TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • China to handle some Hong Kong national security cases – Official

    China will have jurisdiction over “some extremely rare” national security cases in Hong Kong, a senior official said Monday as Beijing prepares to unveil its new anti-subversion law for the semi-autonomous business hub.

    The revelation comes just three days ahead of a major meeting of the country’s top lawmaking body. Beijing has signalled the new law – which will bypass the city’s legislature – needs to be passed quickly following a year of pro-democracy protests.

    Deng Zhonghua, deputy head of China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said enforcing the national security law would largely fall to Hong Kong’s local authorities and police.

    “However, the central authorities should also reserve jurisdiction over some extremely rare cases when an offence takes place in Hong Kong and poses a serious threat to China’s national security,” Deng said.

    Under a “One Country, Two Systems” agreement ahead of the handover by Britain, China said it would let Hong Kong maintain certain liberties and autonomy until 2047, including legislative and judicial independence.

    But Deng’s comments are the first time a Beijing official has made clear that mainland authorities will have jurisdiction over some national security cases once the law is passed.

    Hong Kong was rocked by months of huge and often violent pro-democracy protests last year.

    In response, Beijing has announced plans to impose the new law covering subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign influence.

    Beijing says the law will return stability and leave political freedoms intact, and that Hong Kong’s legislature has failed to pass its own national security laws over the years.

    Political oppression fears

    But opponents – including many Western nations – fear it will bring mainland-style political oppression, given how anti-subversion laws are routinely used to crush dissent in authoritarian China.

    They also fear it will start the erosion of Hong Kong’s legislative and judicial autonomy, the bedrock of the city’s success as a major international business hub.

    Beijing’s rubber-stamp parliament has previously said the law will allow mainland security agencies to publicly operate in Hong Kong for the first time.

    Deng gave further details on Monday.

    “Both the central government and the Hong Kong government need to set up an organisation dedicated to safeguarding national security,” he said in a speech to the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies think-tank.

    Central authorities, he added, would help “supervise and instruct” local authorities on enforcing national security.

    “The central authorities must have practical means to handle national security cases in Hong Kong and must be able to create an effective deterrence, instead of being satisfied with just chanting slogans and making gestures,” Deng said.

    Deng said he recognised there were differences in the legal systems of Hong Kong and mainland China.

    But he said the new law would reflect common principles, including that the law would not be retroactive, as well as the presumption of innocence.

    Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of backend.theindependentghana.com. Our outfit will hereby not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article.”

    Source: france24.com

  • Its a lie, prove GH¢9.6 million payment – Angry Menzgold customers challenge NAM1

    The Coalition of Aggrieved Customers of Menzgold has said the claim by Nana Appiah Mensah that his company Menzgold, has paid GH¢9.6 million to his customers is “not only false but criminal”.

    “Here is a company whose account and assets, including his Trassaco residence according to official reports by EOCO, via a court order, have been frozen. So, where did NAM1 get money to pay GH¢9.6 million and how was the payment done?” the customers quizzed.

    This comes after NAM1 said he has paid over GH¢9.6 million to customers whose monies were locked up in his firm.

    He also assured customers who are yet to receive their monies that they would receive their monies before the end of December 2020 to in Instagram post.

    The angry customers are, however, demanding to know the account from which the payment was made.

    “Remember among his criminal charges is a charge of money laundering. We are challenging NAM1 to publish the names of those paid, indicating the amount paid with dates,” the customers said in a statement.

    The group further indicated that NAM1 “is at it again”, explaining; “throwing dust into the eyes of the unsuspecting public”.

    According to the group, “reports indicate that his new scheme, Payboy, which was noted to be another scam, has succeeded in scamming hundreds of customers who failed to heed advise from the leaders of CACM. Today, those people he scammed at Payboy are gnashing their teeth.”

    The aggrieved Menzgold customers, however, thanked EOCO for arresting the managers of Payboy a couple of weeks ago.

    They also expressed their appreciation to the Tarkwa High Court for “throwing the frivolous suit against CACM away”.

    Source: Class FM

  • Stock market remains downbeat as financial and telecom stocks fall on declining rates

    GCB Bank (-2.27%), the sole decliner at the session inched the benchmark index down by 2.55 points (-0.13%) to close the session at 1,958.06 with a year-to-date return of -13.25% while the market capitalization eased by 0.05% to settle at 53.72 billion.

    Accordingly, the GSE Financial Index moderated by 4.71 points (-0.26%) to close at 1,821.13 with a -9.83% year-to-date return.

    The SAS Manufacturing Index remained unchanged at 2,720.46 with a year-to-date return of -21.86%.

    A total of 438,555 shares valued at GH¢1,004,968 changed hands from 1,202,849 shares valued at GH¢744,367 in the previous session.

    MTN Ghana dominated trades by volume, accounting for 52.77% of the total volume traded while GCB Bank dominated trades by value, accounting 85.57% of the total value traded.

    We expect activity levels to increase in the next session.

    Source: SAS Ghana

  • Fear and impatience as Santorini awaits return of mass tourism

    Spectacular sunsets over its ancient volcanic crater make the Greek island of Santorini a magnet for tourists. With the first post-lockdown groups of overseas visitors due to return on Monday, the island is torn between impatience to get back to business and fear of an upsurge in coronavirus cases.

    In the quiet alleys of Fira, the island’s capital, time is passing by to the rhythm of church bells – a reminder of the vanishing hours that separate the town from a flood of tourists.

    “We’re desperate about tourists, we need them and we want them. If we don’t have the people, how will we survive,” says Michalis Drosos, who works in a souvenir shop in Fira.

    The tourist season officially reopens on Monday in Greece after three months of restrictions that have halted large-scale tourism, a sector that makes up a quarter of Greece’s economic output.

    Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chose Santorini to inaugurate the season with great pomp on Saturday, inviting tourists to marvel at the “stunning sunset” that has made the island famous.

    “We are incredibly lucky to be here without any other tourists,” says Cedric Delourme, a Frenchman who came with his family, one of the few tourists walking around the island.

    The Gallini Hotel is expecting a group of Americans on Monday, but manager George Roussos says he is “never sure” because “something can happen at the last minute”.

    The Americans arrive via Athens after a stopover in Germany.

    Santorini airport will not reopen to international flights until July 1, like all regional airports in Greece. But travellers from around 30 countries will once again be welcomed at the airports of Thessaloniki and Athens and will be able to travel on to the islands.

    “We are restarting the country’s most important production engine and we are putting an end to the anguish of 700,000 workers in the tourism sector,” Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said in Santorini.

    However, some of those 700,000 are still concerned about the coronavirus pandemic – which has so far largely spared Greece with only 183 deaths.

    ‘On edge’

    “Everyone’s scared, maybe we’ll catch the coronavirus,” says Orestis Papoulias, manager of a beach bar on the black sand beach of Perissa.

    “As soon as the tourists arrive, we’ll get new cases,” says Canadian Stephane Saat, who has spent 12 years as a tourist guide in Santorini.

    “If they tell us that there are too many cases, we’ll have to close down again, but what do we do? We don’t have any money left and we’re on edge.”

    For similar reasons, the manager of the Mylos Hotel Panos Kontoulis is hesitant about reopening: “Things change all the time, every day, we have to keep all the guests and all employees safe.”

    The procedures for protection against the coronavirus put a heavy burden on hotels, says George Roussos. Each hotel must have a doctor per hotel, a room for possible quarantines and a local hospital capable of carrying out tests.

    But he is philosophical about the measures: “You have no choice, it’s a matter of health.”

    Restaurateur Evangelos Gidaropoulos is among those who believe Greece’s record of handling the virus – with far fewer cases than other nations in southern Europe – will stand it in good stead.

    “I believe generally that people around the world will recognise that and prefer to come to Greece,” he says.

    Bearing out his theory, Chinese tourist Max Han reflects that the government has “very good control” over the virus as he wanders the famous blue domes and spectacular cliffs of Oia.

    “I feel very, very safe here,” he says. “That is why I chose to travel to Santorini and next week I am going to Crete. No problem for me to worry about the virus.”

    Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of backend.theindependentghana.com. Our outfit will hereby not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article.”

    Source: france24.com

  • Publish names of customers you claim to have paid – Menzgold clients to NAM1

    Some customers of Menzgold Ghana have described the claims by Nana Appiah Mensah, alias NAM1 that he has paid over GH¢9.6 million to customers whose monies were locked up in his firm as “false”.

    They have subsequently challenged NAM1 to publish the names of the customers he claims to have paid.

    Samuel Odartey threw the challenge to NAM1 at a press conference Monday morning on behalf of the customers,

    NAM1, who is the Chief Executive Officer of defunct gold dealership firm, Menzgold, in a statement issued on Sunday, June 14, 2020, claimed that he has paid over GH¢9.6 million to customers whose monies were locked up in his firm.

    He also assured customers who are yet to receive their monies that they would receive their monies before the end of December 2020.

    NAM1 published the statement on Instagram as part of efforts to help dispel rumours that he had neglected customers affected by the shutdown of Menzgold to sign on a new artiste onto his Zylofon Music record label.

    According to him, it would be wrong to say that Zylon and Menzgold were one and the same and that the only way he has been able to settle his indebtedness to affected customers was because of the other sources of revenue being generated by the former.

    Below is his full statement

    A cardinal trait or element in business is the assets and liabilities phenomenon. All operational businesses have assets, premised on liabilities (All debits/obligations such as debts, faulty machinery, salaries etc. In fact, any obligation owed to another party (susceptibility) can be termed as a liability. Liabilities would forever be a part of all human endeavors.

    Liabilities in the immediate instance aside serving as a driver (motivation) for business owners/managers to get corporate objectives achieved, are also employed to widely open income streams. It is when your liabilities exceed your assets as a Company that you have a problem, and as a State is when you’re termed a failed state. Thankfully, Ghana is working just fine and we as an entity within the republic would utilize our assets (the ones we can reverse or mobilize) to make it possible to overcome all our liabilities.

    To say that, Menzgold and Zylofon are one and the same is a very low shot at logic and a glaringly incredible display of intellectual deficiency or bankruptcy. A child and his/her sibling may have the same biological parents, are obviously from the same family but are two different individuals in every respect. This is a firm factual point at law and in principle.

    In any case, if one is indebted and does not get productive, how is he or she expected to generate income to service or pay off the debt? We as a formidable group need, we must and shall open up our income streams by resorting to the very little human and capital resources at our disposal, to wisely and tactfully, get productive as a group to pay off completely soon just so we can salvage an ailing proud member of our sect as quickly as possible.

