TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • Coffin-makers booming as Peru virus deaths soar

    As the coronavirus-hit economy of Peru stagnated over the past three months, Lima coffin-maker Genaro Cabrera has seen his sales quadruple.

    “I never imagined working to such an extreme,” Cabrera told AFP at his factory in the rundown district of San Juan de Lurigancho.

    Together with his wife and a staff of 20, he makes a variety of coffins using wood, pressed cardboard and steel, demand for which has soared amid a rising COVID-19 death toll.

    Peru is the second worst-hit Latin American country after Brazil. With a population of 33 million, it has almost 180,000 infections and nearly 5,000 deaths.

    “We are full of orders. People even want to make deposits in advance,” Cabrera’s wife Cesarela said.

    “Before the pandemic, we made 100 coffins a month, now we make that many in just a week.”

    Coffins are selling fast, costing from $118 to nearly $600. Some of Cabrera’s customers have been his own neighbors who succumbed to the disease.

    “I have six neighbors who have died from the pandemic,” said Cabrera, 52.

    Fears of contagion meant “some of my workers stopped coming.”

    But like other operators in the booming death industry, Cabrera can count on a ready pool of labor from among Peru’s estimated 800,000 Venezuelan migrants. He employs four Venezuelans to do the finishing work on his coffins.

    – ‘Tempting death’ –

    The pandemic has left the dreams of many Peruvian small businesses in tatters, but coffin making and funeral services are flourishing, using Venezuelan labor for work Peruvians refuse to do.

    “Every day we tempt death,” said Jhoan Faneite, whose job is to collect the bodies of coronavirus victims and take them to the crematorium.

    “At the beginning we were scared, but now I focus on my work. I blank out my mind so that I don’t have feelings,” said Faneite, 35.

    He is one of 21 Venezuelans who work collecting corpses to transport to Piedrangel crematorium in the south of Lima.

    Having fled the economic crisis in their own country, these Venezuelans dress in black suits and masks to remove corpses of suspected COVID-19 victims from hospitals and homes in Lima’s poorer districts.

    It’s a job no-one else will do.

    “They call us things like the ‘Covid hunt’ or ‘the death squad’ or ‘Covid soldiers’,” said Faneite, who has lived with his wife and three children in the rundown district of Agustino since fleeing Venezuela two years ago.

    – A job no-one wants –

    Roberto Gonzalez, the owner of the private Piedrangel facility, is full of praise for his Venezuelan workers.

    “Ninety-percent of the work of collecting corpses for crematoriums is done by Venezuelans,” Gonzalez said.

    “Our Peruvian workers didn’t want the work of carrying bodies, out of fear. The most seasoned workers are Venezuelans. They have not run away.”

    In addition to the 21 removers, other Venezuelan workers operate the ovens at the crematorium.

    “Thank God they have not been infected. We have no cases, hopefully we can continue like this until the pandemic goes away,” said Gonzalez.

    At the Piedrangel crematorium in the working class district of Chorrillos, there are seven liquefied-gas ovens operating round the clock.

    Gonzalez’s business is contracted by Peru’s health ministry. His employees collect, disinfect and bag the bodies of virus victims, before taking them in a vehicle to the crematorium.

    The company picked up its first coronavirus victim in March, in the wealthy Miraflores district.

    Business has been growing ever since.

    To date, more than 2,000 bodies have been cremated in Piedrangel’s ovens.

    “I never thought I would live through something like this. Every day we collect between 70 and 150 bodies to be cremated,” says Gonzalez.

    Before the pandemic, the average number was just 15.

    Source: france24.com

  • No tennis ‘until it’s completely safe’, says Nadal

    Rafael Nadal insisted on Thursday tennis “cannot resume until the situation is completely safe” and if the US Open was being played this week, he wouldn’t take part.

    World number two Nadal, who captured a fourth US Open and 19th major in New York last year, said he remained convinced the coronavirus pandemic still casts huge doubts over the tennis calendar which has been suspended since mid-March.

    “We cannot resume until the situation is completely safe and fair in terms of health in that all players, wherever they come from, can travel and play tournaments in safe conditions,” Nadal told reporters in a video conference call.

    “If you told me to play the US Open (scheduled to start on August 24) today, I would say no.

    “In a few months, I don’t know. I hope so. We have to wait for people to return to normal life. And when it does, wait to see how the virus evolves.

    “It’s very difficult for me to separate what the world is experiencing from my point of view on tennis, that’s why I was very pessimistic a few weeks ago.”

    The ATP and WTA schedules have been on ice since March with action not set to resume until the end of July at the earliest.

    Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since the Second World War while the French Open has been shifted to September/October.

    In normal times, the Roland Garros event would have been deep into its second week by now with Nadal expected to win the Paris trophy for the 13th time.

    The US Open remains on the schedule but there are still doubts over whether or not it will take place with New York being the epicentre of the COVID-19 crisis in the United States.

     

    Source: france24.com

  • Atletico Madrid striker Costa handed six-month prison sentence and fined for tax fraud

    Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Spanish state of more than €1 million (£813,000/$1,127,000) after failing to declare payments of over €5m earned from his 2014 move to Chelsea.

    The striker was sentenced to six months in prison on Thursday, but Spanish law states that non-violent crimes with a punishment of under two years’ imprisonment can instead be resolved with a fine for first-time offenders.

    In Costa’s case, the Brazil-born Spain international will fork out an additional payment of just over €500,000 on top of the missing €1m in order to fully satisfy the courts, with a failure to declare image rights also having come under the state’s microscope.

    Costa left Atletico Madrid in July of 2014 after Chelsea agreed to meet the forward’s £32m ($40m) buy-out clause.

    A divisive figure due to his common practice of football’s so-called dark arts, Costa won two Premier League titles and a League Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge, bagging a respectable 59 goals across 120 appearances.

    His exit from the Blues came in rather acrimonious circumstances, with then head coach Antonio Conte having sent the player a text message telling him that he was no longer part of his plans for the west London club.

    Costa eventually secured a deal to the Spanish capital in 2017 – although not before going into self-exile in Brazil following his spat with Conte – but he could not represent the club until the beginning of 2018 due to a FIFA-imposed transfer ban.

    Despite helping Atleti to Europa League and Super Cup success in his first season back at the Wanda Metropolitano, the striker has struggled to replicate the kind of form that saw Chelsea pursue his signature in the first place. Costa has only two goals in 19 appearances for Diego Simeone’s side this term.

    He might, however, have a chance to add to his tally when football returns in Spain, with La Liga set to kick off again on June 11, starting with a derby clash between Sevilla and Real Betis. Atletico currently occupy sixth place in the Spanish top tier, 13 points behind leaders Barcelona.

    Source: goal.com

  • Tens of thousands defy ban to attend Tiananmen vigil

    Tens of thousands of demonstrators in Hong Kong have defied a ban to stage a mass vigil for the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing.

    Officers erected barricades around the city’s Victoria Park, but some pro-democracy protesters knocked them down and held candlelit gatherings.

    Police banned the vigil this year, citing Coronavirus measures.

    Earlier, lawmakers approved a controversial bill making it a crime to insult China’s national anthem.

    Ahead of the vote, two legislators were taken away by security guards after throwing a foul-smelling liquid on to the chamber floor.

    They said they were protesting against China’s growing control over Hong Kong, and also marking the Tiananmen Square anniversary.

    The latest events come as the Chinese government is drawing up a new security law for Hong Kong, a move that threatens to raise tensions even further.

    Why was the Tiananmen vigil banned?

    Hong Kong and Macau are the only parts of China that have been allowed to mark the killings.

    An annual vigil has been held in Hong Kong since 1990. On the mainland, references to the crackdown are banned, and the government mentions it rarely – if at all.

    On 4 June 1989, troops and tanks opened fire on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing – estimates of the dead vary from a few hundred to several thousand.

    Tens of thousands of people normally mark the anniversary in Hong Kong, but police told local media that 3,000 riot officers would be deployed to stop smaller or impromptu commemorations.

    At Victoria Park, demonstrators shouted pro-democracy slogans including “Stand with Hong Kong” and “End one-party rule”, referring to the Communist Party’s monopoly on power in China.

    “I’ve come here for the vigil for 30 years in memory of the victims of the June 4 crackdown, but this year it is more significant to me,” one 74-year-old man told AFP news agency.

    “Because Hong Kong is experiencing the same kind of repression from the same regime, just like what happened in Beijing.”

    Candlelit vigils also took place in other parts of Hong Kong. Hundreds gathered in Mong Kok district, where there were brief scuffles between protesters who attempted to set up barricades and police who used pepper spray to disperse them, Reuters reported.

    It was the first time there had been unrest at a Tiananmen vigil in Hong Kong, the news agency said. Police said they had made several arrests.

    In Mong Kok, Brenda Hui held a white battery-illuminated umbrella that read “Never Forget June 4”.

    “We are afraid this will be the last time we can have a ceremony but Hong Kongers will always remember what happened on June 4,” she said.

    Groups of up to eight are allowed to gather in Hong Kong under the territory’s virus rules. But police sources told the South China Morning Post that if different groups gathered for a “common purpose”, they would be moved on.

    The US and Taiwan have both called on China to apologise for the Tiananmen crackdown.

    “Around the world, there are 365 days in a year. Yet in China, one of those days is purposely forgotten each year,” Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen tweeted. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted a photo of him meeting prominent Tiananmen survivors.

