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Author: Chris Kodo

  • More countries to ease coronavirus restrictions as global cases rise

    More countries in Europe and Asia began to ease restrictions and resume operations, but more than 1 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean, now the new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Globally, confirmed COVID-19 cases have surpassed 6.16 million, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

    New Epicenter

    Brazil on Sunday said its nationwide tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 514,849 after 16,409 people tested positive in the past 24 hours, while the death toll neared 30,000. Its death toll rose to 29,314, the fourth highest in the global pandemic after the United States, Britain and Italy, after 480 deaths had been reported since Saturday, while another 4,208 deaths are still being investigated for any linkage with COVID-19, the Ministry of Health said.

    Also on Sunday, Mexico’s Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said that the country reported 3,152 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 90,664.

    There were 151 new coronavirus deaths in Mexico, taking total fatalities to 9,930, Lopez-Gatell added.

    Meanwhile, Chile’s COVID-19 cases increased by 4,830 to reach 99,688 on Sunday.

    In the past 24 hours, 57 more patients died, the highest number of fatalities in a single day so far, taking the death toll from the disease to 1,054.

    A lockdown is in effect in the capital Santiago and the metropolitan area through June 5, as the region is the epicentre of the country’s outbreak.

    In recent weeks, Chile has seen an exponential rise in the number of cases and deaths, leading the government to set up field hospitals to deal with the growing number of patients.

    Easing Restrictions

    Italy has now recorded fewer than 600 new cases per day for eight consecutive days, a dramatic drop from peaks of more than 6,000 new infections a day when Italy was the epicentre of the pandemic in late March.

    Recent trends show that the spread of the virus has slowed dramatically despite a gradual easing of Italy’s national lockdown at a two-week interval, first on May 4 and again on May 18.

    The next step toward easing will come on June 3, when Italians will be allowed to move freely between regions even if for non-essential reasons.

    It will be the first time such travels will be allowed since March 9, the day before the national lockdown entered into force.

    Many businesses across Turkey on Sunday also prepared to resume operation for the first time after over two months of closure amid a slowdown in the spread of COVID-19.

    Restaurants, cafes, parks, beaches, daycare centres, kindergartens, libraries, sports facilities, swimming pools, and museums will be operational as of June 1 as part of the new normalization process announced on May 28.

    Following the announcement, the Health Ministry prepared a guide in particular for the eating and drinking industry, explaining the new rules in a detailed way.

    Likewise, the Egyptian government on Sunday announced a decision to reduce its curfew from 10 hours to nine, following a meeting led by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

    The government has already started gradual reopening of services and offices suspended since mid-March amid a “coexistence plan” to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming services, businesses and economic activities.

    Chairing Saturday’s Downing Street daily briefing, British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said Britons will be able to exercise outside with up to five others from different households from Monday, provided that strict social distancing guidelines are followed.

    He also announced that from Monday, competitive sport will be allowed behind closed doors in England, paving the way for the return of live sports on TV screens in almost three months.

    The move came as some experts warned that lifting restrictions before cases come down is too “risky.”

    Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, said that Britons need to “actually follow the guidance.”

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

    Source: GNA

  • George Floyd: Music industry calls for ‘blackout’ over death

    The music industry is to observe a day-long “blackout” on Tuesday, in response to George Floyd’s death last week.

    All three major record labels have shared a message on social media promising “a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community”.

    Employees have been given Tuesday off as “a day of action,” intended to “provoke accountability and change”.

    Interscope vowed not to release new music this week, while Apple Music’s Ebro Darden cancelled his radio shows.

    Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, died last week after a white police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes.

    Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin has been sacked and charged with third-degree murder. He is due to appear in court on Monday, amid ongoing protests in the US and UK.

    Many of music’s biggest stars have spoken out about the father-of-two’s death.

    Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Rihanna spoke of the “devastation, anger [and] sadness” she has experienced over the last week.

    “Watching my people get murdered and lynched day after day pushed me to a heavy place in my heart,” she wrote.

    Beyoncé filmed an Instagram video urging fans to sign a petition seeking “justice for George Floyd”.

    “We all witnessed his murder in broad daylight…We’re broken and we’re disgusted. We cannot normalise this pain”.

    Dr Dre also called for action, saying his “heart is still aching”.

    “It felt like that cop had his knee on all of our necks, meaning black men,” he said on Apple Music’s Young Money Radio.

    “It’s extremely painful because it keeps going on. It continues to go on and it’s like, ‘What can we do? Or what do we need to do to make this thing stop?’”

    Other pop stars, including Ariana Grande, J Cole, Tinashe, Nick Cannon, Yungblud, Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes, joined protestors across the US over the weekend.

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    ✔@halsey

    fired rubber bullets at us. we did not breach the line. hands were up. unmoving. and they gassed and fired.

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    Halsey, who took to the streets in Los Angeles, told fans that she and other protestors had been fired upon by police.

    “We were peaceful, hands up, not moving, not breaching the line,” she captioned a photograph of police in protective gear.

    “They opened fire of rubber bullets and tear gas multiple times on us. citizens who were not provoking them.”

    As anger spread through the music community, a message spread on social media calling on the industry to “take an urgent step of action to provoke accountability and change”.

    “As gatekeepers of the culture, it’s our responsibility to not only come together to celebrate the wins, but also hold each other up during loss,” reads the statement, which circulated under the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused.

    Among those reposting the message were Warner Music Group, Sony/ATV, Universal Music, Motown, Capitol Records, British label Dirty Hit, Eminem’s Shady Records and legendary producer Quincy Jones.

    “All of my shows are cancelled,” wrote Apple’s Ebro Darden on his Instagram feed. “I will air replays of conversations with community activists, politicians and revolutionary music.”

    Task force “We stand together with the black community against all forms of racism, bigotry, and violence,” said Columbia Records, which is home to Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, Lil Nas X, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Adele.

    “Now, more than ever, we must use our voices to speak up and challenge the injustices all around us.”

    “In the words of Dr King, ‘There comes a time when silence is betrayal.’ When you have a responsibility to raise your voice for change. That time has come,” added Universal Music Group on social media.

    Universal’s chairman, Sir Lucian Grainge, also issued a memo to staff laying out plans for a task force, headed by chief counsel Jeff Harleston, to “accelerate our efforts in areas such as inclusion and social justice”.

    “We must do more and now is the time to do it – and to do it with an unprecedented sense of urgency,” he wrote.

    “Even more importantly, we must commit ourselves not merely for this week, but we must continue that commitment – without let-up – in the months and years ahead.”

    The British record industry’s trade body, the BPI, also confirmed it would participate in the “Blackout Tuesday”.

    “Like many of our members, we will suspend normal business tomorrow,” it said in a statement.

    “Our staff will share in this moment to reflect on the recent tragic events, stand in solidarity with all those who suffer discrimination and encourage our leaders across the world to act.

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

    Source: bbc.com

  • Government working with oil companies to protect workers from coronavirus

    Deputy Minister of Energy in charge of Petroleum, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, has said the government is supporting oil companies that are operating in Ghana to protect their workers from contracting the coronavirus.

    His comment come after over 50 workers of Tullow oil have tested positive for the COVID-19.

    Tullow in a statement last week announced that fifty-eight workers at the Jubilee field tested positive for COVID-19.

    The company however said production remains unaffected.

    But speaking to Joy News, Dr Amin Adam assured the public that the government is acting to ensure that workers of the oil firms and Ghanaians in general are protected from the pandemic.

    “We have worked with the oil companies t ensure that they adopt the protocols to ensure the safety of their workers in this COVID-19,” he said.

    Source: laudbusiness.com

  • Tema Port gets new director

    President Nana Akufo-Addo has appointed Ms Sandra Opoku as the Director of the Tema Port.

    According to the state-owned newspaper, Daily Graphic, a letter announcing her appointment dated May 4, 2020, and signed by the Secretary to the Public Services Commission, Mrs Mabel Amoako Atta, said the decision by the President was taken in accordance with the advice of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) which was given in consultation with the Public Services Commission.

    Until her appointment, Ms Opoku had acted in that position since March 2019, according to the report.

    The letter announcing the new appointment also said the appointment of Ms Opoku was subject to medical fitness and other checks with effect from the date of assumption of duty.

    “As the Director of the Tema Ports of GPHA, you will, under the leadership of the Director-General of GPHA, be responsible for providing overall co-ordination and supervision of the operations of the Tema Port.

    “For the purposes of disciplinary control, you will be responsible to the President through the Director-General of GPHA,” the Daily Graphic quoted parts of the letter in its report on Monday, June 1, 2020.

    Ms Opoku takes over from Mr Edward Kofi Osei, who retired on March 3, 2019 having attained the compulsory retirement age of 60.

    Ms Opoku is a lawyer by profession and joined the GPHA in 2003 and later enrolled at the International Maritime Law Institute in Malta in 2004 where she studied International Maritime Law.

    She previously served as a General Manager in charge of Administration at GPHA.

    She was employed in 2003 as a lawyer.

    GPHA sponsored her to study maritime law at the World Maritime University in Sweden in 2004, according to the Daily Graphic report.

    Source: Ghana celebrities

  • SMEs urged to use the coronavirus alleviation fund for its purpose

    Mr Kwadwo Banahene Bediako, District Chief Executive for Sekyere Central has advised people who will have access to the COVID-19 alleviation fund to use it for its intended purposes.

    He said the fund, which had been established by the government to support micro, small and medium scale businesses, which had been hit by the coronavirus pandemic was not a gift but a soft loan, which was payable.

    It was therefore important for would-be beneficiaries to understand and use it to support their businesses to grow and expand to improve on their incomes and livelihoods.

    Mr Bediako gave the advice at a meeting organized by the district secretariat of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) Business Advisory Centre (BAC) for carrot, green pepper and cabbage farmers in the district at Nsuta.

    The meeting was to sensitize the farmers on how they could access the fund to support their activities.

    Mr Bediako said the outbreak of the pandemic had brought untold hardship to businesses including farmers who found it difficult to market their products since most markets in the country have been closed.