    As of now, we hold documentary evidence, clearly showing that we have paid over ninety six (96) billion old Ghana cedis (GHC9.6M) even in our state of dormancy and continue to humbly make payments every now and then. We’re capable, committed and shall continue to appreciate the paid up figure to a conservatively minimum amount of Six Hundred (600) billion old Ghana cedis (GHS60M) before the end of the calendar month of December, 2020 as we commence productivity now.

    Many see the Menzgold customer body purportedly locking horns with the Company; I see a customer body in the light of a readily available huge market, representing an embodiment of personal and corporate brands unmatched confidence, a preservation of which is extremely necessary for our possible present and future endeavors. Consequently, our immediate very swift resolution of this still pending partial debt matter, is a need and a must in other to be able to happily shake hands again with these cherished customers.

    We as a group cannot and would not wait for a perfect timing or favorable, perfect condition before we get productive as that would never happen. Perfection is the sole preserve of deities.

    Sadly, we are just mortal human beings. Let us be minded also that unfortunately, Utopia too is a myth. For us at Zylofon, if there is a time to get to work, adjust and readjust to get productive whether or not we were productive yesterday lies in yesterday. I urge you all Zylofonians as we affectionately call ourselves, that the time is NOW. I would only entertain a conversation IF anybody can convince me based on thorough research work and data, that music business (contents creation and its monetization) is not a trade and that, producing music/content and monetizing it the right way does not yield income.

    In as much as we share more in, regret deeply and sincerely apologize for the consequence of our shipwreck, which obviously has contributed to somewhat sour socio-economic plights for our patrons and mainly for us as a company, our period of lamentation is over, we are very much motivated, our hearts and spirits are poised to wrestle and to win. Admittedly, our journey seems very dark amidst earthquake and boisterous thunderstorms with persistent unnecessary and unjustifiable heckles. Refreshingly, we are human; fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of the almighty God, we’re bestowed with limitless potentials and can do ALL things through God who strengthens us. For this reason, we shall subdue this intimidating fowler and worrisome elements comprising the “forces of darkness”. WE SHALL OVERCOME.

    May the Lord God almighty, Allah most merciful and most gracious bless us all and continue to be a LIGHT unto our path and a lamb unto our feet. #FollowTheLight.

     

    Source: Graphic.com.gh 

  • Widow of Wuhan whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang gives birth to their son

    The wife of Li Wenliang, the Wuhan whistleblower doctor who died of coronavirus in February, has given birth to their son, according to the Chinese state-run Litchi News.

    Li’s wife told Litchi News early Friday morning local time that she gave birth to a baby boy in a Wuhan hospital.

    “Can you see it from heaven? The last gift you gave me was born today. I will definitely take good care of them,” she wrote on the Chinese social media platform WeChat.

    Li was a doctor in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which was ground zero for the coronavirus pandemic.

    In late December, when reports emerged of a dangerous new virus in the city, he texted fellow medical school alumni warning them of the news.

    “I only wanted to remind my university classmates to be careful,” he told CNN in February.

    Soon after, he was targeted by Wuhan police, who accused him of rumor-mongering.

    He was made to sign a statement acknowledging his “misdemeanor” and promising not to commit further “unlawful acts.”

    On February 1, he tested positive for the virus. He died less than a week later, aged 34 – sparking a rare online wave of grief, fury, calls for freedom of speech and government accountability.

    Source: cnn.com

  • Trump postpones rally to avoid slavery date

    US President Donald Trump is postponing his first post-coronavirus lockdown election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma so it does not fall on a holiday commemorating the end of US slavery.

    He tweeted that the 19 June rally would be held a day later out of respect for the occasion, known as Juneteenth.

    The choice of date had drawn criticism amid nationwide anti-racism protests.

    The location was also controversial, as Tulsa saw one of the worst massacres of black people in US history in 1921.

    Up to 300 people died when a white mob attacked the prosperous black neighbourhood of Greenwood, known as the “Black Wall Street”, with guns and explosives. About 1,000 businesses and homes were also destroyed.

    Why is Juneteenth significant?
    Juneteenth is not a federal holiday, but is widely celebrated by African Americans.

    It celebrates the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation to enslaved African Americans in Texas.

    Texas was the last state of the Confederacy – the slaveholding southern states that seceded, triggering the Civil War – to receive the proclamation, on 19 June 1865, months after the end of the war.

    President Trump initially defended the timing of his rally, telling Fox News: “Think about it as a celebration. My rally is a celebration. In the history of politics, I think I can say there’s never been any group or any person that’s had rallies like I do.”

    But critics accused him of disrespecting the date and the significance of Tulsa to US history.

    “This isn’t just a wink to white supremacists – he’s throwing them a welcome home party,” said Democratic Senator Kamala Harris.

    Explaining the decision to move his rally, Mr Trump tweeted: “Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests…”

    Why is Trump holding a rally?

    The “Make America Great Again” rally in Tulsa will be the president’s first campaign event since 2 March, when the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to mass gatherings.

    Mr Trump is seeking re-election in November 2020, but polls show him lagging behind his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.

    Campaign rallies are seen as a key method of energising his base, and Oklahoma is traditionally a Republican-voting state.

    The event will proceed against a backdrop of ongoing protests against racial inequality and police brutality, triggered by the death of African American man George Floyd on 25 May. Mr Floyd, who was unarmed, died in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota after a policeman knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.

    The rally is being held in a 19,000-seat indoor arena, and concerns have been raised about the potential risks.

    The US has the world’s highest official death toll from coronavirus. More than 114,600 people have died there with the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, and there have been more than two million confirmed infections.

    Oklahoma has one of the country’s lowest infection rates, and businesses are reopening – but the state’s Governor Kevin Stitt has urged residents to keep social distancing and to “minimise time spent in crowded environments”.

    People buying tickets for the Tulsa rally online have to click on a waiver confirming that they “voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to Covid-19” and will not hold the president’s campaign responsible for “any illness or injury”.

    Correspondents say that while the virus remains a threat, Mr Trump’s campaign considers that large crowds at the recent protests will make it harder for his opponents to criticise his rallies.

    The president has said he plans to hold further events in Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Arizona.

    Source: bbc.com

  • George Floyd: Trump ‘generally’ supports ending chokeholds for police

    US President Donald Trump has said the controversial chokehold method for restraining some suspects should “generally speaking” be ended.

    Some US police forces have moved to ban chokeholds since the outbreak of anti-racism protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African American.

    Mr Floyd died after a white officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes.

    Mr Trump said it would be a “very good thing” to ban chokeholds but they may still be needed in some situations.

    The president’s comments come with Democrats and Republicans in the US Congress trying to hammer out the details of a police reform bill – the proposed Justice in Policing Act of 2020.

    Mr Trump told Fox News that the concept of stopping police forces using chokeholds sounded “so innocent, so perfect”.

    But he continued: “If a police officer is in a bad scuffle and he’s got somebody… you have to be careful.

    “With that being said, it would be, I think, a very good thing that generally speaking it should be ended,” he said, adding that he might make “very strong recommendations” to local authorities.

    The police officer who knelt on Mr Floyd’s neck has been sacked and charged with second-degree murder.

    Pressure for US police reform Mr Trump – who has faced criticism for his responses to the outbreak of the protests against racism and police brutality – said he wanted to “see really compassionate but strong law enforcement”, adding “toughness is sometimes the most compassionate”.

    Challenged by interviewer Harris Faulkner to explain his tweet last month that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”, which was censored by Twitter for glorifying violence, the president said: “When the looting starts, it oftentimes means there’s going to be… sure, there’s going to be death, there’s going to be killing. And, it’s a bad thing.”

    The Justice in Policing Act was proposed by the opposition Democrats who control the House of Representatives but in order to pass it must win the support of Mr Trump’s Republicans who control the Senate.

    There is potential for the two parties to reach agreement on banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants, like the one in the Breonna Taylor shooting.

    Meanwhile, the city council in Minneapolis, where Mr Floyd died, passed a resolution on Friday to replace its police department with a community-led public safety system.

    It comes days after the council voted to disband the police department.

    According to the resolution, the city council will begin a year-long process of engaging “with every willing community member in Minneapolis” to come up with a new public safety model.

    In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered police departments to undertake major reforms, in response to the demonstrations.

    Mr Cuomo said he would stop financing local authorities that failed to adopt reforms addressing excess use of force and bias in their police departments by next April.

    He said he would sign an executive order for municipalities to “reinvent and modernize” their police departments to battle racism. Police disciplinary records would be publicly released and chokeholds would become a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

    “That should be done in every police agency in this country,” Mr Cuomo was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

    Sitting alongside the governor at the news conference were Gwen Carr and Valerie Bell, the mothers of Eric Garner and Sean Bell, two unarmed black men who died in incidents with police.

    Mr Garner died when a white police officer used a chokehold on him while making an arrest in 2014.

    Source: BBC

  • Throw back photos of Sarkodie, Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale that will motivate you

    Sarkodie, Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale are undoubtedly the most popular artistes in Ghana now. Well, as famous as they are, they started somewhere.

    Ten years ago, these guys were not as popular as they are today. This brings up the big question, ‘where, how and when did they start?’.

    So without further ado, i present you some throwback pictures of Sarkodie, Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale and some brief history about them. Let get started!

    1. Sarkodie

    Michael Owusu Addo, born in July 10, 1985, known professionally as Sarkodie, is a rapper and entrepreneur from Tema.

    When we mention Sarkodie, the first thing that probably comes in your mind is Kasahare. Kasahare Level on Adom FM is where Sarkodie started his pursuit.

    As usual, he always comes in and gives his freestyle and with that, he met his manager. Sarkodie released his first hit track, baby, featuring Mugeez of the R2bees.

    ThrowBack Pictures of Sarkodie

    2. Stonebwoy

    Livingstone Etse Satekla, born in March 5, 1988, better known by his stage name Stonebwoy, is a Afropop, dance hall and reggae singer.

    He is the CEO of Burniton Music Group. Under “Samini Music”, Stonebwoy recorded his first hit single “Climax” featuring Samini and subsequently “Ghetto Love” featuring Irene Logan.

    ThrowBack Pictures of Stonebwoy

    .

    3. Shatta Wale

    Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., is the CEO of Shatta Movements Empire. Shatta Wale’s first hit song, How time flies, in 2004.

    However, when Bandana went missing in the music ecosystem for almost 10 years, Shatta Wale started rebranding himself in 2013. He began releasing music under a new name, Shatta Wale, under his own record label (SM For Lyf Records).

    ThrowBack Pictures of Shatta Wale

    Wow! What a great adventure. We can really learn something from these three guys. To conclude, what ever journey to success that you have started, never give up. These big guys were once like you and me. With hard-work, determination and faith, you can make it.