    China’s foreign ministry said the calls were “complete nonsense”.

    “The great achievements since the founding of new China over the past 70 or so years fully demonstrates that the developmental path China has chosen is completely correct,” spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.

    Source: bbc.com

  • I’ve not spoken to Rawlings in 41 years – Boakye Djan

    Major (rtd) Kwadwo Boakye Djan widely accepted as the main planner of the June 4, 1979, military coup with other junior officers that brought Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings to power in Ghana, has reiterated that the event was not worth celebrating because of the bloody excesses.

    Rather, he thinks it should just be a solemn commemorative event.

    In a radio interview on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the uprising, and when he was asked for a comment on whether or not he has been engaging in conversations with Mr Rawlings, Boakye Djan said he has not spoken to Mr Rawlings for the past 41 years.

    “Let me tell you and your listeners that for the past 41 years I have not spoken” to Jerry John Rawlings, “even though I was his best man before that,” he said in the radio interview with Accra based Okay FM on Thursday morning, which was monitored by Graphic Online.

    Asked if they were at loggerheads, Boakye Djan said Rawlings went out to remove a democratically elected government on 31st December 1981 that they [Rawlings and Boakye Djan] put in place and for which they [coup makers] organised sanctions against those who had earlier ousted Kwame Nkrumah and the other democratically elected government [Busia’s government].

    “So he [Rawlings] put himself in a position precisely in what [General] Akuffo and others found themselves and you know in law, they say crime has no time limit.”

    Major (rtd) Boakye Djan said he believes that Mr Rawlings has to be held to account for the 31st December 1981 coup as the last man standing and insisted he has to answer for overthrowing President Hilla Liman’s regime [3rd Republic] which was a constitutionally elected regime.

    He said they [Boakye Djan and Rawlings] put Liman there and for him [Rawlings] to turn around and oust Liman was something he [Djan] does not accept.

    Let’s commemorate June 4th solemnly – Boakye Djan

    On how the June 4th uprising should be recognised in Ghana’s history and commemorated, Boakye Djan said some have said it is not worth celebrating but it should rather be commemorated because people died, “eight Generals were executed and many other soldiers died in the bloody confrontation,” he said.

    He said acts of war are not celebrated and that even in Britain, the whole royal family goes to the cenotaph once a year to solemnly commemorate the death of all those who died in the first and second world wars.

    “I think the time has come for us to start doing something like that in this country.”

    He said the noise with the commemoration of June 4th should be looked at and that “there were dangerous gaps in the knowledge of some people…and we need to sit down and think properly and do it and stop making politics with it because June 4th is a guarantor of our democracy.”

    He said June 4th has guaranteed the long constitutional rule that Ghana has witnessed since 1992.

     

    Source: Graphic.com.gh 

  • Lydia Alhassan fumigates Ayawaso West Wuogon mosques, churches & schools

    In an attempt to ensure academic and religious life returns to normalcy in Ayawaso West Wuguon, the Member of Parliament for the area, Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan has fumigated schools, mosques and churches in the constituency.

    The exercise which began on Monday, June 1, 2020 forms part of preparations toward the reopening of schools, churches and mosques.

    Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan was optimistic that the fumigation will help fight the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in her constituency.

    She also urged Ghanaians to adhere to the safety measures of Health officials to curb the spread of the disease.

     

    Source: Peace FM

  • Todays newspapers front pages

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • E-block schools: Government has fully paid GH¢ 900m debt to contractors – Minister

    Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh says the government has fully paid all contractors in charge of the community day Senior High Schools, popularly known as the E-block schools, started under the Mahama administration.

    The Sector Minister told host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ on Thursday, June 4, 2020, that the erstwhile Mahama government awarded a GH¢ 900 million contract to the construction companies to establish the E-block schools but failed to pay the contractors.

    According to him, it has taken the Akufo-Addo administration to pay off the amount to ensure none of the schools are abandoned but completed for all school children to benefit from the government’s free SHS programme.

    “There is no contractor in any Secondary school doing a Secondary school project who is owed by Government of Ghana. I called on them to challenge me and up till now, no one has come out to challenge this. If the school is not yet done, then it is the fault of the contractor but not that we haven’t paid the contractor. We are however cancelling a lot of contracts and award them to different contractors because the NDC gave the contracts to [I don’t want to say NDC contractors] but the contractors are not performing; so no one should blame the government . . . 900 million cedis was the certificates that were signed for work done that the NDC left but we have paid it in full,” he stated.

    E-block Schools

    Former President John Dramani Mahama, during his administration, promised to establish 200 community day Senior High Schools before the end of his regime.

    The former President, however, couldn’t complete all the schools before Ghanaians voted for a change in 2016 resulting in the election of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    Before the inception of the Akufo-Addo government, only about 50 E-block schools had been completed and operational with the rest either at ground level or not constructed.

    The incumbent government has continued the project by completing work on seventeen (17) out of 23 selected schools.

    The remaining six (6) are at various levels of completion.

    Source: Peace FM

  • Three recover from coronavirus, one to serve as an ambassador

    Three persons out of the seven who tested positive to COVID-19 in Sissala East have recovered and reunited with their families.

    This was after 26 days in isolation where the three made up of two females and a male underwent two separate tests, conducted at different times and came out negative, Mr Alex Bapula, Municipal Director of health disclosed.

    Mr Bapula disclosed this when he led the recovered persons with health officials to their families where he asked family and community members to gracefully accept them into their midst.

    He advised the recovered persons to “Eat well when you leave to help improve your immune system, but still ensure you practice the new normal protocols and I also enjoin the communities and all of us to support them”.

    Some undisclosed amount of money with other foodstuffs was made available to them to help them start a new life.

    One of the recovered, a male, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said during the partial lockdown as announced by the President, “I moved from Bole to Tumu whilst my wife who tested positive to COVID-19 also traveled in from Accra”.

    Asked about where he got the infection from, he couldn’t tell where he got it from and advised all to be careful.

    He declared his intention to advocate against discrimination and stigmatization and called on all persons in the communities to avail themselves to what the Ghana Health Service says and appealed for the strict observance of the protocols of handwashing with soap under running water, social distancing among others.

    About a month ago, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister who interacted with the Sissala East emergency health response committee on COVID-19 called on residents in the Upper West to be encouraged to accept and integrate persons who have recovered from the pandemic to make life easier for them.

    The Minister explained that “stigmatizing infected persons who have recovered from COVID-19 is inhuman” and called on communities to assist all to reintegrate.

     

    Source: GNA

  • Energy of June 4 was not a product of any political movement – Rawlings

    The positive disruptive force and energy of June 4, 41 years ago, was not a product of any political movement or action, former President Jerry John Rawlings said on Thursday.

    He said the spontaneous eruption on that fateful day represented the unadulterated spirit of liberation that was collectively sought after, as a nation at the brink of collapse.

    Speaking at the 41st anniversary celebration of the June 4 Revolution in Accra, former President Rawlings noted that nothing more had signified or exemplified the patriotism and resilience of Ghanaians than in those difficult moments.

    “Many were those who sacrificed their lives and livelihoods in order to bequeath to subsequent generations a more just society with equal opportunities for all, irrespective of their religion, tribe, ethnicity, political or educational status,” he said.

    “We must be reminded that we are a country borne out of difficult situations where some had to toil and shed their blood.”

    The anniversary, on the theme: “Strengthening the Spirit of Patriotism, Resilience and Integrity in Difficult Times,” was marked virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The Former President said Ghanaians must never forget their past nor erase the memories of where they came from.

    He said commemorations like that allowed Ghanaians to ponder, reflect and re-examine themselves – their conduct and policies and to see if those had properly been aligned to their core values of probity, accountability, integrity and social justice.

    “When people shamelessly attempt to erase the truth, because they lack scruples, it rather perpetuates a state of corruption that derails all we have achieved while glorifying exploitation, perversion, dishonesty, immorality and criminality.”

    “More painful is the fact that while we expect some of these historical distortions to come from our natural opponents, some within our own political culture decided it was time to join the bandwagon and re-write the history that birthed our political culture.”

     

    Source: GNA

  • Twitter accuses President Trump of making ‘false claims’

    Twitter has accused the US president of making false claims, in one of the app’s own articles covering the news.

    The move – which effectively accuses the leader of lying – refers to a tweet by Donald Trump about his first defense secretary.

    Mr. Trump had tweeted that he had given James Mattis the nickname “Mad Dog” and later fired him.

    But Twitter’s article says that the former general resigned, and his nickname preceded Trump’s presidency.

    It follows last week’s explosive confrontation, which saw Twitter fact-check two of President Trump’s tweets and labels another as glorifying violence.

    The latest confrontation was prompted by a strongly-worded statement issued by General Mattis last night, in which he criticised the president’s handling of the protests that followed the killing of George Floyd.

    Gen Mattis described Donald Trump as “the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people – does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us.”

    The president fired back quickly in a tweet saying that the one thing he and predecessor Barack Obama had in common was “we both had the honour of firing Jim Mattis, the world’s most overrated general. I asked for his letter of resignation and felt good about it”.

    “His nickname was ‘Chaos’, which I didn’t like, and changed it to ‘Mad Dog’,” he added.

    Twitter later published what it calls a Moment, a summary of a news story that you can see when you press the platform’s search button. It has also been promoted within the What’s Happening box that appears on Twitter’s website.

    The article says that “Mattis resigned from the position… after the administration decided to withdraw US troops from Syria”, and attributes the fact to a report by the Associated Press news agency.