    He said the fund would help the farmers to maintain and expand their farms while preserving their products.

    Mr. Thomas Fofie, District Manager of NBSSI said every Ghanaian doing business was qualified to access the fund, adding that, what was important was for them to have tax identification numbers.

    Source: GNA

  • COCOBOD gives over 90,000 bags of fertilizers to farmers in Western North

    The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) through the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) has presented a total 99,468 bags of Cocoa fertilizers to be distributed to 126 farmer cooperative groups within Wiawso and Akontombra districts of the Western North Region.

    Mr John Ahi, Boako District Technical Officer, who confirmed the development to the Ghana News Agency, said the 126 farmer corporative groups were from the Wiawso and Akontombra districts with a maximum number of between 250 and 300 members in each group.

    He said his outfit with the support of the farmer groups have prune all the selected farms to pave way for the application of the fertilizers.

    He said the farmer corporatives were used to ensure that the government sponsored agro chemicals were fairly distributed to the rightful beneficiaries.

    Mr Ahi advised beneficiary farmers to take experts advice from the technical officers and that the district has enough Technical Officers to attend to each farmer.

    He asked them to desist from smuggling the fertilizers to other areas for sale, since the security agencies were on the alert to arrest any farmer who sells the fertilizers and the buyer as well.

    The District Technical Officer appealed to farmers to regularly maintain their farms in order to get good yields since farm maintenance was key in cocoa production.

    He urged Cocoa farmers within his operational areas to either join or form farmer cooperatives in order to benefit from the COCOBOD programme and policies.

    The beneficiary cooperatives groups included, Aseda Ben Association, Kuapa kokoo farmer’s union, Yesu Adom women in Cocoa Association, Royal Youth and Eka obi nko Cocoa farmer’s Association.

    The others are Awurade beye Cocoa farmer’s Association, Golden Pod farmer’s Association and NSO Nyame ye Cocoa farmer’s Association among others.

    Mr Kankam Amos, secretary for Anidaso cooperative Cocoa farmer’s group, commended the government and COCOBOD for bringing fertilizers to the door steps of cocoa farmers. He pledged that the fertilizer would be used appropriately.

    Source: GNA

  • Coronavirus: Banana seller at Koforidua Police Training School tests positive

    A Banana seller has tested positive for COVID-19 at the Koforidua Police Training School in the Eastern Region.

    She tested positive Friday, May 29,2020, after Ghana Health Service conducted mass testing for Police recruits, Police officers, and their families staying in bungalows in the school as well as food vendors.

    The patient was the only one among the lot whose test results came out positive. She has since been quarantined.

    The Banana seller does not only ply her trade at the Police Training School but also sell to customers at Regional Police Headquarters, Koforidua High Court, GNAT Hall during events, and the Lands Commission.

    Contact tracing is underway.

    Meanwhile, about 244 samples of Police personnel, inmates at Cells as well as families of Police officers at the Central Police station and barracks in Koforidua have been taken for testing following the death of the Station Officer who died from Coronavirus.

    Samples of the Widow and her children including her twin kids were also taken.

    The samples were taken Sunday by a medical team from the Ghana Health Service. The is anxiety among police personnel and occupants at the barracks as they await their test results.

    55-year-old Chief Inspector who was the Station Officer in Charge of the Central Police Station in Koforidua died Friday, May 29,2020, after a short illness.

    He was on admission at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua for few days having visited the Police Clinic in Koforidua and Newland Hospital- a private Hospital before his death.

    Meanwhile, samples of health workers at the Police Clinic and Newland Hospital have also been taken by the Medical team while the affected staff quarantined.

    The sudden death of the Chief Inspector has shocked many in the Eastern Regional Capital.

    He has been described by many as a very affable Police officer who discharged his duties to the admiration of many in the regional capital.

    He was honoured by the Police Administration a few years ago together with then Municipal Police Commander Richardson Kumeko for refusing a huge bribe offered them by a suspect arrested in Koforidua for attempting to smuggle quantities of Marijuana to the Central region.

     

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • COVID-19: NDC parliamentary candidate donates PPE to 30 electoral areas

    The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency, Mr John Justice Abban, has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth 50,000 Ghana cedis to 30 electoral areas within the constituency to help combat the COVID-19.

    The items comprise 5,000 bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitisers and 5,000 face masks.

    At a brief ceremony to hand them over, Mr Abban said he was concerned about the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus in Tarkwa and its environs and that the donation was part of his contribution to fight it.

    “Though the Municipal Health Directorate had recorded many positive cases of COVID-19, the health professionals have put in place strategic measures to protect the citizenry,” he said.

    He praised them for being supportive during this period to help curb the spread of the disease.

    Mr Abban appealed to the public to constantly practice handwashing with soap under running water, wearing of face masks, and physical distancing as prescribed in the Ghana Health Service and the World Health Organization guidelines.

    The Assembly Member of Kwabedu Electoral Area, Mr Paa Kwasi Ephriam, who received the items, thanked the benefactor for the goodwill and promised they would be used for the intended purpose.

     

    Source: GNA

  • Diaspora African Forum demands justice for George Floyd

    The Diaspora African Forum has petitioned the United States of America (USA) government to arrest and prosecute all four police officers who were caught on video manhandling George Floyd at Minneapolis, USA, resulting in his death.

    The Forum further called on the USA government to seek a drastic change in systemic policies which oppresses and suppresses African-Americans and violates their human rights.

    The petition, signed by members of the Diaspora community in Ghana, some Ghanaians and civil rights activists and presented to the USA Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sanders Sullivan, in Accra yesterday further urged the American government to put in place measures that protect the lives of African-Americans and other minorities or risk losing its global status as a model of democracy and freedom.

    In brief remarks ahead of the presentation, Rabbi Kohain H. Halevi, Convener, Universal Pan African Diaspora Coalition of Ghana, said it was time to end growing killings of African-Americans by police officers and white supremacists.

    He said, for far too long, the USA government and laws have failed to protect them from hateful executions and other racially-motivated actions stating that “we have brought ourselves to a new level of consciousness and responsibility to end this terror.”

    According to him, African-Americans have been convicted guilty because of their clout and origin, resulting in senseless executions and cycle of pain on families and the larger society.

    Although the Forum was against any form of violence, Rabbi Halevi explained that years of suppression, pain and lack of equality accounted for the anger and violence that has characterised the ongoing protests across the USA.

    “After 400 years of slavery, we will not remain silent for this to continue. We want a different ending to this script. Africans demand a new deal from the world after years of oppression. We will continue to honour our fallen heroes and solidarise with our brothers in the USA,” he noted.

    Ambassador Erieka Bennet, Head of Mission, Africa Diaspora Forum, stated that Africans have for years faced terror and oppression as well as constant human rights abuses owing to their skin colour and not illegalities as it was mostly misreported.

    He said African-Americans would demand for justice now and commit to fighting inequality.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Diaspora Network Television, Jermaine Nkrumah advised Africans to change the narrative of Africans by first respecting the African race and create opportunities that would spur other Africans to flourish economically and socially.

    “First of all, we all have a role to play in changing the narrative about Africans. And this involves showing respect to the black race and just as we have done to other races. The new mantra going forward is respect,” he added.

    Mr Akwasi Agyeman, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Tourism Authority reiterated calls on Africans to demand for justice and promote solidarity toward ending inequity.

     

    Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh

  • New positions of all new singnees of Angel TV and FM.

    As alrady known, the great presenters Kofi Adoma,Captain Smart and Nana Yaa from Multimedia Group who resigned days ago are now with (ABN) Angel Broadcasting Network. They were celebrated and officially ushered into working with ABN.

    They all now hold mindblowing positions at ABN which they never had when with their previous employers.

    Captain Smart former Adom FM presenter is now the hosting the station’s morning show,” Anopa Bofour” and also has the position of Director of Operations. After Captain smart’s position was announced, Kofi Adoma who was also a news reader at his previous work place was also announced as the Head of News Department of Angel FM .Nana Yaa Brefo the controversial journalist was known to have been highly tipped to go UTV and Peace FM where she started hard Journalism career was also mentioned and her unveiling came as a surprise to everyone.

    She is now linked to the ABN TV and Angel FM as Head of News and current Affairs. Below is a speech from the CEO of ABN, Angel Broadcasting Network, Samuel Acheampong.

  • 28-year-old man who allegedly tried to break into a shop electrocuted

    A 28-year-old has been electrocuted at Abeka Lapaz New Market after he allegedly tried to break into a container shop.

    Speaking to Adom News, an eyewitness said Samuel, who is an errand boy of the shop owner got stuck between two shops when he attempted to steal from one.

    “At dawn, the lights were off, so he had the opportunity to carry out his act, however, the light came back midway and electrocuting him to death,” he narrated.

    With the help of eyewitnesses, the Assemblyman for the area, together with the shop owner removed the dead body.

    The police have conveyed the body to the police hospital mortuary.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • Churches risk closure over violation of coronavirus safety protocols

    Government has stated that churches or other religious bodies that flout the coronavirus safety protocols risk being closed or dealt with appropriately.

    The Minister of Religious Affairs, Kofi Dzamesi, told journalists at a news conference on Monday night, June 1, 2020.

    He says Government shall strictly ensure compliance with the safety protocols that have been put in place as churches and mosques prepare to reopen.

    He says social distancing and other safety protocols such as not having more than 100 congregants per service must strictly be adhered to.

    He stated that churches and mosques should not allow their members who do not wear face masks to enter for service

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • Coming back to normal life should be done in safety – GNAT

    The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) said it believed that coming back to normal life should be done in safety.

    Mr Thomas T. Musah, GNAT General Secretary, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said, two weeks ago, they presented a proposal to the Ghana Education Service (GES) detailing what government should do before the limited reopening for final year students.

    “In that proposal, we made it clear that all schools should be fumigated, provide with Veronica buckets, thermometer guns, health personnel to man the schools and expand infrastructure to enhance social distancing and management of students, among others,” he said.