    Did you enjoy this article? Leave your comment below. Also, for more crispy content like this, hit the follow button in the top right corner of this post.

    Source: operanewsapp.com

  • Here are the measures taken to combat the spread of coronavirus in Ghana as schools reopen

    Out of an abundance of caution, and in keeping with the efforts to prevent and contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), the government has outlined a roadmap for easing the restrictions put in place to help contain the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in the country as schools reopen.

    President of the Republic Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a televised address to the nation on Sunday, June 14, 2020, has made the wearing of face masks mandatory, in the wake of a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Ghana.

    He said the Police and law enforcement agencies will enforce this directive through an Executive Instrument.

    He stated that the government, through the Ghana Health Service (GHS), continues to monitor daily the spread of the virus, and has benchmarks of health outcomes, which define the mitigation measures that must be pursued to curb the spread of the disease and enable us to reassess the easing of restrictions.

    He said “Prior to their return to school, Government, through the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service, has ensured that all tertiary institutions, public and private, have been disinfected. Universities, with their own hospitals and clinics, have been equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment, and have isolation centres to deal with any positive cases. All other institutions, without their own clinics and hospitals, have been mapped to health facilities. There will be no mass gatherings and no sporting activities. Religious activities, under the new protocols, will be permitted. Social distancing and the wearing of face masks must become the norm on campus. To aid in this effort, a total of six hundred thousand (600,000) face masks have been distributed to the tertiary institutions. This is to enable every student, teaching, and non-teaching staff to have three (3) reusable face masks. In addition to this, one thousand seven hundred (1,700) Veronica buckets, two hundred thousand (200,000) litres of hand sanitisers, three thousand, four hundred (3,400) litres of liquid soap, and nine hundred (900) thermometer guns have been distributed, with the transportation and delivery of these items being overseen by the special logistics team.”

    According to him, “It is important for me to remind residents of the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions, where the great majority of cases have been recorded, and in the Western and Central Regions, where we are seeing an increase in infection cases, to continue to adhere strictly to the social distancing and enhanced hygiene protocols announced.”

    “With the doctors and scientists telling us that the virus is transmitted from human contact, through talking, singing, coughing and sneezing, which results in sending droplets of the virus from one person to another, residents of these four regions, and, indeed, all Ghanaians, must remember that the wearing of masks is now mandatory.

    “Leaving our homes without a face mask or face covering on is an offense. The Police have been instructed to enforce this directive, which is the subject of an Executive Instrument,” he said.

     

    Source: pulse.com.gh

  • Beautiful throwback photo of J.A. Kufour and wife Theresa pops up; stirs massive excitement

    The beautiful throwback photo comes as the prominent pair prepare to celebrate almost six decades of marriage.

    Former president John Agyekum Kufour and the First Lady at the time looked much younger with unblemished hues and lovely dark skin tones.

    While details of when and where the awe-inspiring image was captured was not highlighted, it is rapidly gaining traction online.

    In the photo which is being circulated on social media, then Theresa Mensah, donned a simple V-shaped attire while Kufour rocked his long-sleeve attire with style.

    The photo has already erupted some interesting remarks about the duo who have been married for nearly 60 decades.

    Jonathan Adjani admitted that: ”Theressa was very pretty at her youthful age.”

    ”God bless them…am blown,” he added.

    Ewurabena Agyepong said: ”Oh wow, madam Theresah was really beautiful.”

    ”Wow, beautiful couple then and now,”Maame Sarko wrote.

    Daniel Ampem was of the view that they are his ”inspirational couple”

    ”I love Kufour and his wife. They inspire me,” he said.

    Recently, YEN.com.gh reported that new photos of former president John Agyekum Kufuor and his wife, Theresa, have been shared online.

    The pair are set to mark their 58th marriage anniversary in 2020.

    In the photos online, former president Kufour and the former First Lady, Theresa, posed beside each other.

    The former president wore a colourful smock over a pair of jeans as he covered his hand around his wife’s neck.

    The duo glowed with lovely smiles.

    Theresa Kufour wore simple but gorgeous tie & dye fabric and accessorised her looks with small earrings and a gold necklace.

    Source: yen.com.gh

  • Coronavirus: Europe reopens borders but China battles new outbreak

    A raft of EU nations reopened their borders to fellow Europeans on Monday after months of coronavirus curbs, but China was battling a new outbreak that has stoked fears of a second wave.

    As caseloads have declined in recent weeks across many parts of Europe, governments have been keen to ease painful lockdowns that have saved lives but devastated economies and wearied confined populations.

    Belgium, France, Germany, Greece and Ukraine were among those lifting border restrictions on Monday, while shops and outdoor attractions in England were set to welcome their first customers since March and in Paris cafes and restaurants were allowed to fully reopen.

    “We’re desperate about tourists, we need them and we want them. If we don’t have the people, how will we survive,” says Michalis Drosos, who works in a souvenir shop in Fira, capital of the Greek island of Santorini.

    However, the pandemic is gathering pace in Latin America, and Iran and India have reported worrying increases in deaths and infections – adding to concern over challenges the world will face in the long fight against COVID-19.

    China, where the virus emerged late last year, was the first country to implement extreme restrictions on movement early this year, forcing local transmission down to near-zero as the crisis hammered the rest of the world.

    But health officials on Monday reported 75 cases of the respiratory illness in Beijing where the fresh cluster has been linked to a wholesale food market.

    Streams of people queued in a Beijing stadium as mass testing was carried out, and a strict lockdown was extended across 21 Beijing neighbourhoods.

    The US reports lowest daily toll

    More than 430,000 people worldwide have died from COVID-19, nearly halfway through a year in which countless lives have been upended and the global economy ravaged by the crisis.

    The United States – by far the hardest-hit country with more than 115,700 recorded fatalities – on Sunday reported its lowest 24-hour death toll since its infection rate peaked in mid-April.

    President Donald Trump’s administration has noted that some states have seen new flare-ups but insists there will be no shutdown of the economy even if a new wave arises.

    But stock markets tumbled again on Monday on fears that an upsurge of infections could put the brakes on the easing of lockdowns and dash hopes of economic recovery.

    ‘Micro-outbreaks inevitable’

    The Middle East’s worst-hit country, Iran, reported an uptick on Sunday, recording more than 100 new virus deaths in a single day for the first time in two months.

    Surging infections in India have highlighted the precarious state of its healthcare system, and more than 1,000 new cases are being reported each day in the capital alone.

    Mortuaries in New Delhi are overflowing with bodies and cemeteries and crematorium staff say they cannot keep up with the backlog of victims.

    There have also been two new outbreaks in Rome, with 109 infections including five deaths diagnosed at a hospital and 15 cases detected at a building inhabited by squatters.

    “It means the virus hasn’t lost its infectiousness, it isn’t weakening… we shouldn’t let down our guard,” World Health Organization deputy director Ranieri Guerra told journalists.

    “Such micro-outbreaks were inevitable, but they are limited in time and space. And today we have the tools to intercept them and confine them.”

    ‘It’s going to be a party’

    Despite fears over fresh clusters, many countries are making moves towards semi-normality.

    In Paris, restaurant and cafe owners were cheering after the government said they could once again open their dining rooms, three months after being shut to blunt the coronavirus outbreak.

    Until now, restaurants in and around the capital could only serve clients on outdoor terraces, even though eateries in the rest of the country opened fully earlier this month.

    “It’s going to be a party,” Stephane Manigold, owner of four Paris restaurants, including the two-starred Maison Rostang, told AFP.

    In England, thousands of non-essential retailers such as bookshops and electronics outlets will be welcoming their first customers since halting in-store business in late March.

    Drive-in cinemas, safari parks and the outdoor parts of zoos will also be able to reopen, while places of worship are also set to swing open their doors again for individual prayer.

    And top-level football continues its return in Europe with the English Premier League making its long-awaited comeback this week, days after Spain’s La Liga.

    Source: france24.com

  • Names of all the 22 children of Kennedy Agyapong pop up

    Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, will not stop to amaze Ghanaians as he has named all his 22 children.

    Kennedy Agyapong, who for the past months has been dominating the headlines, was not perturbed when he decided to talk about his kids.

    The lawmaker has always said he has fathered 22 children.

    On Sunday, June 14, 2020, Kennedy Agyapong appeared on Citi TV and he was asked about his children.

    He appeared to have been put on the spot by the two hosts as he was asked to name all his 22 children.

    The controversial politician passed the test as he named all his 22 children with ease.

    Watch the video below:

    According to Kennedy Agyapong, he loves children and it is the reason he has many of them.

    Kennedy Agyapong then confirmed that he officially has two wives.

    Meanwhile, Kennedy Agyapong has opened up about how he sacked his daughter from his house.

    The maverick politician without mincing words said his daughter had been sleeping around with men.

    According to Kennedy Agyapong, his daughter was sacked from school after he jumped over the school’s wall to sleep with a Nigerian.

    He said the school sacked his daughter from home over her act.

    Source: yen.com.gh

  • End of Covid-19 lockdown serves up relief for Paris restaurants

    Restaurant and cafe owners in Paris cheered their chance to get back to business Monday after the government said they could once again open their dining rooms, three months after being shut to blunt the coronavirus outbreak.

    The sooner-than-expected reopening for the Paris region was announced by President Emmanuel Macron late Sunday, shortly before officials reported just nine COVID-19 deaths in the previous 24 hours — the lowest figure since March.

    “The bulk of the epidemic is behind us,” Health Minister Olivier Veran said Monday, though he cautioned that “this doesn’t mean we can stop fighting the virus.”

    Until now, restaurants in and around the capital could only serve clients on outdoor terraces, even as eateries in the rest of the country opened fully earlier this month.

    “It’s going to be a party,” Stephane Manigold, owner of four Paris restaurants, including the two-starred Maison Rostang, told AFP.

    “We were waiting for the president’s speech. Our teams are ready, and they’re eager to get back to work,” he said.

    Manigold made headlines last month after successfully suing his insurer, the French giant Axa, to pay around 70,000 euros ($79,000) in compensation for the lost business.

    Insurers have argued that most contracts do not cover nationwide administrative shutdowns, but restaurants say their livelihoods are on the line, and have called on the government to intervene.

    Even in the rest of France, where restaurants were allowed to fully reopen on May 11, owners have had to remove tables to ensure at least one metre (3.3 feet) between diners.

    Didier Chenet, head of the GNI association of independent hotel and restaurant owners, estimates the social distancing rules have cut capacity by at least half.

    “Being able to finally get back to work across all of France does bring a sigh of relief,” he said.

    But unless the government lifts the one-metre rule, he said, “a recovery will be very slow, with economic conditions that are not viable for our businesses,” he said.