    It then refers to journalists at CNN, the National Review, the Washington Post and The Dispatch as having written that the nickname ‘Mad Dog’ had been used before Trump’s presidency, with published references dating back to 2004.

    Moments are curated by an internal team at Twitter. They provide a summary of a recent development before presenting some related tweets.

    This is not the first time the tool has been used to call out Donald Trump.

    In March 2019, it said the president had misidentified a co-founder of Greenpeace, and in April 2020 it said he had falsely claimed he could force states to reopen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    But what is interesting here is that Twitter has chosen to raise the temperature of its clash with the president over what could be seen as a relatively minor issue.

    It was on 20 December 2018 that Gen Mattis announced his resignation, effective from 28 February 2019.

    A furious Mr Trump then announced his defence secretary was going from 1 January and stated he’d essentially fired him. So you could at least argue that, as in many cases, there is a blurry line between a resignation and a firing.

    Perhaps Twitter’s chief executive Jack Dorsey is looking on, with a degree of schadenfreude, at what has happened in recent days at Facebook.

    There, Mark Zuckerberg’s determination not to follow Twitter’s lead and take some kind of action over the president’s posts has sparked open revolt.

    Facebook staff, who previously would only grumble anonymously about the company’s practices, have put their names to statements deploring Mr Zuckerberg’s failure to act.

    This morning, nearly three dozen former employees, including some who had helped write the original guidelines on what can and cannot be posted, published an open letter accusing Mr. Zuckerberg of a “betrayal” of Facebook’s ideals.

    Last week, it felt as though Twitter might be putting its future in danger by taking on the president.

    This week, it feels as though Mr. Zuckerberg’s failure to act might leave him facing an even bigger crisis than the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

    Source: bbc.com

  • George Floyd death: Minneapolis to host first memorial event

    Hundreds of people are expected to attend a memorial in Minneapolis for African American George Floyd, who died in police custody last month.

    The death of Floyd, whose neck was pinned under a white officer’s knee, has sparked huge protests over racism and police killings of black Americans.

    The tribute comes despite fears over coronavirus at large gatherings.

    New charges were announced on Wednesday against all four of the now sacked officers present at Floyd’s death.

    The charge against Derek Chauvin has been elevated to second-degree murder while the other three officers, previously uncharged, face counts of aiding and abetting murder.

    The vast majority of demonstrations over the past eight days have been peaceful, but some have turned violent and curfews have been imposed in a number of cities.

    Former President Barack Obama and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are among senior public figures who have offered their support to the protesters.

    They were joined on Wednesday by former Defence Secretary James Mattis, who also attacked his former boss President Donald Trump, saying that he stoked division and had abused his authority in his reaction to the protests.

    What will happen at the memorial?

    The event, in the northern city of Minneapolis where Floyd died, is the first of several to honour him.

    It will take place at a sanctuary at the city’s North Central University.

    Benjamin Crump, a lawyer for the Floyd family, said it was more than just honouring the dead man’s memory.

    “It’s going to be a celebration of life, but it’s also going to be a plea to America and a plea for justice that we don’t let his death be in vain,” he told NBC’s Today show.

    Veteran civil rights campaigner, Rev Al Sharpton, will deliver the eulogy for the two-hour service, which will start at 13:00 local time (18:00 GMT).

    “Out of all the years that I’ve been marching and protesting and doing eulogies and speeches, I’m more hopeful going to this service than I have been in a long time,” Rev Sharpton said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe programme.

    “Because I see more Americans of different races and different ages standing up together, marching together, raising their voices together… That makes me know we’re on the brink of real change.”

    Rev Sharpton, who met Floyd’s family on Wednesday, said he would announce the launch of a new social movement at the memorial, as well as call for new federal legislation to end racial discrimination by police.

    Further tributes will be held at Floyd’s birthplace in North Carolina on Saturday, and in his home town of Houston on Monday.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Ahmaud Arbery: White man ‘used racial slur’ after shooting black jogger

    One of the men accused of murdering unarmed black man Ahmaud Arbery in the US state of Georgia used a racial slur after shooting him, a court has heard.

    A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent said Travis McMichael used the slur while Mr Arbery was on the ground.

    The agent said co-defendant William Bryan heard him use the slur.

    Mr Arbery was jogging when he was chased down by Travis McMichael and his father Gregory in Brunswick on 23 February.

    The McMichaels and William Bryan are facing murder charges.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Flashback: WAFA thrash Hearts of Oak 5-0

    Hearts of Oak were handed a humiliating 5-0 defeat on match day 17 at the Sogakope astroturf on Sunday 4th June, 2017, which is exactly three years today.

    The score line will stand as the worst defeat suffered by Accra Hearts of Oak in the history of the Ghanaian topflight league since 1956/1957 season.

    Majeed Ashimeru started the scoring before Abdul Wahab Ibrahim recorded the second goal for WAFA to end the first half.

    The hosts after the interval made it 3-0 through Daniel Lomotey, before Abubakari Ibrahim made it 4-0.

    Daniel Lomotey put the icing on the cake to put the Phobians to sleep.

    The vintage victory earned by the academy boys has enabled them to gazzump Aduana Stars at the top of the league ladder and also avenge their 1-2 defeat against Hearts of Oak on match day 14

    WAFA

    1. Richard Abalora, 2. Ibrahim Abukari, 20. Caleb Amankwah 15. Abdul Wahab Ibrahim 3. Musah Nuhu, 18. Majeed Ashimeru , 8. Gideon Waja, 9. Daniel Agbloe, 19. Emmanuel Boateng, 14. Prince Obeng Ampem, 11. Richmond Lamptey

    Hearts of Oak

    Hearts of Oak: 28. Akurugu S, 12. Thomas Abbey, 15. Richard Akrofi, 21. Vincent Atinga 6 Kassenu Gandi, 13. Kwame Kizito, 2. Fatau Mohammed Dauda,17. Patrick Razak, 3. Leonard Tawiah, 27. Robin Gnagne

    Source: pulse.com.gh

  • Coronavirus: Professor Mintah opposes football restart

    The Chairman for Ghana Coaches Association, Professor Joseph Mintah has kicked against the restart of the 2019/20 Ghana Football season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    The 2019/20 football season has been suspended since March this year due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country with over 8,500 cases recorded as of June 4.

    Professor Mintah is of the view that Ghana cannot emulate that of the European leagues which are currently underway as our current situation and concept are different.

    Speaking in an interview to discuss the effects of COVID-19 on Ghanaian clubs on Happy Sports on Happy 98.9FM with Ohene-Bampoe Brenya, he said, “Personally I will say no looking at our current situation.

    “There are some protocols that must be adhered to such as testing and camping players. My concern is that an average Ghanaian player is not disciplined unlike the European and it will be difficult for them to even follow the protocols”, he indicated on whether the season should continue or not.

    He further said it will be better for the GFA to take an early decision on the future of the league so measures can be put in place to restart a new season.

    There has been a talk on whether football should return behind closed doors as the Ghana Football Association continues to engage its stakeholders on the future of the 2019/20 football season.

    The GFA has announced it will decide on the future of the season on June 30.

    Source: happyghana.com

  • Some 100 girls raped in Ethiopia during pandemic

    Authorities in Ethiopia have said more than 100 girls were raped and treated in the capital, Addis Ababa, since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the privately owned Walta TV has reported.

    The head of Addis Ababa women and children affairs office, Almaz Abraham, said sexual violence was on the rise as schools had been closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

    “One-hundred-and-one girls were raped in the past two months after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

    “The problem is that, unlike when schools were open, the attacks are not being exposed until the girls get pregnant. Maybe, there would be chances of stopping it from reaching to that stage if the girls were going to school,” she said.

    “Men who used to practise different habits outside their homes are now doing them to their children when they stay at home,” she added.

     

    Source: BBC  

  • J.J Rawlings encouraged me not to quit boxing for military – Azumah Nelson

    Azumah Nelson has described Jerry John Rawlings as a prophet, saying he was the one who talked him out of joining the military.

    Azumah Nelson explained that he wanted to let go of his boxing career at the initial stage when things seem difficult and enter into the military, but it was former President Flight Lt. Jerry John Rawlings who encouraged him to persist and hope for better days to come.

    “I liked the discipline in the military. As a disciplined person myself, I wanted to join them. But J.J Rawlings talked me out of it. He told me I had a gift as a boxer and encouraged me to pursue that,” he stated.

    The professor of boxing made this revelation in an exclusive with Rev Erskine on Y LeaderBoard Series on the Myd Morning Show on Y 107.9FM.

    To him, the former president saw something in him which was more than serving in the military. “I can say he is a prophet in my life. I became a world champion and have been appreciative of him ever since.”

    Azumah Nelson would reign for over ten years as champion in the WBC featherweight and super featherweight division.

    Source: pulse.com.gh

  • NIA officials trained ahead of Eastern region mass registration

    The leader of the national risk communication and social mobilisation for covid-19 , Dr Dacosta Aboagye has provided an orientation on COVID-19 safety measures to NIA officials to enable mass registration to begin in the Eastern region.

    The orientation focused on six main areas.

    Below are the guidelines to follow.

    Respiratory Etiquette Mandatory wearing of mask of all persons before entering the registration centre.

    Temperature Checks Mandatory checking of temperature of all persons before entering the registration centre.

