rhetorically.
According to him, “those criticizing the President over the decision are being simplistic and unreasonable about the issue”.
Ghana has received part of a US$750million loan facility that the country contracted with the Africa Export and Import Bank (Afriexim).
Government has since said it will allocate US$140million towards the hosting of the Africa Games which is a continental multi-sport event is held every four years, organized by the African Union with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa and the Association of African Sports Confederations.
The announcement has since provoked an uproar in some quarters with many complaining that the allocation of the money to the sporting fiesta shows that the government has no good sense of priority.
The critics point to the fact that the country is going through serious financial hardships at the moment and therefore the money could probably have been better spent on addressing some economic challenges instead.
However, the Tema MCE disagrees he points out that the suggestions of the critics suggests that they want the government to fold its arms and watch Ghana disgrace itself by disappointing all expectations after it had long committed itself to hosting the games.
“Well, President Akufo-Addo cannot just sit and watch Ghana disgrace herself before all other African countries because we, like all other countries on the continent, are facing difficulties in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia/ Ukraine war,†Hon. Amarh Ashitey said.
He also disagreed with the view that the Africa games will be of no economic value to the country, pointing out that the Games will bring tourism income to the country.
“our hotels will get businesses from people traveling down to participate in the games. For all you know, we may even end up making more than the money we are investing,†the MCE said.
The research stated that the second-placed Free SHS program, SHS/TVET, cost the tax payer around 100,000,000 more than COVID-19 Activity & Vaccine, which cost the taxpayer GH1,557,846,913.38.
There were 26 line items in total that went into the reported amount, among others, a total of GH¢142,762,500 on the Ghana National Cathedral project and other expenses on Zongo Development Fund, Teachers and Nurses allowances.
The report on government spending contained in the 2021 Auditor-General’s report submitted to the Speaker of Parliament, has been generating a lot of reactions.
According to the Service, the report was prepared under Section 11 of the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584) for presentation to Parliament in accordance with Section 20 of the Act.
Prof. Yarhands Dissou Arthur, an associate professor at the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), has argued for a review of the 1992 Constitution to impose an upper age limit on the eligibility to run for office in the nation.
According to the Associate Professor, there was a need for the nation to amend that provision to include an upper age limit of 65 years, as he argued that the country would do better “if the young and energetic with full appreciation of the changing dynamics of modern developments are at the helm of affairsâ€.
He wondered why the retiring age in the country has been pegged at 60 years, “but we find it acceptable for septuagenarians, octogenarians, nonagenarians, and even centenarians to occupy the presidency, the highest office in the land but deem those at 60 years as unfit for active public service”.
Those beyond 65 years, he said, were likely not to function to expectation, and might be vulnerable to abuse by the unscrupulous young ones around them who would usually take advantage of their better understanding of the trends of the day to satisfy their parochial interests.
He said, eventually, the entire nation would suffer if such oldies were caught in such a mesh and under-perform, suggesting that those beyond 65 years should be allowed to play a role only as advisors.
The call comes few weeks after constitutional issues were raised at a public lecture by the Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
He commended the majority leader for the call for a review of some parts of the 1992 constitution “to make it relevant to our needs as a peopleâ€.
His view was that many provisions in the constitutions had outlived their usefulness and, therefore, required urgent amendment.
“Such amendments would require the genuine will of especially the government of the day to see it through to bring the nation to a progressive trajectory.
“Partisan interests and a desire to craft a constitution to favour only a few privileged ones should no longer take centre stage,†he said.
He hoped that citizens would intensify their advocacy for the government to initiate the constitutional review process to help the development of the country.
The president’s action is in line with Article 207(3) of the 1992 Constitution, which provides that “the ability to nominate persons to occupy or to perform in a position in the Prisons Service must lie in the President, acting in accordance with the opinion of the Prisons Service Council,”
They are DDP Samuel Kwame Owusu-Amposah, who was formerly the Eastern Regional Commander, DDP Benedict Bob Dery, formerly the Bono Regional Commander, DDP Gloria Essandoh, who until the promotion was the Chief Legal Officer and DDP Joana Fofo Tackie-Otoo (Mrs.) who until the promotion was the Greater Regional Commander of Prisons and Commandant of the Prisons Officers Training School.
The remaining 21 of the promoted personnel have been moved from Assistant Director Of Prisons (ADP) to Deputy Director Of Prisons (DDP).
They are ADP. Brandford Gilbert Hama, ADP. Daniel Boi-Tawiah Abbey, ADP. William Kular, ADP. Emmanuel Aidoo and ADP. David Ofosu-Addo.
Others include ADP. Millicent Owusu, ADP. Francis Selorm Hagbe, ADP. Paul Teye Ademan, ADP. Edmund Ahia Armah, ADP. Nathaniel N. Agyeman Onyinah, ADP. Sophia Osei-Bonsu and ADP. Thompson Otyokpo.
The rest are ADP. Eric Ainoo Ansah, ADP. Edward Ashun, ADP. Joseph Asabre, ADP. Issaku Yahaya, ADP. Alfred M. Cudjoe, ADP. Augustine Ohene-Tutu, ADP. Samuel Fiifi Dontoh, ADP. Christiana Asiedu (Mrs.) and ADP. Christopher Hayibor.
DJ Azonto asserts that he is talented enough to create a hit song without the help of Sarkodie or a co-sign, and that he does not require their collaboration to create a popular song.
In an interview with Shatta Michy on Movement TV, DJ Azonto declared that while he would never perform a free feature for Sarkodie, he would never accept payment for a verse that was less than $200,000.
“For me, Sarkodiewouldn’t get a free feature, and I wouldn’t accept a payment of less than $200,000.
Sarkodie will not be paid less since I don’t need him to create a successful song, “he stated.
DJ Azonto recently made a claim for Artiste of the Year at next year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.
The player’s exit from the club comes to confirm a report by footballghana.com on Wednesday that indicated that the player could have his contract terminated before the closure of the summer transfer window.
In an official club statement, Mainz O5 has confirmed the termination of the contract, explaining that the decision was taken with both parties having an understanding.
“Issah Abass and #Mainz05 have mutually agreed to part ways. Abass’ contract, which was set to run until 30th June 2023, has been terminated.
“We wish you all the best for the future, Issah,†the German club has said.
The Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has called on the government and other private organisations to come to their aid with financial support to aid them conduct further studies into prospects of the snake tomatoplant in Ghana.
The snake tomato plant (Trichosanthes cucumerina) is a gourd vegetable that grows in tropical regions, and it is used for culinary and medicinal purposes.
It is a member of the cucumber family and is called by many names in different parts of the world.
The snake tomato is packed with phytonutrients.
Dr. Michael Kwabena Osei, a Senior Research Scientist and a Vegetable Breeder at the CRI, speaking with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after a field inspection of the trial plot at Kwadaso near Kumasi, underscored the need for agencies and the government to support the research into the plant.
He explained that Ghana could consume the vegetable as a substitute for the traditional tomato, adding that it had almost the same constituents as tomato.
“If we should wake up one day and find out that the tomatoes in the country are not able to survive, and we do not have other substitutes, it is going to be a problem.
“That is why as a Research Institute we go ahead and research and diversify the crops we research on,†he told the GNA.
The Research Scientist said in the last two years the Institute obtained one line from Amanchia in the Ashanti Region to commence the study.
It later sought 30 different lines from the World Vegetable Center and now characterizing them to see which ones could be evaluated, going forward.
This crop, According to Dr. Osei, did not require too much attention as given to tomato, however it took up to four weeks to get matured (from planting to maturity), thrived under sunshine and required little water to produce more.
Other characteristics are that it can either be harvested in the green stage or ripened stage.
In terms of the nutritional and medicinal values, the snake tomato is low in calories, high fiber content, contains vitamins A, B and C, laxative properties, lower blood cholesterol, aid digestion as well as treating constipation.
Dr Osei indicated that in countries like Nigeria, it was mostly used in preparing stews and soups, whereas in Ghana here, the underutilized crop is being patronized by foreigners on the open markets at higher prices.
He submitted that when the needed funding was made available, it would enable the CSIR-CRI to extend the research to the different agro-ecological zones to determine how the crop performs in other parts of the country.
Currently, studies are underway to assess poisonous substances, check biochemical, brix, and other fruit qualities.
The results will inform research scientists during release and make the necessary data available to plant growers.
Baffour was returning from his usual night shift job when the unfortunate incident occurred.
The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to the scene of a collision on Briggs Chaney Road and Great Oak Lane in Cloverly around 6:30 am on Wednesday morning.
According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS, three patients were transported to the hospital, one adult [Baffour] with Priority 1 trauma (life-threatening) and two with Priority 3 trauma.
Baffour had to be extricated from his grey Nissan Sentra after being trapped inside of the vehicle.
The cause of the collision is currently under investigation.
Baffour was one of the most prominent players for New Edubiase during the 2012 Ghana Premier League.
The 33-year-old clinched the top scorers gong with 21 goals as Edubiase finished 8th on the standings.
He made a solitary appearance for the Ghana Black Stars in 2012.
His warning was published on his social media accounts and made reference to a video in which Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the minister of communication and digitalization, is shown announcing the prolongation of the SIM re-registration procedure late last month.
“I can RELUCTANTLY & CONFIDENTLY state that the threat that you would pay more for telecoms services after today if you haven’t registered your SIM card has fallen flat.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful late last month extended a SIM re-registration deadline stating that she was giving the very final deadline after which operators will be ordered to block unregistered SIMs.