    ‘Can’t open in a day’

    Foreign tourists, the key ingredient for success at Paris restaurants in particular, are also not expected to arrive in pre-COVID numbers anytime soon, even as the EU begins to tentatively open up borders within the bloc.

    With French employers still being urged to have employees work from home whenever possible, lunch crowds also remain far from what they were before the outbreak, Chenet said.

    And Manigold said that restaurants will need some time to restock and get their employees back — the French state has been paying the bulk of their salaries since the lockdown to avoid layoffs, a colossal financial effort.

    “At best we’ll open two restaurants on Wednesday, and the others next week,” he said.

    “One day maybe politicians will understand that you can’t just open a restaurant in a day. They could have avoided the abruptness,” he said.

    Macron said Sunday that the government had mobilised 500 billion euros to ease the coronavirus blow to the economy, including more than six billion euros in state-backed loans to restaurants, hotels and cafes.

    He also announced that all students below high school grades must return to class next Monday, a relief for parents who have been juggling work and school from home.

    Hygiene rules will be relaxed, with teachers now able to welcome more than 15 children per class, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said Monday.

    Source: france24.com

  • UN peacekeepers killed in Mali convoy attack

    Two UN peacekeepers have been killed in Mali in an attack on a convoy in the north of the country.

    The vehicles had stopped while travelling from Tessalit to Gao on Saturday when unidentified gunmen opened fire, a UN statement said.

    The victims are reported to be Egyptian.

    The head of UN force Minusma, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, condemned the attack and said every effort would be made to apprehend those behind it.

    More than 13,000 international troops are in Mali to contain violence caused by various armed groups in the north and centre of the country, including jihadists linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

    Source: bbc

  • All MPs, Speaker of parliament must be quarantined immediately Ben Epson

    Pollster Ben Ephson is pushing for all Ghanaian members of parliament and the speaker, Prof. Mike Ocquaye, to be quarantined on the back of admission that some MPs and parliamentary staffers have contracted the deadly novel coronavirus.

    He argued that Parliament is no different from other institutions where persons are quarantined once a COVID-19 case is recorded among the people, hence the MPs must be subjected to the same COVID-19 protocols to protect the larger society.

    Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu revealed Friday that some MPs and parliamentary staffers who tested positive for the virus and were supposed to be in isolation were still having contacts with others.

    “The arrangement was that anybody who, unfortunately, tested positive, will not be openly identified but that the testing team will have the arrangement to contact them behind the curtain and have the situation managed,” Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.

    He claimed that some people have ignored directives from the COVID-19 team to self-isolate “and they visit parliament and endanger the lives of all of us.”

    Commenting on the issue, Mr Ephson who is the Managing Editor of the Dispatch Newspaper has said “I think that all Members of Parliament, from the Speaker to all the 275 MPs, all the staff in parliament, all the journalists working in there should all be quarantined as soon as possible.

    Speaking to Alfred Ocansey on the Sunrise morning show on 3FM 92.7, he said once someone contracts the disease and gives out the names of persons he has been in contact with, “the ambulances go there with armed policemen to take them for testing”.

    “So once the Majority leader has opened up the can of worms that there are members of parliament and staffers who have tested positive they should all be quarantined as soon as possible.”

     

    Source: 3 News

  • I went abroad to hustle for money at a young age Hon. Kennedy Agyapong

    Honorable Kennedy Agyapong has shared his success story and grind to the top as he recounts how he traveled abroad at the age of 23 to work for what he has now.

    The maverick politician is one of the revered personalities in the nation because of his affluence and political status.

    Speaking to Citi Tv in an interview he said “I went to Germany to hustle, i was washing plates in the restaurant, i became a very good cook at the restaurant. My boss taught me Italian dishes so i can do a lot of Italian dishes. “

    “From there i managed to go to America as well. There too i worked at Zaro bakery”

    See post below:

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Citi 97.3 FM (@citi973fm) on

    Source: GhGossip.Com

  • Breaking News: Prophet Nigel Gaisie busted for fake prophecy

    Controversial Pastor, Nigel Gaisie has been busted in a video for giving a completely offside prophecy.

    The man of God who has been on the radar of Hon. Kennedy Agyapong is sighted in a viral video forcing a prophecy on a Lady.

    According to the prophet, the Lady is a Ga and a certain spiritual dog wants to attack her.

    But the lady denied the prophecy and said all her lineage are Ewes From the Volta Region. The pastor still insisted one of her descendants has been a Ga before.

    Watch the interaction on Ghana Showbiz TV.

    Source: ghanashowbiz.com

  • France, Belgium, Greece lift restrictions for EU travel as members chart sundry course

    The bloc has recommended that the member states fully reopen their frontiers with each other on June 15, and many countries are planning to relax controls on that date.

    But the border reopenings have been far from harmoniously coordinated.

    Early birds… and those that never closed

    Italy, which has been among the world’s hardest hit by the new coronavirus pandemic, reopened its borders on June 3, lifting all restrictions for travellers from within Europe.

    Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia and Slovenia have also already begun to lift restrictions for foreigners entering their countries but excluded those from nations they deem as not safe — in many cases that list includes Sweden and the UK.

    Poland has reopened its borders to all fellow EU members and the UK from June 13.

    Sweden meanwhile never closed its borders to EU countries.

    Neither did tiny Luxembourg — but quickly found all its neighbours closing their borders instead.

    EU’s mid-June plans

    In line with the EU’s plans to reopen borders in the bloc by mid-June, Belgium, France and Greece are lifting restrictions on Monday for travel within Europe.

    Paris, however, has specified it wants reciprocity and so may impose restrictions on those countries blocking travellers from France.

    Greece, on the other hand, has gone further, also allowing travellers from farther afield, such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, China, Israel and Lebanon.

    Germany is due to end land border checks on June 15, while the Dutch government has announced it would ease warnings against non-essential foreign travel from the same date.

    Austria, which has already opened its borders to most of its neighbours, will on June 16 lift travel restrictions with a total of 31 countries — but has excluded Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

    The Czech Republic is also allowing free travel with a number of European countries from Monday, but restrictions are still in place with those deemed a risk due to their levels of coronavirus infections.

    Hold outs

    Spain will only lift travel restrictions on June 21, re-establishing free travel with fellow EU countries.

    The land border with Portugal will however remain closed until July 1. Portugal has suffered a much lower death rate than Spain from the coronavirus epidemic.

    However, Spain’s Balearic Islands will see an earlier contingent of foreign guests when they welcome 11,000 Germans from June 15 in a pilot project for the revival of the crucial tourism sector.

    Romania has not yet announced when it will re-open its borders to foreigners without restrictions.

    Meanwhile, others are lifting border controls, but are still doing so more gradually.

    Denmark opens its borders to Germany, Norway and Iceland for visitors from Monday as long as they can show they plan to stay outside the capital Copenhagen for at least six consecutive nights

    Source: france24.com

  • Putin makes first public appearance in weeks of lockdown in Russia

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has made his first public appearance in weeks of coronavirus lockdown to celebrate the country’s national day.

    He used the Russia Day holiday to promote a controversial reform of the constitution which could keep him in office until 2036.

    Mr Putin, 67, has dominated Russia for the past 20 years whether as president or prime minister.

    Moscow lifted lockdown curbs this week despite a huge number of infections.

    But there was confusion as the mayor of the capital, Sergei Sobyanin, urged people to stay at home during Friday’s holiday and another on 24 June, which marks victory in World War Two.

    About 510,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Russia, the third-highest number of cases in the world after the US and Brazil. Russia has recorded 6,705 deaths amid accusations of under-reporting by the authorities.

    Where has President Putin been?

    His last public appearance was on 9 May when he attended a Victory Day ceremony – the traditional parade has been postponed until 24 June. Since then he had been working from his country residence outside Moscow.

    Flanked by allies, he attended an open-air flag-raising ceremony in western Moscow on Friday.

    In his speech, he urged Russians to turn out and vote for the constitutional reform in a referendum on 1 July, saying he was certain that an “absolute majority” of Russians backed it.

    The reform would effectively allow him to stand for two more terms as president after his current six-year term expires in 2024.

    Putin critics have accused the authorities of trying to bribe Russians to turn out for the vote.

    The city of Moscow, for example, is planning to hand out shopping vouchers to those who vote, justifying the offer as an incentive to boost consumer demand after lockdown.

    Georgy Alburov, an ally of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, said the mayor of Moscow had failed to support small businesses during the lockdown but could “find plenty of money if he has to lure in people to ‘polling stations’ to affirm Tsar Putin”, Reuters news agency reports.

    Russia, like many countries, has been suffering acute economic hardship because of its lockdown, which began at the end of March.

    Amid rising unemployment, there have been signs of growing disillusionment with the Kremlin.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: Sierra Leone to reopen schools for exams

    Sierra Leone will temporarily reopen schools next month to allow registered students to sit for the public examinations, the government announced on Thursday.

    An Emergency Education Taskforce has been set up to handle the logistical requirements ahead of the planned reopening, to prevent spread of the virus in schools.

    A statement issued by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MoBSSE) set the reopening date for July 1. Schools will remain open for six weeks so that students can prepare for and do the exams.

    Three public examinations will be conducted within the period: the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSEC), the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and National Primary School Examinations (NPSE).

    All three exams are conducted at a regional level by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

    They are transition stages for pupils to progress to the next level of their academic journey. While WASSCE students transition to college and university, BECE students transition to Senior Secondary level, and the NPSE students to the BECE level.

    Sierra Leone shut down schools on March 31, after the country recorded its first case of Covid-19.

    As of Thursday, the country had recorded 1,085 confirmed Covid-19 cases.

    Source: theeastafrican.co.ke

  • Photos of 9 Ghanaian celebrities and their fathers that is causing stir online

    Father’s are very precious in life especially the role they play in families as the head. They serve as motivators and inspiration to many people. Sometimes people underrate their fathers since their mothers were always seen performing some duties. The love of some father’s cannot be explained. Mostly mothers are well celebrated especially when it comes to mother’s Day as compare to father’s Day. But some Ghanaian celebrities have shown that their success was not inspired by just their mums but their fathers also played a significant role.

    Mr. Charles Nii Armah Mensah Snr. is the father of Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jnr. popular known as Shatta Wale. Shatta Wale is a music artist and a song writer who has won many awards. His father is a business man and a politician.

    View pictures in App 

    Mr. Livingston Satekla Snr. is the father of award winning music artist Livingston Este Satekla popularly known as Stonebwoy. He has been an inspiration to many people and his family.

    Mr. John Dumelo Snr. Is the father of actor and politician John Dumelo. He has been a motivator to many people and his family.

    Mr. Isaac Kwaku Acheampong is the father of singer and song writer Rebecca Akosua Acheampoma Acheampong popularly known as Becca. He is a businessman and inspirer.