    He said they also spoke about teacher incentives to motivate them to give out their best during these difficult times.

    The Secretary-General said he hoped that government would make those logistics ready before June 22 to give assurance to parents, teachers and students of their safety.

    Mr Musah said: “We are not in normal times and safety at this time is very key. This is not the time to be considering issues as the usual business”.

    He said the onus is on the GES to come out with a policy statement and resources for effective implementation of the proposals put before it to ensure safety of all.

    He said GNAT continue to maintain that no one should be left out, adding, “we need to give the assurance to parents that their wards will be safe while back in school”.

    “The Ministry of Education, GES and all duty bearers have to ensure that the right things are done in our schools to protect both students and teachers from contracting the COVID-19 virus”.

    He said it was likely that they would be meeting with the Ministry and the GES this week to see how far to carry out the measures.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo in his 10th address to the nation on managing of COVID-19 on May 31, announced reopening of schools in phases.

    He outlined that from Monday, June 22, final year SHS and SHS Gold Track students are to resume classes with a minimum of 25 in a classroon

    The Final year JHS students also will resume classes on June 29 with a minimum of 30 students in a classroom.

    Meanwhile, final year university students are to resume classes on June 15 with half the size of every class during lectures at all times.

    Source: GNA

  • Ban on political activities lifted

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday announced the lifting of the ban imposed political activities alongside other social gatherings.

    According to the president political activities, except rallies, can be organised but with a maximum of 100 persons.

    The restrictions on private burials, conferences, workshops, and weddings have been equally relaxed if the attendees are not more than 100.

    The lifting of the bans will allow religious groups to hold services all aimed at easing the restrictions to restore normalcy and allow the restoration of socio-economic life amid living with Covid-19.

    The wearing of face masks and observing a mandatory one-metre social distancing rule is to be enforced.

    In the case of the church services, worshippers would not spend more than one hour, while congregants are also required to strictly comply with hygiene protocols to ensure the safety of all.

    In his 10th national broadcast on measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 on Sunday night, President Akufo-Addo, therefore, said effective Friday, June 5, Muslims could worship at the mosques, while Adventists followed suit on Saturday, June 6, with Christians who hold services on Sundays, following on June 7.

    The religious institutions are required to keep a register of names and contact details of all worshippers, amid frequent hand washing and the use of sanitizers.

    Prior to the re-opening of churches and mosques, they must disinfect and fumigate their premises and put in place appropriate logistics to guarantee the safety of their members.

    The President said the decision to ease the restrictions was based on a consensus that emerged from stakeholder consultations to ensure a strategic, controlled, progressive and safe easing of restrictions to get lives and economy back to normal.

    He explained: “As I stated in my May Day address, a month ago, I am now in a position to outline the roadmap for easing safely the restrictions.

    “Ours is going to be a phased approach, involving a selected list of public gatherings, based on their risk profile, socio-economic impact, and, most importantly, our capacity to enforce and to respond, in the event of a flair up in our number of infections.

    “So, fellow Ghanaians, with effect from Friday, 5th June, we will begin Stage One of the process of easing restrictions”, he stated.

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • COVID-19: Government to trial new app to monitor religious gatherings, others

    The government is set to trial an app to monitor religious gatherings, among others as the coronavirus restrictions are eased.

    The app is expected to keep track of events and details of persons who attend these events.

    At a press briefing on Monday evening, the Minister of Communication Ursula Owusu Ekuful said the app, known as PANABIOS (Pan African BioSurveillance Application) is “to help us stay compliant with all of these [conditions for resuming certain public gatherings].”

    The minister expects the app to ready in 48 hours.

    “We are trialling in Ghana and hopefully it will be rolled out on the rest of the continent,” Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful.

    Providing a few details on how the app would work she said a passcode or a USSD code will be generated for people to book for a registered event.

    “Event organisers will have to download the application and register the event and venue that the event is taking place,” the minister explained.

    Mrs. Ekuful stressed the need to comply with conditions put in place for the resumption of religious gatherings and other events.

    “For our collective peace of mind, every event needs to keep an accurate register of everyone who attends those functions so that when need be, you can provide that information to the health authorities and they can help all of us.”

    President Akufo-Addo announced a review of social gathering protocols in Ghana in a televised address on May 31.

    Religious gatherings, schools, weddings among others can resume partially under strict conditions.

    Churches and mosques, for example, are to allow only 100 congregants while schools are to open for final year students.

    The cap on participants for private burials has also been raised to 100 persons.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Government hiding behind coronavirus to spend recklessly – Minority

    The Minority in parliament is claiming that the government is hiding behind the outbreak of the coronavirus to spend recklessly.

    Spokesperson on Finance for the Minority Mr. Cassiel Ato Forson says the Minority will resist any attempt by the government to spend recklessly because they think that the implication on the economy will be severe.

    Addressing a press conference after the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta had presented a report before the House on the limit of borrowing of the government under sub-section (6) of section 30 of the Bank of Ghana Act, 2002 (Act 612) in the novel coronavirus (COVID-) emergency, the former deputy finance minister said the government is only doing this to finance their 2020 campaign.

    The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has released the first tranche of GH¢5.5 billion of the GH¢10 billion emergency facility the government is seeking to support the national response to the fight the coronavirus disease.

    The Finance Minister told parliamentarians that, the release, was consistent with global policy responses of central banks with large scale asset purchases to provide support to manage the pandemic.

    But the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee, Mr Cassiel Ato Forson, is alleging that the government is seeking the funds from the central bank just to use the money to finance the elections expenditures of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    The move he lamented will lead to inflation and affect every Ghanaian.

    The government he explained should have done reprogramming of their budget as being done by other countries.

    The president he opined should have also reduced his number of ministers as part of efforts to deal with the impact of the coronavirus on the economy.

    Source: rainbowradioonline.com

  • We care about you, so were no resuming church activities -Spiritlife Revival

    Another church, the SpiritLife Revival has also suspended all gatherings despite the easing of restrictions on church activities, which was announced by President Akufo-Addo on Sunday.

    A statement issued by the church said the decision was taken in the interest of members since the church wants to ensure their safety.

    Read below their full statement

    Source: rainbowradioonline.com

  • Minister commissions ISD’s Research Centre for empirical data collection

    Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah on Monday commissioned a newly refurbished National Information Research Centre (NIRC) of the Information Services Department (ISD).

    The Centre has been equipped with modern computers, state-of-the-art ICT equipment, servers and furniture to enable the personnel to collect empirical data and feedback from the public on government policies and programmes to inform decision making.

    The NIRC is the second phase of the National Information Contact Centre (NICC) popularly known as 311 Call Centre, for collating information on COVID-19 measures and government interventions, which was launched by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia in April, this year.

    Speaking at the commissioning of the Research Centre in Accra, Mr Oppong Nkrumah highlighted the importance of factual information and public feedback to the Government for decision-making.

    He said the personnel who would manage the Centre had received training to ensure proper processing of data for better understanding.

    The Minister announced that since the commissioning of the Call Centre in April, it had received more than 500,000 concerns from the public.

    He, therefore, urged the personnel at the Research Centre to own the facility and deliver value to their supervisors and the Central Government.

    Mr Hassan Tampuli, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), one of the partners that provided financial support towards the refurbishment of the Centre, expressed delight at its inauguration, believing that it would aid the ISD to execute its mandate and improve the quality of information disseminated to the Government.

    Mr Abraham Kofi Asante, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), said it would collaborate with the ISD by linking its 241 ICT centres across the country to the Department’s Research Centre for speedy dissemination of information.

    Mr Charles Wereko, the Director of the ISD, in his welcome remarks, commended Mr Oppong Nkrumah for initiating the move towards the transformation of the Department and refurbishment of the Centre, which hitherto lacked modern logistics for efficient functioning.

    He expressed profound gratitude to the partners – the NPA, GIFEC and ADB, for providing the financial support towards the completion of the Centre.

    The ceremony was witnessed by the two deputy Ministers of Information; Mr Pius Enam Hadzide and Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah Adjei, and senior management members of ISD.

    Source: GNA

  • Farmer commits suicide

    The body of a 56-year old farmer was found hanging on a tree near Akim Manso A.M.E Zion Basic School in the Asene Manso Akroso District in the Eastern Region.

    The body was later identified by family members as Kwame Obeng. The body had since been kept in Akim Oda Government Hospital morgue for autopsy.

    Narrating the incident to the Ghana News Agency(GNA), Mr Antwi Bosiako, the Assembly Member for Dadieso- Aba Electoral Area where the incident occurred said, he had a call from some residents who stayed near the school to inform him about the suicide.

    He said he also informed the police after visiting the place to look at the body.

    Mr Bosiako said family members who heard the information rushed to the scene to identify the body.

    This was confirmed by a police source who informed the GNA that investigations had been initiated by the police to ascertain the cause of death.

    The deceased left behind a wife and seven children.

    Source: GNA

  • Government lays out protocols for churches as they resume services from June 7

    Government has outlined protocols which churches must adhere to as they are given the green light to worship with congregants.

    The Religious Affairs Minister Kofi Dzamesi who announced them at a press conference at the Information Ministry on Monday said persons without face masks should not be allowed entry into the church.

    In addition, all congregants must are to wash hands with soap under running water or rub with alcohol-based hand sanitiser before entry.

    Also, persons with underlining conditions are not permitted to attend church service.

    He said religious bodies are to keep a database of worshippers to assist in contact tracing should a Covid-19 case be recorded.

    According to him, congregants are to avoid shaking hands or body contact, sharing of items like pens and jewellery on church premises should be discouraged.

    Below are the other protocols churches must ensure are observed:

    Mr Dzamesi said until further notice, there will not be crowd dancing and waving of handkerchiefs in churches.

    I. Thermometer guns or thermal scanners are provided for checking the temperature of congregants at entry points of all venues as necessary.