    Hand Hygiene Mandatory washing of hands with soap under running water for at least twenty (20) seconds before joining the queue.

    Physical distancing Keep and maintain a distance of 1-2 meters from people next to you in the queue.

    Hand Sanitizer Mandatory hand sanitizing before leaving the registration centre.’

    Finger Print and Iris Scanner Wipe Scanners (Iris & Fingerprint) will be disinfected after each use.

    Staff who attended the orientation were drawn from the Operations, Technology & Biometrics and the Corporate Affairs Departments.

     

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • June 4: I would have done things differently 41 years ago – Boakye Gyan

    Former Member of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), Major Boakye-Djan (Rtd) has said although he would have joined the uprising again, he would have done things differently to avoid more bloodshed.

    Major Boakye-Djan (Rtd), said the country is currently experiencing the start of a Christian tyranny of the majority rule and that the country risks being torn apart if Ghanaians do not wake up and do something about it.

    Boakye Gyan who described the tyranny as “creeping” called on Ghanaians to wake up and bring it under control by organising a democratic audit of the young democracy Ghana is enjoying.

    Major Boakye-Djan (Rtd) made this statement in commemoration of the 41st anniversary of the June 4th Revolution as he was one of the main architects of the uprising.

    The June 4th Uprising in 1979 arose out of a combination of alleged corruption, bad governance, frustration among the general public, and lack of discipline and frustrations within the Ghanaian army.

    It was sparked when the then military government of the Supreme Military Council (SMC II) of General F K. Akuffo put then flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings on public trial for attempting to overthrow the government on May 15th 1979.

    This happened because Rawlings was a junior soldier in the Ghanaian Army who with other soldiers were refused to be given their salaries.

    In an interview with Ekourba Gyasi on Atinka AM Drive, Major Boakye-Djan (Rtd), said he has both good and bad memories of the uprising and that he will never support an overthrow of a legitimate government.

    Asked if he would engaged in an uprising 41 years ago, Major Boakye-Djan (Rtd) said although he would have joined the uprising again, he would have done things differently to avoid more bloodshed.

     

    Source: Atinka Online

  • June 4: Ghana is slipping off its moor into trouble seas – Abodakpi

    A former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Keta, Mr Dan Abodakpi, has suggested Ghana is slipping off its moor into trouble seas.

    Delivering at a speech at the 41st virtually commemoration of the June 4 Revolution, the former legislator opined that there is deep-seated cynicism among our body polity because of perceived arrogance of power and absence of true participation and political compromise.

    The once presidential candidate hopeful went on to that that these have happened due to what he termed as compromises in our political space.

    “Let me add quickly here that we have travelled this far because of the far reaching political/democratic compromises that we have made since the advent of the 4th Republic even in fashioning our electoral System!”

    He admonished Ghanaians to recount the events of the June 4 uprising and learn lessons from them.

    [Distinguished Comrades, and fellow Compatriots, as we mark this landmark occasion, let us be guided by the events of 41years ago, and work hard to make our Governance System truly Democratic and not ANOCRATIC for that is the surest way through which we can build a sustained National Team Spirit and the needed Esprit de Corps in order to confront and overcome current and future challenges. Let us continue to observe the necessary protocols toward keeping safe from COVID-19 because the challenges ahead would require that we are one hundred percent fit.”

    Mr. Abodakpi said “June 4, 1979, is unique in our history because it forcefully drove home the point that those governing must be accountable to the governed at all times. Apart from the governed holding duty bearers accountable, another key and critical good governance principle worthy of note is participatory democracy.

    Thanks to the June 4 and 31st December Revolutions, certain key structures of participatory Democracy were captured into our national constitution particularly PARLIAMENT, MUNICIPAL/DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES AND UNIT COMMITTEES. Regrettably, these important structures have been systematically rendered ineffective or completely insignificant through the over concentration of power in the Executive, in this case THE PRESIDENT. This is why our Governance system has virtually become ANOCRATIC. This is why 41years after that bold and glorious uprising when the Ranks and some few Young Officers took upon themselves that most courageous, altruistic and patriotic challenge to CLEAN UP and RESTORE the SHIP OF STATE BUOYED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.”

     

    Source: rainbowradioonline.com

  • Voters’ register: Let cool heads prevail – Korankye Ankrah to EC and political parties

    Founder and Leader of Royalhouse Chapel International, Rev Sam Korankye Ankrah has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to collaborate with all the political parties in the country to ensure peaceful elections.

    On the dispute of a new voters’ register, Rev. Ankrah called for a consensus between the EC and the various political parties to ensure free, fair and transparent polls.

    He indicated that there would be peaceful elections in December.

    He gave the advice during Citi TV’s programme 24-hour worship and prayer programme ‘Intercede Ghana’.

    Rev. Ankrah also called for an end to stigmatization against people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the country.

    He admonished Ghanaians to change their attitude towards people who have been healed from COVID-19.

    He noted that in the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson who had the virus is back to work after he was healed and he has not been stigmatized against this he indicated is an example for Ghanaians to learn from.

    Source: Peace FM

  • What happened to your wonderful dark skin?’ Ghanaians troll Becca after she called them hypocrites

    ‘What happened to your wonderful dark skin?’ Ghanaians troll Becca after she called them hypocrites for supporting anti-racist protests in America

    It was a bad day on the social media for popular Ghanaian Female Musician Rebecca Akosua Acheampong who goes by the stage name Becca after she seemingly crossed her boundaries by calling out Ghanaians to stop acting hypocritical by supporting anti-racist protests in America while they are the biggest racist in their homes and offices.

    She made the tweet as she said Ghanaians must sort out their racial discrimination in the areas of marriages before they talk about the issues that concerns Americans.

    However, her controversial tweet seems to have triggered her fans as she was being labeled a bigger hypocrite for bleaching her skin.

    A twitter user @Blackboyfly asked

    “What happened to ur wonderful dark skin mam?? Stop using the word hypocrite when u are a clear definition of hypocrisy.”

    Another user said. “Dear becca, the Lord that transformed you from darkness to light, will also make our voices be heard. ”

    Fredrick Brooks added his voice as he stated “When you were singing “African Woman” we were all happy not knowing you had a bleaching cream in your left hand waiting for the song to end. Ei Becca Jackson😂😂😂😂

    Source: opera.com

  • Government to prosecute NDC officials over Saglemi housing project scandal

    Some former government officials under the Mahama administration will soon be put before court for allegedly misappropriating funds meant for the Saglemi housing project.

    According to Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea, despite the state paying more than 90% of the contract sum, it was shocking to note that the contract was varied to 1,000 housing units from the original 5,000 while the contract sum remained the same.

    Answering questions from MPs on the state of the housing project, the Minister argued the contract entered into defies logic.

    Mr Atta Akyea said the Ghana Institute of Surveyors has been engaged to conduct a value for money Audit after which their report will be sent to the AG for prosecution to commence.

    The 5000 housing unit facility was started by the Mahama administration in 2012.

    However, the project was stalled for three years following the controversial allegations.

    The immediate past Deputy Works and Housing Minister Samson Ahi has fought off claims the Mahama government failed to do due diligence on the project.

     

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • Western Region records 456 coronavirus case with 10 recoveries

    The confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Western Region have soared from 449 to 456 as of Wednesday, June 3, 2020.

    Out of the 456 confirmed cases, 10 patients with the COVID-19 have recovered.

    This was confirmed by the Western Regional Health Directorate on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, in Sekondi-Takoradi.

    According to the Directorate, 5,219 results are still pending.

    The Directorate added that the region recorded 17 new positive cases, all recorded in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality.

    Currently, Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality is leading in the Western Region with 174 positive cases awaiting 2,033 results.

    Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis has also recorded 151 positive cases, becoming the second area with a high prevalence of the virus. Results for some 640 tests from the metropolis are yet to be released.

    According to the Directorate, as of Wednesday, June 3, 764 new contacts have been traced to 34 cases.

    The Directorate, therefore, commended Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Assembly for launching COVID-19 Trust Fund.

    The first case of the disease in the Western Region was recorded on Easter Sunday and has been traced to a Chinese national who works with the Coastal Quarry Company at Anto in the Shama District.

    The breakdown of positive cases of the coronavirus in Western Region as of Wednesday, June 3, 2020, are as follows:

    • Tarkwa-Nsuaem = 174

    • Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis = 151

    • Effia Kwesimintsim = 41

    • Prestea Huni-Valley = 32

    • Ahanta West = 23

    • Ellembelle District = 13

    • Nzema East Municipality = 10

    • Shama District = 4

    • Mpohor District = 4

    • Jomoro Municipality = 2

    • Amenfi West = 1

    • Wassa East District = 1

    • Amenfi East = 0

    • 14 Amenfi Central = 0

    • Total = 456

    Note the following facts:

    • Total of 5,219 pending results

    • 10 recoveries

    • 1 death

    • Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality has the highest pending results of 2,033.

     

    Source: Daniel Kaku, Contributor

  • ‘You betrayed your own skin color’ – Becca gets grilled as another throwback photo surfaces online

    Ghanaians on Twitter have continued to lambast the embattled female Musician, Rebecca Akosua Acheampong, AKA Becca over her controversial Twitter post.

    The African Woman crooner got castigated for comparing racism in America to tribalism in Africa.

    A twitter user said “Becca this racist thing you can talk about it oo but you have become a white woman so you don’t know which people to defend.”

