Emmanuel Lomotey is set to play in Malmo’s Europa Leagueplayoff against Sivasspor on Thursday.
Andreas Georgson reports that the Ghanaian’s work permit is now in order.
The work permit is in order and it allows the defensive midfielder to make his debut for the club he joined on August 9th.
“Our already broad and sharp squad is getting even sharper. He has had time to run three sessions with the squad and also two individual sessions, so he is fully available for selection,” Georgson said.
Can he step right into the eleven?
“He won’t get ready for that until 6 pm tomorrow,”
But it is not out of the question?
“No absolutely not. Then you must always respect the fact that it can take time to come in as a new person and find the right place. It is mainly Erdal (Rakip) that we used in the position of sixth and his trend there is very nice. But Emmanuel will be able to contribute straight away and I think he will play games quite quickly, but that does not mean that he will play all the games and all the minutes because it is a very good squad he is coming into,”
How did he get into the squad?
“It feels good, he has competed to the fullest in training. He’s a pretty quiet and low-key guy so it’s not like he chooses the music in the dressing room, but he’s found his place and he seems comfortable with it,”
Since Aritz Aduriz decided to hang up his boots, Iñaki Williams has become Athletic Bilbao’s main offensive reference , unsuccessfully trying to follow in the footsteps left by the legend of the rojiblanco team, mainly due to the poor goalscoring efficiency.
The Spanish footballer has had practicals since its inception, something that has been confirmed year after year, being the main offensive weapon of the rojiblanco team.
In the 341 games that Iñaki Williams has played with the Athletic Bilbao first team , he has only managed to see the door on 75 occasions, that is, an approximate average of one goal every five games, something totally unacceptable for a team like the rojiblanco , which shows a worrying lack of goals in recent years, and it does not seem that it will be able to be solved in the short term at least given the irregular performance of the Ghanaian attacker and the difficulty of finding a new striker taking into account the strict philosophy of the Basque club in the transfer market.
Tariqe Fosuof Ghana made his professional debut for Stoke City on Wednesday in their 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough in the English Championship.
At the bet365 Stadium, Fosu played until the 73rd minute before being substituted by Tom Sparrow, helping his team earn a point and deny Middlesbrough its first victory of the year.
After falling behind 1-0 to Jacob Brown’s goal, Duncan Watmore turned the game around for Boro seven minutes before halftime with his first goal of the year. He then forced the error that led to his team’s second goal.
But, just 13 minutes after coming on for Dwight Gayle, Wright-Phillips evaded his markers to meet skipper Lewis Baker’s teasing right-foot cross and go full length to head home unattended from eight yards out.
Stoke City will now turn their attention to this Saturday’s game against Sunderland, with the added advantage of playing infront of the home crowd once again.
Japanese fashion designer Hanae Mori, nicknamed “Madame Butterfly” for her signature winged motifs, has died. She was 96.
She died of old age in her Tokyo home on 11 August and was given a private funeral, local media reported.
Mori was most famous for being the first Japanese – and Asian – designer to join the hallowed ranks of haute couture designers in 1977.
The exclusive Parisian club is seen as the pinnacle of high-end fashion.
Born in western Japan in 1926, Mori graduated from the Tokyo Woman’s Christian University.
She opened her first atelier above a noodle shop in Tokyo in 1951. She has described meeting Coco Chanel during a trip to Paris in the 1960s as a “turning point” in her career, and said Chanel inspired her to design for women to stand out rather than fit in.
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Mori went on to dress Hollywood celebrities such as Grace Kelly and famous personalities such as Nancy Reagan. Japan’s then-Crown Princess Masako – now empress – wore a Hanae Mori wedding gown for her marriage to Emperor Naruhito in 1993.
Her outfits, often featuring butterfly prints, were also popular among career women. When she began to make a name herself in the fashion world, it was still unusual for a woman to head business, much less one of global fame.
Mori’s designs often mixed elements from the East and West, such as dresses with inspired by kimonos.
She also created costumes for on-stage performances, including traditional Japanese Noh and Kabuki theatre and a performance of “Madame Butterfly” in 1985.
She was presented with the Legion of Honor by the French government in 2002.
In January, the designer reflected on the industry in a column for the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.
“Fashion is something that pushes you, gives you courage to spread your wings and allows you to have adventures,” she wrote.
Mori’s husband of almost 50 years, Ken Mori, died in 1996, and she is survived by two sons. Two of her granddaughters, Hikari Mori and Izumi Mori, are fashion models.
Mori continued working into her advancing years – these designs were modelled on the catwalk in Tokyo in 2018
Hanae Mori pictured with her granddaughter, model Hikari Mori, in 2016
Antoine Semenyo of Bristol City celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-2 – Rogan/JMP – 29/01/2022 – Deepdale – Preston, England – Preston North End v Bristol City – Sky Bet Championship.
The Bristol City striker has been on the radar of several clubs for the past season due to his exploits in the English Championship.
Crystal Palace have made an offer to sign the young striker in the ongoing summer transfer.
However, the Cherries are now challenging their Premier League rivals for Semenyo.
Everton have also been registered with an interest in the 22-year-old Ghana international.
Semenyo was named in Ghana’s squad for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] qualifiers against Madagascar and the Central African Republic [CAR].
He is expected to be named in Black Stars squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Bristol City are said to want £15 million upfront and a total fee of £20 million to allow the highly-rated young forward to leave Ashton Gate this summer.
Semenyo’s current deal is set to expire in the summer but it is thought the Robins have the option of a one-year extension.
More than five million people have been ordered to undergo Covid-19 testing in the coastal Chinese city of Xiamen this week, after some 40 cases of the virus were detected.
But they’re not the only ones who have been ordered to get tested: an official notice states that some forms of sea life are also expected to join the latest mass-testing drive.
In recent weeks, Xiamen’s Jimei Maritime Pandemic Control district committee issued a notice saying that when fishermen return to their ports “both fishermen and their seafood must be tested”.
The result has been that amid this latest outbreak, video footage has appeared on multiple social media platforms including Douyin – China’s local version of TikTok – showing medical workers giving live fish and crabs Covid-19 PCR tests.
While this might look unusual, this is not the first time that live fish have been tested for Covid-19.
An employee at the Xiamen Municipal Oceanic Development Bureau told the South China Morning Post newspaper: “We’ve taken lessons from Hainan, which is witnessing a severe outbreak.
“It’s said that it may be triggered by marine product transactions between local fishermen and their overseas counterparts.”
IMAGE
Fish were tested in March during the Shanghai outbreak
The southern Chinese province of Hainan, a coastal region like Xiamen, has recorded more than 10,000 cases of Covid-19 since the beginning of August, and the authorities have said they believe this outbreak is likely to be linked to the fishing community.
Chinese media have long expressed concerns that sealife might have links to the coronavirus. The first ever Covid-19 outbreak was linked to a live animal and seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
Although it is unlikely that seafood is a host for the virus, many of China’s outbreaks have been linked to port workers, those handling cold chain goods, or workers at seafood markets.
In June 2020, one such outbreak in Beijing sparked a salmon panic.
State media said that Covid-19 had been detected on chopping boards used for imported salmon. This not only lead to restaurants and supermarkets pulling salmon from their shelves, but also saw imports halted. The panic spread nationwide, with widespread nervousness about the eating the aquatic product.
Fish aren’t the only non-humans to have undergone Covid-19 testing during China’s drive towards wiping out the virus over the last two years.
In May, official media circulated footage of a hippo being tested at wildlife park in Huzhou, eastern Zhejiang, saying it was “necessary” for the creature to be tested twice a week.
The former Inter Milan and Portsmouth midfielder who signed a six-month deal with the Phobian Club midway through last season is turned down a new contract offered to him by the club.
Multiple reports have emerged that Asante Kotokohave held talks with Muntari and has agreed a two-year deal with the Porcupine Warriors.
However, the Communications Director of Kotoko, David Obeng Nyarko in a social media post have denied the reports.
With Hearts of Oak expected to participate in the CAF Confederations Cup, Togbe Afede will hold talks with the 2010 Champions League winner over a new contract extension.
According to reports, Tobge is bent on keeping Muntari at the club ahead of the new football season.
Muntari assisted the Phobian Club to win the MTN FA Cup against Bechem United last season and also won the Presidents Cup, beating Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Hearts of Oak meanwhile will open their 2022/23 Ghana Premier League season with an away game against Aduana Stars.
Muntari was a member of Ghana’s squad that played in the 2006, 2010, and 2014 World Cup in Germany, South Africa, and Brazil respectively.
At least 38 people have been killed and dozens more injured in forest fires that have devastated northern Algeria.
Kamel Beldjoud, the country’s interior minister, said 24 people died in El Tarf, near the border with Tunisia, as well as a mother and daughter in Setif.
Local media said at least 200 others have suffered burns and respiratory problems.
Firefighters, supported by helicopters, were still trying to contain several blazes on Thursday morning.