    II. Ensure a No mask: No entry Policy

    III. Provision of hand washing facilities with running water and soap and/or FDA approved alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

    IV. Provision of adequate waste management facilities (bins, cans, bin-liners and single-use tissues).

    V. Provision of adequate toilet facilities for use by members.

    VI. Regular cleaning and disinfection of frequently used communal places (like toilet surfaces) and frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs/handles, preferably every 1-2 hours depending on the rate of utilization.

    VII. Designate a holding room or area where a person who becomes sick at the premises/event can be isolated from others while making arrangements for evacuation.

    VIII. Regular disinfection of venues used by churches, preferably once every month. For example, fumigation and disinfection must be carried out with recognized entities like Zoomlion.

    IX. Trained cleaners with the necessary personal protective equipment and cleaning items to clean the facilities regularly and handle waste appropriately.

    X. Provide adequate ventilation, i.e. open windows to allow for maximum circulation of fresh air, if possible, avoid confined air-conditioned rooms.

    XI. Display approved health promotion materials on COVID-19 at vantage points to remind congregants to keep to social distancing protocols, wearing of the masks, regular handwashing, coughing, and sneezing etiquette.

    XII. Ensure a No handshake, No hugging and No Spitting policy at all time.

    XIII. Follow established evacuation procedures (as outlined in Annex 1) to enable evacuation if a congregant becomes sick during the event and has to be evacuated.

    XIV. Form COVID task force comprising of members who are preferably health workers. They must be trained in Health Promotive prevention measures, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Evacuation Procedures by Ghana Health Service.

    XV. The COVID task force should Call 112 or 311 for support to enable evacuation if anyone develops fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing during service.

    XVI. Unwell Persons are not allowed to attend church

    XVII. Older persons and people of any age with underlying medical conditions, heart diseases, diabetes, liver disease, and asthma are advised to stay away from church service

    XVIII. Sharing personal items such as watches, jewelry, pens and phones should be discouraged.

    XIX. If an individual is confirmed positive for COVID-19, all contacts must be traced and screened.

    XX. No crowd dancing and waving of handkerchiefs during church services.

    XXI. Sanitize microphones immediately after each use.

    XXII. All who speak/sing in churches (including Pastors, Sunday school teachers, Singers and Announcers) must wear facemask during service.

    XXIII. Discourage singing in groups. Pre-recorded songs or solos should be used.

    XXIV. Pre-packaged communion bread and wine should be picked up by members at the point of entry.

    XXV. Place offering bowls at the entrance and exit points for members to give offerings and tithes when entering or on their way out of church premises. Encourage cash transfers via mobile money or mobile banking as forms of giving offerings.

    XXVI. In observance of social distancing protocols, laying on of hands should not be allowed.

    XXVII. Spend at least 5 minutes of church service time to educate church members on Covid-19.

    XXVIII. Provide separate sitting areas for the aged and for families that are together.

    XXIX. The church is encouraged to mobilize resources to help individuals in need including offering church health facilities.

  • Government releases over 20 guidelines for churches hoping to reopen

    The government has announced a set of advisories following the resumption of religious activities in the phased easing of the COVID-19 induced restrictions.

    The Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister, Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, detailed the protocols at a media encounter on Monday evening, June 1, 2020.

    Among the advisories for churches, elderly persons have been discouraged from attending services whilst all other persons involved in singing and preaching are to wear face masks.

    Find below the full guidelines:

    • Thermometer guns or thermal scanners are to be provided for checking the temperature of congregants at entry points.
    • A No mask, No entry Policy is to be enforced.
    • Handwashing facilities with running water and soap and/or FDA approved alcohol-based hand sanitizer are to be provided.
    • Adequate waste management facilities (bins, cans, bin-liners and single-use tissues) are to be made available.
    • Adequate toilet facilities must be made available.
    • There should be the regular cleaning and disinfection of frequently used communal places (like toilet surfaces) and frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs/handles, preferably every 1-2 hours depending on the rate of utilization.
    • A holding room or area where a person who becomes sick at the gathering can be isolated from others must be available ahead of arrangements for evacuation.
    • There must be the regular disinfection of venues used by churches, preferably once every month.
    • Trained cleaners with the necessary personal protective equipment and cleaning items must be on hand to clean the facilities regularly and handle waste appropriately.
    • Churches are to ensure adequate ventilation, i.e. open windows to allow for the maximum circulation of fresh air, if possible, avoid confined air-conditioned rooms.
    • Churches are to display approved health promotion materials on COVID-19 at vantage points to remind congregants to keep to social distancing protocols, wearing of the masks, regular handwashing, coughing and sneezing etiquette.
    • Churches are to ensure a No handshake, No hugging and No Spitting policy at all time.
    • Churches are to Follow established evacuation procedures to enable evacuation if a congregant becomes sick during the event and has to be evacuated.
    • Churches are to form a COVID-19 task force comprising of members who are preferably health workers.
    • Unwell Persons are not allowed to attend church
    • Elderly persons and people of any age with underlying medical conditions, heart diseases, diabetes, liver disease, and asthma are advised to stay away from church service
    • Sharing personal items such as watches, jewellery, pens and phones should be discouraged.
    • If an individual is confirmed positive for COVID-19, all contacts must be traced and screened.
    • No crowded dancing and waving of handkerchiefs during church services.
    • Microphones are to be sanitized immediately after each use.
    • All persons who speak or sing in churches must wear facemask during service.
    • Churches are to discourage singing in groups and instead use pre-recorded songs.
    • Pre-packaged communion bread and wine should be picked up by members at the point of entry.
    • Place offering bowls at the entrance and exit points for members to give offerings and tithes when entering or on their way out of church premises. Encourage cash transfers via mobile money or mobile banking as forms of giving offerings.
    • In observance of social distancing protocols, laying on of hands should not be allowed.
    • Spend at least five minutes of church service time to educate church members on Covid-19.
    • Provide separate sitting areas for the aged and for families that are together.
    • The church is encouraged to mobilize resources to help individuals in need including offering church health facilities.

    Source: citinewsroom 

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  • Test teachers and students for coronavirus before school re-opens – Prof Nsowah-Nuamah

    Professor Nicolas Nsowah-Nuamah, President of the Dominion University College, has called for teachers and final year students to be tested for COVID-19 before schools re-open on June 15.

    He said the two weeks interval granted by the President should be used for proper planning, including COVID-19 testing, to ascertain their status in order to allay the fears of teachers, tutors, lecturers and students.

    Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday in reaction to the President’s Directive on easing of restrictions on social gatherings.

    In his 10th national broadcast on measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 last Sunday, President Akufo-Addo said effective Monday, June 15, final year students of junior high schools (JHS), senior high schools (SHS) and universities will go back to school.

    All final year students of educational and training institutions which are being managed by ministries other than the Education Ministry were to return to complete their exit examinations.

    Final year university students were to report to campus on June 15, SHS 3 students together with SHS 2 Gold Track students were to report on June 22 whilst the JHS 3 students would report on June 29.

    All JHS 3 classes will comprise a maximum of 30 students, SHS classes 25, and university lectures will take half the class size.

    Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah welcomed the President’s decision to reopen schools for the final year students and underlined the need for school managements to improvise strategies to ensure smooth teaching and learning.

    Commenting on the psychology of students towards observing social distancing, he noted that it was risky because there was the tendency for students to relax.

    “The problem is once the President has spoken and eased the restrictions people tend to think that the problem has subsided and so the strict adherence of the social distancing protocols might not be observed by the students.”

    “You remember when the three-week partial lockdown was lifted what happened, it’s likely some students may behave in a similar fashion,” he said.

    Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah, therefore, called for sustained efforts of educating the students and teachers alike to observe the safety and hygiene protocols.

    Ghana recorded its first two COVID-19 cases on March 12 and since then Government had taken a number of measures to contain the respiratory disease.

    They include the closure of the country’s borders, setting up of screening centres at the various points of entry, creation of holding rooms for suspected COVID-19 cases, isolation and treatment centres.

    Other measures include closure of schools, churches, mosques, drinking spots and ban on conferences, festivals and sporting activities across the country.

    Government imposed a three-week partial lockdown on epicentres of the virus including Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Greater Kumasi.

    Also, government provided free water to all Ghanaians and subsidised electricity tariffs for all categories of consumers, as well as tax rebate for all frontline health workers and 50 per cent increase on their basic salary for four months and provided one billion stimulus package for businesses that have been affected by the virus.

    Source: GNA

  • Sing with face mask – Government outlines guidelines for church activities

    Due to President Akufo-Addo’s announcement on the resumption of religious activities as part of easing the COVID-19 induced restrictions, the Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has outlined some detailed guidelines for churches that will be operating.

    Mr Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, at a media encounter on Monday evening, June 1, 2020, stated, amongst the advisories for various religions, elderly persons have been discouraged from attending services whilst all other persons involved in singing and preaching are to wear face masks.

    “Form COVID-19 Task Force comprising of members who are preferably health workers. They must be trained in health promotion measures, infection prevention and control and evacuation procedures by Ghana Health Service.

    “The COVID-19 Task Force should call 112 or 311 for support to enable evacuation anyone develops fever, coughs and difficulty in breathing during service,” he said.

    Find below, the full guidelines:

    I. Thermometer guns or thermal scanners are to be provided for checking the temperature of congregants at entry points.

    II. No mask: No entry Policy to be enforced

    III. Provision of handwashing facilities with running water and soap and/or FDA approved alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

    IV. Provision of adequate waste management facilities (bins, cans, bin-liners and single-use tissues).

    V. Provision of adequate toilet facilities for use by members.

    VI. Regular cleaning and disinfection of frequently used communal places (like toilet surfaces) and frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs/handles, preferably every 1-2 hours depending on the rate of utilization.

    VII. Designate a holding room or area where a person who becomes sick at the premises/event can be isolated from others while making arrangements for evacuation.

    VIII. Regular disinfection of venues used by churches, preferably once every month. For example, fumigation and disinfection must be carried out with recognized entities like Zoomlion.