    Another Twitter user stated that she is even the worst racist “Sister Becca you bleaching probably is your own way of telling us you have something against dark skin people”

    Exactly!!..saying that when you’re even married to a person from another country can also be interpreted by someone that you hate your country men when that’s not so but a preference..

    Becca is asking us what we have done about Xenophobia and Tribalism. Hmm true no much has been done. The bigger question however is with her platform, which is huge BTW, she should respectively show us what she is/has doing/done to combat Xenophobia and Tribalism.

    Meanwhile after getting drilled she made the last post as she tries to clarify her post.

    Source: opera.com

  • Castro’s manager DJ Amess dead

    Today June 4, 2020, seems to be a sad day for the entertainment industry as Ghana has lost two giants in the industry.

    GhanaWeb has confirmed the death of the manager of missing popular musician Castro, DJ Amess.

    Sources tell GhanaWeb he died this morning after a short illness at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

    He was a regular pundit on ATV, Onua FM Top Radio, Adom Entertainment Hall, Kasapa Entertainment, etc.

    Another entertainer and events MC Kwadwo Annor Wiafe well known as @favourite_mcs_mc on Instagram passed away this morning at the Nyaho Medical Centre.

    Wiafe was the host on the Neat FM late afternoon show ‘Ye Ko Fie’ and a stand-in for Abeiku Santana show on Okay FM.

    Meanwhile friends, fans and family members of the two people have taken to social media to mourn their death.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Post Coronavirus: Incorporate ICT fully in teaching, learning Bentsi-Enchill to GES

    Legal luminary, founder and retired senior partner of one of the leading law firms in Ghana, “Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah”, Mr. Kojo Bentsi-Enchill, has called on education authorities in Ghana to incorporate Information & Communication Technology (ICT) fully into all forms and levels of education in order to prepare the learning population for the future.

    Mr. Bentsi-Enchill, observed that Technology has not been an essential component of education in Ghana at all levels for a myriad of reasons. Proficiency in the use of modern technological resources, he said, has proven to be a challenge for many because of a lack of access and the fact that Internet connectivity is also not necessarily stable and is expensive, making it more of a luxury than a necessity for many.

    According to Mr. Bentsi-Enchill, the preferred mode of teaching and learning in Ghana has always involved physical contact in varying degrees, with legal education not an exception. With the onset of COVID-19 and the closing down of all educational institutions to halt the spread of the coronavirus in Ghana, Mr. Bentsi-Enchill noted that there have been attempts at transitioning to online teaching by almost all Law Faculties and the Ghana School of Law with varying degrees of success. This he said, has exposed a worrying lack of preparedness for such a sudden transition, owing to the fact that online teaching and learning is not incorporated in, or necessarily thought of as a substitute to, or compliment of the traditional mode of teaching and learning.

    The Forum

    The eminent Ghanaian jurist aggregated his concerns when he delivered via Zoom, the fifth lecture of the fourteen (14) week-long “Law and Ethics Web Series”, under the theme, “Leveraging COVID-19 to deliver Technology-Based Learning into the Future”, on Wednesday the 3rd of June 2020. The online seminar is organized jointly by the African Centre on Law and Ethics (ACLE) and the African Centre of International Criminal Justice (ACICJ), both based at the GIMPA Faculty of Law.

    Institutional Reforms

    In his presentation, Mr. Bentsi-Enchill, recommended technological reforms for all academic institutions in the country and urged them to embrace the use of ICT in how they deliver their mandate to the studying population of the country.

    “The pandemic has caused everyone to move forward i am sure, and let us assume that there is no help coming from anywhere, let us examine self-help” . “I believe that no institution should stay the same after the necessary advances that have been forced upon them by the need to respond to the lockdown and the social distancing. Every institution should be fighting to tap the large market for online education” Bentsi-Enchill stated.

    ICT and Accreditation Bodies

    Turning his attention to accreditation bodies in the country, Mr. Bentsi-Enchill, admonished them to make the inspection and availability of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure an important criteria before law schools and other tertiary institutions are given accreditation to operate. The retired senior partner of “Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah”, recommended that law schools in Ghana ought to introduce complusory Information Technology Law modules as part of the law school curriculum.

    Law and Ethics Web Series

    The Law and Ethics Web Series begun on Wednesday the 6th of May 2020 on the online meeting platform, Zoom at 2pm. The pending presentations on Jun 10, Jun 17, Jun 24, Jul 1, Jul 8, Jul 15, Jul 22, Jul 29, and Aug 5, 2020, will come on as scheduled. Interested persons can join any of the upcoming sessions by visiting the Zoom application and using the Webinar ID:848-2795-0621 or https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84827950621.

    Various speakers have been lined up for the exercise by the organizers. The series is being coordinated by Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Budu, a Lecturer and Head of Law Centers at the GIMPA Faculty of Law. The 3rd of June 2020 session was moderated by Joan Selorm Tsorhe, law lecturer at the GIMPA Faculty of Law, under the distinguished patronage of the Rector of GIMPA, Professor Philip Ebow Bondzi-Simpson, the Honorific Dean of the GIMPA Law Faculty, Justice Sir Dennis Adjei and the founding Dean of the GIMPA Law Faculty, Professor Kwame Frimpong.

     

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • Do not pay any fee for stimulus package registration NBSSI

    Executive Director of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), Mrs Kosi Yankey Ayeh, has said the application process for the COVID-19 Alleviation Programme (CAP) is free hence no one should pay any fee for it.

    The caution comes on the back of reports that some of the applicants were being charged between GH¢50 and GH¢150 to access the GH¢1 billion loan announced by the Government to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on businesses.

    Mrs Ayeh, who disclosed this in an interview with the media in Assin Fosu, cautioned the public to be wary of such fraudsters.

    “The NBSSI is not charging anyone to register and we are not going around telling people to pay any fee to register with us but what some unscrupulous persons are doing is taking advantage of the situation to make money, which is fraudulent,” she said.

    Mrs Ayeh advised persons interested in applying to decline working with people who came around the markets posing as staff of the NBSSI or members of any association working for the Board.

    Beneficiaries include businesses providing services in demand during the pandemic and which have the potential to grow and positively impact communities affected by COVID-19, as well as those focusing on digitisation to support Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs).

    The maximum amount a business could receive would be determined after assessment by the Committee.

    “We are looking at kick-starting the schemes as early as this month. We just want to put in place structures to ensure that only deserving SMEs benefit from the support,” she said.

    To ensure fairness and transparency, Mrs Ayeh said the Board had launched a portal that received applications for the utilisation of the soft loan scheme for MSMEs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with application forms available online on www.nbssi.gov.gh.

    Businesses could also call the CAP Business Centre on 0302 477 777, or visit the nearest NBSSI Business Advisory Centre for assistance with their applications.

    The Board has received more than 5,000 applications with more than 1000 people making inquiries on how to access the facility.

    The government earlier announced a sum of GH¢600 million, which had been made available for businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic, but the amount was later increased to GH¢1 billion.

    Out of the GH¢1.2 billion earmarked for the programme, GH¢600 million will be disbursed as soft loans to MSMEs with up to a one-year moratorium and a two-year repayment period. The interest is pegged at three per cent.

    Additionally, selected participating banks will provide negotiated counterpart funding to the tune of GH¢400 million, summing up to GH¢1 billion for disbursement under this Business Support Scheme, with the entire scheme set to attract some 180,000 beneficiaries across the country.

    Source: GNA

  • Well need six weeks of training before league resumption – Maxwell Konadu

    Head coach of Asante Kotoko Maxwell Konadu says he will need six weeks to prepare his team before the resumption of the Ghana Premier League.

    The president Nana Akufo-Addo in his latest address stated that all contact sports, including football, remain suspended until July 31 as part of measures to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus disease.

    All football competitions, including the Premier League, have been at a standstill since a ban on public gatherings came into force on March 15.

    “We will need about six weeks to get our players back to where they were before this whole crisis. Football will come back one day. Should government or GFA give us go-ahead to resume, we will need six weeks of training,” Konadu said on Happy FM.

    The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has held talks with the national government about the possible resumption of the sport but the proposal was turned down.

    The GFA has said it would not decide the fate of the disrupted 2019-20 season until June 30, despite increasing pressure for a prompt resolution.

    The Premier League was at the matchweek 15 stage – with Aduana Stars on top of the table – when the competition was brought to a halt.

    As at Thursday, June 4, the West African nation has registered 8,548 cases involving 38 deaths, 3,132 recoveries and 5,378 active cases.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Reduce fuel prices or we increase fares by 20% from June 8 Drivers to government

    Commercial drivers have warned of a 20% fare increment if the government fails to reduce fuel prices latest by 8 June 2020.

    According to the True Drivers Union and the National Concerned Drivers Association, their members in adhering to the social distancing directives to aid the fight against COVID-19 agreed to cut down the number of passengers in their trotros and taxis.

    “Despite this difficulty, the price of crude oil dropped drastically but the government refused to reduce fuel prices. This attitude of the government has shown how they disregard drivers in the country,” the two groups said in a joint statement.

    The drivers say they feel neglected by the government because the government provided monetary support to cushion small scale and medium enterprises but left them out.

    The drivers say fuel prices are always being increased but the authorities have refused to allow them to increase their fares, a situation they described as “unfair.”

    “We are giving the government up June 8 to reduce the fuel prices or we will automatically increase our fares by 20% and any hindrance will cause a massive demonstration by drivers across the country,” the statement said.