    Mr. Alex Marfo is the father of music artist Eugene Kwame Marfo with the stage name Kwame Eugene. He has been a motivator and inspiration since he is also a singer.

    Mr. Ernest Hamenoo-Kpeda is the father of music artist and a song writer Vera Hamenoo-Kpeda popularly known as Mzvee. He has been a backbone to many people and his family.

    Mr. Kwadwo Akwaboah Snr. Is the father of music artist and song writer Kwabena Akwaboah Jnr. He is a pianist and motivator to young people and his family.

    Mr. Okoro Nelson is the father of actress Yvonne Okoro. He has been a backbone and motivator to many people and his family.

    Mr. Augustine Owusu Addo is the father of award winning music artist and rapper Michael Owusu Addo popularly known as Sarkodie. His father has been a motivator and inspirer to many people in Africa.

  • Hot FM reporters who interviewed Prophet Kwabena Owusu to face CID today

    Three staff of Accra-based Hot FM are expected to report at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service today, Monday, to assist in investigations on Apostle Kwabena Owusu Agyei.

    The three, Isaac Darko Boamah, Awal Saeed Mohammed and one called “Gargantuan” lady were at the scene when National Security operatives arrested Prophet Kwabena Owusu last week.

    The self-styled prophet is being investigated for allegedly issuing threats against the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa and reportedly making accusations against President Nana Akufo-Addo.

    A communication from the police administration dated June 11, signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police,  DCOP Barima Tweneboah Sasraku and addressed to the General Manager of the radio station asked management to release the three staff on Monday, June 15 to assist in the investigation.

    “It would be appreciated if you could release the host of the show, Mr. Isaac Darko Boamah, Mr. Awal Saeed Mohammed, and the said lady to report to Superintendent/IU at the CID Headquarters, 4th floor, room 13 on Monday, 15/06/2020 at 1000hrs to assist with investigations,” the letter noted.

    Hot FM on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, spoke to Apostle Kwabena Owusu Adjei on  Facebook Live on the back of some statements he allegedly made a few days earlier concerning the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, and President Nana Akufo-Addo.

    The pastor in a viral video allegedly warned Jean Mensa to suspend the plans to compile a new voters register or risk being killed.

    He also made comments concerning the death of Abuakwa North MP, J.B. Danquah-Adu in 2016.

    Apostle Kwabena Owusu Adjei, the General Overseer of the Hezekiah Prayer Ministries, was arrested during the interview with Hot FM at a “secret location” in Accra.

    He has been slapped with charges of threat of death, offensive conducive to the breach of peace and possession of narcotic drugs

    Meanwhile, a drug test conducted on Apostle Kwabena Owusu Adjei reportedly tested positive for tramadol and cannabis.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Messi claims new La Liga record in Barcelona win over Mallorca

    Lionel Messi set another La Liga record on Saturday as Barcelona made a winning return to the pitch.

    The leaders won 4-0 at Real Mallorca in their first match since the campaign was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Arturo Vidal opened the scoring after just two minutes before Messi set up Martin Braithwaite for his first Barca goal and then Jordi Alba to make the points safe.

    Messi then added a fourth in second-half injury time to reach 20 La Liga goals for 2019-20.

    The Argentina star is the only player to score 20 or more goals in Spain’s top flight in 12 consecutive seasons.

    Messi’s strong performance against Mallorca also saw his league assist tally this season rise to 14, making him both the top scorer and top assist provider in La Liga this campaign.

    Ahead of Barcelona’s return to action, club legend Rivaldo stressed Messi’s workload must be managed carefully , though the 32-year-old did end up playing the full 90 minutes on Saturday.

    “Lionel Messi had some physical issues last week, so there’s a lot of discussion about whether he play the whole game for Barcelona in their first game back against Mallorca on Saturday,” Rivaldo told Betfair.

    “Barca are two points head of Real Madrid at the top of the table so the title race is tight. If Barca can pull away, they could rest Messi in a few games.

    “If the battle goes to the wire then he might have fewer chances to rest – perhaps only in games which Barca manage to dominate from the first-half – but it will be important for Quique Setien to manage his squad well, as it won’t just be Messi that will reach the first game still looking to be 100 per cent fit, after all everyone has stopped and it’s not easy to resume on the best form.

    “As we know, Messi is always in contention for the ‘Pichichi’ top scorer award in La Liga and always making the difference in the team, so he wants to be on the pitch all the time and it’s difficult for the manager to rotate him. He also fights for the Ballon d’Or every season and that’s on his mind regularly, so you can’t go to Messi and simply tell him ‘take a rest’.”

    Source: goal.com

  • Sometimes I wish your dad was here Afia Schwarzenegger gets emotional as she flaunts her twins

    Self-acclaimed queen of comedy Afia Schwarzenegger has shared some lovely photo of her twins with an emotional message as she wishes their father was alive.

    Afia Schwarzenegger posted on her Instagram photos of her sons as she adores them and expresses how happy she is they have grown well.

    She got almost everyone emotional when she added that she sometimes wish their father was alive to see how ell they have grown.

    She, therefore, consoled herself by adding she knows he will be watching them from heaving smiling and saying I told you so.

    Sometimes I wish your dad was here to see how much you look like him..but I know he is smiling from heaven saying I told you…..Love you dearly, she wrote.

    See photos below;

    Source: thedistin.com

  • COVID-19: I am responding to treatment – Health Minister

    Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, has finally broken his silence after reports of him testing positive for coronavirus broke over the weekend.

    The health minister who initially received a lot of well-wishes came under attack when a broadcast journalist with Despite Media, Afia Pokua, posted on her Facebook wall that he had denied the report, insisting he was only resting at one of the country’s most equipped hospitals, UGMC.

    But after President Nana Addo Daknwa Akufo-Addo confirmed the minister had tested positive and wished him well during his address to the nation on Sunday, June 14 2020, the health minister has finally spoken up, thanking all who are wishing him well.

    He further mentioned that he was responding to treatment.

    “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the President and all Ghanaians for your well-wishes and prayers. By the grace of God, I’m responding to treatment,” the minister wrote on his Facebook wall.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Jordan Ayew features as Crystal Palace lose to West Ham in friendly behind close doors

    Ghana striker Jordan Ayew featured for Crystal Palace in their preparatory game against West Ham United ahead of the resumption of the 2019/20 English Premier League.

    The game played behind closed doors at the London Stadium saw the Hammers beat the Eagles 2-1.

    Sebastien Haller and Jeremy Ngakia scored for West Ham with former Liverpool forward Christian Benteke grabbed the consolation for Palace.

    The match was Crystal Palace’s first game since their 1-0 victory against Watford before the suspension of the league due to Coronavirus.

    The Ghanaian forward scored the winner against Watford and will be expected to play a key role in the rest of the campaign, which starts next week.

    Ayew is Palace’s top scorer this season with eight goals in the Premier League.

    His goals have earned the club 14 points this season, the most by any player since the 2004/05 season.

    Meanwhile, before the match, players from both sides spontaneously gathered for the group photograph below, wearing ‘We Stand Together’ t-shirts distributed by West Ham.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Five dead in Gomoa Dabenyi accident

    Five passengers have died in an accident that occurred at Gomoa Dabenyi on the Kasoa-Winneba highway in the Central Region.

    The accident involved a Sprinter Benz Bus with registration number GX 5149-19 which was loaded with many passengers from Takoradi and was heading towards Accra.

    The other accident vehicle is a DAF Cargo truck with registration number GT 915-C had developed a fault and had been parked on the right side of the road when coming from Takoradi.

    Eyewitnesses say the Sprinter driver tried to overtake about six cars upon reaching Dabenyi Township but in the event, he spotted a cargo truck coming from Accra direction so he decided to veer off from the road and collided with the faulty Cargo truck which had reportedly been parked for about six months.

    The injured and deceased were sent to Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital by the Ghana Ambulance Service.

    It took Fire Service officers about four hours to remove the accident victims who had been stuck in the mangled vehicle.

    Meanwhile, Gomoa Buduburam Station Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Ishmael Eshun has appealed to the government to provide them with cutting machines and other equipment to enable them to save the lives of accident victims.

     

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • Former defender Hans Sarpei wants Germany to play Black Stars in Ghana

    Former Ghana defender Hans Adu Sarpei has asked the German football federation to consider playing the Black Stars in the West African country, claiming it would help in the psychological fight against racism.

    The ex-Schalke player says the effort to get the German national team play against the Black Stars in Ghana will also serve as strong awareness in the fight against racism in football and the general against cancer.

    Ghana has played the German national team two times with the European side thrashing the Black Stars 6-1 in a friendly in the European country in the city of Bochum which was termed as the “Bochum Disaster” in football quarters.

    The two sides met again at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with the Black Stars shocking the star-studded Europeans by coming from a goal down before the match settled for a 2-2 draw.

    Now football pundits have it that the odds are balanced between Ghana and Germany while others are tipping the Black Stars to win the game if organized in the West African nation.

    This has sparked a scramble for many Ghanaians on how betting odds wil work in the hope that they could be well informed before placing their bets on such a tough match.

    Sarpei has joined the debate in the wake of the fight against racism in the world which has now spread to the football industry following the death of black man George Floyd at the hands of a white policeman in America.

    According to the former Wolfsburg right-back, the German Football Association (DFB) can do more in the fight against racism.

    “The DFB does too little for me. Hang up signs and the players then come in and say: We are against racism, that is not enough, ”said the former football professional to TV station Phoenix. He referred to the high radiance of the DFB team.

    “Let’s have a look at the German national team. Sané, Boateng, Gnabry. Where do they all come from? Why don’t we make a game in Ghana, where Boateng’s roots come from. Easy to build bridges. Football has such an effect, such a force. Show people what it’s like in Ghana,” said Sarpei.

    Sarpei welcomed the action by FSV Mainz 05 to dismiss a member who had complained about too many black players in the team: “This is a strong reaction from FSV Mainz. But I still wish they had written about it. These colored players, there is a German, an Austrian, a Luxembourger, a Dutchman. ”

    The last match between Germany and Ghana, Miroslav Klose scored and became the joint-record scorer in World Cup history as he rescued a point for the Europeans from a breathless and dramatic game with the Black Stars at Estadio Castelao in Brazil.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Samuel Tetteh features as LASK suffer defeat to Red Bull Salzburg

    Ghana winger Samuel Tetteh featured as LASK Linz suffer a 3-1 defeat to his parent club Red Bull Salzburg on Sunday in the Tipico Bundesliga.

    The former WAFA winger played almost an hour as the visitors succumbed to defeat at the Red Bull Arena.

    Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring after just eight minutes before Zambia forward Patson Daka doubled the lead three minutes later.

    Marko Raguz pulled one back for LASK in the 56 minutes, and two minutes later the Ghanaian attacker was replaced by Andres Andrade.

    With ten minutes left Albert Vallci hit the final nail in LASK’s coffin as the leaders cruised to victory.

    Tetteh’s compatriot Majeed Ashimeru missed the game last night.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • TUC proposes compensation insurance scheme for workers

    In order to protect the work of employees at a time of crisis like the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) is proposing the introduction of Workers Compensation Insurance in preparation for future pandemics.

    TUC in its report of a preliminary assessment of COVID-19 indicates that a decline in Gross Domestic Product growth is already manifesting in job losses and livelihoods in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy.

    Speaking at the forum on COVID-19 and its impact on workers in the country, the Director of Labour Research and Policy Institute at the trade union congress Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo said, this scheme will allow workers to have access to funds which will be at least equivalent to their basic salaries in times of crisis.

    “We propose a contributory scheme that allows employers and workers to have access to funds to pay workers at least their basic salaries in times of crisis,” Mr. Otoo said.

    “With hotels reporting massive declines in occupancy, international and domestic airlines grounded, restaurants and schools closed and exports/imports halted, joblessness, job insecurity and income insecurity are affecting hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians if not millions,” the Congress stated.

    Although employers in the formal sector are not announcing mass layoffs, the TUC maintains that reports from various unions, especially those in the private sector, suggest unionized and non-unionized workers are losing jobs in thousands.

    Further to this, TUC said part-time employees and casual workers are the most vulnerable.

    “Employers that have kept their workers are struggling to pay them. Hence, they are likely to terminate the appointment of many more workers if the pandemic persists beyond a certain point,” the Congress said.

    For instance, the Ghana Tourism Authority, in March, 2020 reported that hotel occupancy was down to 18 percent. In April, most hotels projected occupancy rate of less than 10 percent.

    As at the end of April, 2020, 23 percent of all workers in the hospitality industry had lost their jobs. More than one-third (34 percent) had taken their annual leave. In the restaurants and hotels sub-sector a quarter (25 percent) of employees have lost their jobs. Only some of the hotels managed to pay their workers for March, 2020.

    Currently, a number of employers across the various sectors of the economy are struggling to pay workers their salaries.

    Source: goldstreetbusiness.com

  • GHALCA set for elections after coronavirus restrictions

    Mr. Kudjoe Fianoo, the Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) has said their inability to announce a roadmap for elections of new executives is due to the restrictions caused by the coronavirus.

    A statement signed by the GHALCA Chairman said their scheduled meeting for last April was unable to hold due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic and urged members to remain calm during these difficult moments.

    “We wish to apologise for any inconvenience suffered by our members for the delay and again wish to reiterate our commitment to see the programmes through as soon the restrictions are removed.

    “We wish to thank you for the patience and tolerance members have demonstrated in these trying moments,” Mr. Kudjoe Fianoo said.

    The statement said that all outstanding end of year accounts have been duly audited and ready for presentation to members at congress when restrictions are lifted.

    The statement added that GHALCA is in talks with the Ghana Football Association and the Ministry of Youth Sports to find the way forward for football amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Sports Check: Godwin Attram discusses impact of coronavirus on football, Great Olympics, Black Stars, others

    In this edition of Sports Check, Godwin Attram, a former Black Stars player and co-owner of Attram De-Visser Academy shares his thoughts on the resumption or termination of the football league season.

    The suspension of sporting activities in the country has had an adverse effect on the Ghana Premier League and football in general in the country.

    Club administrators have had to pay player salaries despite their not playing active football.

    The situation has led to calls for a special fund to support clubs in the country.

    However, contrary to the thoughts shared by other club administrators that government must provide financial support to clubs, Coach Godwin Attram thinks financial assistance is not the ideal help they need from government.

    To him, government can support football clubs in terms of testing players before matches and granting free access to stadiums instead.

    The former Ghanaian international reminisced his time with the Black Stars, and missing the 2006 World Cup among others.

    Attram, who is the assistant coach for Black Stars B also shared insights on why Ghana flopped at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.

    To Godwin Attram, the decision to cancel this season’s Ghana Premier League is a non-starter considering the investments made so far.

    Attram was optimistic that Accra Great Olympics (Oly) where he was both player and coach – the team known by many accolades including Accra Landguards – will avoid relegation when the league resumes.

    Watch Attram’s full interview below.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Fuel prices to go up marginally IES

    The Institute of Energy Security (IES) has projected that prices of fuel on the local market will move up marginally in the second half of the month of June 2020.

    However, the possible upward price adjustments may not be close to the increases experienced over the last two weeks.

    The projection comes after Brent crude price moved above the $35 per barrel mark within the past pricing-window. Over the period, Brent Oil hit $42.3 a barrel for the first time since 10 march. This positive gain can be attributed to the easing of restrictions in economic activities around the world, as well as reaction to OPEC+ agreed extension to historic production cuts of 9.6mbpd for additional month (till the end of July).

    Following this, Brent crude appreciated by 16.19% from $33.72 per barrel recorded at the end of the first Pricing-window of June to close $39.18 per barrel on average terms.

    IES projected the slight increase of fuel on the local market due to Brent Crude appreciating by 16.19%.

    IES, however, believes the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) may hesitate to increase prices at the pump owing to competition for market share.

    Source: Class FM

  • Coronavirus: Ashanti Region records 38 deaths as Contact Tracers go on strike over slashed stipend

    COVID-19 contact tracers in the Ashanti Region have raised concerns over their work, accusing health authorities in the region of neglect as the region has recorded 38 deaths so far.
    According to the Service, five more people have died of coronavirus bringing the death tally to 38 in the region alone, accounting to more than half of the national fatalities

    The Regional Ghana Health Service is reporting that 117 more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Ashanti region, 24 hours after its previous update This brings the total number of coronavirus cases recorded in the region to 2,205. Out of this number, 682 of them are active cases.

    According to the Coalition of Contact Tracers, health authorities in the region have reduced their stipend from GHS150 per day as announced by the government to GHS70.

    They also claim that they lack appropriate Personal Protection Equipment.

    “When we go out to pick samples, the only thing they give us is nose masks, hand gloves and sanitizers. These are the only three things that they give,” leader of the coalition, Dawud Ibrahim said in an interview on otecfmghana.com.

     

    Source: otecfmghana.com

  • Sushant Singh Rajput: Bollywood star dies at 34

    One of the biggest stars in Bollywood, Sushant Singh Rajput, has been found dead in his apartment in Mumbai.

    The 34-year-old is believed to have taken his own life, Mumbai police said.

    Popular for his acting in both TV and film, Rajput is perhaps best known for MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, where he played the legendary cricketer.

    Many have been paying tributes to Rajput, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called him “a bright young actor gone too soon”.

    Rajput’s death comes just days after that of his former manager.

     

     

    World News of Sunday, 14 June 2020

    Source: bbc.com

    Sushant Singh Rajput: Bollywood star dies at 34

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    Sushant Singh Rajput was perhaps best known for playing legendary cricketer MS DhoniSushant Singh Rajput was perhaps best known for playing legendary cricketer MS Dhoni

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    One of the biggest stars in Bollywood, Sushant Singh Rajput, has been found dead in his apartment in Mumbai.

    The 34-year-old is believed to have taken his own life, Mumbai police said.

    Popular for his acting in both TV and film, Rajput is perhaps best known for MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, where he played the legendary cricketer.

    Many have been paying tributes to Rajput, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called him “a bright young actor gone too soon”.

    Rajput’s death comes just days after that of his former manager.

    Narendra Modi

    ✔@narendramodi

    Sushant Singh Rajput…a bright young actor gone too soon. He excelled on TV and in films. His rise in the world of entertainment inspired many and he leaves behind several memorable performances. Shocked by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and fans. Om Shanti.

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    Born in the eastern state of Bihar, Rajput dropped out of a university course in engineering to pursue a career in acting and dance.

    His Bollywood breakthrough came in the 2013 film Kai Po Che, which won acclaim at the Berlin film festival.

    The actor’s last film was Chhichhore, which was released last year. The film’s director Nitesh Tiwari said he had spoken to Rajput last week.

    “I am at a loss for words. I spoke to him last week over messages. We would text each other on and off. Now this is what I get to hear. He was like a younger brother to me,” he told the Press Trust of India (PTI).

    In his last post to his 10.2 million Instagram followers on 3 June, Rajput posted a picture of late mother, who died in 2002, when he was a teenager, according to PTI.

    He wrote: “Blurred past evaporating from teardrops”.

    His former manager, Disha Salian, 28, died earlier this week after falling from the 14th floor of a building in Mumbai.

    In a Instagram story after her death, Rajput wrote: “It’s such devastating news. My deepest condolences to Disha’s family and friends. May your soul rest in peace.”

    His death will be mourned by Bollywood fans across the globe still reeling from the deaths of legendary actors Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan within days of each other in April.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Asenemaso residents turn classrooms to sex grounds

    Hon Mensah Muller Amankwah, Assemblyman for Asenemaso Electoral Area has disclosed that the classrooms of Asenemaso Junior High Schools in the Atwima Nwabiagya South district are now being used as sex grounds by the residents of the area.

    The Assemblymember said students of the school are always seen playing with the used condoms every morning before the arrival of their teachers; a situation which seems dangerous and has increased especially during this COVID-19 season.

    The Assemblymember who confirmed the story in an interview said the matter had been reported to the leaders of the community, as well as the authorities but there was no positive response.

    “This has made the classrooms unfavourable for teaching and learning before the lockdown of the schools,” Hon Muller told Silver News adding that some residents have also made the corridors of the school “wee” base.

    “I once confronted those wee smokers but they insulted me.”

    Asenemaso Junior High Schools has no fence wall, thereby making it convenient for residents to use the place for their immoral act.

    Hon Muller, therefore, appealed to the Atwima Nwabiagya South district and Regional Education Directorate to help address the aforementioned challenges affecting the school before all schools reopened.

    He again called on stakeholders and benevolent organisations in the educational sector to provide infrastructure for the school including toilet facility for the students.

     

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • Signing female artistes is problematic – Ogidi Brown

    Propelling the talent of Ghanaian female artistes has become problematic due to the perception of intimacy with their managers, renowned record label owner Ogidi Brown has said.

    The issue of female artistes having an affair with their managers has become a topical issue in the showbiz circles especially after top female artiste Wendy Shay walked out of a show after being asked about her “relationship” with her manager, Bullet.

    But according to Ogidi Brown who spotted sensational musician Fameye, he has come across numerous female acts who are very talented but doesn’t often want to sign them due to negative perception that comes along.