The names of the mother, 58, and her 36-year-old daughter who died in Setif have not yet been released, but officials there said flames had reached dozens of homes and villages.
Officials said that some 39 fires were ravaging various parts of northern Algeria, and they warned that hot winds could spread the flames further.
The civil protection agency said that the city of El Tarf was the worst hit area with 16 fires currently burning.
And reports say some 350 residents have been evacuated in several provinces.
Northern Algeria is affected by forest fires every year, with Mr Beldjoud noting that 106 fires have broken out in Algeria since August, destroying 800 hectares of forest and 1,800 hectares of woodlands.
Some 90 people are thought to have died in fires last year- and more than 100,000 hectares of woodland was burnt.
Last August, Mr Beldjoud blamed a spate of fires in Algeria’s Kabyle region on arson, claiming “only criminal hands” could explain “the simultaneous outbreak of about 50 fires across several localities”.
Thursday’s toll brings the total number of Algerians killed in wildfires this summer up to 42.
The latest blazes come during a summer which has seen a number of countries in the Mediterranean region ravaged by wildfires – particularly in Europe, with France, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy all affected.
He made headlines when he scored a stunning hat-trick to propel Elmina Sharks to the round of 16 in the MTN FA Cup last term.
Kotoku Royals sealed promotion to the Ghana Premier League for the first time in their history after they finishing as winners of Division One League Zone Three on the final day of the 2021/22 season.
The 2022/23 betPawa Premier League season will kick start on the weekend of Friday, September 9 to Monday, September 12, 2022, across all nine league centers.
The fixtures for the upcoming season were released last week to enable clubs to prepare adequately for the season.
Kotoku Royals will play their first-ever Premier League game at home against Accra Lions.
At the Accra Sports Stadium, Great Olympics squared off against Bechem United, a team from the same division in the Ghana Premier League, in the opening match of the preseason competition.
The 2022 edition of the GHALCA Top 6 tournament started Wednesday, August 17, 2022.
Great Olympics battled to a scoreless draw with Bechem United after the full 90 minutes of play.
Up next for Great Olympics, the team will take on Karela United on August 21.
For Bechem United, the club has secured qualification to the next round of the tournament thanks to the victory today.
Coach Kassim Mingle and his charges are expected to return to training on Thursday to begin preparation for the next match of the GHALCA Top 6 tournament against Karela United on August 24.
A deeper dive into the gray market has meant that Russians continue to have access to goods like iPhones and Zara dresses even months after their Western makers left Russia. But are these parallel imports even legal? Russia has been importing goods without the consent of their Western manufacturers for months. It’s part of a scheme aimed at helping the country bypass supply restrictions put in place by Western countries and companies in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
Parallel imports, or gray-market purchases, into Russia totaled $6 billion (E5.9 billion) between May and July, Denis Manturov, Russia’s deputy prime minister and minister of industry and trade, told reporters this week.
Russia launched the parallel imports scheme, covering goods ranging from auto spare parts to gaming consoles, in May as imports slumped due to Western sanctions and scores of foreign companies left its shores in protest against the war in Ukraine and to avoid any potential reputational damage.
“Russia is not going to do anything in response to Western sanctions. So, it obviously has procedures in place to try and get a lot of critical imports that it needs to sustain the economy and maintain the war,” Timothy Ash, an emerging-market strategist from BlueBay Asset Management, told DW. “The question mark and challenge will be what the West will do to try and tighten the sanctions regime to stop that happening.”
What are parallel imports?
Parallel imports refer to goods that are imported into a market without their manufacturer’s consent. To be clear, they are authentic goods, but they may be meant by the manufacturer to be sold in a different country or region.
For example, if a pair of Levi’s jeans produced, packaged and priced for the Indian market is imported by a reseller to be sold in Germany outside of the apparel maker’s certified distribution channels, then that’s a parallel import.
Such imports are deemed to be on the gray market as they are sold by unauthorized dealers. Since brand owners have no control over the distribution of these goods, they are not covered by their warranty plans.
What is Russia doing?
In May, Russia released a list of Western goods eligible to be imported under the parallel imports scheme. The list included critical imports like warships, spare parts needed for railways and auto components, as well as consumer goods like electronics and household appliances, clothing, footwear and cosmetics — goods that Russia said their Western manufacturers “refused to supply directly.”
Some of the brands on the list were Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Continental, Ferrari, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Siemens, Duracell, Canon and PlayStation.
The Russian scheme offers importers protection from civil suits for bypassing official distribution channels.
Much of the unauthorized imports into Russia are coming via post-Soviet countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Belarus, members of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Commission, The Guardian newspaper reported.
Are these gray-market purchases legal?
Parallel imports are typically not illegal. They are original, licensed products just obtained via parallel distribution channels, often more expensively.
“Gray and mysterious may only be the distribution channels by which these goods find their way to the importing country,” according to a document published by the World Intellectual Property Organization.
“If products sold or imported by third parties fall within the scope of patents, trademarks or copyrights valid in this particular country, such sale or importation by third parties is generally deemed infringing,” the document said.
The Russian scheme involves the international principle of copyright exhaustion, which allows a Russian company to import a product without the consent of the manufacturer as soon as it starts selling in any country in the world, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency.
This means when Apple, which is on the Russian parallel imports list, starts selling iPhone 14 later this year, Russian resellers like re:store would be able to import them for sale despite the US tech giant pulling out of the country months ago.
How are parallel imports supporting Russian economy?
The Russian scheme is aimed at ensuring the availability of vital imports, which plunged following the exodus of Western companies.
Moscow expects parallel imports to touch $16 billion this year, a figure that would be equivalent to only 4% of overall imports in 2021. By comparison, total imports into Russia are expected to collapse by as much as a third this year.
“The biggest problem for Putin is going to be rebuilding the Russian military, which has been massively destroyed in terms of equipment in Ukraine. If the car production in Russia has stopped because they can’t get electronics components, then imagine trying to rebuild a tank or build a tank or an airplane,” Ash said.
Experts say the Kremlin expects the parallel imports scheme to serve yet another purpose. The various consumer and luxury goods on the list are meant to ensure Russians continue to go about their daily lives without much disruption in the face of Western sanctions.
“Maybe, it’s more a PR exercise aimed at the domestic audience trying to send the message that sanctions aren’t working and that we’re winning,” Ash said.
What can the West do to curb parallel imports into Russia?
Since Russia is applying the international copyright exhaustion rule, Western companies may not be able to do a lot to prevent the parallel import of their goods.
Ash says Western governments could exhort countries and companies to not help Russia evade sanctions or even threaten them with secondary sanctions.
“The more Russia tells us about this, the more they are public about it, the more likely the West is to tighten sanctions to stop it happening,” Ash said.
R. Kelly has a “dark” and “hidden” side that the public rarely saw during his career, prosecutors said at the opening of his second federal trial.
The R&B singer was found guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering in a New York court last year. He was later sentenced to 30 years in jail.
But on Wednesday, a separate trial on child pornography and obstruction charges began in Chicago.
His lawyer urged the jury not to accept the portrayal of Kelly as “a monster”.
Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, faces 13 charges, including creating and receiving child pornography, obstruction of justice and enticing minors into sexual activity.
In 2008, he was also accused of trying to rig a similar trial by bribing and intimidating witnesses.
Prosecutors used their opening statements to tell the jury what to expect over the next four or so weeks, detailing the survivors who will testify and some of what the jury is expected to hear.
That includes hearing from one woman – who prosecutors are calling Jane – who will testify that she appeared in an alleged sex tape with Kelly when she was 13 or 14 and the singer was 31.
According to prosecutors, Kelly made four separate videos with Jane – segments of which will be shown to jurors.
That video was the center of the 2008 trial, however, at the time Kelly and Jane denied it was them in the tape. Neither testified and Kelly was acquitted on all charges.
This trial, happening in his hometown of Chicago, is being seen by many as a repeat of the 2008 trial when he was facing 14 charges of child pornography.
Two of Kelly’s former employees are also facing charges in this trial. Derrel McDavid, his former business manager, is accused of helping Kelly fix the 2008 trial, and Milton Brown is charged with receiving child pornography.
Both men have pleaded not guilty. Mr McDavid plans to testify in court, his attorney said on Wednesday.
Prosecutors allege Kelly and Mr McDavid sent hush money and expensive gifts to Jane and her parents over several years to keep them quiet.
Kelly’s previous trial was highly publicized, and in her opening address, his defense attorney reminded the jury that he deserved a fair trial even if the government seeks to portray him as a “monster”.
“There is no R. Kelly exception,” Jennifer Bonjean said.
“It is true that Mr Kelly is imperfect. It is true that, on his journey from poverty to stardom, that he stumbled along the way. We won’t deny that,” she told the court.
She also alleged that several of the witnesses against Kelly were “criminals” who have “extorted him” and have immunity deals. Additionally, she suggested that the government is taking advantage of a series of documentaries and of social media outrage to prosecute Mr Kelly in a “mob-justice climate”.