    Source: Class FM

  • Popular Neat FM journalist dead

    The media industry and followers of the Despite Media Group have been thrown into a state of shock following the demise of media personnel Kwadwo Annor Wiafe.

    Confirming the news of his death on Instagram, the Despite Media Group wrote, “We are sorry to announce to you the passing on of our dear brother and valued colleague, Kwadwo Annor Wiafe well known as @favourite_mcs_mc.”

    Wiafe who doubled as an MC died this morning at Nyaho Medical Centre in Accra after a short illness.

    He was the host on the Neat FM late afternoon show ‘Ye Ko Fie’ and a stand-in for Abeiku Santana show on Okay FM.

    He appeared on several TV adverts and was one time the producer for the late afternoon show on Peace FM hosted by Micky Darling then.

    Meanwhile, his fans, media personalities and celebrities have taken to their social media page to commiserate his death.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Impossible foods forces Nestlé to stop selling ‘Incredible Burgers’ in Europe

    Nestlé will stop marketing its plant-based burgers as “incredible” in Europe after a Dutch court found that using the word infringes on an impossible foods trademark.

    The District Court in The Hague last week handed down an injunction in favor of the US startup, which is preparing to launch its Impossible Burger in Europe, court papers show.

    According to a preliminary ruling, Nestlé infringed upon the Impossible Burger trademark, which was registered in the European Union last year, by calling its product the Incredible Burger. The court said the words “impossible” and “incredible” sound and appear similar, and the overlap could confuse customers.

    Nestlé has been given four weeks to withdraw its “Incredible” products from retailers or face €25,000 ($27,700) a day in fines for each of its 10 subsidiary companies involved in the case.

    “We are disappointed by this provisional ruling as it is our belief that anyone should be able to use descriptive terms such as ‘incredible’ that explain the qualities of a product,” Nestlé said in a statement. “We will of course abide by this decision, but in parallel, we will file an appeal,” it added.

    The global food giant announced the launch of the Incredible Burger while these negotiations were still ongoing, raising the suspicion that it is trying to “frustrate the successful launch” of the Impossible Burger in Europe, the court found.

    Nestlé, which had previously sought to declare the Impossible Burger trademark invalid, launched its Incredible Burger in Europe in April 2019 under its Garden Gourmet brand. That was followed by the September launch of the Awesome Burger in the United States. According to the judgment, Impossible Foods wrote to Nestlé USA in January 2019 warning that the Incredible Burger infringes on the American Impossible Burger trademark.

    Impossible Foods is waiting for European food safety regulators to approve the genetically modified ingredients contained in its burger, according to the judgment. The Impossible Burger contains soy leghemoglobin (heme), a genetically modified yeast, which makes it taste like meat.

    The US startup filed similar injunctions against Nestlé in regional German courts last year, but withdrew them after the courts told them they would not be granted.

    Impossible Foods said in a statement that it applauds efforts to develop plant-based products but doesn’t want consumers to be confused. “We’re grateful that the court recognized the importance of our trademarks and supported our efforts to protect our brand against incursion from a powerful multinational giant,” said chief legal officer Dana Wagner.

    Source: cnn.com

  • Mobile renewal of NHIS increases by 80 percent

    Mr Bernard Brown, Greater Accra Regional Director of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), has said that there has been an 80 percent increase in mobile renewal cases in the NHIS as at March 31, 2020.

    “Mobile renewal has decreased crowded offices, long queue due to this innovation, making it easier to observe the social distancing,” he said.

    He made these known during the first quarter performance review of the Scheme in its 16 districts in the Greater Accra Region.

    Mr Brown said though the outbreak of the pandemic has affected its performance, the mobile renewal system has made up for its loss.

    All the offices, except those of the Dangbe East (Ada) and Dangbe West (Dodowa) were not closed during the shut-down due to the disease.

    The Regional Director, comparing the performance of 2019 and 2020 of the same period, said there has been a marginal increase of 5,000 active members (those whose cards can access health care) and the number is still counting.

    When the offices re-opened they attended to the vulnerable including pregnant women and children under five, adding that it was done in phases.

    He urged the district officers to scale-up to achieve the two million set target for 2020 as they get every Ghanaian on board by not limiting the registrations to the offices but reach out to the people in their various communities.

    Ensure that the protocols were strictly adhered to, get yourselves prepared if there are any community engagements, while making sure the preventive protocols were followed.

    He said Management would address the inconsistency in the supply of ID cards among other challenges that stood in the way of making people have access to health care through the scheme.

    Mr Elliot Apraku Asante, Operations Manager for the Scheme, said the national target for the year under review is 14,177,004 and that of Accra is 2,022,306.

    He said the region recorded a decline in performance of 90 percent in the last quarter of 2019, stating that Ashanti Region achieved the highest membership target of 91.41 whilst Greater Accra was tenth on the table with 83.26 percent as Oti Region recorded the least with 59.93 percent.

    He said the best district in Accra was Adenta and worse was Ablekuma, saying some districts; Ayawaso, Dangbe East and Weija performed below average.

     

    Source: GNA

  • Reduce fuel prices or we increase fares by 20% from June 8 Drivers to government

    Commercial drivers have warned of a 20% fare increment if the government fails to reduce fuel prices latest by 8 June 2020.

    According to the True Drivers Union and the National Concerned Drivers Association, their members in adhering to the social distancing directives to aid the fight against COVID-19 agreed to cut down the number of passengers in their trotros and taxis.

    “Despite this difficulty, the price of crude oil dropped drastically but the government refused to reduce fuel prices. This attitude of the government has shown how they disregard drivers in the country,” the two groups said in a joint statement.

    The drivers say they feel neglected by the government because the government provided monetary support to cushion small scale and medium enterprises but left them out.

    The drivers say fuel prices are always being increased but the authorities have refused to allow them to increase their fares, a situation they described as “unfair.”

    “We are giving the government up June 8 to reduce the fuel prices or we will automatically increase our fares by 20% and any hindrance will cause a massive demonstration by drivers across the country,” the statement said.

     

    Source: Class FM

  • Nana Aba Anamoahs birthday giveaway might not end well for some fans

    Ace journalist and acting General Manager of GHOne TV, Nana Aba Anamoah will be celebrating her birthday few days to come.

    Nana Aba Anamoah out of excitement made a post regarding her birthday coming up very soon.

    In the post, the seasoned broadcaster made mention of a birthday giveaway but, with the way she put it, maybe the birthday giveaway that some fans are looking forward to might not come on.

    Her post read, “Moseee birthday give away anaa? Anaa corona nti make I komot? meaning the media personality is still not sure about doing any giveaway, which will eventually get some fans disappointed as they are looking forward to it happening.

    See post below;

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    Moseee birthday give away anaa? Anaa corona nti make I komot? #June19 Dress: @rhodatrendz @rhodaneequaye

    A post shared by nana aba (@thenanaaba) on

    Source: ghbase.com

  • Inauguration of new Asante Kotoko Board of Directors postponed

    The inauguration ceremony of the new Asante Kotoko Board of Directors has been postponed.

    The inauguration was expected to take place today at the Manhyia Palace at the seat of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II who is the life patron and owner of the club.

    A nine new member board was named by Otumfuo last week to steer the affairs of the club.

    However, information gathered by Footballghana.com indicates that the inauguration has been postponed.

    Dr. Kwame Kyei, who is the Executive Chairman of the club was appointed as chairman of the new board.

    The naming of a board chairman and a 9-member board for the club was done to meet the Ghana Football Association’s club licensing regulations that ask clubs to have functioning boards to run their affairs.

    Kwame Kyei will be assisted by Mr. Jude Arthur as the Vice-Chairman position.

    The other people on the board are Kwadwo Boateng Gyamfi, Kwasi Osei Ofori, Alhaji Lamine, Kwamena Mensah, Joseph Yaw Addo, Evelyn Nsiah Asare and Baffour Kwame Kusi.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Missing accident body: Police is in charge and not our morgue – Dormaa Presby Hospital

    General Manager of Dormaa Presby Hospital, Rev. Dr. Isaac Appiah, has denied reports that his outfit is to be blamed for a missing corpse at the hospital’s mortuary.

    On Wednesday, June 3, 2020, Rainbowradioonline.com, reported that a family at Dormaa Ahenkro was after the Dormaa mortuary over the disappearance of their deceased relative.

    The body, together with one other, were deposited at the morgue by the Dormaa Police after a car accident. However, days after the bodies were deposited in the hospital, the family of one of the deceased claimed the body released to them was not that of their late relative, Wofa Atta.

    Speaking to GhanaWeb about the issue, Rev Appiah explained that the case is between two families and the Police as the intermediary.

    He explained, his outfit was only mandated to allow family members have access to the bodies for identification with escorts from the Police.

    He added that the hospital only had the mandate to release the dead bodies to the families after both families have fully identified their relatives

    “The two bodies were brought to the hospital on Sunday (May 24, 2020). Because Monday was a holiday, one of the families came to the morgue on Tuesday(May 26) to identify their body with police officers.

    Two members from the family of Wofa Atta also came later to view the remaining body and they confirmed that was their body. And for that matter, the morgue people also registered them, gave that body the mortuary tag…”

    He said the mishap happened because representatives of the two families failed to identify their own body when they reported to the morgue for viewing and identification.