    “The perception of intimacy out there has affected numerous talented female artistes and it is killing their talents.

    “I would love to sign a female artiste but sometimes I think about what people would say even though such things might not even have occurred.

    “For me I think we should dwell on the talent of our female artistes and not invade on their private lives and I think it is not even wrong to have a relationship with your manager,” he told Ghana News Agency.

    Ogidi Brown, the owner of the OGB record label who doubles as a musician recently released his third single of the year titled “Bisa” and has since made waves considering the vibes.

    Source: GNA

  • Atlanta police chief resigns over Rayshard Brooks shooting

    Atlanta’s police chief has resigned after the fatal shooting of an African-American man who had fallen asleep in his car at a drive-through restaurant.

    Rayshard Brooks, 27, was shot by a police officer during a struggle on Friday evening, authorities say.

    Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Erika Shields handed in her resignation on Saturday.

    Protesters in Atlanta took to the streets this weekend calling for action following Mr Brooks’ death.

    On Saturday evening, demonstrators closed down a major highway, Interstate-75, in Atlanta. The Wendy’s restaurant outside which Mr Brooks died was also set on fire.

    Over the past three weeks, people across the US have been protesting over the death of George Floyd, a black man in police custody.

    Erika Shields had served as police chief since December 2016 and had worked in the Atlanta police department for more than 20 years. She will continue with the department in another role, Mayor Bottoms said.

    “Because of her desire that Atlanta be a model of what meaningful reform should look like across this country, Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward with urgency and rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities,” the mayor said in a statement.

    One of the Atlanta police officers involved in the shooting, Garrett Rolfe, has been dismissed, and the other, Devin Bronsan, has been put on administrative duty. They have served for six and two years in the Atlanta police, respectively.

    What happened on Friday night?

    The Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) is probing the death of Mr Brooks and is looking at video from a security camera inside the Wendy’s restaurant and also eyewitness footage.

    It says police had been called to the restaurant because Mr Brooks had fallen asleep in his car, which was blocking the drive-through lane.

    According to police, Mr Brooks resisted arrest after he failed a breathalyzer test.

    In the eyewitness video, Mr Brooks can be seen on the ground outside the Wendy’s restaurant, struggling with two police officers.

    He grabs an officer’s Taser and breaks free from the officers, running away. The other officer then manages to use a Taser on Mr Brooks and both officers then run out of the frame of the video.

    Gunshots can then be heard and Mr Brooks is seen on the ground.

    He was taken to hospital but later died. One of the officers was treated for an injury from the incident.

    The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office is conducting a separate investigation into the incident, it said in a statement.

    Lawyers representing Mr Brooks’ family said the police officer had no right to use deadly force, saying the Taser which Mr Brooks had grabbed was a non-lethal weapon.

    “You can’t shoot somebody unless they are pointing a gun at you,” attorney Chris Stewart said.

    Mr Brooks was supposed to take his eight-year-old daughter skating on Saturday to celebrate her birthday, lawyers for his family said.

    This is the 48th officer-involved shooting the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has investigated this year, according to ABC News. Of those cases, 15 were fatal.

    A number of protesters gathered outside the Wendy’s on Friday, according to the New York Times.

    Protests then began again in the centre of Atlanta on Saturday. Images from the protest show demonstrators holding signs with Brooks’ name and Black Lives Matter signs.

    People in Atlanta had already been protesting following the death of George Floyd. He died on 25 May after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes. The officer has been sacked and charged with second-degree murder.

    What has happened in other US cities?

    Demonstrations have taken place across the US and across the world since Mr Floyd’s death. Many in the US are calling for the police to be reformed.

    In Minneapolis, where Mr Floyd died, the city council passed a resolution on Friday to replace its police department with a community-led public safety system.

    The council said it would begin a year-long process of engaging “with every willing community member in Minneapolis” to come up with a new public safety model.

    In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered police departments to undertake major reforms. He also said he would stop financing local authorities that failed to adopt reforms addressing excessive use of force and bias in their police departments by next April.

    President Donald Trump said on Friday that the chokehold method for restraining some suspects should, “generally speaking”, be ended.

    He postponed his first post-coronavirus lockdown election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma so it does not fall on 19 June, a date commemorating the end of US slavery.

    Mr Trump moved the rally to the 20th, following criticism. The location was also controversial, as one of the worst race massacres in US history took place in Tulsa, in 1921.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Andrzej Duda says LGBT ‘ideology’ worse than communism

    Polish President Andrzej Duda has called the promotion of LGBT rights an “ideology” more destructive than communism, in a campaign speech.

    He is an ally of the ruling nationalist Law and Justice Party (PiS), and is seeking re-election on 28 June.

    He said his parents’ generation had struggled against communist ideology for 40 years and “they didn’t fight for this so that a new ideology would appear that is even more destructive”.

    Critics say PiS has an anti-gay agenda.

    The LGBT rights group ILGA-Europe says Poland is the worst-performing country in the EU in terms of LGBT rights, in an index published last month.

    PiS won a majority in parliament with a conservative-nationalist agenda strong on Catholic values, including support for traditional families and opposition to gay marriage.

    Speaking to supporters in Brzeg, southwestern Poland, Mr Duda said “parents are responsible for the sexual education of their children,” and “it is not possible for any institutions to interfere in the way parents raise their children”.

    On 10 June he signed a “Family Charter” of election proposals, including pledges to prevent gay couples from marrying or adopting children and to ban teaching about LGBT issues in schools.

    Tensions with EU

    Putting LGBT rights activism in the same category as communism can be seen as inflammatory in Poland, where the anti-communist Solidarity movement led the struggle for democracy in the 1980s.

    Many Poles agree with the PiS message that communism was a foreign ideology imposed on Poles by the Soviet Union.

    PiS has clashed with the EU over judicial reforms which, according to PiS, are necessary to eliminate vestiges of communist-era corruption. Critics in the EU say PiS is politicising the judiciary and violating EU principles.

    The European Commission has written to the heads of five Polish provinces expressing concern about resolutions in which they declare themselves “free from LGBT ideology”. The EU’s executive has reminded them of their duty to guarantee non-discrimination as a core EU value.

    Poland becoming an authoritarian state – top judge
    Opinion polls suggest that Mr Duda is favourite to win the 28 June election, though his lead has shrunk amid the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.

    ‘Another ideology’

    One of his chief rivals, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski of the centre-right Civic Platform (PO) party, has been criticised by religious conservatives for allowing discussion of LGBT issues in Warsaw schools. The election is likely to go to a second-round runoff vote.

    In his speech in Brzeg, Mr Duda said “this is not why my parents’ generation for 40 years struggled to expel communist ideology from schools, so that it could not be foisted on children, could not brainwash and indoctrinate them…

    “They did not fight so that we would now accept that another ideology, even more destructive to man, would come along, an ideology which under the clichés of respect and tolerance hides deep intolerance”.

    Rival candidate Robert Biedron of the Left party – an LGBT rights activist – called Mr Duda’s Family Charter “a radical document which divides Polish society, introducing standards reminiscent of the most brutal… times of Polish and European history”.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: India to use 500 train carriages as wards in Delhi

    India is to convert another 500 railway carriages to create 8,000 more beds for coronavirus patients in Delhi, amid a surge in infections.

    Home Minister Amit Shah announced a package of new emergency measures for the capital, including a rapid increase in testing for COVID-19. Nursing homes will also be requisitioned.

    He met Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to address the crisis.

    India’s daily number of confirmed new cases has reached almost 12,000.

    The total number of 320,922 officially confirmed cases puts India fourth in the world – after the US, Brazil and Russia – in the pandemic.

    The death toll in India stands at 9,195, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University from official sources.

    The Hindustan Times reports that Delhi is the third worst-hit state in India after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

    It reports that Delhi’s bed capacity across private and government hospitals for COVID-19 patients stands at 9,698, of which 4,248 beds are vacant.

    Mr Kejriwal’s government plans to use 40 hotels and 77 banquet halls as makeshift hospitals.

    India began converting railway carriages into quarantine or isolation wards in April, when large parts of the railway network were suspended owing to the pandemic.

    Last month the national government announced plans to end a national lockdown that began on 25 March.

    Road and plane traffic increased as restrictions started to ease, and many businesses and workplaces reopened. Markets are crowded again.

    The lockdown has imposed huge economic costs on India, throwing millions of people out of work, especially migrant workers in precarious, meagrely-paid jobs. Food supply chains were also put at risk.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Premier League players to wear ‘Black Lives Matter’ on back of shirts

    Premier League players’ names will be replaced on the back of their shirts with ‘Black Lives Matter’ for the first 12 matches of the restarted season.

    The Premier League will also support any player who chooses to ‘take a knee’ before or during matches.

    Players in Germany have made gestures of solidarity with people protesting about the death of George Floyd.

    “We, the players, stand together with the singular objective of eradicating racial prejudice,” read a statement.

    In a joint message from all 20 clubs, players added that they were committed to “a global society of inclusion, respect, and equal opportunities for all, regardless of their color or creed”.

    A Black Lives Matter badge will feature on all playing shirts for the rest of the season alongside a badge thanking NHS staff for their work during the coronavirus outbreak.

    BBC Sport has learned that Watford captain Troy Deeney played a pivotal role in the discussions between club captains and the Premier League, alongside Leicester City’s Wes Morgan.

    Deeney’s girlfriend, Alisha Hosannah, has designed the Black Lives Matter badge that will be used on the players’ shirts.

    Several Premier League squads have already ‘taken a knee’ in training-ground images shared on social media, and anti-racism charity Kick It Out had asked that players feel free to do so on the pitch.

    The Football Association has said it will take a “common sense approach” to such protests.

    Four players, including Borussia Dortmund’s England forward Jadon Sancho, were initially investigated by the Bundesliga authorities for making clear their support for anti-racism demonstrations in the wake of the death of 46-year-old Floyd in police custody in the United States last month.

    None was subsequently punished and the German Football Association said it would continue to allow such displays of support over the coming weeks.

    The Premier League resumes behind closed doors on 17 June after a three-month suspension caused by the pandemic.

    ‘It’s a great start, but I then want to see something tangible’

    Former England, Newcastle and Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas, who made 280 Premier League appearances between 2002 and 2013, hopes the campaign for change continues beyond those first 12 games.

    Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: “It’s brilliant that all the clubs and the players have come together and said that this is what they want. I think it’s a great message because the Premier League is one of the most powerful businesses in the world.

    “I’m all for it in terms of the representation and for each club and player to be doing it. But I think the question on most people’s lips is: what next?

    “What about the week after? Does it just fade out and it’s ‘OK, we did our little bit and it’s gone now’. Or are we actually going to see some real change within our game, our own house?