    IX. Trained cleaners with the necessary personal protective equipment and cleaning items to clean the facilities regularly and handle waste appropriately.

    X. Provide adequate ventilation, i.e. open windows to allow for the maximum circulation of fresh air, if possible, avoid confined air-conditioned rooms.

    XI. Display approved health promotion materials on COVID-19 at vantage points to remind congregants to keep to social distancing protocols, wearing of the masks, regular handwashing, coughing and sneezing etiquette.

    XII. Ensure a No handshake, No hugging and No Spitting policy at all time.

    XIII. Follow established evacuation procedures (as outlined in Annex 1) to enable evacuation if a congregant becomes sick during the event and has to be evacuated.

    XIV. Form COVID task force comprising of members who are preferably health workers. They must be trained in Health Promotive prevention measures, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Evacuation Procedures by Ghana Health Service.

    XV. The COVID task force should Call 112 or 311 for support to enable evacuation if anyone develops fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing during service.

    XVI. Unwell Persons are not allowed to attend church

    XVII. Older persons and people of any age with underlying medical conditions, heart diseases, diabetes, liver disease, and asthma are advised to stay away from church service

    XVIII. Sharing personal items such as watches, jewellery, pens and phones should be discouraged.

    XIX. If an individual is confirmed positive for COVID-19, all contacts must be traced and screened.

    XX. No crowd dancing and waving of handkerchiefs during church services.

    XXI. Sanitize microphones immediately after each use.

    XXII. All who speak/sing in churches (including Pastors, Sunday school teachers, Singers and Announcers) must wear facemask during service.

    XXIII. Discourage singing in groups. Pre-recorded songs or solos should be used.

    XXIV. Pre-packaged communion bread and wine should be picked up by members at the point of entry.

    XXV. Place offering bowls at the entrance and exit points for members to give offerings and tithes when entering or on their way out of church premises. Encourage cash transfers via mobile money or mobile banking as forms of giving offerings.

    XXVI. In observance of social distancing protocols, laying on of hands should not be allowed.

    XXVII. Spend at least 5 minutes of church service time to educate church members on COVID-19.

    XXVIII. Provide separate sitting areas for the aged and for families that are together.

    XXIX. The church is encouraged to mobilize resources to help individuals in need including offering church health facilities.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Don’t panic over rising cases – WHO to Zimbabweans

    There is no need for Zimbabweans to panic over the spike in confirmed Covid-19 cases, but citizens must continue observing basic hygiene and social distancing recommended by public health experts, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

    The lockdown will continue at level 2, although President Mnangagwa keeps this under review and will modify it as circumstances change, the government has stressed.

    Zimbabwe’s confirmed cases crept up to 178 yesterday with four more cases, three among returnees from South Africa and one a returnee from Mozambique, to conclude a week that saw the cumulative total of patients rising by over 100, almost all from those living in quarantine centers on their return to Zimbabwe with only a small fraction of the new patients infected within Zimbabwe.

    WHO country representative Dr Alex Gasasira told ‘The Herald’ yesterday that the surge in confirmed cases called for enhanced responses towards combating Covid-19.

    “There is no need to panic. What we would say is that there is need for enhanced vigilance, enhanced compliance with the prevention measures that the Ministry of Health and Child Care and its partners have been sharing with the public,” said Dr Gasasira.

    He said following the spike in cases, particularly from quarantine facilities, WHO was sure that government had started contact tracing and isolating those that tested positive to prevent further spread within the facilities and beyond.

    Zimbabweans needed to comply with guidance given by public health experts, as opposed to what can now be seen, especially in high density areas, where people have started congregating in large numbers, without face masks and not observing the required social distance.

    Said Dr Gasasira: “Every individual must continue to have the highest level of hand hygiene, to keep physical distance from others, to wear a mask whenever one is going to a public place, to look after that mask properly, and to ensure that when you are sick or someone close to you is sick, they report for proper assessment. This is what is supposed to be done and that is what we would highly recommend.”

    People with relatives coming in from other countries must also tell their relatives of the need to go into quarantine, be screened and get tested for Covid-19 before joining the rest of the family so that their families and the returning residents remain safe.

    Zimbabwe will continue under level 2 lockdown until President Mnangagwa announces a review and any changes, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.

    In an interview with The Herald after the periodic review meeting of the Mashonaland West Provincial Taskforce on Covid-19 in Chinhoyi yesterday, Minister Mutsvangwa said, “The review of the lockdown is under President Mnangagwa’s purview and he is going to do so when he addresses the nation.”

    Until the President, after considering the facts, makes any changes, the lockdown would continue at its present level because the disease was still spreading with no cure yet.

    Minister Mutsvangwa criticised those grumbling each time President Mnangagwa extends the lockdown, under the pretext that informal traders and others out of employment would continue to struggle to provide for their families. It was more important to ensure that every citizen was safe from the disease ahead of anything else.

    In terms of schools re-opening, Minister Mutsvangwa said Cabinet continued to assess the situation but emphasized that schools would only re-open when measures to protect pupils, teachers and parents were in place.

    “My grandchildren asked me to talk to the President so that he instructs the opening of schools but I explained to them that the schools will only resume once it is safe for school-children and their parents from the pandemic,” she said.

    Pupils will continue to learn from home for now.

    Since most of the positive cases being recorded at the moment are among the returning citizens, the strict 21-day quarantine will remain in place but returning citizens were in the priority group for PCR tests, the certain diagnostic test. More food, bedding and water was being availed at the quarantine centres, said Minister Mutsvangwa

    The minister is a member of the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Covid-19 chaired by Vice President Kembo Mohadi.

    Government has warned the country that there may well be more patients as more return home, with a majority of them coming from countries that have recorded high numbers of confirmed cases.

    Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of backend.theindependentghana.com.

    Source: allafrica.com

  • Amazon UK website defaced with racist abuse

    Amazon has blamed a “bad actor” for racist abuse that appeared on multiple listings on its UK website.

    The abuse, now removed, appeared when users searched the online shop for Apple AirPods and similar products.

    It was unclear how long the racist language remained on the site, but it sparked outrage on Twitter and the sharing of screenshots and video grabs.

    “We investigated, removed the images in question and took action against the bad actor,” Amazon told the BBC.

    The company did not elaborate on the “bad actor”, nor give details of how many products were defaced and how long the abuse was visible on the listings.

    Nadine White, a journalist for the Huffington Post, tweeted that the abuse “needs to be acknowledged, removed, explained, apologised for asap. Being Black right now is hard enough; we don’t need to be called the N- word while shopping online, to boot”.

    Another Twitter user said Amazon should have been able to remove the offending messages in minutes. “They’re still on Amazon UK. Extraordinarily poor site administration,” he said during early hours of Sunday.

    Amazon also allows third-party retailers to sell goods through its website, with the company making about half its retail revenues from this.

    But the Amazon Marketplace platform has come under scrutiny.

    There has been concern about counterfeit goods appearing in the listings, and during the coronavirus pandemic Amazon was criticised for not doing enough to stop sellers inflating prices.

    In April, five Amazon e-commerce websites, including the UK, were added to the US trade regulator’s “notorious markets” report on marketplaces known for counterfeiting and piracy concerns.

    Amazon disagreed strongly with the move, saying in a statement that “this purely political act is another example of the administration using the US government to advance a personal vendetta against Amazon”.

    Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of backend.theindependentghana.com.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Music industry pledges anti-racist ‘black out Tuesday’

    Major music industry labels are pledging to halt business Tuesday, in solidarity with anti-racist demonstrators demanding structural social change and an end to police brutality.

    Atlantic Records, Capitol Music Group, Warner Records, Sony Music and Def Jam were among the many organizations vowing that #TheShowMustBePaused, as mass protests have rocked US streets for days following the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, at the hands of police in Minneapolis.

    “It’s hard to know what to say because I’ve been dealing with racism my entire life. That said, it’s rearing its ugly head right now & by God it’s time to deal with it once & for all,” the legendary producer Quincy Jones said in a statement.

    “As gatekeepers of the culture, it’s our responsibility to not only come together to celebrate the wins, but also hold each up during a loss.”

    Columbia Records emphasized Tuesday “is not a day off” but rather a moment to “figure out ways to move forward in solidarity.”

    “Perhaps with the music off, we can truly listen.”

    Many labels also committed donations to civil rights advocacy organizations.

    Largely peaceful marches nationwide voicing fury at racist police brutality repeatedly turned violent over the weekend, as police used tear gas, pepper spray and flash bang grenades to control crowds amid outbreaks of looting.

    The music industry blackout comes after dozens of celebrities including Rihanna, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Billie Eilish and Killer Mike have voiced anger and solidarity as actor Jamie Foxx and pop superstar Ariana Grande joined advocacy marches.

    Actor John Cusack, who joined protests in Chicago, tweeted that police had hit him with a baton as he attempted to film a burning car.

    “For the last few days, the magnitude of devastation, anger, sadness I’ve felt has been overwhelming to say the least! Watching my people get murdered and lynched day after day pushed me to a heavy place in my heart!” said Rihanna on Instagram.

    Beyonce posted a video saying “we all witnessed his murder in broad daylight … We’re broken and we’re disgusted. We cannot normalize this pain.”

    She urged signatures to a petition demanding #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd, which the platform Change.org said became the largest in its history.

    The superstar’s mogul husband Jay-Z said via his Roc Nation company that he had spoken with Minnesota governor Tim Walz and applauded the appointment of the state’s attorney general Keith Ellison to handle prosecutions in the Floyd case.

    “I am human, a father and a black man in pain,” said the rapper born Shawn Carter.

    “I am more determined to fight for justice than any fight my would-be oppressors may have,” he continued. “I prevail on every politician, prosecutor and officer in the country to have the courage to do what is right.”

    “Have the courage to look at us as humans, dads, brothers, sisters and mothers in pain and look at yourselves.”

    Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of backend.theindependentghana.com.