    “So last week Friday morning, the first family came back for their body after inspection…Then yesterday, they were coming for the body, when the body was removed for them, the other family members said it wasn’t theirs. But meanwhile, it is the body that Friday, they came to identify. The records are there. So what happened is that those who came to identify their body couldn’t identify their own body. And those who came earlier was may be given a body which does not belong to them. But for us as a hospital, we don’t even come into the case. Because they are dealing with the Police.”

    He reiterated that the case was handed over to the Police to settle since they brought the accident bodies to the morgue.

    “When they came yesterday, we called the Police and handed everything to the Police. Because we made them understand that it is between them and the Police and not us. Because the body was brought by the Police, so we advised them to go the Police… So that if anything at all, the Police can issue directive so that some of the Police officers can go to where they buried the first body to cross-check.”, he told GhanaWeb in the exclusive interview.

    Meanwhile, the Police have met the two families to resolve the issue.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Night clubs, drinking bars remain closed

    Night clubs and drinking bars across Ghana remain closed, government has announced.

    Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, made this known in an interaction with the media on Thursday, June 4, 2020.

    She says the decision is based on the high-level socialization that takes place in drinking bars and night clubs.

    According to her, drinking bars and night clubs in hotels also remain closed.

    Restaurants

    She stated that restaurants and other businesses that operate food services can operate.

    However, she said restaurant owners should ensure that guests wear face masks and those serving clients including cooks and waiters and waitresses wear nose masks.

    She says hotels and guest house can operate.

    Events organizers including those holding awards ceremony, she says, can also operate.

    However, she said there should be social distancing, ensuring one-meter distance rule, not having more than 100 people in a room or auditorium or adhering to 50 per cent capacity rule.

     

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • Sports Minister asssures ex-Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah will be paid

    Sports Minister Isaac Asiamah has revealed government is determined to settle the salary arrears of ex-Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah.

    Appiah is owed US$ 185,000 which is made up of two months salaries and bonuses

    The ex-international left his post as Black Stars coach after the expiration of his contract in December 2019.

    After five months, Appiah has threatened to drag the Ghana FA to FIFA if he is not paid.

    ”It will be wrong to state that we don’t want to pay him because we have supported him right from the start of his contract,” Asiamah said a press conference.

    ”We paid all his two-year salaries and bonuses before the extension of his contract and that is how come we owe him.

    ”I can assure you that we will pay him his due for all the good work he had done for our dear nation.”

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Defunct Kona Agro Processing to bounce back, secures deal with Australian firm

    Kona Agro Processing Limited, an indigenous cashew processing company at Awisa near Wenchi in the Bono Region, has entered into a joint venture with Australian Dried Fruits and the Nuts Trading entity to scale up cashew processing in the country.

    The transaction involves establishing a new 10,000 metric tonne (MT) processing plant. The initial processing capacity will be 5,000MT, rising to 10,000MT by the third year of operations.

    The Australian firm will provide funding for capital investment and all the working capital required to purchase the raw cashew nuts (RCN) for processing. The Ghanaian partners, [Kona Agro processing Ltd.] on the other hand, will provide funding for the capex as well as the technical capacity required to source and process RCN. The team will be complemented with a technical team from Vietnam.

    The investment is estimated to create 500 direct jobs in the first year, and increase to 1,000 in the subsequent years when production hits 10,000MT. The workforce is envisaged to be 80 percent predominantly women employees.

    The Managing Director of Kona Agro processing Ltd., Raymond Kojo Opoku Taylor, disclosed this to the B&FT. He said all other things being equal, the revived company will commence operation in the 2021 cashew season. However, COVID-19 restrictions remain the major challenge that could delay commencement of operations, he added.

    Kona Agro Processing Ltd. is the first indigenous cashew processing company, starting operation in 2008. Unfortunately, the company shut down in 2015 due to varied reasons such as unhealthy competition from exporters for RCN and high utility and operational costs. Many other cashew processing companies in the country have also shut down. The few that are currently in business produce below their optimal capacities.

    “This venture means that capacity to process and export cashew kernels has not diminished. It also proves that with the right partners, strategic alliance and support from the government, cashew processing and agribusiness in Ghana can be promoted and expanded.

    “It also provides confidence and belief to farmers, workers and other stakeholders in the cashew value chain that the industry is here to stay. This especially so in the COVID-19 period, when the cashew supply chain is facing serious disruption due to the lockdown and associated problems,” he said.

    Mr. Taylor opined that the need to scale up processing has working capital implications which are extremely difficult to surmount, adding: “The primary expectation from processors is for government to provide a framework to support the industry through support for farmers to produce high quality RCN.

    “The support from government can be achieved through the introduction of an export levy on raw cashew nuts as is the case in Ivory Coast and Benin and other cashew-exporting countries. Proceeds from the levy can be used to support farmers and processors, and will also encourage local processing. As it is now, India the largest consumer of cashew kernels globally imposes a levy/tax on imported cashew kernels to discourage the import of cashew kernel, and by so doing protects their cashew processors.

    “Indian processors, on the other hand, import raw cashew nuts from Ghana and other west African countries for processing in India. The introduction of an export levy will level the playing field,” he suggested.

    The increasing mechanisation of cashew processing, he indicated, has made it necessary for operators to process volumes in excess of 3,000MT to render the investment profitable. “The working capital required to process 3,000MT of raw cashew nuts is approximately US$3million. This is usually multiple the balance sheet of the processor, making it very difficult for processors to raise money from traditional sources such as banks or funds.”

    The cashew industry has gone through a transition from the labour-intensive processing methods predominant in India which were promoted by Technoserve in Africa ten years ago, to the mechanised processing methods as practiced in Vietnam which is now the world leading exporter of cashew kernels.

    Source: B&FT Online

  • We need to think outside the box to fund football – GFA President

    Mr. Kurt Okraku, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has said the COVID-19 pandemic has brought in its wake financial hardship for stakeholders in the football industry.

    He said it is therefore prudent for all stakeholders in the sporting industry to think outside the box to find innovative ways to finance football in the country.

    Currently, he said the two major sources of funding- the annual subvention from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the statutory funds from FIFA, were not sufficient to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

    The GFA President made these remarks in an interview with the GNA Sports on the sidelines of a media briefing on details of the easing of restrictions on some sporting disciplines.

    Mr. Okraku said it was imperative for corporate entities in the country to come onboard to support sporting activities, especially as the pandemic had hit hard at club owners, football administrators, and players in general.

    He admitted that the GFA had received $400,000 from CAF this year, but was not adequate to tackle the financial difficulties faced by football stakeholders.

    He said the Association was expecting financial support from the COVID-19 Emergency Fund to support the running of football, saying the football economy in Ghana was too small and not robust “So we have to think outside the box and be fair in our thinking processes”.

    Mr. Okraku said, the Association would need funds to purchase personal protective equipment, undertake educational campaigns and support clubs since football would be organised behind closed doors when the league resumed.

    On whether the Ghana Premiere League would be truncated or otherwise, Mr. Okraku said the Executive Council of the GFA would make the final decision on June 30.

    The FA President stated that there had been a series of meetings between the Council and Government and would come out publicly on the way forward on June 30.

    Source: GNA

  • NSA to provide specific protocols for non-contact sporting disciplines – Sports Minister

    Mr. Isaac Kwame Asiamah, Minister for Youth and Sports has said the National Sports Authority (NSA) will soon outline specific guidelines for the resumption of the non-contact and individual sporting disciplines.

    This development comes about after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo gave the green light for non-contact sports to go ahead in his address about measures taken against the spread of Coronavirus last Sunday.

    According to the Sports Minister, it would be vital to adhere to strict hygienic conditions to ensure safety in the non-contact and individual sporting disciplines that have been granted permission to operate.

    “It will be important to observe all the health protocols to safeguard athletes, so as we go along the Director-General of NSA, Peter Twumasi would sit down with each federation to outline specific protocols to be observed by each sporting discipline.

    “I’m sure if the NSA outlines the protocols, we can ensure the safety of our sports during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

    Source: GNA

  • Ghanas quest to host successful 2023 African Games on course – Minister

    Former Ghana international Sarfo Gyamfi has shot down Abedi Pele’s claim that there was no captaincy row in the Black Stars camp during the 1992 African Cup of Nations in Senegal.

    Ghana’s hope of winning their fifth African Cup were dashed after losing 11-10 on penalties against Ivory Coast.

    Abedi Pele and Anthony Yeboah have been widely reported to have fallen out over a captaincy row prior to the defeat against the Elephants.

    Yeboah, who was deputy to the Olympique Marseille icon, was sidestepped after the armband was handed to the relative new player Anthony Baffoe in the final to the Ivorians.

    There have been widespread claims that the decision to hand the leadership role to Baffoe cost the team the title as it sparked division in the team.

    But Pele over the weekend denied the notion, insisting that it was luck that eluded them in the final.

    However, Sarfo Gyamfi, who a member of the team in the 1992 squad, has sided with Yeboah over his claim that they lost the cup due to the captaincy rift.

    “We had a good team but there were so many problems in camp. It’s true that the captaincy issue affected us. If anybody told you that there was no problem in our camp at the 1992 tournament then that person is a liar,” Gyamfi told Don Summer.

    “The only person among the management team that won my admiration was [Welbeck] Abrah Appiah. When he came to the camp and we narrated the situation to him.”

    “When we started the tournament, they promised to pay us $100,000 but they promise to increase it as the tournament goes on but we turned it down. Later we had a meeting with them [management] and I think Abedi [Ayew] later came to tell us that they’ll increase it. They said the money will be increased to $2,ooo when we qualify and move to Dakar because we were the teams in our group were stationed outside the city.”