This trial in Chicago comes just a few months after Kelly was sentenced in a New York court to 30 years in prison.
Jurors at the six-week New York trial heard how he trafficked women between different US states, assisted by managers, security guards and other members of his entourage.
The court also heard how Kelly had illegally obtained paperwork to marry singer Aaliyah when she was 15 in 1994, seven years before she died in a plane crash.
The certificate, leaked at the time, listed Aaliyah’s age as 18. The marriage was annulled months later.
Kelly is a Grammy-winning singer and songwriter known for hits like Bump N’ Grind, Ignition (Remix) and the hugely popular 1996 anthem I Believe I Can Fly.
Sexual abuse allegations and accounts of his predatory behavior towards young girls and women go back decades. He is still facing state charges of aggravated sexual abuse in Illinois and prostitution and solicitation charges in Minnesota.
Russian strikes battered the northeast Ukraine region of Kharkiv Thursday, killing at least five people, hours ahead of the first face-to-face meeting since the start of the war between the Turkish and Ukrainian leaders.
Moscow meanwhile denied it had deployed any heavy weapons at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine where a recent escalation in fighting has increased fears of a nuclear disaster.
The head of the Kharkiv region Oleg Synegubov said Moscow’s forces had launched eight missiles from Russian territory at around 0430 local time (0130 GMT) striking across the city.
“Three people died, including a child. Eight people, including two children, were rescued,” the emergency services said.
Synegubov posted images from the scene of one strike showing the smoldering remains of several burnt-out buildings and twisted wreckage of destroyed vehicles nearby.
In separate strikes on the town of Krasnograd southwest of Kharkiv, bombardments that damaged residential buildings left two dead and two more injured, he said.
“Kharkiv. 175 days of horror. Daily terror, missile strikes on residential areas and civilians,” a senior presidential aide, Mykhaylo Podolyak, wrote on social media.
– A ‘political solution’ –
The strikes in the war-scarred east of the country come a day after bombardments killed at least seven in the city and as the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN chief Antonio Guterres were convening in the western city of Lviv.
The two were key brokers of a deal last month with Moscow and Kyiv allowing the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine after Russia’s invasion blocked essential global supplies.
A spokesman for Guterres said that the UN chief, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Erdogan will discuss the grain deal, as well as “the need for a political solution to this conflict”.
He added that he had “no doubt that the issue of the nuclear power plant” would be raised.
In his regular nightly address on Wednesday, Zelensky said he and Guterres would “work to get the necessary results for Ukraine”.
The UN chief is slated to travel on Friday to Odessa, one of three ports involved in the grain exports deal — hammered out in July under the aegis of the UN with Ankara’s mediation.
He will then head to Turkey to visit the Joint Coordination Centre, the body tasked with overseeing the accord.
According to the UN, the first half of August saw 21 freighters authorized to sail under the deal carrying more than 563,000 tones of agricultural products, including more than 451,000 tones of corn.
The first wartime shipment of UN food aid for Africa reached the Bosphorus Strait on Wednesday carrying 23,000 tonnes of wheat.
– ‘Provocation’ –
Russia’s defense ministry meanwhile said Thursday its forces had not deployed heavy weapons at the Zaporizhzhia plant, accusing Kyiv of preparing a “provocation” at the station.
“Russian troops have no heavy weapons either on the territory of the station or in areas around it. There are only guard units,” the ministry said in a statement.
Zelensky touched on the Zaporizhzhia plant in his address on Wednesday, saying Ukrainian diplomats and scientists were in “constant touch” with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with the goal of sending a mission by the watchdog to the occupied nuclear facility.
“The Russian army must withdraw from the territory of the nuclear power plant and all neighboring areas, and take away its military equipment from the plant,” he added. “This must happen without any conditions and as soon as possible.”
Earlier Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia’s seizure of the plant “poses a serious threat to the safety and the security of this facility (and) raises the risks of a nuclear accident or incident”.
Also calling for a Russian withdrawal and inspections by the IAEA, Stoltenberg accused Moscow of using “the ground around the nuclear power plant as a staging area, as a platform, to launch artillery attacks on Ukrainian forces, and this is reckless”.
Russian forces took the Zaporizhzhia plant, located in southern Ukraine, in March shortly after invading.
It is the largest in Europe, and the uncertainty surrounding it has fueled fears of a nuclear accident to rival Chernobyl in 1986.
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling the Zaporizhzhia installation.
The arrest over Thomas O’Halloran’s death comes a day after police issued pictures of a man they said was fleeing the scene with a knife. The 87-year-old died on a residential street in Greenford, where police put a forensic tent around his mobility scooter.
A 44-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was stabbed to death on his mobility scooter.
The man was arrested at an address in Southall, west London, in the early hours of Thursday and remains in custody, police said.
Thomas O’Halloran, 87, was attacked on a road in nearby Greenford on Tuesday afternoon.
Police believe he managed to travel about 70 metres on his scooter before flagging down a member of the public for help.
He was pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of police and paramedics to save him.
On Wednesday police released images of a man “fleeing the scene” in Cayton Road “armed with a knife”.
Mr O’Halloran was known for busking outside his local supermarket and Greenford station to raise money for charity, including for Ukraine.
Police described him as a “very well known” and “much-loved” member of the community.
“Mr O’Halloran’s family have been updated with this development and continue to be supported by specially trained officers.
“I would reiterate their previous request that their privacy is respected by everyone as they continue to come to terms with their tragic loss.”
Met Police are asking anyone with video of the incident to upload it; detectives can also be contacted on 020 8358 0300; or information can be given anonymously via the Crimestoppers charity.
The utility sub-sector recorded the lowest year-on-year producer inflation rate of 1.3 percent.
In a press release sighted by GhanaWeb, it said, The Producer Price Inflation rate for July 2022 was 41.2 percent. This rate indicates that between July 2021 and July 2022 (year-on-year), the PPI increased by 41.2 percent. This rate represents a 2.5 percentage points increase in producer inflation relative to the rate recorded in June 2022 (38.7%).”
“The month-on-month change in the producer price index between June 2022 and July 2022 was 1.9 percent,” it added.
Producer Price Index (PPI) measures the average change over time in the prices received by domestic producers for the production of their goods and services.
With clearance from the Bank of Ghana, the Receiver of collapsed microfinance companies and Special Deposit-Taking Institutions has referred 100 properties to the Economic Organized and Crime Office (EOCO) to be investigated to ascertain their ownership status.
It noted that EOCO has since advised that these companies’ accounts are frozen while they conduct their investigations.
The document providing the status of the clean-up exercise explained that the purpose of obtaining freezing orders is for EOCO and the Receiver to; ascertain the ownership status of the properties; ascertain whether the properties were acquired with resources of the defunct institutions.
It further said the move will help the investigator [EOCO] obtain all relevant documents for the said properties; conduct searches at the Lands Commission to aid the potential transfer of the assets to the Receiver.
It concluded that the move will also prevent owners from dissipating the assets before the Receiver starts the realisation process which will soon take place.
Meanwhile, the Bank of Ghana and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) have signed an agreement aimed at building a robust banking and financial sector.
The agreement also seeks to strengthen the investigative operations of EOCO to improve the country’s banking and financial industry.
The central bank in 2017 undertook a clean-up exercise that saw the revocation of operating licenses of some eight banks, 23 savings and loans companies and more than 400 specialised deposit-taking institutions (SDIs).
According to the Receiver for some of the financial institutions, preliminary investigations found that most directors of the defunct financial institutions failed in their fiduciary responsibilities to customers and other stakeholders.
Russia has been trying to change the southern Ukraine city of Kherson into one of its own, but strikes by US-supplied HIMARS missiles have helped cut off the city from its supply lines. Insiders say the signs are that a Ukrainian counterattack is imminent.
The city of Kherson, on the banks of the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, was taken by Russian forces without much fight in early March, days after the invasion started.
It remains Russia‘s biggest victory in the war and still one of the only major cities that its forces have managed to capture.
In recent weeks, however, Ukrainian forces have struck three key bridges over the river, making them virtually impassable for heavy vehicles – the aim being to slowly strangle Russian supply lines and cut off thousands of soldiers in the city.
Ukraine ‘kills 200 Russians in a day’ – war latest
A full-on Ukrainian counteroffensive is thought to be imminent.
Making contact with anyone still trapped in Kherson is hard – most people are understandably either too frightened to take the risk, or simply do not have a phone or internet connection with the outside world.
Ukrainian mobile phone networks have been shut down and replaced with insecure Russian equivalents that are bugged and do not allow international calls
Clause three (3) of the Intestate Succession Law, 1985 indicates that “where the intestate is survived by a spouse or by a child or both a spouse and a child, the spouse or the child or both of them, is or are entitled absolutely to the household chattels of the intestate.”
However, it has emerged that most spouses of the deceased, especially women, do not take advantage of the law. As a result, they end up being maltreated by the relatives of the deceased and in worst instances are kicked out of their homes by the family members.