     

    Source: france24.com

  • Armenian PM tests positive for virus as cases surge

    Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who turned 45 on Monday, said he and his family had tested positive for the new coronavirus and that he would be working from home.

    Pashinyan, said in video message posted on Facebook that his “coronavirus test was positive yesterday” and that his wife and four children were also infected.

    He did not have any “visible symptoms” and would be working from home “to the best of my ability”, Pashinyan added in the clip he recorded himself.

    The ex-Soviet republic with a population of around three million people has registered 9,492 coronavirus cases and 139 deaths.

    COVID-19 patients have overwhelmed hospitals and health officials last week said that intensive care beds could be soon reserved for patients with the best chance of survival.

    Health Minister Arsen Torosyan has said that out of 186 intensive care units in the country reserved for virus patients, only 32 are empty and those would soon be filled.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin called Pashinyan to congratulate him on his birthday and to offer “words of support” for a speedy recovery, the Kremlin said.

    ‘Dangerous disinformation’

    Pashinyan’s announcement came nearly one month after Armenia lifted a state of emergency imposed in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

    He has acknowledged failings in his government’s coronavirus response including efforts to enforce anti-virus measures.

    He told a cabinet meeting several days ago that “false rumours that the pandemic is a fiction” were to blame for widespread quarantine violations.

    “People don’t believe that the virus exists, because 70 percent of cases are asymptomatic,” he said.

    Analysts said conspiracy theories and disinformation on social media had undermined government efforts to fight the outbreak.

    “Quarantine didn’t work in Armenia,” virologist Nuneh Bakunts told AFP, because people believed disinformation and so didn’t “take the threat seriously.”

    An investigation by the UK-based website openDemocracy revealed that controversial local news portal Medmedia.am had been spreading “incredibly dangerous” virus disinformation.

    Medmedia.am reported the pandemic was fake and falsely claimed that a local morgue offered money to a dead patient’s relatives to sign documents saying the death was caused by the coronavirus, openDemocracy said.

    Dashed hopes

    The pandemic has badly impacted the poor ex-Soviet country.

    The economy grew by 7.6 percent last year but the International Monetary Fund has forecast GDP to fall by 1.5 percent in 2020.

    Armenia’s central bank has said all sectors of the economy will suffer, especially tourism and construction.

    In March, the government came up with an economic stimulus package worth $303 million (277 million euros), offering enterprises direct financial aid and a three-month tax holiday, among other measures.

    Pashinyan was elected prime minister in the wake of mass popular protests he led two years ago against veteran leader Serzh Sarkisian and his Republican Party.

    He has since led a relentless crusade against graft and initiated sweeping judicial reforms.

    Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of backend.theindependentghana.com.

     

    Source: france24.com

  • Liverpool take a knee as sport stars speak out over Floyd death

    Liverpool players took a knee around the centre circle at Anfield in a message of support following the death in police custody of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis.

    The picture featuring 29 Reds players came with the caption “Unity is strength. #BlackLivesMatter”.

    Players reportedly requested the picture during training on Monday.

    England internationals Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho added their voices to worldwide protests against racism.

    Protests have been held after Floyd, an unarmed black man, died on 25 May after being restrained by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes to pin him down.

    Chauvin has since been charged with his murder and sacked.

    Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first protested against racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling down during the United States national anthem in the summer of 2016. Since then, that gesture has become symbolic to the Black Lives Matter movement.

    Manchester United and England footballer Rashford said he had been “trying to process what is going on in the world”.

    He added: “At a time I’ve been asking people to come together, work together and be united, we appear to be more divided than ever.

    “People are hurting and people need answers. Black lives matter. Black culture matters. Black communities matter. We matter.”

    Liverpool players that tweeted the same picture and message included defenders Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, as well as James Milner and Andrew Robertson.

    British 200m world champion sprinter Dina Asher-Smith had tweeted on Thursday: “Racism, police brutality… all of this is something we all have to be vocal about. Irrespective of our race or nationality.

    “RIP George Floyd. Heartbreaking and sickening to have to be saying RIP to another black person in these circumstances.”

    On Sunday, England footballer Sancho unveiled a “Justice for George Floyd” T-shirt after scoring for Borussia Dortmund against Paderborn and Marcus Thuram took a knee after scoring for Borussia Monchengladbach.

    Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster and tennis stars Serena Williams, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka also spoke out about Floyd’s death.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Iran says 230 killed in November protests

    A senior Iranian lawmaker said Monday that 230 people were killed and thousands injured in November protests sparked by a petrol price hike, state news agency IRNA reported.

    It is the first time that an official in Iran has given overall casualty figures for the street violence.

    “During these events 230 people were killed, six of whom were official agents and security forces,” said Mojtaba Zolnour, head of the parliament’s national security and foreign affairs committee.

    “Twenty percent of them were forces keeping order and peace,” he added, noting that they included “the police, security and intelligence forces, and the Basij” militia, some of which are not under government control and considered unofficial.

    Those injured included about 2,000 people and 5,000 forces deployed to ensure law and order, the report added.

    The demonstrations erupted on November 15 in a handful of cities before spreading to at least 100 urban centres across the Islamic republic.

    Petrol pumps were torched, police stations attacked and shops looted, before security forces stepped in amid a near-total internet blackout.

    Officials had repeatedly rejected death tolls given by foreign media and human rights groups as “lies” and passed responsibility of reporting on it between different state bodies.

    London-based human rights group Amnesty International has put the number at 304, and a group of independent UN rights experts said in December that 400 including at least 12 children could have been killed based on unconfirmed reports.

    The United States has claimed that more than 1,000 were killed in the violence.

    According to Zolnour, seven percent of the 230 were “those killed in direct confrontations with security forces” and were mostly “rioters armed with semi-automatic weapons and machineguns”.

    He added that 26 percent “were not among the rioters and killed over unknown reasons” such as “being shot from seven metres to the heart or to the temple from three metres away”.

    The lawmaker insisted that the security forces were too far away from the protesters to have done this.

    “A high percentage were killed by bullets that are not used” in Iranian standard-issue weapons, he said.

    Of the remainder, 16 percent died while attacking military bases and police stations, and 31 percent at public places such as malls, banks and fuel stations.

    Zolnour alleged that those behind the violence had aimed to use the unrest to “overthrow” the system.

    Iran at the time blamed the violence that broke out during the protests on “thugs” backed by its foes the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

    It has singled out exiled royalists and the People’s Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK), an exiled former rebel group which it considers a “terrorist cult”.

    Source: france24.com

  • Man dies as shots exchanged during protest in Kentucky

    A man has died in Louisville, Kentucky, early on Monday after police, the National Guard and protesters exchanged gunfire, local officials are quoted as saying.

    It happened as police and the National Guard were trying to disperse crowds.

    Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) chief Steve Conrad told NBC’s local affiliate WAVE that one person was confirmed dead at the scene. No further details were immediately available.

    Last week, a 19-year-old man was shot and killed during protests in Detroit, Michigan.

    That shooting did not involve police, US media quoted officers as saying.

    Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of backend.theindependentghana.com.

    Source: bbc.com

  • George Floyd’s brother condemns violence and calls for peace

    George Floyd’s younger brother, Terrence, has condemned violent protests continuing across the US, stressing that George stood for peace.

    “I’m outraged, too. Sometimes I get angry. I want to go crazy. My brother wasn’t about that. You’ll hear a lot of people saying, ‘He was a gentle giant’,” Terrence told ABC News.

    He said he would go later on Monday to the site in Minneapolis where his brother was last seen alive to “let people know, just channel your anger elsewhere”.

    Terrence said he wanted to see charges of first-degree murder brought against the police officer seen kneeling on his brother’s neck. Other officers who were at the scene should be charged as well, he said.

    Source: bbc.com

  • NBA coaches condemn racism, police brutality

    The coaches of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have spoken out saying: “We cannot treat this as an isolated incident of outrage.”

    In a statement on Monday, the group of head and assistant coaches acknowledged their teams were mostly African-American and said they “see, hear and share their feelings of disgust, frustration, helplessness and anger”.

    “Police brutality, racial profiling and the weaponisation of racism are shameful, inhumane and intolerable.”

    Floyd’s murder was traumatising to the nation, they said, “but the reality is that African Americans are targeted and victimised on a daily basis”.

    The coaches added that they have a responsibility to “speak out for those who don’t have a voice” and use their “power and platform to affect change”.

    Source: bbc.com

  • YouTuber Jake Paul denies looting Arizona mall

    YouTuber Jake Paul has denied taking part in looting following a protest against racial inequality in Scottsdale, Arizona.

    The 23-year-old says he was only there to film content for his 20 million YouTube followers.

    Photos and videos seen on social media appear to show Paul, whose estimated wealth is more than $11m (£8.8m), inside the Arizona shopping centre as it is being looted.

    “Neither I nor anyone in our group was involved in any looting or vandalism,” he wrote on Twitter and Instagram.

    Twelve people were arrested at Scottsdale Fashion Square after “millions of dollars of damages and theft” took place inside shops.

    “We filmed everything we saw in an effort to share our experience and bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighbourhood we travelled through,” Paul wrote.

    Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of backend.theindependentghana.com.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Watch your back; Captan is a ‘big sellout’! – Arnold Asamoah cautions Shatta Wale

    Entertainment Pundit, Arnold Asamoah Baidoo says Captan, a member of the Shatta Movement (SM) militants, is a ”big sellout” and has cautioned Shatta Wale to watch his back.

    Arnold Baidoo slammed the militant who appears to be the last soldier standing in the camp of Shatta Wale following a revealing report by the dancehall artiste regarding why he sacked the militants but retained Captan.

    Shatta Wale recently took to his online platforms to announce that the militants are no more a part of the family because of their insubordinate attitude towards him.

    He further revealed in an exclusive interview on Peace FM’s Saturday edition of ”Entertainment Review”  that the militants were plotting evil against him, but for Captan who gave him a tipoff, they might have succeeded in whatever bad thing they wanted to do.