The Minister announced whilst granting a conditional extension of the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards registration exercise said it will now end on September 30, 2022 – without fail.
A self-help app has been released on Play Store since last week. It will cost a user GHC5 to go through the second and final stage of their SIM registration by themselves.
The opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, Sam George’s party, has strongly kicked against the sole use of the Ghana Card as an identification document for continuous voter registration.
The party insists that doing so will disenfranchise a vast number of people who can use other IDs to prove they are Ghanaians and are of voting age.
According to Mensah Thompson, Executive Director of ASEPA, the collapse of the banking industry in 2018 had a more significant negative impact on Ghana’s economy than any coup d’etats the nation has ever suffered.
He claimed that the country’s banking industry, which drives the economy, has been the only driver of wealth creation.
The single most damaging incident in Ghana’s economic history was the bank collapse that occurred in 2018.
The banking sector clean-up is the only recent event that comes to mind that completely wrecked our economy.
He stated that there is nowhere in the world that when banks are going down in terms of generating revenue, the government collapses them as a solution.
“There is nowhere in this world that government will collapse banks that are struggling. The government only invest to cushion the banks with just US$10 billion but that would not be free…it will be in a form of buying shares in these companies so the government will get a representative on the board of these banks to ensure that the banks are doing the right thing.
“No rational person will go and borrow $22 billion to solve a problem which the solution requires just US$9 billion. These are the problems that someday someone will answer, even if it gets to hundred years, someone needs to answer [questions on it]. If we are to exhume the bodies of some individuals, we have to do so and put their bodies before the court.
“People are given posthumous awards or promotions, we will be given some people posthumous prosecution, posthumous judgement, and posthumous conviction. We need to get a cemetery at Nsawam and those that have been convicted posthumously will be buried there…We need not to take whatever that has happened for granted…,” Mensah Thompson stressed.
These suspects and three other accomplices allegedly attacked the bank on 27th June 2022, disarmed the security guard on duty, assaulted two of the bank staff and made away with an unspecified amount of money and a pump action gun. The suspects also allegedly shot one other person who attempted to mount a roadblock to prevent them from escaping.
“When the robbers realised they were being pursued by the police, they set their vehicle ablaze and abandoned it hoping that would foil the police tracking them.
“The combined effort of the Western, Ashanti and the Bono East Regional Police Intelligence Directorates over an eight-week period has led to the arrest of the suspects in the Ashanti Region.
“The Police have so far retrieved four vehicles including the one that was set ablaze and abandoned by the robbers, a motorbike, two pistols and a quantity of ammunition,†the statement said.
It also commended the officers who worked on the investigation leading to the arrests.
“We wish to commend the intelligence officers in the Western, Ashanti and Bono East Regions for their hard work and collaborative efforts which led to the breakthrough in the investigations towards solving the case.
“The two suspects are currently in custody and the pursuit of the other accomplices continues. We wish to assure the public that these criminals can run but cannot hide. Wherever they are, we will get themâ€.
The National Health Insurance Scheme has entered into a strategic partnership with four newly promoted Ghana Premier League clubs ahead of the next football season.
The four clubs are Samatex Football Club, Tamale City FC, Nsoutreman FC and Kotoko Royals.
As part of the partnership, the NHIS will help the four teams to register their players, officials, management and fans onto the insurance scheme. This top-notch sports marketing drive is to encourage soccer fans to check out everything about the NHIS brand and encourage people to enrol on the Scheme.
At a short but colourful ceremony held at the headquarters of the scheme on Wednesday, August 31 the CEO of the NHIS, Dr Okoe Boye said this partnership is part of an elaborate plan to roll on many more Ghanaians onto the scheme.
He argued that almost half of Ghanaians are without any form of health insurance, describing it as “a national security threat.â€
Dr Okoe Boye revealed that the NHIS is anticipating registering about 20,000 persons affiliated with each of the four teams by the time the partnership agreement is done.
“This is a unique form of partnership. As you know we are not an organization that is commercial like GNPC which sells oil. We get money from the government with the aim of registering every Ghanaian on the scheme and whichever way we have to spend money on getting Ghanaians to register we are ready to do that.â€
As part of the agreement, the NHIS logo will be on the jerseys of the four teams.
“We are looking at this as a pilot project, we could not start with all the teams in the league at a go which is why we chose these new entrants because they are containable. The deal with the clubs is for five years. We are going to learn a lot in the first year so that once we can show the gains in the first year we can convince the board and government to roll it out nationwide,†Dr Okoe Boye said when asked why the scheme selected the four clubs for this partnership.
Representatives of all four clubs present at the ceremony commended the NHIS for such a move and revealed it will take a huge burden from them when It comes to caring for players and officials who get injured during games.
The physiotherapist of the African Club of the Century Kumasi Asante Kotoko Mr. Emmanuel Jaidyn has described comments made by a Sports presenter, Kweku Edison, who works with Wontumi Radio in Kumasi as a fallacy.
According to him, the Asante Kotoko team travelled to Sudan for preseason without him because he was taking care of Mbela and Mfegue who couldn’t travel with the team because of injuries.
Kweku Edison, the sports journalist made a statement that he fought with a Simba SC player during their friendly match.
In a Twitter post, Emmanuel Jaidyn debunked the speculations by the Kumasi-based journalist.
“The person in the video is not me whereas I am in Ghana rendering other club services,” he said.
“I urge that such comment should be treated as void as it a false accusation, an action I didn’t participate in,” he added.
The workers have demanded, among other things, the immediate recall of all targeted members of the Telecom and IT Professionals Union (TIP) whose contracts have not been renewed by the employers by mere association with the Union and other Union leaders who are members of the current Joint Standing Negotiation Committee and Subcommittee negotiating the 2022 CA and salary increment. This demand was made in a statement dated August 31, 2022, which GhanaWeb was able to obtain.
“The Telecom and IT Professionals Union (TIP), made up of telecom engineers, technicians, I.T professionals, and other allied workers, who manage the key technical operations for the telecom operators, has served notice to the National Labour Commission (NLC) and their employers to embark on strike action in response to the direct attack by the employers at the leadership of the Union (From National, Regional and Branch) that has threatened the very existence of the Union and its members,†part of the statement read.
According to the union, these four employers – Linfra Ghana Limited, MP Infrastructure Ghana Limited, Reime Ghana Limited, and Reliance Personal Services – who are subcontractors and employment agencies of Huawei Technologies on the managed service operations of MTN, Vodafone, and AirtelTigo, have refused to sign a joint letter with the Union to refer to the pending issues that all parties have declared deadlock on since July 2022.
The pending items are as follows:
a. Determination of the Principal employer and the role of the principal employer in the employment relationship.
b. Provisions to re-negotiate to restore equilibrium in the CA.
c. Severance.
d. Professional Subscription Fees.
e. Workload and Working Tools (Laptops, Mobile phones, Data bundle and airtime, and Pickup vehicles).
f. Proposed Forty-five (45%) salary increment for 2022.
The group further noted that Ghana’s telecommunications system would be left on autopilot until its needs are addressed.
But prosecutors in his native Atlanta are not impressed. In May, Mr Williams was arrested on racketeering and gang-related charges and has been in jail since. This month, he was denied bond for a third time.
Prosecutors allege that Young Stoner Life (YSL) Records, the rap label Mr Williams founded, is the front for an organised crime syndicate responsible for “75 to 80% of violent crime” in the city.
Part of their evidence to make that case? The lyrics that have garnered Mr Williams legions of fans.
“I never killed anybody but I got something to do with that body,” he proclaims on the 2018 song Anybody, for example. “I told them to shoot a hundred rounds.”
Listeners of rap music rarely flinch at the genre’s predilection for violent references – but rap artists in courtrooms around the country have been finding out for years that judges and juries might.
Rap lyrics have been used in more than 500 criminal cases around the US over the past two decades as evidence.
Now, a new bill in US Congress aims to stop the practice, raising questions about free speech, artistic expression and race.
The Restoring Artistic Protections or Rap Act was introduced last month by Congressman Hank Johnson, a black Democrat from Georgia, who argues that the use of rap lyrics as criminal evidence is racist.
“Bringing rap lyrics into the fact-finding process oftentimes is just another way of creating prejudice and bias in the minds of jurors and judges, and that’s wrong,” he said.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The RAP Act was introduced in July by Democratic Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia
Advocates for the rap industry agree, and say that the art form is routinely under assault.
“We’ve looked at this for decades and no other fictional form, musical or otherwise, is being targeted this way,” said Erik Nielson, a professor at the University of Richmond who studies the relationship between black artistic expression and US law.
And according to his 2019 book, Rap on Trial, co-authored with former public defender Andrea Dennis, the practice of using rap as criminal evidence is growing.
“By and large, it is amateur rappers, those without any real name recognition, who generally lack the resources they would need to mount a vigorous defence,” he said.
“But we’re starting to see that police and prosecutors have become more emboldened.”
Of the more than one hundred cases Mr Nielson has consulted on, he argues that none were obvious cases of a rapper chronicling criminal activity or mapping out crimes they’d like to commit.
“They are stock lyrics that have been uttered many times by platinum-selling artists, but prosecutors do not characterise them that way,” he said.
By cherry-picking lyrics that are threatening and prejudicial, prosecutors can “play upon, but also perpetuate, the stereotypes that many jurors [and judges] hold about the criminality of young black men”, even if there is no physical evidence they’ve committed a crime, said Mr Nielson.