In view of this, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has admonished couples whose spouses die without a will to take advantage of the Intestate Succession Law and seek redress at the law courts.
Senior Principal Investigator at the Tema Regional Office of CHRAJ, Mr John Ato Breboh, who gave the advice,stressed that this will go a long way to prevent any abuse after the death of a spouse.
Mr Breboh, supported by Ms Isabella Ayaim, a CHRAJ Investigator, gave the advice when he spoke to the Ghana News Agency on the Interstate Succession Law.
He said the law had made provision for the sharing of the property of a deceased person, therefore the practice of families taking over the such property at the detriment of the spouse and children was illegal and punishable by law.
He urged aggrieved bereaved spouses and children to contact the CHRAJ offices in their districts for advice, adding: “It is unfortunate that most of such women have lost hope and trust in the system and, therefore, do not want to pursue such issues.â€
“It is discriminatory that a woman can die and then the man can have all her properties without family interference, while when the man dies, no matter the class of the woman, she will have to suffer at the hands of family members,†he stated.
He said to cure such anomalies, the PNDC Law 111 of 1985, currently under review, put in place a mechanism to satisfy all relatives of the deceased, which gave a larger portion of the property to the spouse and children.
He explained that if the deceased was survived only by a spouse without children, he or she was entitled to 50 per cent of the property while the remaining 50 per cent would be shared equally by the family and parents.
The Interstate Succession Law, he stated also provided that if a person died intestate without a spouse, his or her children would take 12 portions out of the 16 equal parts and the remaining four portions shared with the parents and family.
“If one dies without children and spouse, the parents and family will take 50 per cent each of his or her properties, if they die without a family, spouse, parents or children, everything goes to the state,†he stated.
He advised family heads to desist from arbitrary sharing of properties of people without recourse to the law and the acquisition of a Letter of Administration from the court, saying that amounts to illegality.
The Ghana cedi has now been classified as the worst performing currency in the world after Sri Lanka’s Rupee, a recent currency performance ranking by Bloomberg has shown.
The survey by the international news organisation showed the Cedi came in the last but one place among other 150 currencies in the world in terms of performance since the start of 2022.
Bloomberg said the results came after it tracked the performance of 150 currencies in the world.
The fall in the currency is due to demand for forex as it overtook supplies during a period when high debts and low investor confidence have made it impossible for Ghana to access the international capital market for borrowing.
As of July, this year, the cedi lost its value by more than 20 percent. The local currency is now trading above GH¢10.00 to one US dollar on the exchange rate market.
Meanwhile, the Bank of Ghana has given the assurance that it is implementing measures aimed at addressing the fall of the cedi against major trading currencies.
In a note sighted by GhanaWeb, the central bank said it was increasing foreign currency (FX) supplies to banks in the short term in order to help meet growing FX demands for external payments.
The BoG explained the move was due to rising demand for hard currencies by non-resident investors leaving the country.
Japan‘s young adults are a sober bunch – something authorities are hoping to change with a new campaign.
The younger generation drinks less alcohol than their parents – a move that has hit taxes on beverages like sake (rice wine).
So the national tax agency has stepped in with a national competition to come up with ideas to reverse the trend.
The “Sake Viva!” campaign hopes to come up with a plan to make drinking more attractive – and boost the industry.
The contest asks 20 to 39-year-olds to share their business ideas to kick-start demand among their peers – whether it’s for Japanese sake, shochu, whiskey, beer or wine.
The group running the competition for the tax authority says new habits – partly formed during the Covid pandemic – and an ageing population have led to a decline in alcohol sales.
It wants contestants to come up with promotions, branding, and even cutting-edge plans involving artificial intelligence.
Japanese media say the reaction has been mixed, with some criticism about the bid to promote an unhealthy habit. But others have posted quirky ideas online – such as famous actresses “performing” as virtual-reality hostesses in digital clubs.
Contestants have until the end of September to put forward their ideas. The best plans will then be developed with help from experts before the final proposals are presented in November.
The campaign’s website says Japan’s alcohol market is shrinking and the country’s older demographic – alongside declining birth rates – is a significant factor behind it.
Recent figures from the tax agency show that people were drinking less in 2020 than in 1995, with numbers plummeting from 100 litres (22 gallons) a year to 75 litres (16 gallons).
Tax revenue from taxes on alcohol has also shrunk over the years. According to The Japan Times newspaper, it made up 5% of total revenue in 1980, but in 2020 amounts to just 1.7%.
The World Bank estimates that nearly a third (29%) of Japan’s population is aged 65 and older – the highest proportion in the world.
Concerns about the future of sake is not the only problem that poses for Japan’s economy – there are worries about the supply of younger staff for certain types of jobs, and care for the elderly in the future.
In a communique signed by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, intimated that even though government is not legally bond to discharge such responsibility, the Akufo-Addo government through his outfit and the Appiatse Support Fund has since the tragic incident raised enough funds to give the victims the dignity of life they deserve.
Portions of the statement read, “legally, however, it is not for Government to compensate victims of the incident. The Ministry is, nonetheless committed , through the Appiatse Support Fund, to raise enough funds to reconstruct the community and support victims of the incident transparently and with the highest standards of integrity. ”
Mr Owusu-Bio’s comment was triggered by an assertion by the former President, John Dramani Mahama.
The 2020 NDC flagbearer who donated assorted food items, mattresses and GH¢5,000 to the Appiate Relief Committee during his visit at Appiatse asked President Akufo-Addo to immediately work towards compensating victims of the Appiatse explosion disasterwho have lost their livelihoods due to the disaster.
Responding to the call, Mr Owusu-Bio noted that, the government has been proactive in providing support to the victims.
He mentioned that, his ministry moved victims who were displaced by the disaster from tents which initially housed them after the disaster to a temporary accommodation pending the reconstruction of the community.
He added that medical bills of all the injured are being borne by government and “has also provided emergency relief to support victims, investigate the matter to prevent reoccurrences.”
Nonetheless, the the Deputy Minister stated that he “has taken note of the comments by the former President John Dramani Mahama, regarding the payment of compensation by Government to the victims of the Appiatse disaster.”
“The committee wishes to thank the former President for his visit and donation made to the community. The committee also welcomes the former President’s commendation of the work government has done in the community since the tragic incident.”
The Ministry called on Ghanaians to continually donate to the Fund to help raise enough funds to complete the reconstruction and support the community.
Background
The Appiatse explosion occurred as a result of an accident involving a truck conveying explosives for a mining company, a motorcycle and a third vehicle close to an electricity transformer, reduced the town of Appaitse to rubble, on January 20, 2022,
The explosion killed 14 people and left several others injured.
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and many Ghanaians after the incident provided relief items for the victims
Following the explosion, the government set up a Support Fund aimed at providing relief items to affected persons and the reconstruction of the entire community.
The Fund received its first donation of GH₵100,000 from President Akufo-Addo
The Appiatse Support Fund has received over GH¢35 million in donations so far.
Below is the full statement from the Lands Ministry:
The gap between the two candidates to replace Boris Johnson has narrowed, but Liz Truss is set to win by a long way – however Conservative members still prefer Boris Johnson and think ousting him was a mistake
Liz Truss is set to win the Tory leadership contest by a decisive margin next month, according to an exclusive Sky News poll that gives the foreign secretary a 32-point lead over rival Rishi Sunak.
The poll also shows that the legacy and personality of Boris Johnson is likely to loom large over the next prime minister as there is huge regret among Tory members over the decision to oust him in July.
The YouGov survey suggests 66% of members are voting for Ms Truss and 34% are backing Mr Sunak, once those who do not know or will not vote are excluded.
The race has tightened very slightly since a YouGov poll of members just over two weeks ago, when Ms Truss had a 38 percentage point lead.
Ogum stated that his “departure is in the best interest of the club” and extended “warmest appreciation to His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Board and Management of the club for the opportunity, belief and trust reposed in me and my team and made my dream a reality.”
Ogum was appointed on a two-year deal before the start of last season after leaving WAFA. He guided the team to win the Ghana Premier League.
The University lecturer announced his decision to step down during a board meeting last month, and he submitted a letter to that effect this week.
“My journey at Kotoko was short lived but the varied experience during this period will always remain dear. The passion, warmth and love I was welcomed with made me feel at home. Indeed, my dream of becoming a Kotoko coach, which I constantly told my students, had come to reality. Though enthused about joining one of the biggest clubs in Africa I knew I was brought there for a reason, the mission was to deliver,†Ogum said.
“Our journey, as a team, met some obstacles when we lost some matches and missed out on trophies, but we continually enjoyed the unflinching support of the fabulous family and soared. The backing of our supporters over memorable wins at Dormaa, Tarkwa and Sogakope made us feel like champions. Our efforts were crowned with winning the Ghana Premier League after eight (8) years making Kotoko the best club for the season.â€
“Taking Kotoko to Africa and defending the league trophy was my aim, but it is regrettable that I must leave midstream. I believe my departure is in the best interest of the club.â€
“I extend my warmest appreciation to His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Board and Management of the club for the opportunity, belief and trust reposed in me and my team and made my dream a reality. To the technical and Medical Team, the Legends as well as the Playing Body, I am most grateful for your support.â€
To the supporters, I doff my hat to you. You truly stood with me and sincerely inspired me. I have always felt loved, cherished and valued. Your passion for the club was my inspiration. If any action of mine caused any pain, I am sorry.â€
Kotoko have begun pre-season trainingunder the direction of youth coach Abdul Gazele. They will travel to Turkey to continue their season preparations.
The management is said to be looking for a new coach.
This follows a crisis meeting on August 17, 2022, to discuss the rise in inflation rates, which are at an all-time high of 31.7%.
“Under the circumstances, and taking into account the risks to the inflation outlook, the Committee decided on a 300 basis point rise in the Monetary Policy Rate to 22 percent,” the Central Bank stated in a statement on August 17.
It also said “The latest consumer price index release showed that the headline inflation accelerated further for the eleventh consecutive month to 31.7 per cent in July 2022, from 29.8 per cent in June 2022. This was driven by both food and nonfood price pressures.
“Food inflation rose to 32.3 per cent in July 2022 from 30.7 per cent in June 2022. Similarly, non-food inflation increased to 31.3 per cent from 29.1 per cent in June 2022, contributing 55 per cent to the rise in headline inflation in July 2022.”
The Ghana Football Association’s Club Licensing Committee has made conclusions regarding the match venues Premier League Clubs presented in regards to the infrastructural requirements for their respective License application processes.
Based on the findings the Club Licensing Manager provided during the inspection visits to the various locations, the committee made its conclusions.
The GFA Club Licensing Committee was not satisfied with the reports of all the venues submitted. However, five venues namely, WAFA Park, Accra Sports Stadium, Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Cape Coast Stadium and the Len Clay Stadium have been granted conditional approval pending the correction and or defects as stated in the inspection reports that was submitted on September 30, 2022.
Meanwhile, 13 Clubs had their Main venues “Not Satisfactory” enough and have been asked to correct certain defects for the facility to be re – inspected between August 23 to 25th, 2022.
The Club Licensing Committee shall be making final decisions on the venues after the final inspection on August 26, 2022.
The decisions on the match venues shall be final for the period of the first four match weeks of the first round.
The Club Licensing Committee shall only review decisions of the match venues to update the venue list after September 30, 2022.
According to him in a Facebook post, he had a dream three years ago to develop a safe and sound regulated financial institution present everywhere in Ghana but that dream was deferred.
He said since the revocation of the licence, thousands of young men and women [who worked for him] remain at home. Hundreds of millions of his assets have been either lost, abandoned, destroyed or rotting away.
Dr. Nduom further noted that 300 branches of GN Bank remain locked up, “yet, our faith remains strong.”
In his consolation, the former flagbearer of the Progressive People’s Party, PPP, quoted Jeremiah 29: 11 to end his post. On the occasion of the third anniversary of the revocation, the renowned entrepreneur said, â€the unbanked remain unbanked, yet our faith remains strongâ€.
“TODAY is three years since our dream to develop a safe and sound regulated financial institution present everywhere in Ghana was deferred. Thousands of young men and women remain at home. Hundreds of millions of assets have been lost, abandoned, destroyed or rotting away. 300 branches remain locked up. The unbanked remain unbanked. Yet, our faith remains strong.
“I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29: 11,” Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom concluded.
Brazil’s federal police on Wednesday accused President Jair Bolsonaro of discouraging mask use during the pandemic and falsely suggesting that people who got vaccinated against COVID-19 ran the risk of contracting AIDS.
In a document sent to Brazil’s Supreme Court, a police delegate said Bolsonaro’s effort to discourage compliance with pandemic-linked health measures amounted to a crime, while his effort to link AIDS with vaccination amounted to a misdemeanor.
The police asked Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is in charge of the probe, to authorize the police to charge Bolsonaro and others involved in the case.
In a social media livestream last October, the far-right president said, without presenting any evidence, that UK government reports had shown that people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 had developed AIDS.
Bolsonaro, who has declined to take the vaccine, was temporarily suspended from both Facebook and YouTube after the comments.
The police said additional steps were needed to conclude the investigations, including hearing from Bolsonaro.
The solicitor general’s office, which typically provides legal representation for the president, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The 2022 edition of the Division One League (DOL) Super Cup got underway on Tuesday, August 16, at the Kyebi Astro Turf.
Kotoku Royals pipped Ebusua Dwarfs 1-0 while Liberty Professionals came from behind to draw 1-1 against Nsoatreman FC on matchday one.
The two Group A games were all played at the Kyebi AstroTurf in the Eastern Region.
Nsoatreman FC 1-1 Liberty Professionals
In the afternoon fixture, Fredrick Boateng curled in a brilliant free-kick in the 24th minute at the edge of the box to give the betPawa Premier League newcomers the lead.
Two minutes after the break, goalkeeper Daniel Amissah stepped up and converted a penalty to pull parity for the Scientific Soccer Lads.
The Group A opener ended 1-1.
Later in the day, newly-promoted betPawa Premier League side, Kotoku Royals, scored early in the game to edge Ebusua Dwarfs in the second Group A game.
Richard Dzikoe gave Kotoku Royals the lead seven minutes into the game. He was teed up nicely at the left side of the box and drilled the ball into the net for the only goal in the game.
Next fixtures
Liberty Professionals will take on Ebusua Dwarfs at 2:00 PM while Nsoatreman FC play Kotoku Royals at 5:00 PM on Friday, August 19, 2022, in the second round of Group A games.
Meanwhile, Samartex will face off against Young Apostles at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, August 17, in the first Group B game.
Tamale City and Tema Youth will play the other group game at 5:00 PM.
Mali says France has violated its airspace and delivered arms to Islamist militants in an attempt to destabilize the West African country, the latest in a barrage of accusations that have marked the bitter end to their once close relations.
In a letter to the head of the United Nations Security Council dated Monday, Mali’s foreign affairs minister, Abdoulaye Diop, said its airspace has been breached more than 50 times this year, mostly by French forces using drones, military helicopters, and fighter jets.
“These flagrant violations of Malian airspace were used by France to collect information for terrorist groups operating in the Sahel and to drop arms and ammunition to them,” the letter said.
Mali provided no evidence to show that France had supplied arms to Islamist groups. France has spent a decade and billions of dollars to stamp out Islamist militants, some with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State, in its former colony.
“France has obviously never supported, directly or indirectly, these terrorist groups, which remain its designated enemies across the planet,” said the French Embassy in Mali, in a Twitter thread.
It said that 53 French soldiers had died during its nine-year mission in Mali and that France had killed hundreds of Islamist fighters in order to improve security for Malians. France has also suffered Islamist attacks at home, it added.
The accusations mark a new low in relations just as France pulls the last of its troops out of Mali and Russian mercenaries hired by Mali’s military government expand their reach. The swap worries western powers who see their influence slipping in the Sahel.
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed possibly supplying food, fertilisers and fuel to Mali in a call with the country’s interim president last week.
German U.N. soldiers said they saw Russian forces landing at the airport and unloading equipment on Monday in the northern town of Gao, the day the last French soldiers left.
French forces were welcomed as heroes in Mali in 2013 when they beat back Islamist groups that had taken over the north, including the fabled city of Timbuktu.
But a series of setbacks and prolonged attacks by the militants have soured relations, which became worse since a military junta overthrew the government in 2020 and later overthrew an interim civilian cabinet.
Ghanaian club, Samartex FC have completed the signing of talented Ghanaian attacker Gabriel Bonnah.
The club last season excelled in the national division one league and managed to secure promotion to the Ghana Premier League.
As part of efforts to strengthen the squad of the team, Samartex FC have decided to bring in reinforcements.
In a post on the Twitter page of the club, it has confirmed that forward Gabriel Bonnah has inked a permanent deal to join the club.
“ Talented forward, Gabriel Bonnah, has joined us on a permanent deal from Banana Inn FC.
“The Super-colossal talent has been tipped to shoulder Ghana in future following his terrific performance,” the club tweeted.
ð‘¶ð‘ð‘ð‘°ð‘ªð‘°ð‘¨ð‘³: Talented forward, ð—šð—”ð—•ð—¥ð—œð—˜ð—Ÿ ð—•ð—¢ð—¡ð—¡ð—”ð—› has joined us on a permanent deal from Banana Inn FC.
The Super-colossal talent has been tipped to shoulder Ghana in future following his terrific performance.
Ghana international, Augustine Okrahneeded just 36 minutes into his competitive debut for Simba SC to get his name on the scoresheet.The talented attacker sealed a transfer to the Tanzanian giant this summer in a move from Ghana Premier League side Bechem United.
During pre-season, Augustine Okrah was a star for his new club and scored three goals to court the affection of supporters.
Today, the attacking midfielder started for Simba SC when the team hosted Geita Gold on matchday one of the 2022/23 Tanzania Premier League.
Looking good and in top shape, the highly-rated Augustine Okrah scored with a fantastic effort in the 36th minute to give his team the lead.
Thanks to additional goals from Moses Phiri and Clatous Chama, Simba SC cruised to a delightful 3-0 win against Geita Gold at the end of the 90 minutes.
Off-the-mark in Tanzania, Augustine Okrah could be making a case for a place in the Black Stars squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
After a phenomenal five years with Ashantigold, the 26-year-old has finally decided to part ways with the club. He established himself as one of the best midfielders in the league and a fan favorite in Obuasi.
McCarthy was injured for virtually the whole season, limiting him to only four appearances for the Obuasi-based club.
Appiah McCarthy’sstay at Obuasi has already expired, and reports suggest that he has struck an agreement with Aduana Stars, with a contract set to be finalized in the coming days.
Ukraine was behind three explosions that rocked Russian military facilities in the annexed province of Crimea this past week, including an explosion at a Russian air base on the peninsula’s west coast that wrecked several airplanes, according to a Ukrainian government report circulated internally and shared with CNN by a ​Ukrainian official. ​
The official requested anonymity because they were not authorized to share the information with the media.
The report describes the Saki airbase, which was rocked by explosions last Tuesday, as a hard but one-time loss for Russian military infrastructure in the peninsula, with subsequent attacks as proof of Ukraine’s systematic military capability in targeting Crimea.
The August 9 incident at Saki airbase, which destroyed at least seven military aircraft, severely damaged the base, and killed at least one person​.
Russia claimed it was a result of an accident and Ukrainian officials have so far declined to confirm on the record that they were responsible. What caused the explosions remains unclear.
In a speech following the incident, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the war “began with Crimea and must end with Crimea — its liberation.”​
Another set of explosions were reported in Crimea this week, on August 16, this time at an ammunition depot in Maiske and at an airfield in Gvardeyskoe.
Russian officials said the incident in Maiske had been the result of sabotage​, but they did not specify the kind of sabotage, or whom they believed was responsible.
What do we know about other recent incidents?
On Tuesday, a fire and smoke plume were seen rising from an electrical substation 12 miles away from Maiske’s ammunition depot, according to social media footage. The cause of the fire, and smoke, at the substation remains unclear.
The incidents both took place around the Dzhankoi area, described by the British Ministry of Defence as “a key road and rail junction that plays an important role in supplying Russia’s operations in southern Ukraine.”
The attacks come at a time when nascent resistance movement in Russian occupied areas appears to have been carrying out acts of sabotage.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian officials said that a railway bridge near the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, used by Russians to transport military equipment and weapons from occupied Crimea, was blown up by Ukrainian partisans. Melitopol has for months been a center of underground resistance to Russian occupation.
As analysts speculate that there is a campaign to degrade Russia’s military capability in Crimea, Zelensky warned Ukrainians living in occupied areas on Tuesday to stay clear of Russian forces’ military facilities.
What do the blasts mean for Putin’s ambitions?
The explosions at Saki airbase jolted sunbathers lounging in beach-side cabanas last week, and marked the start of a series of mysterious incidents on the Ukrainian peninsula that threatens the jewel of President Vladimir Putin’s revanchist ambitions.
Western officials and analysts have since offered competing explanations about the cause.
In any event, the Cavell Group said, the “Saki attack was audacious and highly effective in both damaging Russian reinforcements and striking a significant psychological blow to morale amongst the Russian military and civilians.”
Whatever caused the explosions, they could have significant implications for the overall conflict, especially if the attack were to have been carried out with any new long-range weapon system that Ukraine has developed.
The UK Ministry of Defence says that the loss of combat jets represents a minor proportion of the overall fleet of aircraft Russia has available to support the war.
But it noted that Saki is the main base for supporting the Russian navy in the Black Sea. “The fleet’s naval aviation capability is now significantly degraded. The incident will likely prompt the Russian military to revise its threat perception,” it said.
It may also cause a re-evaluation of the threat to Crimea which “has probably been seen as a secure rear-area,” the ministry said.
With clearance from the Bank of Ghana, the Receiver of collapsed microfinance companies and Special Deposit-Taking Institutions has referred 100 properties to the Economic Organized and Crime Office (EOCO) to be investigated to ascertain their ownership status.
According to a status document sighted by GhanaWeb, this comprises 68 landed properties relating to five microfinance companies and 32 relating to nine saving and loans firms.
It noted that EOCO has since advised that these companies’ accounts are frozen while they conduct their investigations.
The document providing the status of the clean-up exercise explained that the purpose of obtaining freezing orders is for EOCO and the Receiver to; ascertain the ownership status of the properties; ascertain whether the properties were acquired with resources of the defunct institutions.
It further said the move will help the investigator [EOCO] obtain all relevant documents for the said properties; conduct searches at the Lands Commission to aid the potential transfer of the assets to the Receiver.
It concluded that the move will also prevent owners from dissipating the assets before the Receiver starts the realisation process which will soon take place.
Meanwhile, the Bank of Ghana and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) have signed an agreement aimed at building a robust banking and financial sector.
The agreement also seeks to strengthen the investigative operations of EOCO to improve the country’s banking and financial industry.
The central bank in 2017 undertook a clean-up exercise that saw the revocation of operating licenses of some eight banks, 23 savings and loans companies and more than 400 specialised deposit-taking institutions (SDIs).
According to the Receiver for some of the financial institutions, preliminary investigations found that most directors of the defunct financial institutions failed in their fiduciary responsibilities to customers and other stakeholders.
Local authorities in Scotland have come in for criticism after they appointed a man to the role of period dignity officer, responsible for coordinating the region’s response to a new law that makes menstrual products free to access in the country.
A group of colleges and local councils in Tay region in eastern Scotland announced the appointment of Jason Grant, who previously worked as a student wellbeing officer at a local college, to the role on Thursday.
However, critics argue that a woman would have been better suited to the job.
Retired tennis star Martina Navratilova commented on the news of his appointment, calling it “f**king ridiculous” on her Twitter account.
“Have we ever tried to explain to men how to shave or how to take care of their prostate or whatever?!? This is absurd,” she wrote in a separate tweet.
Barrister Charlotte Proudman also questioned why a man was appointed to the role.
“I remember at school, girls used sanitary pads because tampons were unaffordable,” she tweeted. “What experience does Jason Grant have of this? I’m all *for* men’s support – but let’s have women lead on our experiences.”
Grant’s role is the first of its kind in Scotland.
“He will coordinate and streamline the approach to ‘Period Dignity’ across the area by working directly with the colleges and local authorities,” Grainger PR said in a press release announcing the appointment, which was made by a working group of .
“Jason will lead a regional campaign across schools, colleges and wider communities, raising awareness and understanding of the new Act and ensuring that the Scottish Government funding is allocated appropriately,” it said.
The Period Products Act came into force on Monday and means that menstrual products, including tampons and pads, will be made available free of charge in public facilities in Scotland.
It will be the responsibility of local authorities and education providers to ensure the products are available free of charge.
Grant called the legislation “transformational and long-overdue” in the press release announcing his appointment.
“With our partners, we will be looking at fine-tuning the existing distribution and availability of products, including sustainable options and even plan performing art workshops in schools and colleges to improve education around periods,” he said.
His appointment “surprised and intrigued some colleagues and friends,” according to the press release, but Grant, a former personal trainer and tobacco salesman, said he believes he has a lot to bring to the role.
“I think being a man will help me to break down barriers, reduce stigma and encourage more open discussions. Although affecting women directly, periods are an issue for everyone,” he said, adding that he will also work to raise awareness of the menopause.
“It’s time to normalise these topics and get real around the subject,” he added. “I believe I can make progress by proving this isn’t just a female topic, encouraging conversations across all genders and educating and engaging new audiences.”
A spokesperson for the working group that employed Grant said giving him the job “was a no-brainer with his vast experience in project management from both the private and public sectors.”
CNN has contacted Grainger PR for further comment.
Electricity tariff was increased by 27.15% whiles water tariff was pegged at 21.55%. According to PURC, these new tariffs will take effect from Thursday, September 1, 2022.
If you buy electricity prepaid for GH¢50, you’ll soon pay GH¢64 for the same kilowatts. For consumers that buy power for GH¢100, there will be an increment of GH¢27.15peswas. Meaning, the power will be bought at GH¢127.15 pesewas.
Below is a tabular form of the new prices for electricity and water to be incurred on consumers
Meanwhile, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has disclosed that inasmuch as it is not excited with the new tariff announced by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), it has, however, accepted the increment.
This was made known by the Director of External Affairs, Charles Nii Ayiku, in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story programme on Monday, August 16, 2022.
He assured Ghanaians that ECG will provide reliable power despite the lower tariff approved by PURC.
“By entering the world’s top four defense exporters after the United States, Russia and France, the (South Korean) defense industry will become a strategic industrialization and a defense powerhouse,” Yoon said at the presidential office.
In 2021, South Korea ranked 10th in the world in arms transfers, according to the authoritative Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
With arms exports valued at $566 million, according to SIPRI’s unique trend-indicator value monitoring system, Seoul was well behind last year’s No. 4 exporter, Italy, which sold arms worth $1.7 billion.
For comparison, US arms transfers were calculated to be $10.6 billion.
South Korea has already taken steps to achieve its top four ambitions.
Late last month, it signed its biggest-ever arms deal to supply Poland with almost 1,000 K2 tanks, more than 600 pieces of artillery and dozens of fighter jets.
A South Korean-made FA-50 multirole light fighter aircraft of the Philippine Air Force performs a fly-past during a ceremony prior to landing at the Clark Air Base in Angeles City on November 28, 2015.
And in February it inked a $1.7 billion deal with Egypt to supply it with K9 self-propelled howitzers and support vehicles.
Late last year, South Korea made another massive deal to supply Australia with K9s.
If South Korea meets Yoon’s goal, it will surpass not only Italy, but regional power China as well as Germany, Spain, Israel and the United Kingdom, according to the SIPRI rankings.
“I believe this is a very ambitious goal,” said Chun In-Bum, a retired South Korean general turned military analyst.
“South Korea and its arms industry have to do a lot of work,” he said.
The Syrian government on Wednesday denied it is holding or has any information on the whereabouts of Austin Tice, an American journalist who vanished a decade ago while reporting on the Middle Eastern nation’s civil war.
Syria’s foreign ministry said in a rare statement that the country “denies that it has kidnapped or is hiding any American citizens who entered its territory or resided in areas under the sovereignty and authority of the Syrian government.”
The comments come a week after US President Joe Biden said that Washington knows “with certainty” that Tice is being held by the Syrian government.
The Syrian government has denied on multiple occasions that it’s holding Tice, but before its statement Wednesday, it had not addressed the journalist’s whereabouts publicly since 2016.
Tice disappeared in Damascus, the Syrian capital, while he was working as a freelance journalist for CBS, The Washington Post and The McClatchy Company.
Tice’s family said Austin was traveling in the Damascus suburb of Darayya to work on one of his final pieces for the summer on August 13, 2012, when he was detained at a checkpoint. He was supposed to leave for Lebanon the following day. The Texas native and veteran of the US Marine Corps was supposed to come home to finish his final year of law school at Georgetown University.
Since then, the only information Tice’s family has received from his captors was a 43-second video that surfaced five weeks after his disappearance. It was titled “Austin Tice is Alive” and showed Tice and a group of armed men, but contained no other information.
In its statement Wednesday, the Syrian government denied it had ever arrested Tice.
10th anniversary of disappearance
Tice was among the first journalists to disappear after Syria’s peaceful pro-democracy protests, sparked by the Arab Spring, were violently crushed by Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Successive US administrations have contended that Tice was alive and being held captive somewhere in Syria. There was no indication he was abducted or held by ISIS, which executed multiple American journalists it kidnapped, including James Foley and Steven Sotloff.
Though the FBI offered a reward of $1 million for information on Tice’s whereabouts, his case has languished for years.
Tice’s parents have worked diligently to bring government and media attention to their son’s disappearance. During a meeting with Biden at the White House in May, the President “reiterated his commitment to continue to work through all available avenues to secure Austin’s long overdue return to his family.”
The Biden administration has had direct engagements with the Syrian government in an effort to secure the release of Tice, according to a source and a senior administration official. There have been a number of direct interactions — none of which took place in Damascus — but they have thus far yielded no progress, the source familiar said.
Last week marked the 10th anniversary of Tice’s disappearance, which his family and the White House used to reiterate their demands for information.
“We know with certainty that he has been held by the Syrian regime,” Biden said in a statement last week. “We have repeatedly asked the government of Syria to work with us so that we can bring Austin home.
“Tice family deserves answers, and more importantly, they deserve to be swiftly reunited with Austin.”
Debra Tice, Austin’s mother, told CNN on Thursday, her son’s 41st birthday, she is happy the President mentioned his name and that it is a sign the administration is ready to negotiate his release.
“I’m just so glad that President Biden has said Austin’s name publicly,” Debra Tice told CNN’s John Berman on “New Day.” “I think that it’s an indication from the President that the United States government is ready to engage with Syria to bring Austin home.”
In a separate statement Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington “will continue to pursue all available avenues to bring Austin home and work tirelessly until we succeed in doing so.”
Among those tasked with bringing Tice home is Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, who secretly traveled to Damascus and met with Assad regime officials in 2020 under the Trump administration. In May of this year, he met with Abbas Ibrahim, a top Lebanese security official, in Washington “to discuss US citizens who are missing or detained in Syria,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said at the time.
Ibrahim, the chief of Lebanon’s General Security Directorate, has played a role in securing the release of American detainees in the past, including Sam Goodwin from Syria and Nizar Zikka from Iran.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has entreated Ghanaians to continue to support the victims of the Appiatse explosion which claimed some lives and rendered many homeless.
According to him, support to the Appiatse explosion victims has declined and appealed to organisations, philanthropists, and individuals to continue with the assistance to bring their lives back to normalcy.
During a visit to the victims at the Appiatse Disaster Relief Camp on Tuesday to commiserate with them and assess the extent of damage, Mr Mahama said the government had done well in terms of support “but I believe the property they have lost should be taken into consideration.â€
“About eight months have passed since the incident happened and we can see that most of the things the government promised have been put in place. I am happy to be here to witness this day,†Former President Mahama said.
“We have secured funds for the housing project for the Appiatse Community but as the spokesperson for the victims touched on their well-being and the challenges they go through daily. The victims deserve some form of compensation, and the President should intervene.â€
The Former President presented 500 bags of rice,100 boxes of canned tomatoes, 50 boxes of mackerel, 50 boxes of cooking oil, and 100 pieces of mattresses to the victims.
He also added GHï¿ 5000.00 to settle the medical bills of those injured and pledged to offer more support on his next visit.
Mr Robert Wisdom Cudjoe, the Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni-Valley, appealed for more resources for the Appiatse Disaster Relief Committee to ensure they worked effectively for the wellbeing of the people.
Dr Isaac Dasmani, the Municipal Chief Executive, Prestea Huni-Valley, expressed gratitude to the former President for the support and said 498 people were affected by the explosion but six were still in critical condition.
The tragic incident occurred on Thursday, January 20, 2022, along the Bogoso-Bawdie road when a vehicle transporting explosives to a mining company exploded, killing14 people and injuring many others.
Ghana and Rubin Kazan, forward Joel Fameye says it is his target to better his goal-scoring records everything, however, the 2022/23 season is no exception.
The forward has scored four goals in five matches in the Russian second-tier for Rubin Kazan.
He is currently tied on goals with SKA Khabarovsk midfielder Vasily Aleinikov.
Fameye was on target on Monday when his side Rubin Kazan defeated Kuban Krasnodar 3-0 on Monday.
Speaking after the game, Fameye said, “In each new season, I want to do (score – ed.) More than I did (scored – ed.) Last year. I think that Rubin is a good team, generally top, and I want to do what I want and can do. Together, as a team, we can do a lot,â€
He will hope to maintain his scoring form in the ongoing campaign.
Explosions and fires ripped through at least 17 locations in southern Thailand on Wednesday, authorities said, in what appeared to be multiple coordinated attacks that injured seven people.
The bombings and arson attacks happened after midnight and targeted convenience stores and a gas station across three provinces, lightly injuring at least seven, according to police and military statements.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far.
Provinces in southern Thailand along the border with Malaysia have seen a decades-long, low-level insurgency, in which the Thai government has battled shadowy groups seeking independence for the predominantly Muslim provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla.
Convenience stores damaged after an attack in Cho-airong district in southern Thailand’s Narathiwat province on August 17.
More than 7,300 people have been killed in the conflict since 2004, according to the Deep South Watch group, which monitors the violence.
Peace talks that began in 2013 have faced repeated disruptions.
Wednesday’s attacks came after the Thai government earlier this year restarted discussions with the main insurgent group, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The Patani United Liberation Organisation (PULO), which was sidelined from the latest round of talks, carried out bombings during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, claiming the dialogue is not inclusive. The government has said it is ready to talk to all groups.
The organization’s leader, Kasturi Makhota, told Reuters Wednesday’s attacks have “nothing to do with PULO.”
New loans advanced by banks from January to June 2022 amounted to GH¢24.6 billion, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has revealed.
The Banking Sector Development Report by the central bank reveals that new loans have increased by 54% as against the same comparative period last year, which saw a growth of 1.0%.
“On a year-to-date basis, gross loans and advances increased by 17.5 percent in the first six months of this year, a recovery from the contraction of 0.5 percent recorded during the same period in 2021,†part of the statement added.
Per the report, the stock of gross loans and advances increased by 33.3 percent (year-on-year) to GH¢63.4 billion at the end of June 2022.
This growth is substantial compared to the growth of 5.7 percent recorded in June 2021.
The largest share of credit, 34.1% went to the services sector.
The commerce, finance and construction sectors had shares of 21.3% and 10.2% respectively.
“These top three sectors together accounted for 65.6 percent of total credit in June 2022, compared with 60.3 percent in June 2021. The other economic sectors accounted for the remaining 34.4 percent in various proportions in June 2022,†the report said.
The mining and quarrying sector remained the lowest recipient of the industry credit with a share of 2.1 percent.
The 2022 credit share received by the sector was less than the 2.2 percent share in the previous year.
Private and Public sector Private sector creditgrew by 33.7percent to GH¢57.2 billion in June 2022, compared with a growth of 6.8 percent in the previous year.
Accordingly, the private sector share of total credit increased marginally to 90.2 percent in June 2022, from 89.9 percent in June 2021.
Public sector credit also recorded a growth of 29.3 percent to GH¢6.2 billion, compared to a contraction of 2.8 percent in the previous year.
The share of public sector credit, however, declined marginally from 10.1 percent to 9.8 percent on account of the lower annual growth rate in public sector credit relative to the growth in private sector credit in June 2022.
Some final year students pursuing their education in Morocco under a Government of Ghana funded scholarship are taking shelter in churches due to non-payment of rent.
According to the aggrieved students, failure of the government to pay their stipends which have been in arrears for the past eight months, has resulted in this.
They also stated that the situation has left them in extreme poverty.
Isaac Ofori Agyekum, an affected student disclosed that they now have to survive by borrowing money and food from friends and other nationals.
“For the past eight months we have not received anything from the government. We received a communique from the embassy saying that all final year students are supposed to go home and their stipends will be paid in Ghana [but] some of us have to pay for apartments and other utilities so we have to go borrowing,†he shared.
Vice President of the Ghanaian Student Association in Morocco, Nana Kwabena Dankwa also lamented over the situation.
He was particularly concerned about the fact that most of the students are financially constrained as a result of the development and, therefore, would have to starve.
“Feeding is one of the biggest challenges that students are facing here,†he said, adding that some of the students are highly indebted due
to the situation.
“Students borrow from shops, some of them eat on credit, others also borrow from other nationalities to buy foodstuff and now they have borrowed till people no longer want to offer them help,†he added.
Also, “students are sleeping in church auditoriums here in Morocco.â€
Amuzu Delali, also an affected student, confirmed this. “The major problem is our feeding. Students depend on other nationals for food.
These days when we get to the apartments of friends, they begin to close their doors because they think we are coming to beg for food,†he said.
They are, therefore, appealing to the government to come to their aid in order to alleviate their economic woes.
“We are pleading with the government that they should come to their aid,†Amuzu stated.
In the wake of growing attacks by Jihadists groups on neigbouring countries, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare has assured Ghanaians that his outfit will jealously safeguard the peace and security of the country.
According to him, the Ghana Police Service would ensure that “Ghana will continue to be the beacon of hope and a trailblazer when it comes to sustained peace and security in the sub region which is in turmoil.â€
Dr Dampare made the remark while addressing the President when he presented some motorbikes to the Ghana Police Service.
“We will continue to do all it takes to maintain the peace and security and the safety of everyone,†he stressed.
President Akufo-Addo on Monday, August 15, 2022, presented 1,500 motorbikes to the Ghana Police Service to facilitate their activities across the country.
According to the President, the presentation of the bikes “is yet a further affirmation of the commitment of the Akufo-Addo government to provide the Police Service with the necessary logistics it requires, to help the Service continue to affect its mandate of maintaining law and order, and protecting lives and property.â€
He further gave the assurance that the service under the leadership of Dr Damparehas the full backing of the government on its “transformation agenda,†which seeks to regain the confidence, trust and respect of the public, and also deepen police legitimacy.
Expressing profound gratitude on behalf of the GPS to the President for the gesture, he said: “we are grateful to you Mr President and the entire populace for the continuous support you extend to the police service. We appreciate everything; all the support that comes from far and near, all the constructive criticisms towards our institution which will continue to become better.â€
Meanwhile, the government as part of efforts to boost the service and also to beef up security across the country, gave approval for the police to recruit 5,000 officers in 2021.
About 3,000 of those recruited have so far passed out, with the remaining still under training, according to the President.
“These officers are the first batch of men and women to benefit from the modified police training curriculum, which is focused on equipping the police officers with skills in driving, swimming and motorbike riding in addition to other tactical and soft skills,†the President said.
It is for this reason that the President was delighted to hand over the 1,500 motorbikes to the Police Service, and further urged the Service to continue doing the good work it is doing to keep citizens safe.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey, has called for increased partnerships between forestry organisations to ensure the full implementation of policies to deal with the threats posed by climate change to national economies.
Speaking during a courtesy call on him by an 11-member delegation from the Edo State Forestry Commission in Nigeria, Mr Allotey said the two countries needed to strengthen the bond between the two countries in areas of trade, climate change, forest management, new product research and export decisions to enhance socio-economic development.
The visit will allow the Edo State Forestry delegation in Ghana to study the operations of the forestry commission to enable them to establish a commission of their own to be recognized by the international community and also be accepted at conferences and be able to contribute to matters affecting forest use and management.
The delegation, led by the acting Chairman of the Edo State Forestry Commission, Edward Obiaw, will understudy the use of geographic information systems (GIS) for mapping forests, the development of forest management plans, including ecotourism, and wood tracking mechanisms.
Mr Allotey said both countries had abundant Rosewood resources that they could exploit legally through collaboration.
Mr Allotey said the two countries could use the vast landscapes as Eco-Tourists attractions to attract people to view the zoos, rivers, mountains and other hike sites to create employment for the people.
Mr Allotey said both entities could also benefit immensely from a common front in the fight against terrorists and other saboteurs who might use the forests for clandestine activities.
“We need to train our forest security men on early detection signs so that they could identify infiltrates of communities with the intent to cause trouble,†he said.
The team would be taken through Map Reading And Development, Forestry Inventory And Management Planning, Wild Life Conservation, Forest Cover Management, Eco-Tourism And Forest Development.
He said the decision to visit Ghana was because of the experiences that the Edo Forest Commission would need to pick up to have a smooth transition from the forest management committee to a commission capable of addressing the Edo States Forestry Management and conservation challenges.
Mr Obiaw said Ghana has advanced in its Forestry Plantation cover management development as well as in the Eco-Tourism sector, adding “that is why we from the Edo state are here to train the recruits who would intend help others to understand the rudiments of Forestry management.
He indicated that the modern trend in climate change and world forest management and development calls for effective management practices towards achieving the set goals of the Edo state commission.
Mr Obiaw stated that they would use the two weeks to adopt measures to change from the semi-autonomous body to be supported by the international community.
He said the trip would allow the commission to recruit and train more hands to complement its work.
The Institute claims that throughout the first seven months of the year, the economy’s macroeconomic indicators substantially declined, which caused abnormally high commodity prices.
Dr. Saeed Boakye, senior research fellow at the Institute of Fiscal Studies, stated, “over the period, the macroeconomy has become highly unstable, with all key indicators worsening at rapid rates,” in presenting IFS’ assessment of the government of Ghana’s fiscal consolidation efforts in the face of the rapidly deteriorating macroeconomic environment.
As a result, he continued, “The relative price stability the nation had in the previous few years has vanished, as the year-over-year consumer price inflation rate, which, for instance, averaged 9.9% and 10.0% in 2020 and 2021, respectively, reached at 13.9% in January 2022.
Dr. Boakye claims that this rose to 19.4% in March and reached a peak of 31.7% in July 2022, the highest inflation rate to be recorded in Ghana since November 2003. (i.e., a period of more than 18 years).
However, the Institute went into depth about how the country’s external payment positions have deteriorated significantly, which has led to a sharp decline in the value of the dollar and inflation rates.
Despite the nation having a trade surplus of $1,44 billion (2% of GDP) in the first half of the year, according to Dr. Boakye, the capital and financial account and current account situations deteriorated, putting the entire balance of payments into a “large deficit.”
He claimed that as a result, “the speed of economic activity has begun to slow down.”
Ghana’s macroeconomy is quite unstable, according to IFS
The decision to embark on the strike action, according to the group, stems from the non-issuance of appointment letters and lack of remuneration for the past 7 months.
Despite several engagements with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), Pharmacy Council, Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, the issues of remuneration and appointment letters have not been resolved.
Expressing their grievances in a press statement dated August 12, stated that “the Pharmaceutical Council had, in a letter, instructed
them to begin their service on Monday, 24 January 2022, which they did. However, after seven months, they have not received appointment letters from the Ministry of Health.â€
“In view of no timelines being set for follow ups on the tabled issues and next course of action, we have come to a consensus that we cannot continue working under these same conditions as it is not financially permissible.â€
The aggrieved group has called on all stakeholders to address delays with their clearance, appointments and salaries.
Failure to address their grievances, the 2021 Pharm.D graduates have pledged not to return to their post.