    According to him, Addi Self, Joint 77 and Captan including Natty Lee had all met behind him and made a decision to badmouth him in order to spoil his reputation and music career.

    Shatta Wale further detailed that although Captan was part of the militants’ plot, he (Captan) suddenly had a repentant heart and divulged their plot to him (Shatta Wale) who later set up a meeting with all the militants and sacked them but allowed Captan alone to remain with him.

    In the eyes of Shatta Wale, Captan’s confession meant he is a loyal militant but Arnold Asamoah Baidoo thinks otherwise.

    Arnold Baidoo, who was a panel member on the programme, stated that for Captan to have joined the militants’ secret meeting and not said it to their faces that he won’t be part of the revolt but to nicodemously snitch on his fellow militants means he won’t hesitate to stab Shatta Wale in the back.

    He therefore admonished Shatta Wale to be very careful of Captan insisting ”he’s a big snitch. He’s a big sellout. He no force; he no try…Shatta should watch Captan very well. He is not a true soldier”.

    Source: Peacefmonline.com

  • Bulgarian-born artist who famously wrapped landmarks dies at 84

    Bulgarian-born artist Christo, best known for wrapping buildings and famous landmarks in fabric or plastic, has died at his home in New York, aged 84.

    He passed away of natural causes on Sunday, according to a statement posted on the artist’s official Facebook page.

    Christo, who always worked with his wife Jeanne-Claude, famously covered the Reichstag in Berlin and the Pont-Neuf in Paris with reams of cloth.

    His artworks “brought people together” around the world, the statement says.

    “Christo lived his life to the fullest, not only dreaming up what seemed impossible, but realising it,” it reads, adding that the couple’s art “lives on in our hearts and memories”.

    A 2016 installation entitled The Floating Piers consisted of 100,000 sq m of bright yellow fabric floating on polyethylene cubes on Lake Iseo, in Sulzano, Italy.

    Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of backend.theindependentghana.com.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Emirates could take four years to return to normal – Chief

    It could take up to four years for Emirates airline’s operations to return “to some degree of normality”, its president said Monday, a day after it announced job cuts over the Coronavirus crisis.

    The Middle East’s largest carrier, which has a 100,000-strong staff and a fleet of 270 wide-bodied aircraft, halted operations in late March as part of shutdowns to combat the spread of the pandemic.

    Two weeks later, the airline resumed limited passenger operations but focused on repatriation flights as large numbers of the United Arab Emirates’ foreign residents returned to their home countries.

    Dubai-based Emirates said on Sunday it was cutting its giant workforce but did not specify the extent of the layoffs.

    “This is an action we have to take. We just can’t keep our employees doing nothing for so long. So, we have to let some go, unfortunately,” Emirates president Tim Clark told the Arabian Travel Market virtual conference.

    “I think probably by the year 22-23, 23-24, we will see things coming back to some degree of normality and Emirates will be operating its network as it was,” he said.

    Clark said that Emirates, which reported a bumper 21 percent rise in annual profits in March, had hoped to resume operations in the second half of May, but conditions did not ease enough to allow it, making it difficult to meet costs.

    The long-serving executive, whose retirement flagged for June has been delayed due to the crisis, said that some airlines may disappear in the chaos that has hit the aviation industry.

    “I am not optimistic that some of the carriers that are here today, that already have been significantly bailed out, will get through the next few months,” he said, adding that the next six to nine months will be “tough”.

    “We have never been in this horrendous situation … It is a huge structural change to our industry.”

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated last week that global airlines will lose $314 billion in 2020 revenues, a 55 percent dive from last year.

    Clark said that contractual obligations mean that airlines cannot continue to keep their fleets grounded.

    “We must get this business back on its feet as quickly as possible,” said the Emirates boss whose own fleet includes 115 Airbus A-380 super-jumbos.

    But he warned the airline industry is in “a very critical and fragile state”, and that the wearing of masks and gloves and sterilization programs in the post-pandemic era will signal “a paradigm change”.

    Source: france24.com

  • Video of Davidos new house in Banana Island that reportedly cost almost a billion

    Nigerian singer, Davido has finally dropped photos and a video of the luxurious house he bought at Banana Island, Lagos.

    After spending so many years in Lekki, Davido set to move to his dream house which reportedly is close to a billion naira.

    Davido thus joins celebrities like Linda Ikeji, Peter Okoye and the likes who have houses in the high profile area.

    Watch video below:

     

    Source: peacefmonline.com

  • Journalists injured covering protests across US

    Freelance photojournalist Linda Tirado was reporting in Minneapolis when she was struck in her left eye with a projectile appearing to come from the direction of the police.

    Now she’s permanently blind in that eye.

    “If somebody thought they were gonna stop me telling stories and doing my job by putting my eye out, they’re gonna have to try harder,” she told the BBC.

    Tirado is one of at least a dozen journalists who have been injured covering the protests across the US this weekend.

    Many seem to have been caught up in police efforts to disperse protesters, but in some clips shared on social media, it appears journalists were attacked even after offering press credentials.

    In Washington DC, the BBC’s Aleem Maqbool shared a video of a police officer with a riot shield running at cameraman Pete Murtaugh.

    In Michigan, Detroit Free Press reporter JC Reindl shared an image of an officer approaching him, saying: “Last thing I saw before I got sprayed.”

    Aleem Maqbool

    ✔@AleemMaqbool

    This was before curfew and our cameraman @p_murt clearly a member of the press, a block away from the White House this evening…

    Embedded video

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

    Source: bbc.com

  • Dystopian movie or American Spring – world media on US protests

    The sheer extent and ferocity of the US protests have widely caught the attention of news organisations around the world.

    Latin America’s media dedicated front-page headlines and photographs to the “fire and fury” of street protests raging in the US over the death of a black man during a Minneapolis police arrest.

    Their reports spoke of “chaos”, “scenes of barbarism” and anger against the “virus of racism”.

    In Russia, a five-minute report on state news channel Rossiya featured cases of heavy-handed police tactics, such as a police car driving into a crowd of protesters.

    The report concluded that the situation resembled a “dystopian movie”.

    Pan-Arab TV channels, too, gave rolling coverage to the protests, highlighting the most prominent incidents of violence.

    Many social media users condemned the police brutality. Some called the protest movement “the American Spring”.

    And some conservative newspapers in Iran referred to the curfews imposed in US cities as “martial law”.

    Hardline Keyhan’s front page headline read “Martial law in 25 American cities”, and the banner headline of Vatan-e Emruz newspaper was “US under military boots”.

    Source: bbc.com

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

  • Jubilee House security operatives, dismissed soldier granted ¢160k bail for robbery

    The two security operatives at the Jubilee House, who were arrested for robbing a gold mining firm, have been released from prison custody after meeting a ¢20,000 bail with four sureties set by a High Court at Tarkwa.

    Six other accomplices who were slapped with same bail conditions were also released, Dailymailgh.com can report.

    This was after their lawyers made a strong case for their release when they appeared before the court presided over by Justice Ekow Mensah.

    The court granted the request and consequently adjourned the case to June 16, 2020.

    Background

    The two men who operate at the seat of government have been named as 35-year-old Anas Adams, and George Osei, also an operative at the popular Asomdwee Park in Accra.

    The rest of the suspects include; George Ohene Adjei 56 years, driver and owner of the vehicle; Jonathan Aryer 28 years, Unemployed; Agyeman Jackson, 29 years, Unemployed; Isaac Okuampah 29 years painter; Patrick Fordjour, 29 years, taxi driver, Kumasi; and Samuel Obeng 35, who was allegedly dismissed as a soldier from the Ghana Army and Kofi Asante, the alleged leader of the gang, who managed to escape.

    Investigators reveal that on Saturday, April 25, 2020, the armed gang, raided a yet-to-be identified mining site near a place called Attala, about two hours drive from Asankragwa at about 4am to commit the crime.

    Disguised as security personnel, suspect Samuel Obeng allegedly wore one of the uniforms bearing the rank of Sergeant while Agyeman Jackson wore another with the rank of a Private to carry out the operation, police reveal.

    The gang, subjected some of the workers to beatings, handcuffed and tied them with ropes and abandoned them to their fate and robbed them of their gold concentrate.

    They were, however, arrested by the police following a tip off and processed before the court. They are facing a provisional charge of conspiracy to committing crime and committing crime to wit robbery.

     

    Source: Daily Mail

  • Pope calls for end to ‘pandemic of poverty’ after virus

    Pope Francis called on Saturday for a “more just and equitable society” in the post-coronavirus world, and for people to act to “end the pandemic of poverty”.
    “Once we emerge from this pandemic, we will not be able to keep doing what we were doing, and as we were doing it. No, everything will be different,” he said, speaking in Spanish in a video message to mark the feast of Pentecost.

    “From the great trials of humanity — among them this pandemic — one emerges better or worse. You don’t emerge the same. I ask this of you: how do you want to come out of it? Better or worse?” he added.
    People needed to open their minds and hearts to learn the central lesson from this crisis: “We are one humanity,” said the pope.
    “We know it, we knew it, but this pandemic that we are living through has made us experience it in a much more dramatic way,” he added.

    Now there was a duty to build a new reality particularly for the poorest, who had been discarded, the pope said.
    “All the suffering will be of no use if we do not build together a more just, more equitable, more Christian society, not in name but in reality,” he added.

    Source: AFP

  • Here are the protocols churches and mosques need to follow in the fight against coronavirus

    President Nana Akufo-Addo has lifted the ban on religious gatherings effective Friday, June 5, 2020, under strict control measures.

    He said churches and mosques have been limited to a maximum of 100 people with services not exceeding one hour with a mandatory one-meter rule of social distancing between congregants.

    According to him, religious leaders must enforce the wearing of facemasks, mandatory hand washing, and provide a register of all attendants for easier contact-tracing.

    In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, May 31, 2020, he said:

    “Religious institutions that are desirous of opening their premises to their members, such as churches, mosques, and others, must disinfect, fumigate and put in place the requisite logistics needed to guarantee safe opening and operation.