In the case of Mr Williams, prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia have argued that YSL, despite producing Grammy-winning talent, is not a straightforward business, but a street gang affiliated with the national Bloods gang enterprise.
In an indictment in May, the district attorney’s office charged 28 YSL artists with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations (RICO) Act – famously used in mafia prosecutions – and tied the men to a series of felony offences, including murder, armed robbery and carjacking.
Cited throughout the charging document “in furtherance of the conspiracy” are the rappers’ lyrics in dozens of songs.
Many of the accused have vehemently denied the charges, with Mr Williams’s long-time attorney Brian Steel repeatedly saying his client has “committed no crime whatsoever”. Fulton County prosecutors did not respond to the BBC’s requests for comment.
Mr Williams complained to fans in June in a message from jail, saying: “You know, this isn’t about me or YSL. I always use my music as a form of artistic expression, and I see now that Black artists and rappers don’t have that freedom.”
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Prosecutors at the murder trial of Snoop Dogg alluded to the lyrics of ‘Murder was the Case’ in closing arguments
But prosecutors who have been able to deploy the strategy say that lyrics should be fair game when they have a clear connection to a particular case.
When prosecuting a local artist, Darrell Caldwell, for criminal charges in Los Angeles in 2020, county authorities were able to use footage from a music video in which the rapper shows a gun used in a crime to implicate him – though he was earlier acquitted of a more serious murder charge, he pleaded guilty to shooting a gun from a vehicle.
“The rap video itself had evidentiary value that helped us solve the case,” said Phil Stirling, a former Los Angeles County deputy district attorney.
Mr Stirling conceded that unfair verdicts may result from an over-zealous prosecutor or an unfair judge, but rejected the notion that using lyrics as evidence is “racist”.
“There are murders that occur in the rap world because of connections with gang members,” he said. “The victims are [mostly] black and brown. If [the use of rap lyrics] is racist, let’s do away with it. But who suffers in the end?”
There have been some past attempts to limit the use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials.
Eight years ago, New Jersey’s state supreme court overturned the attempted murder conviction of aspiring rapper Vonte Skinner. Prosecutors had used Mr Skinner’s lyrics as evidence in the case, which the Supreme Court ruled 6-0 had the effect of “poisoning the jury”.
Lawmakers in California and New York have also advanced bills this year to bar the use of lyrics in state courtrooms.
The Rap Act would be the first measure to do so on the federal level, though it is still too soon to tell whether it will eventually become law.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Killer Mike has featured Young Thug in his music and publicly called for the rapper’s release
But regardless of its success or failure, the jailing of Young Thug has given momentum to artists pushing for change.
Michael Render, better known as rapper and activist Killer Mike, is among several high-profile artists who have featured Mr Williams in their music since his indictment, also arguing that the arrest fits with a racially prejudiced targeting of rap music.
“If you were writing a movie, and something happens that’s coincidentally similar to the movie, I’m not going to charge you and your whole movie set as a cartel,” said Mr Render.
On the other hand, “rap is a low-hanging fruit and an easy one to target because most of society is not going to fight for the rights of those that they consider beneath them or an art form they consider below them.”
“Hip hop is art, it is literature, it is poetry, it is free speech, it is journalism, and it should be protected as such,” said Jamaal Bowman, a congressman whose district includes the Bronx, NY, the birthplace of hip hop. “It should not be criminalised.”
Upon leaving office, US presidents must transfer all of their documents and emails to the National Archives. The FBI is investigating whether Mr Trump improperly handled records by taking them from the White House to Mar-a-Lago after he left office in January 2021.
In the filing released on Tuesday, the Justice Department’s counterintelligence chief, Jay Bratt, gave the clearest picture so far of the department’s attempts to retrieve documents from the former president.
Those attempts led to a National Archives team visiting his Mar-a-Lago home in January, an FBI team visiting in June and the FBI searching the mansion on 8 August.
Who visited Mar-a-Lago, when, and why?
In January, the National Archives retrieved 15 boxes of White House records from Mar-a-Lago, where they found highly classified records were “unfoldered” and “intermixed with other records” – some pages had been torn up.
Upon learning the boxes contained “highly classified reports”, the Justice Department and the FBI began investigations which found evidence that “dozens of additional boxes” likely containing classified information still remained at his property.
On 3 June, three FBI agents and a DOJ attorney arrived at Mar-a-Lago to collect materials. According to Mr Trump’s lawyers, he told them: “Whatever you need, just let us know.”
But agents were “explicitly prohibited” by his representatives from searching any boxes inside a storage room at Mr Trump’s property, according to the latest filing.
Mr Bratt, from the DOJ, said this gave “no opportunity for the government to confirm” that no classified documents remained at the property.
Evidence was also found that the records were “likely concealed and removed” from the storage and that efforts were “likely taken” to obstruct the investigation, officials said.
Following the June visit, FBI teams searched Mr Trump’s property again in August – where they found over a hundred classified documents.
This was twice as many classified documents found “in a matter of hours” than by the “diligent search” that Mr Trump’s team claimed they had previously carried out.
Mr Bratt said that this “casts doubt on the extent of co-operation in this matter”.
At the time, Mr Trump rejected reports he had mishandled official records as “fake news”.
He is suing for a detailed list of exactly what was taken from his estate, and is asking for the government to return any item which was not in the scope of the search warrant.
Mr Trump’s lawyers have asked that a “neutral” third-party attorney – known as a special master – be brought in to determine whether the seized files are covered by executive privilege, which allows presidents to keep certain communications under wraps.
But the latest court filing said that any presidential records seized in the search warrant “belong to the United States, not to the former president”.
Unlike the released affidavit requesting the original search warrant, whose heavy redactions were cited by Mr Trump and his supporters as evidence of nefarious behaviour, this court filing is a much clearer read.
In its 54 pages, it attempts to knock down allegations by the former president that the Mar-a-Lago search wasn’t just unnecessary but part of a political vendetta.
It details government efforts to convince Mr Trump and his lawyers to provide relevant documents voluntarily and the growing concern that they were being less than forthcoming. Suspicions were confirmed, the government said, by the ease with which the FBI found additional classified material.
What the brief doesn’t answer is why Mr Trump took the documents to Florida and why he kept them there in the face of a federal investigation that was clearly growing in seriousness.
The old Washington adage that “it’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up” underscores that some of the biggest political scandals blossom only after the investigatory spotlight is turned on.
There’s still no indication of when, or if, Mr Trump or his associates will be criminally charged in this case, but this brief suggests that if they are, it could be a mess of their own making.
Trump records probe timeline
January 2022 – The National Archives retrieves 15 boxes of White House records from Mar-a-Lago, and says some of the documents it received at the end of Trump administration had been torn up
February – Reports emerge that classified files were found in the Mar-a-Lago cache and National Archives has asked DoJ to investigate
April – US media report the FBI has begun a preliminary investigation
3 June – A senior DoJ official and three FBI agents travel to Mar-a-Lago to review items in a basement. According to Mr Trump, he told them: “Whatever you need, just let us know”
8 June – Federal investigators write to a Trump aide to ask that a stronger lock be used to secure the room storing the items. Trump says that request was quickly fulfilled
22 June – The Trump Organization receives a DoJ summons for CCTV footage from Mar-a-Lago
8 August – Dozens of agents search Mar-a-Lago, seizing more than 20 boxes, some containing top secret files, according to the warrant
12 August – Warrant released, showing that 11 sets of classified documents were taken
25 August – Judge orders justice department to release a redacted version of court papers that convinced him to authorise a search of Donald Trump’s estate
Pistorius argues that he has already served enough time in prison to be eligible for parole, and therefore authorities should look at whether he can be released early.
In 2017, SCA said that Pistorius should serve 13 years and five months for the murder of Ms Steenkamp – overturning a previous, more lenient punishment of six years for murder.
Last year, the same court ruled that his current term should be backdated to October 2014, when he was initially sentenced for a lesser charge of culpable homicide.
Pistorius argues that this backdating means he became eligible for parole in February last year.
He wants Gauteng’s High Court to order the parole board to convene a hearing for him. If that request is granted, he wants the hearing to be within 30 days of the order saying so.
But Atteridgeville prison, where he is being held, says the court of appeal has given contradictory rulings.
The Department of Correctional Services also says it is seeking a court judgement to establish the date when his sentence effectively began.
Steenkamp’s murder on Valentine’s Day nine years ago shocked the country. In the televised trial, which gripped millions in South Africa and around the world, Pistorius pleaded that he had shot his girlfriend four times because he thought a burglar had entered his Pretoria home.
But a panel of appeal judges found that having armed himself with a deadly weapon, Pistorius should have foreseen that whoever was behind the toilet door might die, especially given his firearms training.
“Tough on stains and kinder to our planet,” the voiceover adds.
A viewer complained to the watchdog that Persil’s claims of being “kinder” to the planet were unsubstantiated.
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The regulator upheld the complaint and said that the claims could only be justified if the product provides an environmental benefit over other similar products.
“Although we acknowledged Persil were undertaking actions to reduce the environmental impact of their products, we had not seen evidence or analysis to demonstrate the overall environmental impact of the featured liquid detergents over their full-life cycles, compared with Persil’s own previous products or other products, in support of the claim ‘kinder to our planet’”, the ASA said.
Unilever countered that the advert showed how its liquid detergent was “kinder” to the planet because it saved energy by cleaning in fast washes and at lower temperatures. It also said it was “kinder” because the product used recycled plastic.