    “There’s been huge conversations about the lack of opportunities for black coaches. We need to quash all of that by starting to implement [diversity] at the hiring level of management, at the top clubs and within the FA.”

    Source: bbc.com

  • Sex is for married people only – Diana Hamilton

    Diana Hamilton, a multiple award winning and Billboard charting gospel musician recently made some bold statements concerning sexual immorality on an Instagram Live Session with Nana Adwoa Sarkodie.

    The ‘Mo ne yo’ hitmaker described sexual immorality to be everything sexual that happens outside the confines of marriage. She further explained that sexual immorality is a sin against self and God which makes it more dangerous than other sins because God could easily forgive us but it becomes difficult to forgive ourselves.

    She advised young people not to spend intimate times with their partners at their homes since that could easily trigger them into having sex. Describing the situation as a matchstick and petrol put together, it will surely ignite.

    When asked about the time range for getting to know someone. Mrs. Diana Hamilton answered by saying “There is no specific time rule for getting to know someone because you can never know them all in all. People change by the day”. However, she insisted six (6) months may be too limited because this period is usually used to undergo counseling from Church. In addition, she admonished single people to work on improving themselves while they wait for their Mr or Mrs Right.

    On why it’s important to get to know someone very well before getting married or having sex, she gave a scenario where for instance you meet someone in the UK, without knowing them, you proceed to have sex only to come back home and realise the person is your cousin.

    Furthermore, she explained that marriage is between two individuals but actually between two families hence the importance for the family of your spouse to love you.

    “If you’ve defiled every girl you met, why do you want a virgin for marriage?” She quizzed in response to a question from a viewer. “Sex is the last thing to sustain a family, don’t rush into sex when there is so much to be learnt from your partner. If you’re going to be “test-driving” (having sex with every partner), then you’re not ready for marriage”; she said in response to another question.

    Finally, she promised to support a young lady who is faced with the challenge of losing her university scholarship from a married man who asks for sex in return for the sponsorship. Diana Hamilton Foundation was set up to help people in such situations, she added.

    The hour long Instagram Live session ended with a powerful sinners prayer said with over 1,400 viewers.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Nana Adwoa Sarkodie (@nanaadwoasarkodie) on

    Nana Adwoa Sarkodie is a prolific MC, TV Host and Content Developer. She started the Instagram Live sessions a month ago to inspire young people on living a Godly lifestyle as she discuss different range of topics with seasoned men and women of God. Catch her live on new episodes every Wednesday and Friday at 7pm via @nanaadwoasarkodie on Instagram.

    Source: Nana Adwoa Sarkodie, Contributor

  • Government distributes 600,000 face masks to tertiary schools as lectures begin

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced stringent measures implemented by the government to ensure that campuses are free from the novel Coronavirus as lectures begin today.

    Final year students from the various tertiary institutions are to return to their lecture halls to complete their final semester.

    This, the president announced to Ghanaians during his 11th Coronavirus address noting that all private and public educational facilities have been disinfected and provided with logistics for health and safety purposes.

    “600,000 face masks have been distributed to the tertiary institutions,” President Akufo-Addo announced in his address.

    He indicated that 200,000 students, and teaching and non-teaching staff who are expected back on campus will have three reusable face masks each.

    In addition, 1,700 Veronica buckets; 200,000 litres of hand sanitizers; 3,400 litres of liquid soap; and 900 thermometer guns have been distributed.

    Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the Senior Minister, the president informed the nation, will supervise the transportation and distribution of the said items to the various tertiary educational institutions.

    Emphasizing half class sizes, the president stated: “Final year students will begin a six-week period of learning to finish their respective programmes. Subsequently, for a period of four weeks, they will sit for their exit examinations. It must be put on record that some final year University students will not be returning to school, as some of them, through virtual means, have already sat their exit examinations.”

    In addition to all the measures taken, universities with their own hospitals have been provided with PPEs, and isolation centres provided to cater for any positive cases that would be detected.

    Those without health facilities have been mapped to hospitals within the towns the schools are located in.

    The president indicated strongly that, there will be no mass gathering and no sports activities except “religious activities under the new protocol will be permitted”.

    The President emphasized: “Social distancing and the wearing of face masks must become the norm on campus.”

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • KNUST expects 1500 final year students back on campus

    The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) expects a total of 1,500 out of 13,000 final year students on campus to complete the last phase of their academic work.

    Dr. Daniel Norris Bekoe, Head of University Relations of KNUST, told GhanaWeb that these students comprise those offering the Human Sciences programmes such as “Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery, Optometry and Veterinary Medicine.”

    With respect to other final year students who were unable to participate in the virtual learning organised by KNUST due to reasons beyond their control, Dr. Bekoe said such persons “are to contact their Heads of Department and come to campus to complete their coursework”.

    He added: “All other students will continue with the online/virtual learning program which is 80-85 per cent done.”

    Meanwhile, KNUST in a press statement has clarified: “All online assignments and assessments should be completed by June 30, 2020…Examiners should process results of all students for consideration by Departmental/Faculty/College Boards latest by July 15, 2020”.

    Read the full press release from KNUST below.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • GIS intercepts 141 gallons of fuel being smuggled into Togo

    The Aflao Sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service has intercepted 141 gallons of fuel being smuggled through unapproved routes into Togo on Saturday, June 13, 2020, following rigorous surveillance and intelligence work by some officers on duty.

    Three officers; including Inspector Sumaila Safo, ICO Anthony Bessa Denyo and IOC Wisdom Joel Adiko who were on duty at Pillar 7 (unapproved route) intercepted 129 jerricans of fuel, packed in a temporal structure erected along the borderline at Pillar 7B, such buildings according to the Ghana Immigration Service are dotted along with the border communities where illicit goods are kept for onward transportation across the borders.

    On the same night, the patrol team while on duty along the borders intercepted 12 more gallons of fuel being smuggled into Togo.

    According to the sector commander, C/Supt. Frederick Doudu attempts are being made to apprehend the criminals who have since absconded.

    He said, “It is unfortunate that the criminals had to flee upon realising they were in danger; attempts to get them arrested have proved futile as they fled into Togo but the command is resolute and hopeful of getting them apprehended.”

    He indicated that the 141 gallons of fuel are still in their custody pending further investigations and directives.

     

    Source: Starr FM

  • Sekondi-Takoradi MCE died of coronavirus – Akufo-Addo confirms

    President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo has revealed the cause of death of the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Anthony Kobina Kurentsir Sam.

    According to President Nana Addo, his late appointee died after being infected with the novel coronavirus disease.

    Mr. Sam reportedly died Friday afternoon after a short illness weeks after his driver reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.

    News went viral that he died of the virus but family sources debunked the assertion.

    However, President Akufo-Addo, while addressing the country for the 11th time on measures his administration is putting in place to fight Covid-19, said the statesman died of the virus.

    He eulogised the late Sekondi/Takoradi MCE and commended him for ensuring social distancing in markets under his jurisdiction.

    “Permit me to pay brief tribute to the memory of an old and valiant colleague in the struggle of the New Patriotic Party and in the work of the Akufo-Addo government, the Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, the Chief Executive of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Hon. K.K Sam, Egya Sam to me and many, whose efforts in enforcing social distancing protocols at the Sekondi and Takoradi markets were, recently, highly commended by me, and who sadly passed away on Friday, as a result of a COVID-related death.

    May his soul rest in perfect peace in the bosom of the Almighty until the Last Day of the Resurrection, when we shall all meet again,” he said.

    Source: Peace FM

  • Universities to reopen today after over three-month shutdown

    Public and Private Universities across the country say they are ready to resume academic work as final year students return to school today, June 15, 2020.

    The partial reopening as announced by the government will see final year University students resume lectures to enable them to take their exit exams.

    Chairman of Vice-Chancellors Ghana, Professor Ebenezer Oduro says adequate measures have been put in place to protect students, teaching and non-teaching staff.

    “All universities are obliging to reopen and so come the 15th, Monday, all universities will reopen so students who want to come to campus are free to come to campus. Those who for one reason or the other feel that they are safe where they are and they have access to internet facilities and they will want to stay at home while we continue our online things,” he said.

    Earlier, the Vice-Chancellors called for the provision of adequate personal protective equipment to supply students.

    Prof. Oduro Owusu at a different forum said it will not auger well for the schools if students demand on PPE and the schools are unable to make any provision.

    “Students will start demanding PPE immediately they arrive on campus and if we are unable to supply them, you can rest assured that certain words will go to the public.”

    “So we are pleading with you and your very good team to ensure that these PPEs are well provided,” Prof. Owusu stated.

    The government over the weekend made available Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and logistics to 234 universities in the country.

    Addressing journalists in Accra, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the 234 tertiary institutions are dotted across the country.

    “In all, we are expecting about 200,000 persons to benefit from these logistics. In terms of the specific logistics, everybody is getting three face masks which are reusable so that will be about 600,000 unit of face masks,” he added.

    The Minister said over 1,700 veronica buckets, over 200,000 two hundred ML units of hand sanitizers, and over 3,400 packets of soap and another 3,400 packets of tissue are being distributed.

    “About 900 thermometers are also going to all of these schools in addition to the disinfection and other exercises that are going on there,” he added.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Social media reactions after Akufo-Addo wished ‘resting’ health minister a speedy recovery

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has wished the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu a speedy recovery.

    This has come as a shock to many as the Health Minister is said to have denied reports that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was receiving treatment at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).

    The minister was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday (June 9, 2020) and is “in a stable condition”.

    Sources indicate that the Minister contracted the virus after his wife and son were both admitted at the Intensive Care Unit of UGMC.

    But his wife has denied reports that she has contracted the virus.

    The Ministry of Health corroborated the information as checks suggest that Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu has taken a few days off.

    In his 11th update to the country on COVID-19, President Akufo-Addo said “we wish our hardworking minister for health a speedy recovery. He contracted the virus in the line of his work and he is stable condition.”

    Ghanaians on social media have been reacting to this development, see some of the tweets below:

    Source:pulse.com.gh

  • We have to protect future of Ghanaian children – Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has indicated that the coronavirus pandemic cannot make the country to turn blind eyes to the issue of social justice.

    According to him, the education of Ghanaian students ought to be protected.

    That he said is because the future of Ghana rests on the education of its children.

    He made this known as he delivered his 11th address on the management of coronavirus in the country.

    He stated that a total 600,000 face masks have been distributed to tertiary institutions to enable students, teachers and non teaching staff have access reusable face masks.

    He added that 200,000 liters of hand sanitizers, among other things, have also been distributed to the tertiary schools.

    He urged the students who are resuming school to ensure personal hygiene, ensure social distancing.

    Source: Daily Guide network