    “They must work with the designated, regulatory bodies and undertake test runs of the protocols I have outlined. I would appeal to them, in the case of Christians, on the first Sunday of re-opening, i.e. 7th June, in the case of the Adventists, Saturday, 6th June, and in the case of Muslims, on the first Friday, i.e. Salat Al-Jumu’ah on 5th June, to dedicate their worship to prayers for the nation in these challenging times.”

    He noted that the “Minister for Religious Affairs will outline in detail the specific guidelines for the safe reopening of our churches and mosques” today, Monday, June 1, 2020.

     

    Source: pulse.com.gh

  • No drinking water, no campaign Angry youth tell MP, DCE

    The Chiefs and youth of Abura Tetsi in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese constituency in the Central Region have warned their District Chief Executive (DCE) Aba Hagan and Member of Parliament Elvis Morris Donkor against campaigning in the community over their failed promises.

    According to the residents, the MP and the DCE have failed to provide portable drinking water and a durbar ground contrary to their promise.

    A spokesperson for the Abura Tetsi Royal Palace Nana Kwame Wontumi speaking to Starr News said, “ever since we voted for him as our MP, he gave us 10 bags of cement and 8 metallic and standing pipes. Four years now and we have not seen any development.”

    The angry youth added that the DCE lives on their lands and promised them portable water but that is yet to materialize.

    “The International Monetary Fund (IMF) water project is also on our lands which supplies water to part of the central region as our chiefs took nothing from leasing the land for the project,” they said.

    However, the MP Elvis Morris Donkor reacting to the claims of the angry youth said he will head to the community to hear the concerns of the residents.

    “The community has had its fair share of development,” he said.

    The MP also stated that none of their claims has come to his notice and does will find out the specific things they are looking and will equally address them.

    “It is not true, the water project was fully funded by IMF, and they also benefit from the water”, he added.

     

    Source: Starr FM

  • Heroes: A group of black men have been hailed as heroes for saving a white policeman during protest

    A couple of hours ago, in the home city of the legendary boxer, Mohammed Ali, Louisville, Kentucky, Americans found an amazing love in the midst of complete chaos and unusual circumstance. It was a scene that brought many Americans to tears and made many realize what a beautiful country they would have, if only they could love one another.

    Following, the death of George Floyd at the hands of four Minneapolis Police officers a couple of days ago, angry protests and riots have ravaged several cities of America. The people have become frustrated and consequently furious as they take to the streets of the United States of America to demand for Justice and end to police brutality that is constantly meted out on the African Americans.

    As the angry protesters who had let loose the dogs of vandalism on several cities of the United States of America got to the city of Louisville, Kentucky, something very remarkable and unusual happened. A white Police officer who is among the deployed forces to contain the angry protesters, inadvertently found himself isolated from his team.

    With the angry mob bearing down on him, the police officer was clearly in danger of being hurt or probably loose his life. However, a group of black people who realized that the police officer was facing a mortal danger, quickly formed a human – shield to protect the police officer from the angry protesters.

    No doubt, this police officer will definitely be eternally grateful to these black young men for saving his life. However, their heroics have gotten the attention of many Americans who have hailed them as heroes.

    Reacting to this great act of love and brotherhood, John F. Kennedy Jr. wrote on his Twitter handle:

    “These men are protecting an officer that was separated from, was out numbered and in danger. This made me cry.”

    Truth be told, I also cried while writing this piece. Pastor Joshua Feuerstein also wrote:

    “These men are heroes. When an officer got separated from his squad… These men formed a line and refused to let rioters harm him! SHEAR THESE MEN’S FACES! THEY ARE HEROES!”

    The actions of these great Americans, have truly reaffirms the eternal words of the great Martin Luther King Jr.

    “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless night of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

    Source: opera.com

  • Justice for Floyd : Police officers kneel to beg for forgiveness

    There has been a recent outrage on social media and massive destructive protests in Minneapolis and some states over the brutal murder of the late George Floyd.

    George Floyd was murdered by some police officers, with one kneeling on his neck while he gasped and pleaded for air. He continued to cry “I can’t breathe” but his plea did not compel the police officer to loosen his ‘grip’ on his neck. This level of inhumaness was interpreted as racist.

    Since the death of George Floyd, there have been protests involving burning of houses and properties to plead for justice for Floyd. Social media has been flooded with tags such as #blacklivesmatter and #justiceforFloyd.

    It seems our cry has got to the ears of the security personnels as they have openly knelt in front of protesters to accept the fault of one of their own and to ask for forgiveness.

    This act has been warmly welcomed by protesters. We hope it is a step in a direction towards ending hate killing of blacks.

    Below are some photos from the scene:

    We hope this means an end to police brutality against black on “white” soil.

    What do you also think of their act? Is it genuine? Are they worth forgiving? Or they did it to calm down the anger among protesters.

    Source: opera.com

  • SpaceX Nasa Mission: Astronaut capsule docks with space station

    US astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have docked with the International Space Station (ISS).

    Their Dragon capsule – supplied and operated by the private SpaceX company – edged them into port on the high-flying lab’s bow section.

    The men will have to wait for leak and pressure checks to be completed before they can disembark and join the Russian and American crew already on the ISS.

    Hurley and Behnken launched from Florida on Saturday.

    It was the first time since the retirement of the shuttles nine years ago that the US space agency has sent up astronauts from home soil.

    The mission marks the beginning of a new era in which Nasa will be purchasing transport services from the commercial sector. No more will it own and operate the vehicles that run to and from the station.

    This will be done, as in this case, by firms like California’s SpaceX outfit, which is led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

    Confirmation of the Dragon’s attachment at the ISS came at 14:16 GMT (15:16 BST), slightly ahead of schedule, 422km (262 miles) above the border between northern China and Mongolia.

    It was a fully automated process; Hurley and Behnken had no need to get involved – although they had practiced some manual flying on approach.

    SpaceX flew the first demonstration of its new crew vehicle last year, but that had only a dummy aboard. This sortie is the first to carry humans.

    Hurley’s and Behnken’s job on the mission is to test all onboard systems and to give their feedback to engineers.

    SpaceX and Nasa want to move swiftly to the next phase of the $2.6bn contract which will see six crew taxi flights, with the first to occur at the end of August.

    Source: bbc.com

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

  • Real apple tree found in Ghana – CSIR finally confirms

    The Crop Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has finally confirmed there is an apple tree in Ghana.

    According to the scientist, the apple tree is located at Atimatim Taaboum in the Ashanti region.

    A report filed by JoyNews revealed that in 2016, the apple tree was grown by a Ghanaian who lives in Belgium in his private residence, who conducted a trial for the growth of the tree in the country.

    After two years of planting it, the tree has few fruits and many branches after 10 seedlings were planted for trial.

    Apple tree at Atimatim Taaboum in the Ashanti region. Source: UGC
    Source: Original

    Confirming the truth of the tree, a Plant physiologist and Principal Research Scientist at CSIR-CRI, Professor Beloved Mensah Dzomeku said there is nothing doubtful about the tree, as various tests have been conducted to prove its veracity.

    Prof. Dzomeku says he has studied apple trees in Germany and that, “Indeed, it is an apple.”

    According to Professor Dzomeku transverse and longitudinal sections through the immature fruits revealed all the features of Apple.

    Professor Dzomeku concludes apples can grow well in Ghana. But this can only be done with scientific support.

    YEN.com.gh earlier reported that a plant looking like an apple tree was reportedly planted just five years ago at Wiamoase in the Ashanti Region has produced fruits bountifully as a recent trending video has shown.

    The video was sighted by YEN.com.gh on Twitter as a gentleman who was clearly stunned by the discovery spoke at length about the tree and urged various stakeholders to come and have a look.

    News about the tree has been interesting to most people due to the fact that real apple tree is known and believed to only do well in parts of the world with cold temperatures and high humidity.

    Source: yen.com.gh

  • Coronavirus: WAEC to organise independent WASSCE for Ghana alone

    Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, has said the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has indicated its readiness to organise an independent West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Ghanaian candidates due to the threat of the Coronavirus pandemic.

    In response to the growing health concern about the COVID-19, WAEC in March, which comprises of Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, decided to put on hold the conduct of WASSCE for candidates, earlier scheduled to commence on April 6, 2020.

    Schools and universities are to be re-opened for final year students from Monday, June 15, 2020.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a televised address to the nation on Sunday, May 31, 2020, said final year students in junior high, senior high, and universities can resume classes and lectures ahead of the conduct of their respective final examinations.

    “Indeed, final year university students are to report to their universities on 15th June, final year senior high school (SHS 3) students together with SHS 2 gold track students on 22nd June and final-year junior high school (JHS 3) students on 29th June,” he stated.

    The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in an interview on Accra based Citi FM, when asked on how WASSCE candidates in Ghana alone were going to take their exams after WAEC suspended the exams for the entire West African region, he said the examination body would provide support for countries that would want to organise their independent examinations.

    The Minister explained that because Ghana had been able to bring the disease under control, it would organise the exams for its final year students with the support of WAEC.

     

    Source: pulse.com.gh

  • See Donald Trump’s glint house made of gold (photos)

    Donald Trump turned into the 45th leader of the most impressive country on the planet. Turning into the President came inseparably with him moving to the White House. Be that as it may, in this article we will show you the house he abandoned and the one he would return to after the end of his assignment.

    Donald Trump is one of the known land businesspeople on the planet. The Trump Organization land index remembers properties for states all over America. You would expect the place of a land big shot to be nothing not exactly extraordinary magnificence and amazing landscape and you will be totally right.

    Donald trump has consistently cherished Gold, He demonstrated that when he got a completely useful 18-carat strong Gold latrine rather than a Van Gogh painting. Everything in Trump’s home is made of Gold from jars to plans with important relics and costly works of art.

    The Penthouse is situated in Manhattan. How marvelous! Toward the finish of the battle in the White house he has a place of Gold pausing.

    Source: opera.com