A spokesperson for Unilever told the BBC that is was “disappointed” with the ASA’s result.
“We are committed to making on-going improvements to all our products to make them more sustainable and will continue to look at how we can share this with our shoppers”, Unilever said.
The ASA banned the advert because it concluded that the basis of the claim “kinder to our planet” had not been made clear.
The regulator also said the ad featured “various strands of messaging” about Persil’s wider environmental initiatives including encouraging people to “personally take action to care for the environment”, and showing children collecting plastic litter.
“In the context of the entire ad with several messages relating to environmental issues, we considered the meaning and basis of the claim “kinder to our planet” was unclear,” the ASA said.
“Additionally, in the absence of evidence demonstrating that the full-life cycle of the product had a lesser environmental impact compared to a previous formulation, we concluded the ad was likely to mislead,” a spokesperson from the ASA added.
The Bank of England has forecast the UK economy will fall into recession later this year. This happens when the economy shrinks for two three-month periods in a row.
Mr O’Leary told the BBC: “A deep recession in the UK or an energy crisis will certainly affect overall demand, but within that – as has happened in the last four or five recessions – you see people trading down from high-fare airlines like BA and Easyjet, to low-fare airlines like Ryanair.”
He likened this to “the same way many people have switched from shopping in Sainsbury’s to Lidl and Aldi”, and insisted he was “confident we’ll grow even faster as a result of any recession here”.
However he repeated comments he had recently made to the BBC that super-cheap €10 tickets would not be possible in the near future, with the soaring cost of fuel pushing up the airline’s average fare from around €40 (£33.75) last year to roughly €50 over the next five years.
Mr O’Leary said Ryanair still had not been able to provide Covid refunds to 200,000 passengers, out of a total of 30 million.
He insisted this was because they had booked through online travel agents, whom he accused of being “pirates”, and that Ryanair could not contact such passengers because details such as email addresses were often incorrect.
Mr O’Leary said the problems with staff shortages at airports seen at the start of the summer appeared to have been resolved “at every airport with the exception of Heathrow”.
He has started referring to Britain’s biggest airport – from where Ryanair does not operate – as “Hopeless Heathrow”, after it introduced a cap on passenger numbers which has prompted cancellations and ticket sales limits. Heathrow says its cap has been successful in reducing on-the-day disruption for passengers.
British Airways has been severely affected by the cap, cutting around two dozen flights a day until it ends.
BA also said that to ensure it can cope over winter, it will be cutting 10,000 flights between late October and March.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Airports including London’s Heathrow have suffered from queues and cancellations this summer due to staff shortages
When it comes to staff wages, Mr O’Leary said he wanted to give pay rises, and things were now moving beyond agreements to restore pay to pre-Covid levels, to discussions over pay increases.
He could not give guarantees across the board now, citing uncertainties such as how well the market recovers this winter, and the situation with the war in Ukraine. But he said he was moving “aggressively” towards negotiating increases in pay.
Ryanair has faced battles with unions after it cut salaries during the pandemic but it has been less affected by staff shortages and cancellations than other airlines.
The company has said this was because it kept staff on, albeit on reduced pay, and maintained training at the height of Covid restrictions.
Mr O’Leary also urged the victor in the ongoing Conservative party leadership contest to scrap Air Passenger Duty – which is paid by airlines for every passenger who flies from the UK – and to negotiate a free trade deal with the EU when they became prime minister.
He said the lack of free movement under the current “hard Brexit” deal had caused staffing challenges in the UK economy, including in airports, and accused Boris Johnson’s government of being “economically illiterate”.
He previously told the BBC a more “practical, common sense” approach to post-Brexit policy was needed, to allow more workers from Europe to fill vacancies.
Mr O’Leary said he expected passenger growth in the next few years to be largely made possible by taking delivery of 51 new, more efficient Boeing aircraft – although he cast some doubt upon whether they would be delivered on time.
The Nord Stream 1 pipeline stretches 1,200km (745 miles) under the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast near St Petersburg to north-eastern Germany.
It opened in 2011, and can send a maximum of 170m cubic metres of gas per day from Russia to Germany.
The pipeline was shut down for 10 days in July – again for repairs, according to Russia – and has recently been operating at just 20% capacity because of what Russia describes as faulty equipment.
“I assume that we will be able to cope with it,” Klaus Mueller told Reuters. “I trust that Russia will return to 20% on Saturday, but no one can really say.”
European leaders fear Russia could extend the outage in an attempt to drive up gas prices, which have already risen sharply in the past year.
The steep rise threatens to create a cost of living crisis over the winter months, potentially forcing governments to spend billions to ease the burden.
On Tuesday, French Energy Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher accused Russia of “using gas as a weapon of war”.
She was speaking after Gazprom said it would suspend gas deliveries to the French energy company Engie.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman has rejected the accusations – and insisted that Western sanctions have caused the interruptions by damaging Russian infrastructure.
He insisted that that “technological problems” caused by sanctions are the only thing preventing Russia from supplying gas via the pipeline, without specifying what the problems were.
The most recent controversy has been over a turbine which arrived in Germany after being repaired in Canada and which Russia refused to take back, arguing it was subject to the Western sanctions.
Germany, however, denies this.
Earlier this month, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the pipeline was fully operational and said there were no technical issues as claimed by Russia.
Earlier this week, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised to intervene in energy markets, telling a conference in Slovenia that they are “no longer fit for purpose”.
“We need a new market model for electricity that really functions and brings us back into balance,” she said.
Before the conflict, Germany had approved the €10bn (£8.4bn) Nord Stream 2 pipeline – which runs parallel to its namesake – but halted operations after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February.
Last week, the BBC revealed that Russia has been burning off an estimated $10m (£8.4m) worth of gas every day at a plant near the Finnish border.
Neither Anthony Gordon nor Wilfried Zaha will be on the move ahead of the transfer deadline, according to their respective managers.
Gordon and Zaha have each been linked with transfers to Chelsea, who are continuing to spend big before the window closes on Thursday.
However, both players played and netted in the Premier League on Tuesday Gordon opening the scoring in Everton’s 1-1 draw at Leeds United, as Zaha did likewise as Crystal Palace were held by Brentford.
And after their respective matches, Everton manager Frank Lampard and Palace boss Patrick Vieira spoke with certainty on the futures of their key men.
“Anthony is too important a player,” Lampard said. “He has showed his worth in the last two games; it is too late [in the window].
“He is going to be special. In the bigger picture, he has an affiliation with the fans. It is a process can we build around that?
“The interest in him is because he is a top player, and why we are so keen to keep him, you saw the reasons why in the last two games. He is our player.”
Vieira added: “I didn’t even put that [the possibility of Zaha leaving] in my head. I didn’t even ask myself that question.
“I’m working with him every day and there is no doubt, there is nothing crossing my mind that something like that will happen.”
The third edition of the annual Emerging Movie Awards Ghanacame off at the Silverbird Cinemas inside the Accra Mall last Saturday with some popular faces in the Ghanaian movie industry in attendance.
Samuel Whyte Agyapong, who got the prize for the “Best Production Coordinator of the Year,” was among the revelers that night.
He described it as a happy occasion and the fruit of his labor.
Also, the Founder of the event Raymond Kombat, stated that the event was meant to celebrate and encourage stakeholders of the film industry in Ghana who hadn’t yet reached the peak of their careers but had shown potential.
Samuel Whyte Agyapong described his win as deserving, though according to him, the experience was humbling.
“Arguably, I am the best Production Coordinator in Ghana, and my category had me alone in there so, it was obvious I was going to win. I submitted ‘Trinity’ and ‘Valentine’s Day’, and these two movies I did a lot and really worked so hard to bring the best. I deserve this and I think I have done my part and worked my way through this. This happens to be my third award this year and I’m grateful to the organizers for this honor”, he said.
Other winners on the night included Peter Ritchie, Habiba Sinare, Andy Tetteh, Destiny Omon, Isaac Adjapong, and others.
The transfer market will close until January if Premier League clubs don’t make any new signings by Thursday at 11 p.m. (BST).
The likes of Chelsea and Manchester United are expected to be busy as they desperately try to get more deals over the line.
And at the other end of the table, teams like Evertonand Aston Villa are on the lookout for reinforcements after poor starts to the season.
It is sure to be an exciting end to the window.
Keep this page bookmarked to stay up to date with all the Premier League ins and outs during the summer transfer window.
Arsenal
In:Marquinhos (Sao Paulo, £3m), Fabio Vieira (Porto, £30m), Matt Turner (New England Revolution, £5.8m), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City, £45m), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Manchester City, £30m)
Out: Konstantinos Mavropanos (Stuttgart, £3m), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon, free), Jonathan Dinzeyi (released), Joel Lopez (released), Jordan McEneff (released), Harry Clarke (Stoke, loan), Omar Rekik (Sparta Rotterdam, loan), Tyreece John-Jules (Ipswich, loan), Mika Biereth (RKC Waalwijk, loan), Jordi Osei-Tutu (VFL Bochum, undisclosed), Daniel Ballard (Sunderland, undisclosed), Nikolaj Moller (Den Bosch, loan), Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille, undisclosed), Zak Swanson (Portsmouth, undisclosed), Ovie Ejeheri (Chelmsford City, loan), Auston Trusty (Birmingham, loan), Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea, undisclosed), Marcelo Flores (Real Ovideo, loan), Ryan Alebiosu (Kilmarnock, loan), Arthur Okonkwo (Crewe, loan), Nuno Tavares (Marseille, loan), Mazeed Ogungbo (Crawley, loan), Bernd Leno (Fulham, undisclosed), Charlie Patino (Blackpool, loan), Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray, undisclosed), Pablo Mari (AC Monza, loan), Alex Runarsson (Alanyaspor, loan), Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Rotherham, loan), Tom Smith (Bromley, loan), Salah-Eddine Oulad M’hand (Hull, loan), Nicolas Pepe (Nice, loan)
Aston Villa
Philippe Coutinho has joined Aston Villa from Barcelona on a four-year deal
In: Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona, £17m), Boubacar Kamara (Marseille, free), Diego Carlos (Sevilla, undisclosed), Robin Olsen (Roma, undisclosed), Rory Wilson (Rangers, undisclosed), Ludwig Augustinsson (Sevilla, loan with option to buy), Ewan Simpson (Hearts, undisclosed)
In: Ryan Fredericks (West Ham, free), Joe Rothwell (Blackburn, free), Marcus Tavernier (Middlesbrough, £10m), Neto (Barcelona, free), Marcos Senesi (Feyenoord, £12m)
Out: Gary Cahill (released), Brennan Camp (released), Ryan Glover (released), Connor Curran-Browne (released), Luke Nippard (released), Owen Palmer (released), Aaron Roberts (released), Jack Seddon (released), Gavin Kilkenny (Stoke, loan), Aji Alese (Sunderland, loan), Zeno Ibsen Rossi (Cambridge, undisclosed)
Brentford
In: Aaron Hickey (Bologna, undisclosed), Keane Lewis-Potter (Hull, £20m), Thomas Strakosha (Lazio, free), Ben Mee (Burnley, free), Mikkel Damsgaard (Sampdoria, undisclosed), Mathias Jorgensen (Free)
Out: Ben Hockenhull (Tranmere), Hans Mpongo (released), Mads Bidstrup (Nordsjaelland, loan), Gustav Mogensen (Sarpsborg, undisclosed), Christian Eriksen (Manchester United, free), Paris Maghoma (AFC Wimbledon, loan), Dominic Thompson (Blackpool, undisclosed), Lachlan Brook (Crewe, loan), Marcus Forss (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Ellery Balcombe (Crawley, loan), Tariqe Fosu (Stoke City, loan), Myles Peart-Harris (Forest Green, loan)
Brighton
In: Julio Enciso (Libertad Asuncion, undisclosed), Benicio Baker-Boaitey (Porto, undisclosed), Simon Adingra (Nordsjaelland, undisclosed), Levi Colwill (Chelsea, loan), Luca Barrington (Manchester City, undisclosed), Pervis Estupinan (Villarreal, undisclosed)
Out: Jayson Molumby (West Brom, £900,000), Tudor Baluta (released), Adam Desbois (released), Lars Dendoncker (released), Ulrick Ella (released), Ayo Tanimowo (released), John Lucero (released), Jaami Qureshi (released), Fynn Talley (Cliftonville, loan), Yves Bissouma (Tottenham, £25m), Alex Cochrane (Hearts, undisclosed), Simon Adingra (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, loan), Carl Rushworth (Lincoln, loan), Haydon Roberts (Derby, loan), Abdallah Sima (Angers, loan), Aaron Connolly (Venezia, loan), Leo Ostigard (Napoli, undisclosed), Taylor Richards (QPR, loan), Marc Leonard (Northampton, loan), Jensen Weir (Morecambe, loan), Reda Khadra (Sheffield United, loan), Teddy Jenks (Crawley, loan), Andi Zeqiri (Basel, loan), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea, undisclosed), Shane Duffy (Fulham, loan), Kjell Scherpen (Vitesse Arnhem, loan), Lorent Tolaj (Salford, loan), Matt Clarke (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Kacper Kozlowski (Vitesse Arnhem, loan), Neal Maupay (Everton, undisclosed)
Chelsea
In: Eddie Beach (Southampton, undisclosed), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, £50m), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli, £33m), Omar Hutchinson (Arsenal, free), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire, £12m), Carney Chukwuemeka (Aston Villa, undisclosed), Marc Cucurella (Brighton, undisclosed), Cesare Casadei (Inter Milan, £12.6m).
Out:Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid, free), Andreas Christensen (released), Danny Drinkwater (released), Charly Musonda (released), Jake Clarke-Salter (QPR, free), Lucas Bergstrom (Peterborough, loan), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan, loan), Nathan Baxter (Hull, loan), Ethan Wady (Woking, loan), Ian Maatsen (Burnley, loan), Henry Lawrence (MK Dons, loan), Tino Anjorin (Huddersfield, loan), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire, loan), Levi Colwill (Brighton, loan), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig, £25m), Malang Sarr (Monaco, loan), Emerson Palmieri (West Ham, £13m), Ross Barkley (released), Callum Hudson-Odoi (Bayern Leverkusen, loan)
Crystal Palace
In: Malcolm Ebiowei (Derby, free), Sam Johnstone (West Brom, free), Cheick Doucoure (Lens, undisclosed), Chris Richards (Bayern Munich, undisclosed), Kofi Balmer (Larne, undisclosed)
Out: Martin Kelly (released), Jaroslaw Jach (released), Luke Dreher (released), Rian Jamai (released), Kanye Jobson (released), Nya Kirby (released), Joseph Ling (released), Sean Robertson (released), Sion Spence (released), Aidan Steele (released), James Taylor (released), Dylan Thiselton (released), Reece Hannam (Bromley, loan), Remi Matthews (St Johnstone, loan), Tayo Adaramola (Coventry, loan), Sean Robertson (Forest Green, free), Christian Benteke (DC United, undisclosed), Scott Banks (Bradford, loan), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (Charlton, loan), Malachi Boateng (Queen’s Park, loan), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest, free), Daniel Quick (Dorking Wanderers, loan), Luke Plange (RWD Molenbeek, loan), Jake O’Brien (RWD Molenbeek)
Out: Edinson Cavani (released), Juan Mata (released), Paul Pogba (Juventus, free), Jesse Lingard (released) D’Mani Mellor (released), Reece Devine (released), Lee Grant (released), Paul McShane (released), Connor Stanley (released), Paul Woolston (released), Nemanja Matic (Roma, free), Dean Henderson (Nottingham Forest, loan), Dylan Levitt (Dundee, undisclosed), Andreas Pereira (Fulham, £8m), Alvaro Fernandez (Preston, loan), Alex Telles (Sevilla, loan), Ethan Laird (QPR, loan), Dermot Mee (Altrincham, loan), Hannibal (Birmingham, loan)
Newcastle
In: Alex Murphy (Galway United, undisclosed), Matt Targett (Aston Villa, £15m), Nick Pope (Burnley, undisclosed), Sven Botman (Lille, undisclosed), Charlie McArthur (Kilmarnock, undisclosed), Jude Smith (East Fife, undisclosed), Alexander Isak (Real Sociedad, £60m)
Out: Oisin McEntee (Walsall, undisclosed), Mo Sangare (Accrington, free), Isaac Hayden (Norwich, loan with obligation to buy), Lewis Cass (Port Vale, undisclosed), Freddie Woodman (Preston, undisclosed), Dan Langley (Gateshead, loan), Jeff Hendrick (Reading, loan), Ciaran Clark (Sheffield United, loan), Dwight Gayle (Stoke, undisclosed)
Nottingham Forest
In: Ryan Hammond (Millwall, undisclosed), Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin, £17.5m), Dean Henderson (Manchester United, loan), Giulian Biancone (Troyes, £5m), Moussa Niakhate (Mainz, £8.5m), Omar Richards (Bayern Munich, £10m), Neco Williams (Liverpool, £17m), Wayne Hennessey (Burnley, undisclosed), Brandon Aguilera (LD Alajuelense, undisclosed), Harry Toffolo (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Lewis O’Brien (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United, free), Orel Mangala (Stuttgart, £12.7m), Emmanuel Dennis (Watford, £20m), Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace, free), Remo Freuler (Atalanta, £8.5m), Morgan Gibbs-White (Wolves, £25m), Hwang Ui-jo (Bordeaux, undisclosed), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid, loan)
Out: Tobias Figueiredo (released), Carl Jenkinson (released), Gaetan Bong (released), Marcelo Valencia (released), Josh Barnes (released), Baba Fernandes (released), Sam Sanders (released), Morgan Thomas-Sadler (released), Joe Watkins (released), Mohamed Drager (FC Luzern, loan), Jayden Richardson (Aberdeen, undisclosed), Ethan Horvath (Luton, loan), Brice Samba (Lens, undisclosed), Tyrese Fornah (Reading, loan), Will Swan (Mansfield, loan), Jonathan Panzo (Coventry, loan), Fin Back (Carlisle, loan), Lewis Grabban (released), Riley Harbottle (Mansfield, loan), Brandon Aguilera (Guanacasteca, loan), Nicholas Ioannou (Como, undisclosed), Xande Silva (Dijon, undisclosed), Braian Ojeda (Real Salt Lake, loan), Nuno da Costa (Auxerre, undisclosed), Richie Laryea (Toronto, loan), Baba Fernandes (Accrington, loan), Nicky Hogarth (Falkirk, loan), Joe Lolley (Sydney, free), Hwang Ui-jo (Olympiacos, loan), Alex Mighten (Sheffield Wednesday, loan)
Southampton
In: Alex Iwumene (Sutton United), Gavin Bazunu (Manchester City, undisclosed), Mateusz Lis (Altay SK, free), Armel Bella-Kotchap (Bochum, £8.5m), Romeo Lavia (Manchester City, £10.5m), Joe Aribo (Rangers, £10m), Sekou Mara (Bordeaux, undisclosed)
Out: Harry Lewis (Bradford City, free), Fraser Forster (Tottenham, free), Caleb Watts (Morecambe, loan), Kazeem Olaigbe (Ross County, loan), Shane Long (Reading, free), Dan Nlundulu (Cheltenham, loan), Will Smallbone (Stoke, loan), Thierry Small (Port Vale, loan), Kegs Chauke (Exeter, loan), Benni Smales-Braithwaite (Barrow, free), Will Ferry (Cheltenham, undisclosed), Nathan Tella (Burnley, loan), Kayne Ramsay (Harrogate, undisclosed)
Tottenham
Croatian wing-back Ivan Perisic was Tottenham’s first signing of the summer
The deal was announced on Tuesday, after a successful medical on Monday evening in Germany.
Hudson-Odoi has agreed to join the Bundesliga side after falling down the Chelsea pecking order, and he expects to see regular playing time.
Hudson-Odoi has struggled to find opportunities since returning from a crippling Achilles injury last season, and Thomas Tuchel has not made room for the 21-year-old after signing Raheem Sterling.
Hudson-Odoi informed Chelsea earlier this month that he wanted to leave in order to play more regularly.
The 21-year-old was being pursued by Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in 2020, but Chelsea rejected the club’s bids and instead extended the player’s contract.
Hudson-Odoi, who joined Chelsea at the age of six, has risen through the ranks to make 126 senior appearances.
He had his best spell at Stamford Bridge under Frank Lampard, who was eager to give opportunities to the club’s young English stars.
He appeared 33 times in the 2019-20 season, scoring three goals, and 37 times the following season, scoring five.
However, due to injuries, he was limited to 28 appearances in the 2021-22 season.
The Programmes Manager of the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, has reiterated the need to prioritise and disseminate data on HIV/AIDS.
He said achieving epidemic control would be a mirage if the target population is not regularly updated.
Speaking at the launch of the National HIV/AIDS Research Conference, NHARCON 2023, in Accra, Dr. Ayisi Addo said 23,495 positive cases and 932 deaths were recorded in the first half of this year.
He added that the Bono Region continues to lead the prevalence rate.
Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, has admitted that awareness creation of HIV/AIDS, has gone down, attributing it to the lack of funds. He said the Commission is working to mobilise resources to engage more young people in the education drive.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of NHARCON, Dr. Atuahene said vigorous campaign will help more people to get tested and get them to access treatment.
Chelsea took the lead through Raheem Sterling, but Romeo Lavia and Adam Armstrong secured a home win.
While rival fans mock Koulibaly for failing to live up to his words about being the team’s security, some Chelsea fans blame Mendy for conceding yet another avoidable goals.
During his first interaction with the fans after joining Chelsea this summer, Koulibaly vowed to be “the team’s security.” When he fails to deliver in games, his words have been used against him.
Whereas for Mendy, many Chelsea fans believe he could have saved the two goals he conceded after being in a good position and getting his hands on the ball.
Some opined that he should be dropped for Kepa Arrizabalaga in subsequent games. Mendy has conceded in four out of five games including making one error leading to a goal.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Mohammed Salisu had a decent game and came close to netting his team’s third but Thiago Silva cleared his header off the line.
Koulibaly for Chelsea tonight, the security of the team fell asleep on dutyðŸ˜ðŸ˜ pic.twitter.com/CCnHrXyIVF
Chelsea defender signed his contract on Tuesday afternoon, marking his return to the English Championship after spending last season on loan there.
The transfer is done, with an official announcement expected before the summer transfer window shuts on Wednesday.
Ghanasoccernet has reported a move for Rahman to Reading throughout the transfer window, but Championship rivals West Brom were also interested.
West Brom were eager to sign Rahman and were at one point neck and neck with Reading for his signature. Clubs in France, Germany, and Spain also expressed interest.
However, Rahman believes that a move to Reading is more appropriate, given that he enjoyed his first spell.
The left-back performed admirably for them last season, becoming a fan favourite.
Rahman started 29 games for Reading last season, recording 38 interceptions, 51 tackles, and 90 crosses.
Chelsea have approved Rahman’s move to Reading.
The Blues signed Rahman for an undisclosed fee, which was reported to be an initial £14 million, with a potential fee of nearly £22 million.
Rahman’s contract with Chelsea was extended until 2024 in June of last year.
The 28-year-old will be given regular playing time at Reading, ensuring that he is in peak condition for Ghana’s 2022 World Cup campaign.
Rahman is Ghana’s first choice for the left-back position ahead of the global showpiece in Qatar.
Moffy, a rising Afro Jazz and Afro Fusion singer from Ghana, is getting ready to release his second single of the year.
After the positively accepted release of “Slide,” the song “Sweet Feeling” is next.
Release day is set for September 2, 2022.
Moffy uses a calming dance beat to test the Afrobeatsstream in this song.
It also celebrates love that is true and worthy of appreciation. This is for the ones who stick with you, those who are the rainbows at the end of the torrid rains of toxic and shaky love cycles.
Moffy is supported by fellow members of 99 Phaces; Freddie Gambini, KyngLouy and CozyPols.
Taylor Swift has now confirmed a fan hypothesis regarding the Lover mansion, which can be seen in the singer’s music video for the 2019 song.
In the video, Taylor and her companion are inside a snow globe with a nine-room mansion and a snow-covered forest surrounding it.
The duo can be seen dancing in a variety of settings, from a green living room to a dimly lighted attic, all of which are decorated and colored differently.
Taylor gave them a thumbs up by liking a TikToksaying that the house was now complete following the announcement of her next album Midnights. Astute fans put together a theory that each section of the house corresponded with an album from the “Love Story” singer’s discography; Taylor gave them a thumbs up by liking the TikTok.
In the photo, fans matched the living room with the self-titled album Taylor Swift, a blue dining room with Speak Now, a yellow game room with Fearless, a staircase with folklore and a red entertainment space with Red, of course. The upper half of the house has a turquoise bathroom paired with 1989, a closet with evermore, a pink bedroom with Lover and the attic with reputation.
To top it off, Midnights, Taylor’s 10th studio album coming out Oct. 21, is paired with the starry night outside the house.
That means, according to the video Taylor liked, that the Lover house is now complete. As the user @thethrifyswifie said, “This makes me cry happy tears.”
Each room has a potential meaning for why it’s associated with its corresponding album. For example, Midnights could be the backdrop given the blue hues of the night which match the album’s cover art as well as the nocturnal album theme. The pink bedroom could be Lover because of the romantic moments Taylor and her partner share within the space, which resonates with the album’s theme of close relationships.
Taylor Swift/YouTube
While Taylor has not directly confirmed it herself, we’ll assume the queen of easter eggs is giving fans a wink that they know all too well about her clues.
She also continued the mischief by liking another TikTok about a person who may have had earlier access to Midnights—”All Too Well (10-minute Version)” short film star Dylan O’Brien.
“There’s no one I trust less with this Midnights release than Dylan O’Brien,” a user says in the video. “You cannot tell me this man has not heard the album in full.”
“This is the face of the man who is in the Google Calendar for the release schedule,” the user continues, displaying by photos of Dylan at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. “These are the dance moves of a man that has bopped to songs we do not know about yet.”
If the TikTok is correct, then Dylan has jumped the line from the rest of the Swifties who will have to wait until Oct. 21 to hear Midnights.
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Pakistan is facing “a monsoon on steroids”, the UN’s secretary general has warned, after floods submerged a third of the country.
Antonio Guterres urged the world to come to Pakistan’s aid as he launched a $160m appeal to help the tens of millions affected in the disaster.
He blamed “the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding”.
At least 1,136 people have been killed since June and roads, crops, homes and bridges washed away across the country.
This year’s record monsoon is comparable to the devastating floods of 2010 – the deadliest in Pakistan’s history – which left more than 2,000 people dead.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Makeshift relief camps have sprung up all over Pakistan to cope with the many displaced
In a video message, Mr Guterres called South Asia a “climate crisis hot spot” where people were 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts.
“Let’s stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change. Today, it’s Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country.”
He said the UN appeal aimed to provide 5.2 million people with food, water, sanitation, emergency education and health support.
Officials estimate that more than 33 million Pakistanis – one in seven people – have been affected by the flooding.
Sadia, a student in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, said she felt helpless as her family were cut off in their home village of Jhal Magsi, about eight hours away.
“You can’t find a single home that is safe now,” she told the BBC’s Outside Source programme. “They are under the sky with no help.
“Right now, we are in need of first aid relief like tents, some shelter and some basic food, they can’t cook anything. And they need clean water to drink.”
Image source, EPA Image caption, Clearing up in Sindh – countless properties have been damaged or destroyed
On Monday, Pakistan’s climate change minister Sherry Rehman described the situation as a “climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions”.
Pakistan produces less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions but ranks consistently in the top 10 countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely.
The world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.
Pakistan’s planning minister says estimates suggest the floods have caused at least $10bn (£8.5bn) of damage, and many people face serious food shortages. The country was already suffering from an economic crisis.
Vaste swathes of rich agricultural land have been devastated in this year’s monsoon, damaging food supplies and sending prices soaring.
“Things are so expensive because of this flood that we can’t buy anything,” Zahida Bibi, a shopper at a market in Lahore, told AFP news agency.
The flood situation is most severe in provinces such as Sindh and Balochistan, but mountainous regions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also been badly hit.
Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate villages cut off in northern Swat Valley, where bridges and roads have been swept away – but even with the help of helicopters, authorities are still struggling to reach those trapped.
“Village after village has been wiped out. Millions of houses have been destroyed,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday after flying over the area in a helicopter.
Aid is starting to arrive after Pakistan launched its own appeal for help. The United Arab Emirates and Turkey have delivered tents and medicines, while the US and Britain have pledged their support.
Earlier on Monday, the International Monetary Fund said it had approved a $1.2bn loan for the country.
In a series of tweets, while announcing his ‘comeback’ to active politics, Anyidoho indicated that he is against the candidature of General Mosquito because he is the “most poisonous and destructive element within the top of the NDC and he shall be exposed and NOT allowed to become National Chairman and Leader of the Party of Jerry John Rawlings.
“I thought Asiedu Nketiah wanted to be General Secretary for life! Why does he now want to become National Chairman? He only wants to become National Chairman so he can use Article 25 of the Party’s Constitution to become Leader, and pursue his personal perfidious ambition.
“Article 25 of the NDC’S constitution states that, when we are in opposition and not elected a Flagbearer, the National Chairman doubles as the Leader of the Party. Currently, we have no Flagbearer. Ofosu-Ampofo has failed to be a Leader but Asiedu-Nketiah is NOT the alternative.
“The House Cleaning Exercise has started in the NDC: We shall sweep out the charlatans; restore dignity to NDC & appease the souls of the real fallen fighters & Founding Fathers/Mothers of the Revolution. “We no go sit down make dem cheat us every day. Walahi! Aluta continua.
“I am back full swing into active NDC politics and we shall not pay any ransom to those who have hijacked our PARTY: we shall take back what legitimately belongs to us. “Revo Revo Revolution, has a long way to go but has come to stay”. Who born dog?
“Nobody has sacked me from NDC and nobody can sack me from NDC. Let Asiedu-Nketiah provide material evidence as to the steps that supposedly led to him having mental masturbation and dreaming that he has sacked me from the NDC,” Koku Anyidoho tweeted.
General Mosquito is widely rumoured to be interested in the National Chairmanship of the party after decades as General Secretary. He has not officially declared his intention and is likely to go against current chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, who has announced his re-election bid.
I am back full swing into active NDC politics and we shall not pay any ransom to those who have hijacked our PARTY: we shall take back what legitimately belongs to us. “Revo Revo Revolution, has a long way to go but has come to stay”. Who born dog?
— Samuel Koku Anyidoho???????? (@KokuAnyidoho) August 28,
The country’s road building would have benefited from the electronic transaction levy, according to Minister of Roads and Highways Kwasi Amoako-Attah, if the necessary funding had been provided.
The minister lamented that the sector’s failure to start construction projects was due in part to a lack of funding.
The minister reportedly said those things on August 30, 2022, when he appeared before the Government Assurances Committee of Parliament, according to sources from myjoyonline.com.
“One of the key areas of the E-Levy was the road sector. So, if it had been, for instance, supported it could have helped,†he said.
Mohammed Fatahia, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) deputy women’s organizer for the Savannah Region, has pleaded with the area’s women to have complete faith in the party since their support is essential to its survival.
She said that the government of President Akuffo-Addo places a strong emphasis on supporting women and has thus launched numerous social intervention programs, of which the Savannah Region is not exempt.
Mohammed Fatahia added that global crisis that has affected the whole including Ghana slowed down the activities of women support but assured her women folks to continuously support the party since there is a lot in the pipeline for the empowerment of women in the region.
Miss Mohammed Fatahia in an exclusive interview with Bole based Nkilgi FM urged women in the Savannah Region to be committed and stay behind the NPP government, which she noted, has introduced tangible social intervention programmes to mitigate the effects of any difficulties that affected Ghanaians.
“Women are the sufferers when the economy is not doing well, and that remaining solidly behind the NPP government is a guarantee for better standard of living,†she added.
She said plans are far advanced to support women financially in the region to boost their businesses and also train them to take up entrepreneurial roles.
The Chief Executive Officer of Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, also known as NAM1, has no service passport, contrary to representations made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MoFARI).
The Ministry claimed in a statement that NAM 1 had not received any Service Passports from the Passport Office.
It claimed that system checks showed that NAM 1 only had a regular passport, which the Passport Office had issued in Accra.
In response to what he called unjustified verbal attacks on President Nana Akufo Addo during his recent visit to the region, Nana Kwame Aboagye Aseda, the Savannah Regional Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), demanded an immediate apology from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Savannah Region and John Jinapor, the MP for the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency.
Speaking in Yapei, President Akufo Addo noted that the Yapei-Kusawgu constituency had produced two members of parliament during his lifetime in the form of John Jinapor, the former deputy minister of energy, and Alhaji Amadu Seidu. He added that it is surprising that 17 communities in the constituency are still not connected to the national grid.
The MP for the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency and former Deputy Minister of Energy in the erstwhile Mahama administration, John Abdulai Jinapor in response said when he was appointed the Deputy Minister of Energy and Petroleum, the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency had only 4 towns connected to the national grid (i.e. Buipe, Yapei, Sankpala and Kusawgu) and “by dint of hardwork, the constituency currently has about 100 communities connected to the national grid as part of an aggressive national electrification programme under the NDC Governmentâ€.
Commenting on this, Savannah Region NPP Organiser said the NDC in their attacks never denied that the 17 communities are without electricity but took to the lane of propaganda and insults which he sees to be an insult on to the Yapeiwura for pushing for development for his people.
Nana Kwame further said President Akufo-Addo did not conjure the names of the communities without electricity, but was responding to a plea from the Chief of Yapei who sat in for the Kusawguwura.
He stated that the NPP will make sure what is due the people of the Savannah Region will surely be delivered to them as the NDC is scared anytime President Nana Addo is in the region.
He said the Savannah Regional Communication officer of the NDC Malik Basintale is only good in issuing statements from Accra without knowing what is happening in the Savannah Region and therefore advised him to visit the region to see for himself the transformation and development of the Savannah Region under the NPP.
The Savannah Region NPP Organiser added that he is very optimistic that the NPP will connect not only the 17 communities in the Yapei-Kusawgu constituency to the national grid but will go ahead and heed to the call of the chiefs and people of the Constituency to create the district out of the present Yapei- Kusawgu Constituency that they are yearning for and further add more roads to the existing ones provided by the NPP in the Constituency.
He used the opportunity to assure his party faithfuls that the development the NPP has brought to the Savannah Region under the able leadership of the Damongo MP and Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor and other leading members of the party in the region, he is very sure the region will reward the NPP with additional two seats in the 2024 general elections since the party has vibrant and hardworking branch, Constituency and regional executives who will leave no stone unturned in their quest to breaking the 8.
Nana Kwame Aboagye advised the people of the Savannah Region to continue to have much confidence in the NPP since that is the only party that develops the Savannah Region and Gonjaland more.
According to Ndapewurche Hajia Fuseina Sulemana, the Bole District Director of the Ghana Health Service, “the polio vaccine is effective, safe, and free. It has no side effects, and taking multiple doses actually increases immunity of children against the virus. Therefore, parents must permit the nurses to vaccinate their children when they come to their homes because it poses no risk to the child.”
Ndapewurche Hajia Fuseina said the vaccination is for children under five (5) years and urged parents to open their doors for the volunteers that will be going round to conduct the vaccination and also assured the general public that it has no long term effect on the children.
She made these comments when the Bole District Health Directorate and its partners on 29th August, 2022, held a stakeholders meeting to discuss a campaign on Polio Vaccination.
The Ghana Health Service and its partners will be conducting a two rounds of Polio Vaccination which the round one (1) will be from 1st September to 4th September, 2022 and round two (2) will be from 6th October to 9th October, 2022.
At the meeting, stakeholders were educated on how the Ghana Health Service intend to educate and create awareness of the program within the communities.
The Bole District Health Project Officer, Mr Anderson Nketiah in a presentation said they intend to use three communication strategies to outreach their target audience which are Advocacy, social/community mobilization and Behavior Change Communication.
Some of the key messages they have for the target audience are that; polio vaccine is effective, safe and free, polio causes paralysis, and sometimes death, protect your children, get them vaccinated.
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly-infectious viral disease that largely affects children under five years of age.
The virus is transmitted from person-to-person through the faecal-oral route. A person can also contract the disease when he takes in contaminated water or food, which multiplies in the intestines from where it subsequently invades the nervous system, causing paralysis most often in the limbs.
Symptoms of polio may include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of neck and pains in the limbs.
Treatment is mainly supportive and can be prevented through vaccination, improved sanitation and personal hygiene.
He said to Kwame Nkrumah ‘Tikese’, “In five(5) years plus as Press Secretary to the President I didn’t build any house in addition to my house; it was afterwards that I built my house in Asokore Mampong. Where I worked hard as an Engineer and built my house at East Legon is where I now stay.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Kwame Nkrumah Tikese on Okay FM, he explained that politicians should develop a service of contentment and put the development of the country first.
According to him developing the country should be the primary focus of every politician and not amassing wealth.
“Politics is not a bad thing, it is the people in politics that make it bad,” he added.
“When you do that you will lose the trust and confidence of the people who voted for you into power,” he said.
He noted that as a politician he has never sought to enrich himself and that he was not even prompted to acquire properties when he was Press Secretary and serving in government.
“So I was very pained and disappointed when the NDC out of propaganda and quest for power lied that I had some 1.6 billion hidden in a prudential bank account . . . I can tell you that I never even had a prudential bank account until recently,” he clarified.
The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markel, says she upset the “dynamic of the hierarchy” of the Royal Family “just by existing.”
In an interview with US magazine The Cut, Meghan, 41, talks about her life when she was a royal and why she and the Duke of Sussex moved to the US.
Talking about her exit from the Royal Family the duchess said it “takes a lot of effort to forgive”.
She also spoke about Prince Harry’s relationship with his father, the Prince of Wales.
Asked by journalist Alison P Davis about the impact of her privacy case against the Mail on Sunday, Meghan said: “Harry said to me, ‘I lost my dad in this process.’
“It doesn’t have to be the same for them as it was for me, but that’s his decision.”
A spokeswoman for the duchess later told BBC News that Meghan was referring to her own father, from whom she is estranged, and was saying she hoped the same would not happen to her husband.
A source close to Prince Charles told the PA news agency he would be saddened if Prince Harry felt their relationship was lost, adding: “The Prince of Wales loves both his sons”.
The 37-year-old prince has previously said his father “stopped taking my calls” after the couple stepped back as senior working royals in 2020.
Under the arrangement, the couple gave up their Royal Highness titles, and became able to work to become financially independent. Harry retained the title of prince through birth.
Prior to this, the Sussexes reportedly set out a vision for continuing to be working royals in the Commonwealth and to earn their own money, in the hope this would reduce “the noise” about them.
Meghan told The Cut: “That, for whatever reason, is not something that we were allowed to do, even though several other members of the family do that exact thing.”
After announcing they would step back from royal duties, Prince Harry and Meghan initially moved to Canada in January 2020.
But, after Canada said it would stop providing security for the family, the family moved to California, where they lived in a home provided by media mogul Tyler Perry before buying their own property in Montecito.
Meghan is media dynamite, so a fairly gentle interview, with some open-to-interpretation comments, has blasted its way on to the front pages.
For her fans, it was another slice of the unfair, crabby-minded pressures of royal life that forced Meghan and Harry to move to California.
For her critics, it was more deluded self-promotion, seizing on quotes such as Meghan being told that her marriage to Harry was greeted in South Africa with rejoicing the same as “when Mandela was freed from prison”.
The article describes them living in the “home equivalent of billionaires dressing down in denim” and their complaints might grate with families worried sick about paying energy bills.
But the interview raised some of the contradictions facing Harry and Meghan.
They wanted to get away from the suffocation of royal life, but their royal links are their most bankable assets.
It’s like old rockers not wanting to talk about their early records, when that’s the only reason people are interested.
They also wanted to escape media intrusion and they have in effect become part of the media, with deals with Spotify and Netflix.
And Harry voiced the perennial royal dilemma: “If you do something, they criticise you. If you don’t do anything, they criticise you anyway.”
Davis, a features writer who has previously interviewed celebrities such as Jada Pinkett Smith and Lena Dunham, asked Meghan if she thought there was room for forgiveness between her and her royal in-laws and her own family.
The duchess responded: “I think forgiveness is really important. It takes a lot more energy to not forgive.
“But it takes a lot of effort to forgive. I’ve really made an active effort, especially knowing that I can say anything.”
The Cut interview was part of a promotion effort for the duchess’s Spotify podcast, Archetypes, which launched last week.
The series promises to “investigate, dissect and subvert the labels that try to hold women back”, with tennis legend Serena Williams discussing ambition on the first episode, while pop star Mariah Carey features in the second installment, released on Tuesday.
In Carey’s episode the duchess says there was more focus on her race once she started dating her husband.
“Then I started to understand what it was like to be treated like a black woman, because up until then I had been treated like a mixed woman and things really shifted,” she said.
The Sussexes, who also have a one-year-old daughter, Lilibet, have signed deals with Spotify and Netflix since leaving the UK.
Prince Harry told Davis he did not believe some members of the Royal Family could live and work together as closely as he and his wife do.
The article described the Sussexes running their company Archewell while sitting at a single desk in a shared home office.
“Most people that I know and many of my family, they aren’t able to work and live together,” Prince Harry said.
“It’s actually really weird because it’d seem like a lot of pressure. But it just feels natural and normal.”
Both Harry and Meghan have had legal battles with parts of the British media and the duchess told Davis she would not have been able to pick Archie up from school in the UK “without it being a royal photo call with a press pen of 40 people snapping pictures”.
“Sorry, I have a problem with that. That doesn’t make me obsessed with privacy. That makes me a strong and good parent protecting my child,” she said.
Several royal correspondents have taken to social media to say this would not be the case.
Image source, Campbell Addy for The Cut Image caption, The 6,450-word interview appears in US magazine The Cut, part of New York magazine
During the interview Davis talks about accompanying Meghan to collect Archie from pre-school, with the three-year-old wanting to roll down the car window as they pass a favourite bush, while munching on a quesadilla.
There are other insights into the duke and duchess’s lives in California in the course of the article, with the young family dancing around to Prince Harry’s beat-boxing – while Lilibet watches on from her nanny’s arms – and Archie calling his parents “Momma” and “Papa.”
Reverend Leonard Kofi Aglomasa, Biakoye District Director of the NCCE, speaking at one of such programmes at Nkonya-Adenkensu in the Biakoye District of the Oti Region, said violent extremism could affect human security in Ghana if care was not taken.
He said the extremist activities have caused havoc in neighbouring countries and it should be a worry to all Ghanaians.
He asked participants to sit up so that they are not taken by surprise; urging them to “say something if they see something.â€
The District Director said perpetrators of violent extremism always want to use people who exhibit deviant behaviours.
“So, the youth must be careful, vigilant and security conscious,†Rev Aglomasa said.
He urged Ghanaians to surveillance and monitor strangers who come to their localities and do proper investigations before renting to them.
Rev Aglomasa said national cohesion and peaceful coexistence were important for national development.
He said tolerance, respect for fundamental human rights, freedom of religion, and respect for rule of law were among the factors that ensured peaceful coexistence in all aspects of life.
He said national cohesion would be stronger if everyone in Nkonya-Adenkensu and Ghana has the opportunity, the resources, and the motivation to participate in society fully as they wish and on an equal basis with others.
Rev. Aglomasa reminded them to be respectful, trustworthy, self-controlled, and hard-working as a people.
Mr Stephen Adu, the Headman of the town, said it was good to live at peace with all; adding that embracing peace would ensure development in Adenkensu.
He pleaded with the people to live in harmony to avoid all forms of disturbances that could bring chaotic situations.
Mr Adu however, lamented that even though their area is big, they do not have an assemblyman nor a unit committee member to champion their course.
Former Ghana Football Association President Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe appears to support Asamoah Gyan‘s desire to be part of the Black Stars squad for the 2022 World Cup.
Gyan, 36, stated in a recent interview that he has not retired and is planning a sensational return to the Black Stars after being sidelined since 2019. The former Sunderland striker revealed his desire to go to Qatar, but admitted he must be in peak physical condition to be considered.
Gyan, who hasn’t played competitive football in 15 months and has been without a club since October of last year, has begun training in the hopes of being fit enough to be considered by Black Stars coach Otto Addo.
”Asamoah Gyan has made an incredible mark in Ghana football. He is a good footballer and if he has the stamina, why not?†the Hearts of Oak board member said as quoted by Graphic Sports.
The majority of those who have responded to Gyan’s interview are against him, but Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe believes those who condemn Gyan because of his age should consider what Cameroon legend Roger Milla did for his country at the 1994 World Cup at the age of 38, as well as England’s Stanley Matthews during the 1950s.
“Roger Milla opted to play in the World Cup at an old age and did well. We can also talk about Stanley Matthews of England who was a figure in the team and was known as the tactical magician.
“He was later invited to Ghana by Ken Harrison, who was then General Manager of Hearts of Oak in the 1950s,” he recalled.
“If he can train with the present team and the coach finds him fit, he should be invited because I strongly believe if he can match the tempo at training and the physique, he should be able to play.
“I think Gyan has the skill because when he is running with the ball, defenders fear to come near him. He has the skills and tactics but the strength to play is the problem. If he can work on that, he will be a fantastic addition to the World Cup,†he added.
Red Star Belgrade new signing Kalifa Koulibaly says he was persuaded by his former teammate Osman Bukari to join the club.
Bukari and Koulibaly last season played for Nantes in the Ligue 1 before the Ghana international joined Red Star Belgrade this window.
Red Star have reinforced their squad with the signing of the Malian international.
According to Koulibaly, Osman Bukari played a key role in convincing him to join the Serbian giants.
“Bukari convinced me to come to Belgrade. He gave me his impressions of the first team. I am familiar with the club and its history. I’ve heard all the best about Zvezda, I can’t wait to get on the field and give the club my best on the field”.
“Zvezda is an interesting club for me. I watched the last European game. Before that I also followed the club on Instagram. I am familiar with how many people love Zvezda”.
“I’m glad to be with you. Red Star and Belgrade are very interesting to me. It is a pleasure to play for such a great, historic club. It is a great pleasure to contribute to the team this season. Our goal is to win the Serbian championship”.
‘I would like to thank you for the opportunity and the messages of support I received on Instagram. I will give my best and I also hope that together we will score many victories this season”.
Koulibaly has had stints with clubs in France and Belgium such as Nantes, Charlot and Gent.
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