    “I want him [Abedi Pele] to clarify that the $8,000 he mentioned was for the whole tournament. It’s an accumulation of the bonuses we received at the tournament. There was no Ghana match that fetched us even $3,000 since I was in the team.”

    Sarfo, who played for the defunct Neoplan Stars and Asante Kotoko in the local league, amassed four caps for Ghana.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Kwadwo Nkansah Lilwin shares his new looks and says hes venturing into dancehall music now

    Comedian and actor LilWin has proven countless times that he is the most versatile Ghanaian comedian of our time.

    In a most recent post on Instagram, LilWin shares his new looks with fans and also says he is venturing into Dancehall music now.

    He also calls himself the dancehall comic artiste.

    Take a good look at the photos and share your thoughts with us:

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    No solo music … straight to Dancehall … am your Dancehall comic Artist….Oseikrom commando #wezzyempire

    A post shared by OfficialLilWin (@officiallilwin) on

    Source: ghbase.com

  • Coronavirus fiscal easing announcements exceed 7% of world GDP

    Macro policy easing responses to the coronavirus crisis have reached unprecedented levels, with direct fiscal stimulus measures totalling USS5 trillion  (7% of 2019 GDP) for the “Fitch 20” countries covered in its Global Economic Outlook.

    “The scale of fiscal easing announced to date, which could increase further, is significantly larger than the fiscal response seen after the global financial crisis, when the advanced economies saw a fiscal easing of around 3%-4% of GDP. Massive policy easing will undoubtedly help the pace of the post-crisis economic recovery,” said Marina Stefani, Director at Fitch Ratings.

    Central Bank responses have been similarly impressive – with new quantitative easing (QE) asset purchases expected to reach 20% of GDP in the US, 9% in the UK and Canada, and more than 7% in the eurozone – and a wide array of new credit facilities.

    The ECB could also further increase its bond-buying programme.

    “Responses to the crisis have, however, been strikingly uneven, with developed-market countries within the Fitch 20 set to spend an aggregate US$7.6 trillion (11% of 2019 GDP) in overall fiscal-support measures (including guarantees and quasi-fiscal measures), while emerging-market economies have announced a modest USS1.2 trillion (1.8% of 2019 GDP),” added Stefani.

    Responses vary from direct fiscal support to households and businesses to government-granted fiscal guarantees or quasi-fiscal measures borne by public agencies.

    Various central banks have adopted monetary easing, asset-purchase programmes, and the launching of new liquidity or refinancing facilities to support the real economy including via the banking sector.

    The speed and size of macro policy easing will influence both the intensity of the immediate coronavirus-related macro shock and the pace of the post-crisis economic recovery.

    Using a broad definition of fiscal support including direct fiscal-easing measures and guarantees, Germany, Italy and the UK each have announced more than 20% of GDP overall fiscal support, followed closely by France (17.5%).

    For the largest four eurozone countries, as well as for the UK, more than 70% of the total fiscal response is composed of government guarantees. Direct fiscal measures in Europe vary from around 3% in Spain and Poland to 4.5% in France and Italy, 5.5% in the UK and 8% in Germany.

    The European Commission has proposed a EUR750 billion EU joint fiscal package (6.3% of eurozone GDP) to finance the recovery, but this has yet to be agreed at the EU member state level.

    The US also has announced an enormous stimulus package and established a wide range of support instruments. Direct fiscal easing exceeds that announced so far in Europe, at 11.5% of GDP, although the scale of new federal fiscal guarantees has been smaller, at 2.4% of GDP.

    Similarly, Japan has announced a large support package and Fitch estimates that actual new discretionary measures, guarantees and quasi-fiscal measures adopted by the government will account for 32.3% of GDP.

    Source: Class FM

  • My family were not happy I lost my position at Kotoko – Felix Annan

    Asante Kotoko goalkeeper, Felix Annan says his family and close associates were in unhappy after he lost his position at the club due to his wedding ceremony.

    The former WAFA shot-stopper became the talk of the town after shockingly losing his position in between the sticks to Kwame Baah

    Speaking to Kumasi based Opemsuo FM, Annan reiterated that he understands the situation as a professional and will fight to gain his spot in the team.

    “I never planned to fix my wedding ceremony mid-season; in fact, it is unheard of for a professional player to do that but the Ghana football calendar was not stable and invitations had already gone out to guests home and abroad.

    “I am professional so I was not troubled much when I lost my position after the marriage ceremony but my wife and Mom were not happy about it.”

    Annan has been the number one goalkeeper for the porcupine warriors since 2015.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Ghanaian players in the MLS set to return to action

    Ghanaian players in the MLS are set to return to action after a meeting between the Major League Soccer and the MLS player Association.

    The two parties voted in favor of a revised plan, which will see the 2020 season resume with a tournament in Orlando.

    There are several Ghanaian players in the MLS with Harrison Afful and Jonathan Mensah representing Columbus Crew, Latif Blessing plays for LAFC and Nashville has duo David Accam and Abubakar Danladi.

    Lalas Abubakar plays for Colorado Rapids.

    A statement on the MLS official website reads:

    MLS and the MLS Players Association completed a new collective bargaining agreement on Wednesday after the MLSPA voted to approve a revised plan.

    The new CBA will run through 2025 and includes agreement on a plan to resume the 2020 season with a tournament in Orlando, MLS commissioner Don Garber confirmed in a video conference with media on Wednesday afternoon.

    MLS suspended the season on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Full details, including specific dates and competition format for the Orlando tournament, are expected to be revealed in the coming days.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • My mum didn’t talk to me for two years because I chose football of Education- Augustine Sefa

    Asante Kotoko defender Augustine Sefa has made a shocking revelation about how he was not on talking terms with his mother because he chose football over education.

    The defender disclosed that he rejected the idea of pursuing Mechanical Engineering at Accra Polytechnic just to live his dream of playing football.

    “My mother didn’t speak to me for two years when I chose to play football instead of pursuing a course in Mechanical Engineering at Accra Polytechnic. My siblings had to steal food for me because she won’t give me food,” Sefa told Opemsuo FM.

    Sefa has been an integral member of the Porcupine Warriors and is currently the vice-captain of the club.

    The former Medeama SC and Ashantigold player is two time Ghana Premier League champion.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • CAF eyeing Champions League return in July or September

    The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has proposed two different dates to resume the closing stages of both the 2019-20 African Champions League and the Confederation Cup.

    A leaked document has revealed that Caf is targeting two scenarios, with the return to action either starting in late July/early August or in September.

    Both competitions should have been finished in May but the semi-final stages were postponed in April as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

    In the first scenario, the first legs of the semi-finals would take place between 31 July-2 August with the second legs the following weekend.

    The Confederation Cup final would then be played on 23 August, with the Champions League final taking place five days later.

    The second scenario earmarks a return for the semi-finals on 4-6 and 11-13 September, meaning the Confederation Cup final would be on 23 September and the Champions League showpiece on 25 September.

    The Champions League and Confederation Cup finals had been set to be hosted in Douala, Cameroon, and Rabat, Morocco, respectively as Caf opted for one-legged finals for the first time but it is unclear if this will still happen.

    In the Champions League, Morocco’s Raja Casablanca are due to meet Zamalek of Egypt while the other tie is also a Moroccan-Egyptian affair as Wydad Casablanca face record eight-time winners Al Ahly.

    Morocco cancelled all football on 14 March and has yet to indicate when the sport will resume, with a decision expected after the country’s lockdown ends on 10 June.

    Egypt, which suspended football a day later, has also to decide when to resume football.

    Meanwhile, in the Confederation Cup, Guinea side Horoya will face Egypt’s Pyramids while the other tie is an all-Moroccan affair between Renaissance Berkane and Hassania Agadir.

    It is also unclear when Guinean football will resume but Horoya is seeking permission to resume training in the coming weeks so that they can be ready for their tie.

    Impact on 2020-21

    The delay to the current season has a clear impact on the 2020-21 campaign, which would ordinarily have got underway in August.

    CAF is now targeting a start in October 2020 with the finals to be played in May 2021, with four different scenarios being discussed if the finals are to take place in May.

    These range from cancelling the quarter-final stage of both competitions to playing both the semis and final in the same country.

    Cancelling the second preliminary round of the Confederations Cup and playing matches at the same time as the European Championships, which might divert fans’ attention, in June-July 2021 are also being considered.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Ghanaian players in the MLS set to return to action

    Ghanaian players in the MLS are set to return to action after a meeting between the Major League Soccer and the MLS player Association.

    The two parties voted in favor of a revised plan, which will see the 2020 season resume with a tournament in Orlando.

    There are several Ghanaian players in the MLS with Harrison Afful and Jonathan Mensah representing Columbus Crew, Latif Blessing plays for LAFC, and Nashville has duo David Accam and Abubakar Danladi.

    Lalas Abubakar plays for Colorado Rapids.

    A statement on the MLS official website reads:

    MLS and the MLS Players Association completed a new collective bargaining agreement on Wednesday after the MLSPA voted to approve a revised plan.

    The new CBA will run through 2025 and includes agreement on a plan to resume the 2020 season with a tournament in Orlando, MLS commissioner Don Garber confirmed in a video conference with media on Wednesday afternoon.

    MLS suspended the season on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Full details, including specific dates and competition format for the Orlando tournament, are expected to be revealed in the coming days.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet