Police have fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters demonstrating outside the Indonesian parliament over a proposed new criminal code that would ban sex before marriage.
Protests against the bill also took place in other cities in the country.
The bill would outlaw most abortions and make insulting the president illegal.
The bill has been delayed, but protesters are concerned it could still eventually pass through parliament.
The bill was initially scheduled for a vote on Tuesday – however, President Joko Widodo postponed the vote on Friday, stating that that new laws needed more consideration.
The main clashes took place in the capital Jakarta as demonstrators demanded to meet parliament speaker Bambang Soesatyo.
Protesters pelted police with rocks, who responded with tear gas and water cannons.
One placard held by a woman said: “My crotch does not belong to the government”.
Protests in other areas, including Yogyakarta and Makassar on Sulawesi island, continued for a second day.
“We’re going to parliament to oppose the new law for the anti-corruption agency that are not pro-people but are pro-corruptors,” Fuad Wahyudin, 21-year-old student from an Islamic university in West Java, told Reuters.
More than 5,000 police have reportedly been deployed to maintain security in Jakarta.
Renowned Sports Journalist Otuo-Acheampong Barimah Boadaa has filed his nomination to contest one of the Ghana Football Association Executive Council seats.
The General Manager of Kumasi based Asokwa Deportivo FC wants to vie for one of the three slots for Division One League clubs.
He has been a member of the Ghana FA Media Committee since 2005 and served as a Black Satellites Management Committee member.
In 2012, he was awarded by the Premier League Board for his contributions for the Ghana Premier League.
Sometymer, as he is affectionately called, was a member of two-man delegation for the GFA at FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan in 2016.
The former Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) Executive Council member is a result-oriented Public Administrator who possess the ability to clearly express ideas to clients and build positive relationship with them.
Otuo-Acheampong is a product of the University of Ghana (Legon) and has also studied at the Ghana Institute of Marketing and Public Administration (GIMPA).
He again holds an MSc in Supply Chain Management from the Coventry University in the UK and holds a Certificate in “Essential Skills in Negotiation” from Michigan University(USA).
Sometymer has lectured in Public Administration, Public Procurement, Strategic Management, and Office Administration at the Christian Service University College in Kumasi.
He has worked with several radio stations and media houses in Ghana including Luv FM, Fox FM, Hot FM, Kessben FM, and Sikka FM.
Sometymer is a member of International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and the Ashanti Regional chairman of SWAG.
A military court in Algeria has jailed Said Bouteflika, the brother of the deposed former president following a two-day trial, a private TV channel reports
According to Ennahar TV, he was given a 15- year sentence, along with two former intelligence chiefs and the leader of the Workers’ Party.
The four defendants were arrested in May, shortly after weeks of pro-democracy protests forced long-time leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign as president.
They were accused of conspiring against the state and undermining the military.
Khaled Nizar, a former defence minister, is reported to have been given a 20-year sentence in his absence by the court in Blida, a city south of the capital Algiers.
Said Bouteflika was widely seen as the real power behind the presidency after his brother suffered a stroke in 2013.
Lukaku has already bagged three goals in four league games for the Nerazzurri, including one in their 2-0 win against city rivals AC Milan on Saturday.
“He is a fantastic player – continues Asamoah – in a short time he has already managed to do so much for the team in offensive and defensive phase.â€
“I’m surprised by his impact: new players coming to Italy find it hard to settle in. Instead he immediately entered the mechanism, understood from the first moment how to be useful. I think it can do even better.â€
The Deputy Comptroller of Immigration (DCGI) in-charge of Command Post and Operations is worried that migrant crime in the country is on the ascendancy.
Laud Kwesi Affrifah says Ghana is on the verge of becoming a criminal haven for foreigners and is, therefore, urging officers of the Services to “sit up and make our country safer.â€
He made the statement in an interaction with officers of the GIS who are currently undergoing counter-terrorism training in Huhunya in the Eastern Region.
The visit, under the directive of the Comptroller-General of Immigration, was to find out how the officers were faring and to also boost their morale.
Mr Affrifah said the face of security in the country has changed requiring a joint and collaborative effort of all state security institutions.
“The concept is a joint security approach,†he said.
He explained that with the joint security approach, the mandate of GIS is not only to manage migration in the country but also contribute to national security.
According to him, Services would lead in patrolling the borders of Ghana with the support of the Ghana Police Service and Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) as well as the military.
“Similarly, when it comes to internal control which is led by the Ghana Police Service, it will be supported by the Military and also the Ghana Immigration Service,†he added.
The DCGI further explained that the support and collaboration which was a part of a national border security strategy under the Security Governance Initiative (SGI) had the border security, cyber fraud and maritime components.
Commander of the Counter-Terrorism Enactment and Concentration Camp, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Raymond Adofiem, explained that the training programme had been tailored and simulated to meet the exigencies of the time and the happenings at the various entry points of the country.
“The settings we have here are somewhat similar to that of what we have at the borders,†he added.
“Two days ago, the Officers underwent a simulated exercise on how to access and combat activities of terrorists and other cross border crimes at the Elubo, Paga and Aflao borders,†he noted.
He indicated that the Officers were fit and ready to tackle head-on crimes and its related activities. “They have been imbued with absolute discipline and if they should misbehave, it is not the men but it is the command,†he stressed.
The DCGI was accompanied by the Head of Border Management Department, Commissioner Isaac Owusu Mensah, Head of Border Patrol Unit (BPU), Chief Supt. Joshua Kreku, Deputy Head of Training, Chief Supt. Daniel Debrah, Head of Public Affairs, Supt. Michael Amoako-Atta and Supt. Esther Hogan of the BPU.
The purpose of this first-ever training is to enhance the combat fitness, shooting skills, willpower and speed among others of Officers who would form the nucleus of the newly created Rapid Response Unit.
The Coalition of Civil Societies against Vigilantism has issued a one-week ultimatum to government to draw a comprehensive compensation package for victims who suffered violent attacks during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
The group is also calling for government to review its position on a recent commission of enquiry report on the incident.
The Commission of Inquiry was established on 8 February 2019 by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to make a full, faithful and impartial enquiry into the circumstances of, and establish the facts leading to, the events and associated violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election held on the 31 January 2019. The Commission of Inquiry on 14 March 2019 submitted its report to the President.
Government further published the Emile Short report together with a white paper in which the executive disagreed with a number of findings including recommendations that the individual who assaulted Ningo Prampram lawmaker Sam George be prosecuted.
At a press briefing on the matter on Tuesday, 24 September 2019, the Coalition against Vigilantism said government’s posture on the Commission report could embolden politically motivated attacks during electoral activities hence posing a threat to Ghana’s peace and security.
Chairman of the group and Executive Director of pressure group Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), Mensah Thompson has said government must revise its white paper within a week and pay out compensation or face their wrath.
“We realised that government did not exhibit any sign of empathy or sensitivity to the people who were injured during the violence.
“There was not a strong acceptance of the recommendation to pay reparations to the persons who were injured or lost their properties except to say the matter would be referred to the appropriate quarters. We demand that in the coming days government should come out with a compensation package and a clear procedure to compensate the affected victims to ensure that justice is served,†he noted.
The Bureau of Public Safety has rejected government communication on a purported foiled attempt to destabilize the country.
In a statement released by the Bureau said: “The (Security) communication is poor and does not assure public safety as more questions remain unanswered.â€
The government through the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah on Monday issued a statement detailing how a joint security operation of personnel drawn from Defence Intelligence, CID and Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), conducted a successful operation which led to the arrest of three persons and the retrieval of several arms, explosive devices and ammunition from locations in Accra and Bawaleshie near Dodowa.
The joint operation was to neutralize an elaborate plot targeted at the Presidency, and with the ultimate aim of destabilizing the country. The arrest and seizure come after fifteen (15) months of surveillance and gathering of evidence on the activities of the prime suspects and others.
The persons arrested are Dr. Frederick Yao Mac-Palm and his two accomplices Mr. Ezor Kafui (a local weapon manufacturer) and Mr. Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu (aka BB or ADC).
The following items were retrieved as part of the operation: 5 x locally manufactured pistols with magazines fitted on, 1 x foreign pistol (Reg. No. PX154006) with 2 Xmagazines, 3 x locally manufactured pistol barrels, 3 x smoke grenades, 22 x Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), 9 x 7.62mm NATO AK47 rounds, 2 x AK47 magazines, 1 x long Knife and 63 x 9mm NATO rounds.
THE MORE CITIZENS KNOW THE BETTER: FOILED ATTEMPT TO CREATE INSTABILITY
The Bureau of Public Safety commends State Security Agencies for surveilling, retrieving arms and ammunitions and thus arresting some suspected culprits behind the manufacture and stacking of arms.
The need for security agencies to clamp down on the proliferation of arms in Ghana cannot be overemphasized and thus must be an ongoing concern to assure public safety and security.
However, the Bureau of Public Safety rejects government communication on a foiled attempt to destabilize the country.
The (Security) communication is poor and does not assure public safety as more questions remain unanswered.
We urge the State security managers and political authority to collaborate responsibly on sensitive matters such as these in future.
Some aggrieved youth of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) last Saturday attacked the party’s office in the Sagnarigu Constituency in the Northern Region.
The angry youth, who claimed they have been neglected by the government in terms of employment since assuming power, destroyed furniture and some documents in the party office.
Drawing attention
They claimed their action was to draw the attention of the party to their plight.
Some of the irate youth who spoke to the media claimed they were side-stepped in the National Identification Authority (NIA) recruitment exercise in the constituency.
“We the youth in the constituency were denied the employment and people were brought from elsewhere to take up the jobs,” they stated.
Since the incident broke out last Saturday, no arrest had been made and the police say they have launched investigations to apprehend those who were behind the attack.
The Deputy Constituency Secretary of the party, Seidu Alhassan said the action of the youth was as a result of the NIA recruitment exercise in the constituency.
He explained that the youth in the constituency felt they were qualified for the jobs but they were left out, therefore, they decided to take that action to draw the attention of the party leadership.
He stated further that the NIA was to recruit about 84 people to augment their staff who are working in the constituency but the youth in the area were left out, with other people who were not from the constituency given the jobs.
Mr Alhassan confirmed that the angry youth destroyed some property of the party during the attack.
The staff of Ghana Post has made the company proud after putting up a good show at this year’s #Citi BusinessOlympics 2019 held at Burma Camp last Saturday in Accra.
The #Citi BusinessOlympics 2019, is the biggest corporate sporting event in Ghana organised by Accra-based Citi FM and Citi TV.
This is where everybody who is anybody in business in Ghana gathers for the biggest sports meeting.
Ghana Post won laurels over the weekend when its staff joined over 30 companies to compete for glory at the #CitiBusinessOlympics2019.
Ghana Post won the Cup for the Ladies Tug of War category.
In almost all the games Ghana Post participated, Team Ghana Post emerged among the first three winners.
In an interview with the Head of Corporate Communications at Ghana Post, Kobi Hemaa Osisiadan-Bekoe, this is what she had to say:
“Our staff truly displayed that when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. In almost all the games we participated, our team was among the first three winners. We say Kudos to all our hardworking staff for believing in the turnaround vision of Ghana Post. The #NewGhanaPost is here, let’s all embrace it. GhanaPost……..Secure, Smart Delivery!”
This annual showpiece by Citi FM brings together thousands of workers to compete for honors in various disciplines, network and have a great time, away from board rooms and workstations.
Russia could face a ban from all major sports events over “discrepancies” in a lab database, the World Anti-Doping Agency has warned.
The country has been given three weeks to explain “inconsistencies” or risk being excluded from the Olympics and world championships.
Russia also faces being barred from hosting major events.
“There’s evidence this data has been deleted,” chairman of Wada’s compliance panel, Jonathan Taylor, told BBC Sport.
“We need to understand from the Russian authorities what their explanation is.”
Background
Russia handed over data from its Moscow laboratory in January as a condition of its reintegration back into the sporting fold after a three-year suspension for a state-sponsored doping programme.
But on Monday Wada said its executive committee had been informed that a formal compliance procedure had been opened over the discovery of “inconsistencies”.
“This is hypothetical at the moment, but if the experts maintain their current view, then the compliance review committee will make a recommendation to send a notice to Rusada asserting ‘you’re non-compliant’ and proposing consequences,” said Taylor.
“In a case with a ‘critical non-compliance’, there is now a starting point for the sanctions that can go up and down, and they do include sanctions against Rusada and options include no events hosted in Russia, and they do include no participation of Russian athletes in world championships and up to the Olympics.”
Taylor emphasised that under a new set of rules, Wada now has the power to apply such punishments, but also explained that if Russia were to appeal, the case would ultimately be decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
“Everyone has agreed they will enforce what Cas agrees,” he said.
“We’ve got to be very careful. Procedure has got to be followed. We can’t prejudge the outcome.”
Athletes are ‘furious’
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) rejected Wada’s recommendation to ban Russia from the 2016 Olympics in Rio following the doping scandal, but suspended the team from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, with athletes forced to compete as neutrals.
On Monday the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) confirmed its decision to uphold a ban on Russia just four days before the start of the World Championships in Doha after hearing a report from its task force overseeing the country’s reinstatement efforts.
But Russia now faces the prospect of being excluded from many other events, including next year’s Olympics in Tokyo and football’s 2022 World Cup.
Taylor said Wada’s new sanctioning powers justified the highly controversial decision to reinstate Rusada in January before the data could be analysed.
But Rob Koehler of Global Athlete, a group that has been critical of Wada’s handling of the crisis, said his members were “furious”.
“The time has come to demand resignations from Wada’s leadership because they have shown they are not fit for purpose.
“I hope I, along with the athlete community, am proven wrong, but this entire ordeal will play out in favour of Russia as it has done all along with no meaningful consequences.”
Taylor said he had “no concerns” that 47 disciplinary cases already referred to international sports federations would be undermined by the database discrepancies, but others may be affected.
“There will be cases where it looks like the data has irretrievably gone, and in those then potentially a cheat is going to escape.
“But then the job is for Wada to respond to that action. If the experts say it was deliberate deletion of data…
“The problem will be if Wada and its stakeholders don’t pursue and don’t get proper sanctions, but this is a test for the new system.
“Obviously if the experts say the Russians have deliberately tampered with this evidence, of course it’s disappointing. But the question now is how is Wada and its stakeholders going to respond?
“If they are able to respond in a way that sends a clear message that this kind of conduct carries severe sanctions, that’s all you can do.
“You can’t stop cheating. You can only make sure you’ve got a system that allows you to respond to it.”
In comments reported by the Russian news agency Tass, the country’s sports minister Pavel Kolobkov said: “What exactly are these discrepancies and what are they related to?
“Experts in digital technology from both sides are already in collaboration. For our part, we continue to provide all possible assistance.”
Russia had missed deadlines to hand over the data before finally granting Wada access to the Moscow anti-doping laboratory in January.
The Former GFA Vice capo has been touted as one of the leading candidates to land the vacant hot seat.
The bankroller of Okyeman Planners will however face stiff competition from other astute administrators like Kurt Okraku, Osei Kwaku Palmer, Fred Pappoe, George Ankomah Mensah, Nana Yaw Amponsah and Amanda Clinton.
The candidate must be a female.
Shall have qualifying degree education i.e bachelors to secure admission.
Application procedure:
Together with the MBA financial aid application form, you must also submit a 750-word essay using the IMD MBA Scholarship template on “Many have argued that greater diversity in the Top Management team of an organization is good for profits and customers. What would you recommend as ways to achieve greater diversity?†The deadline for scholarship applications is 30 September annually.
It is important to visit the official website (link found below) to access the application forms and for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.
Iran has rejected a joint statement by the leaders of France, Germany and the UK who blamed it for attacks earlier this month on Saudi oil installations.
Iran’s foreign minister accused them of “parroting absurd US claims”.
The European leaders said there was no other plausible explanation for the attacks, which shut down half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production.
But they said they remained committed to the 2015 international deal on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have claimed they carried out the 14 September attacks while Iran itself has denied any involvement.
Eighteen drones and seven cruise missiles hit an oil field and processing facility.
Saudi Arabia has blamed Iran for the attacks, as has the US which is sending more troops to the kingdom.
What did the leaders say?
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued their statement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
“It is clear to us that Iran bears responsibility for this attack. There is no other plausible explanation. We support ongoing investigations to establish further details,” they said.
“The time has come for Iran to accept negotiation on a long-term framework for its nuclear programme as well as on issues related to regional security, including its missiles programme and other means of delivery,” the statement added.
The three leaders expressed their “continued commitment” to the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA).
Tensions between the US and Iran have soared since President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord last year and re-imposed sanctions.
Speaking later on Monday, Mr Johnson called for a new nuclear deal with Iran negotiated by Mr Trump.
“If it was a bad deal, and I’m willing to accept that it had many, many defects, then let’s do a better deal,” he said in an interview with US media.
“I think there’s one guy who can do a better deal and one guy who understands how to get a difficult partner like Iran over the line and that is the president of the United States. So I hope that there will be a Trump deal, to be totally honest with you.”
Downing Street later stressed that Mr Johnson supports the JCPoA. The UK prime minister is due to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani later.
What has Iran said?
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif ruled out the possibility of negotiating a new deal with world powers, saying that the three European partners had demonstrated “paralysis in fulfilling their obligations” without US approval.
He tweeted: “Solution to this deficiency – mustering will to forge independent path, not parroting absurd US claims and requests inconsistent with JCPoA.”
He added: “No new deal before compliance with the current one.”
Iran has warned the US and its allies against a military response to the attack in Saudi Arabia, saying that it is ready “to respond to any aggression”.
What’s the background?
Houthi rebels have repeatedly launched rockets, missiles and drones at populated areas in Saudi Arabia. They are in conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which backs a president who the rebels had forced to flee when the Yemeni conflict escalated in March 2015.
The war has killed nearly 10,000 people and pushed millions to the brink of starvation, the world’s worst man-made humanitarian disaster.
Iran, the regional rival of Saudi Arabia, is an opponent of the US, and tensions between the two have risen markedly this year. The US said Iran was behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May – accusations rejected by Tehran.
Jeremy Corbyn’s policy on Brexit has triumphed at Labour conference, as members endorsed his stance to stay neutral while negotiating a new deal.
The party voted against a motion which would have seen Labour backing Remain in any future referendum.
But there was confusion as the votes were called, as the chair of the proceedings faced calls for a recount.
Labour’s position on Brexit has dominated the conference agenda, with huge disagreements over the issue.
The party’s draft plan for its Brexit policy, put forward by Mr Corbyn, suggests that, if Labour wins power in a general election, it would remain neutral while negotiating a new deal with the EU within three months.
It would then hold a referendum within six months, and the party would decide which side to back ahead of that at a special conference.
Grassroots activists at the conference have been pushing for an unambiguous stance, tabling a motion calling for Labour to campaign “energetically” to Remain.
But this motion was rejected in a show of hands while a motion setting out the leadership’s official position and another endorsing its handling of Brexit were overwhelmingly passed.
Image copyrightAFP/GETTYImage captionLen McCluskey said the Labour party trusted their leader
After the results were announced by trade union official Wendy Nichols, there were charged scenes in the conference hall.
Several delegates called for the votes to be counted individually, suggesting the outcome of the Remain motion was much closer than officials had suggested.
One delegate said there had to be an official card vote as “this is one of the most important decisions Labour is going to take in the next decade”.
The result is a major boost for Jeremy Corbyn, who was backed by the majority of Labour’s 12 affiliated unions, including Unite and the GMB.
Unison had broken ranks with other unions to back the Remain motion.
Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said he was disappointed by the result of the vote, and that he would campaign for Remain.
“Would I have liked us to have gone a bit further and won that vote? Of course I would – but I don’t want to take away from the fact that is quite considerable movement,” he said.
The leader of the Unite union, Len McCluskey, said the vote showed ordinary members coming behind the Labour leader’s stance in a show of loyalty.
“What you’ve seen here is a massive show of support for Jeremy Corbyn,” he said, adding that it was “time to unite”.
The vote was decisive – the Labour leadership position on Brexit triumphed.
Those calling for a more robust Remain stance at the likely snap election were defeated.
But the manner of the triumph was immediately called in to question.
The vote wasn’t a secret ballot, it was a show of hands.
Calls for a card vote – where the vote of each delegate is individually counted in secret – were dismissed by the chair.
That’s not to say there wasn’t clear show of support for the leadership.
But some remainers maintain that the vote would at least have been closer if it wasn’t conducted in public.
That’s because the debate became – for some delegates – a demonstration of support for the leadership, close to an election, rather than a pure test of opinion on Brexit.
The conventional wisdom was that Jeremy Corbyn might have to rely on the big unions – with 50% of conference votes – to win.
But some unions chose to defy him, making a defeat possible.
In the end a section of the grassroots – the ordinary members – did not prioritise their own pro-Remain position and rallied round Jeremy Corbyn.
Remainers are now accentuating, for them, the positive – that the party is now unambiguously backing a new referendum, with Remain as an option.
Nonetheless, Labour will go in to the election unable to say whether it will officially back leave or remain in a subsequent referendum.
But after a difficult few days, most of those close to Jeremy Corbyn are relieved tonight, and some are jubilant.
Andrew Lewin, the founder of Remain Labour, said the vote represented the “grassroots against the party machine – and the machine won”.
“If this fudge is the Labour policy at the next general election, we will drive Remain voters away.”
Another campaigner, Michael Chessum, from Another Europe is Possible, said: “Labour members, 90% of whom want to stay in the EU, will be deeply disappointed with this decision.”
Image copyrightREUTERSImage captionLabour’s stance on Brexit has dominated the conference
But Labour MPs remain divided over the issue.
Speaking before the vote, shadow Treasury minister Annaliese Dodds said the economic consequences of Brexit were “so severe” that she believed Labour must back remain in another referendum.
“Is it going to be easy?” she told the BBC’s Carolyn Quinn. “No it is not, because people are passionate in both directions.”
But Stephen Kinnock, the MP for Aberavon, told a fringe meeting organised by the Social Market Foundation that Labour had had “more Brexit positions than the Karma Sutra”.
Describing the first two days of conference as an “utter shambles”, he said Labour should have stuck with its 2017 manifesto pledge to honour the referendum result and moving away from this this would not go down well in Leave constituencies.
“Our position on Brexit is being treated with ridicule on the doorsteps in my constituency,” he said.
New policies
Away from Brexit, Labour has announced a pledge to introduce free personal care in England for over-65s, so they will not have to pay for help with dressing, washing and meals.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his main opponent, Benny Gantz, have taken “a significant step” towards forming a unity government, Israel’s president has said.
Reuven Rivlin was speaking after hosting a meeting for the two rivals.
No details of the talks have been made public. But a joint statement said chief negotiators for the two main parties would meet on Tuesday.
Last week’s general election – the second this year – ended in deadlock.
In a bid to broker a solution, President Rivlin has recommended the new government includes both Mr Gantz’s Blue and White Alliance, which won 33 seats, and Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party, which won 31.
Mr Rivlin has said he will do everything he can to avoid a third general election this year.
Speaking after Monday’s two hours of talks at his offices in Jerusalem, he said: “We have taken a significant step forward tonight.”
Addressing Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz he added: “Now it is your turn. The responsibility for establishing a government falls on you, and the people expect you to find a solution and to prevent further elections, even if it comes at a personal and even ideological cost.”
In their joint statement, Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz said negotiators from their parties would meet on Tuesday and the two leaders would then meet President Rivlin again on Wednesday.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli-Arab lawmakers recommended that former army chief Mr Gantz should become prime minister.
The Joint List, a bloc of Arab parties that came third in the election, said it wanted to remove Mr Netanyahu from power.
It was the first time since 1992 that an Arab political group has issued an endorsement for an Israeli prime minister.
Ayman Odeh, leader of the Joint List, told President Rivlin that his alliance’s priority was to prevent Mr Netanyahu from serving another term.
The Joint List won 13 seats in the election. If Mr Gantz had the endorsement of all 13 seats, he would still fall short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat legislature.
Last week’s election was called after coalition talks collapsed following April’s poll.
“The children will not be prosecuted, and just as importantly I am looking into options that may reverse the legal damage such as removing the arrest from the children’s records,” said State Attorney Aramis Ayala in a news conference.
Police Chief Orlando Rolón said in a statement: “As a grandparent of three children less than 11-years-old this is very concerning to me. Our department strives to deliver professional and courteous service.”
Neither child has been identified by police, but the grandmother of one of the children said she suffered sleep apnoea which had contributed to her behaviour.
Meralyn Kirkland told NBC that when she went to retrieve her granddaughter from jail, “they told us we had to wait a few minutes because [she] was being fingerprinted, and when she said fingerprinted it hit me like a tonne of bricks”.
“No six-year-old child should be able to tell somebody that they had handcuffs on them and they were riding in the back of a police car and taken to a juvenile centre to be fingerprinted, mug shot.”
According to Orlando Police, Mr Turner was retired from the police force but was working as security in the school as part of the local department’s reserve unit.
Schools have increasingly turned to hiring part-time officers since a series of deadly school shooting attacks, such as on Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
According to AFP, 46% of US schools have an officer present on campus for at least one day of each week.
A former Captain of the Ghana Black Stars, Stephen Appiah, has called for better management and grooming of young players from the junior teams in the country to feed the senior national team.
In his opinion, Ghana needs to adopt a system where the Black Starlets (Under-17) can be developed to form the backbone of the next generation of the Satellites (Under-20) and continued upward to the Meteors (Under-23) and finally to settle with the Black Stars.
Some brilliant youngsters who performed excellently at the youth levels failed to get integrated into the national team later in their football careers.
The Technical Coordinator of the Black Stars believes the trend must change if Ghana is to make inroads and dominate in international football with laurels.
He told Magdalene Krampah in an exclusive interview that: “Our problem here is the transitionâ€.
Appiah, who was capped for the Ghana national team 67 times and scored 14 goals, is of the view that: “When it comes to football, what makes a nation is the transition and I think that is what we have to tackleâ€.
Appiah was part of the Ghana squad which won the FIFA U-17 World Championship tournament in 1995 at age 14. The team beat Brazil in the final to lift the trophy.
According to the veteran, “We have to believe in them [youth] and slowly give them the time to fit into the national teamâ€.
Appiah played for local team Accra Hearts of Oak and later featured for Juventus, Udinese, Parma, Brescia, Bologna and Cesena in Italy.
He also had stints with Turkish side Fenerbahçe and Vojvodina in Serbia.
The bodies of four children have been recovered from a watercourse in a flood prone area at Bremang UGC in the Suame Municipality in the Ashanti Region on Saturday evening.
The minors drowned when they went to the area to swim.
Residents in the area made a distress call to the police and officials from the National Disaster Management Organisation who conveyed the to the hospital.
The deceased have been identified as ten-year old Seth Owusu, nine-year old Ezra Asante and nine-year old Clinton Gyamasi.
According to NADMO officials the fourth deceased person is yet to be identified because his relatives came for his body from the scene.
Suame Municipal deputy NADMO coordinator, Mustapha Owusu who confirmed the incident to Citi News said the three bodies have been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital morgue.
“At about 5 pm, I was called and informed that some children had drowned at Bremang UGC in the Suame Municipality. When I rushed there it was true, but the bodies were recovered already. I even met one Sergeant Appiah, a police officer. So we put the bodies in my vehicle and together with the police officer we took the three bodies to the Tafo Government Hospital where the Doctor pronounced them dead,†he said.
Romelu Lukaku made sure of the win with a 78th-minute glancing header from a Nicolo Barella cross from the left for his third goal since his move from Manchester United.
Nana Agyemang Badu Dua I, Chief of Kunsu in the Ashanti Region and husband to ace actress Mercy Asiedu has offered 300 acres of land to the Government of Ghana.
This comes at a time when protests have arisen among industry practitioners and a number of interested parties as to where the intended Film Village should be situated.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Nana Agyemang Badu Dua I explained it was important to situate the Film Village in Kunsu in the Ashanti Region especially considering the fact that production of a similar village has commenced.
A lover of the film industry, Nana Agyemang Badu Dua I who had earlier promised 250 acres of land for the construction of the film village revealed he had increased it to 300 acres of land and promised to assist in any other way possible should the need be.
He gave the government options by offering two different available lands asking the government to choose which best suits the project.
Present at the ceremony was Honourable Johnson Adu Kwaku, MP for Ahafo Ano South West Constituency, Ashanti Region, Mr. Samuel Nyamekye, CEO of Miracle Films, Mr. James Aboagye, President of the Film Producers Association of Ghana, and a number of personalities from the movie industry.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Mercy Asiedu recounted events that unfolded when actresses in the Ashanti Region met the President, Nana Akufo-Addo immediately after his assumption of office and entrusted the President to deliver on his promise.
She was optimistic the president would consider Kunsu for the construction of the Ultra-modern film village as read in budget statement in parliament.
Mr. Samuel Nyamekye and James Aboagye were full of gratitude to the chief for the unprecedented gesture and promised to press on government to consider the lands for the film village.
Two days after the German government announced a €54 billion ($61 billion) package of measures to tackle climate change, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer are to fly to the United States in two separate planes, the Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported on Sunday.
Two Luftwaffe aircraft will transport the two politicians almost simultaneously to the east coast of the US, the paper said.
Merkel is due in New York at the United Nations climate summit on Monday where she is due to confirm that Germany is committed to phasing out coal and will help to save the rainforests abroad. On Tuesday, she will participate in the UN General Assembly’s general debate, attended by world leaders.
Kramp-Karrenbauer, who has been tipped as Merkel’s possible successor, will meet her US counterpart Mark Esper in Washington then return to Germany on Monday.
Large carbon footprint
Bild criticized the decision to take two planes as flying is harmful to the environment. The paper reported that the pair were initially due to travel on one Airbus A340 that would first land in New York before continuing to the US capital.
A Defense Ministry spokesman told Bild: “In the course of planning this trip, we have made every effort to optimize the use of the aircraft.”
Bild reported that Kramp-Karrenbauer had booked a ticket to return to Germany on a passenger flight, but the Defense Ministry was informed by the Chancellory that the defense minister would have to organize other transportation to the US as well.
Without providing additional details, the ministry said flight plans were decided based on the official’s schedule, destination, flight length and the size of the accompanying delegation.
On Friday, Merkel and Kramp-Karrenbauer announced a slew of measures aimed at halving carbon emissions in Europe’s largest economy by 2030.
As well as raising gas (petrol) and diesel prices, ministers committed to increasing public subsidies for electric cars and offering cheaper rail travel.
A higher tax on short-haul flights will be levied and the installation of oil-fired heating systems in buildings will be banned.
Germany, meanwhile, aims to close down all its coal-powered plants by 2038 at the latest. Their current production capacity of 42.5 gigawatts should be reduced to 17 gigawatts by 2030, the government has said.
Ms Antoine, confirming Mr Weber’s death in a Facebook post, said he “never emerged from those depths”.
The Manta Resort told the BBC Mr Weber “tragically drowned while free diving alone outside the underwater room” on Thursday afternoon.
“It is with the deepest regret that we inform that a fatal accident occurred at The Manta Resort on Thursday 19 September, 2019,” the resort said in a statement.
Matthew Saus, CEO of the resort, said “everyone is shaken to the core” by Mr Weber’s death.
Mr Weber and Ms Antoine had booked four nights at the resort’s underwater room, which lies approximately 250m (820ft) from the shore.
Costing $1,700-a-night (£1,300), the cabin is anchored in water around 10m (32ft) deep.
On the third day of their stay, Mr Weber, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, plunged into the water to make his proposal.
Wearing goggles and flippers, he held a note against the cabin’s glass window as Ms Antoine watched on from within.
His note read: “I can’t hold my breath long enough to tell you everything I love about you. But… everything I love about you, I love more every day!”
Later in the video, Mr Weber turns over the sheet of paper to reveal the proposal, before pulling an engagement ring from his shorts and swimming out of view.
Mr Saus told the BBC his staff responded to a “problem in the water”, but when they arrived “absolutely nothing could be done”.
The Manta Resort’s underwater room costs $1,700-a-night (£1,300)
In her Facebook post, Ms Antoine said Mr Weber “never got to hear her answer” to his proposal, which would have been “a million times, yes”.
“We never got to embrace and celebrate the beginning of the rest of our lives together, as the best day of our lives turned into the worst, in the cruellest twist of fate imaginable,” she wrote.
“I will try to take solace in the fact that we enjoyed the most amazing bucket list experiences these past few days, and that we both were so happy and absolutely giddy with excitement in our final moments together.”
The US Department of State said it is aware of the death of a US citizen in Tanzania, in East Africa.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss,” a spokesperson said. “We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”
The method deployed by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) in the recent clean-up exercise was largely dependent on the root cause of what accounted for such banks to become insolvent, First Deputy Governor of the BoG, Dr. Maxwel Opoku-Afari has said.
Reports indicate that the BoG pumped in Ghc20 million daily to enable cheques of such banks to go through clearing, as their capital adequacy ratio was in negative and thus had to depend on life support. The capital injection was necessary as the central bank had to take pragmatic measures to ensure smooth running of the entire clearing and payment system.
Instructively, the central bank has maintained that such occurrence prior to the revocation of their operational licenses defeat the argument and sentiments expressed by the public on the failure of BoG to rather institute effective and convenient measures to bail up such banks.
Some even noted that to ensure financial inclusion in the sector and protect businesses, the central bank had no option than to give monies directly to the banks to make them somewhat liquid rather than revoking their licenses.
Answering a question based on a similar sentiment expressed by one of the participants during the Ghana Industrial Summit and Exhibition (GISE) 2019 held in Accra last week, Dr. Opoku-Afari noted that the collapsed banks had their licenses revoked because they were operating fraudulently coupled with poor risk management.
“Some institutions take depositors money and give it to related party institutions without adhering to the laid down rules. There are rules as to how you can give loans to related businesses.
But if you break those rules and then syphon monies to these related institutions, do you think that to ensure financial inclusion, the BoG should pump more money into those banks? The best thing to do is to revoke their license to prevent it from spilling over to affect other strong institutionsâ€, he queried and explained.
Instructively, the net effect of the clean up exercise was necessary in the sense that it prevented disorderly collapse of the banking sector, the central bank maintains.
So far, out of a total Ghc10 billion spent to protect depositors funds from the collapse banks, the central bank has just managed to retrieve about Ghc849 million, representing a paltry 8.4 percent.
The gathering was aimed at supporting industrialization and export competitiveness on a sound financial ecosystem organized by the Association of Ghana Industries.
The Rector of the Ghana Institute of Journalism, (GIJ), Prof. Kwansah Aidoo says plans are advanced to equip the school with modern facilities and technology that will enhance the academic life of students.
He noted that the changing dynamics of technology calls for a revision and investment in that direction.
Professor Aidoo was speaking at the 19th matriculation ceremony of the institute in Accra.
The matriculants were made up of one thousand three hundred and ninety-eight undergraduate students and one hundred and sixty postgraduate students.
Professor Aidoo was unhappy about the inability of the school to admit more qualified students, a situation he said could be improved with the early completion of its north Dzorwulu campus.
Professor Aidoo said GIJ is committed to student professional competencies and would continuously invest in it. He advised students to make the most out of their studies.
The ceremony which also coincides with the 60th anniversary of the school was graced by parents and well-wishers. The matriculants were beautifully clad in the special 60th-anniversary cloth.
The covert activities of bombs and guns manufacturing syndicate inside a popular hospital within the Accra suburb of Alajo has been uncovered by a joint Police-Military-National security operation, MyNewsGh.com reports.
The medical director of the facility (name withheld) was arrested on Friday afternoon together with his accomplice, a Volta region-based blacksmith.
High-placed sources have told MyNewsGh.com that, the arrested medical doctor has strong connections with terrorist organizations.
The medical doctor and his accomplices had been on the radar of the security agencies for 15 months before he was finally arrested.
Our sources say he imported heavy-duty state-of-the-art bombs and guns manufacturing equipment and explosives into the country and had already begun production the time he was arrested.
Fifteen already manufactured assault rifles and a stockpile of explosives were uncovered at a backroom inside the hospital during the raid.
The two are currently in the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI); efforts to secure bail for them have been abortive as the joint operation seeks to apprehend more of his accomplices.
Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, the Paramount Chief of Akwamu Traditional Area, has called on leaders to ensure the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) Agreement benefitted people on the Continent.
He expressed fears that the Trade Agreement would play into the hands of giant foreign economies instead of the local economies and called on experts to discuss the natural difficulties associated with its implementation.
Odeneho Akoto said this when he chaired the 2019 Annual General Meeting of the Eastern/Volta/Oti regional branch of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in Ho, on the theme: “Repositioning the Three Regions of Eastern, Volta and Oti for the African Continental Free Trade Area; Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendationsâ€.
He called on industrialists in Africa to trade best practices and work together to fight cross border crime.
“I am excited that once again the Continent is leading in continental unity like the AU. But I would warn that the AU existed before the EU and other unions but we have very little to show for it,†he said.
“Our Free Trade Agreement must serve the interest of our people and not of the erstwhile colonists. This time we must come into our own. We would need to learn from best practices of other common markets and fight cross border crime and other illicit activities like smuggling, human trafficking, counterfeiting etc. That is your challenging jobâ€.
He said the Volta, Oti, and Eastern regions must reposition themselves to make Ghana and the Continent proud by taking advantage of the rail and river transport from the coast to neighbouring Burkina Faso.
Mr Seth Twum Akwaboah, the Chief Executive Officer of the AGI, said Ghanaian industries must position themselves to dominate the market by producing more for local consumption and export to prevent the local market from being taken over by international ones.
He said the Association span 23 different sectors of the Ghanaian economy, and was on the heels of stakeholders to address challenges including the reduction in benchmark values, additional taxes and energy costs.
Mr Akwaboah said finance for Small to Medium Scale Enterprises also remained a hurdle, and that the AGI was in discussions with the Micro and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) to provide the needed support.
Mr Dela Gadzanku, the Chairman of the Volta/Eastern and Oti regional branches of the AGI, said the three regions were becoming strategic industrial points, and that the Association was working to ensure the Free Trade Agreement benefited all.
“The Free Trade Agreement will help lift many people from these regions out of poverty,†he stated.
Professor Stephen Adei, the Chairman, National Development Planning Commission, said the AfCFTA was a huge leap for trade and must work to lead the way to development within a few decades.
He said it would require efficiency in human resource and management, and called on the AGI to set up skill centres to enhance international trade skills and on stakeholders to strive towards dominating markets in neighbouring countries.
Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, said businesses must brace themselves to endure the short-term challenges that came with trade policies.
Citations were presented to long-serving members of the AGI and the Executive given another term of office in a popular acclamation.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Weija Gbawe, Patrick Kumor has charged residents to pay their property rates and other levies on time to help bring development to the area.
According to the MCE, monies from internally generated funds and support from government has helped the assembly to embark on various developmental projects.
“To bring development to the people let me say it is also incumbent on the people to do their best and pay their property rates, building operating permit and other levies due to the assembly so that together we can develop the assembly the MCE said.
Speaking to Citi News during a tour of some projects in the municipality, he indicated that the assembly will complete the 4.5 kilometre Gbawe Top base road that links the community to the main Mallam Kasoa highway.
According to Patrick Kumor, the project is part of a campaign promise made to the people in Weija Gbawe constituency.
“The project is estimated to cost 14.7 million cedis and will be completed on time for use by the people of Weija Gbawe, the MCE said.
Aside from the road project, other developmental projects being undertaken by the assembly includes the six-unit classroom block at Weija Gbawe cluster of schools, a concrete footbridge that links Bola to Mccarthy at a cost GHC55,000.
Also, a 16-seater toilet facility at the Ga South municipal hospital, the Mallam Guinness depot road, the Mallam kokroko bridge including the Tetegu health Centre the MCE explained.
He indicated that the various projects being undertaken by the assembly will be monitored to make sure the it gets value for money.
“We will continue to monitor the various developmental projects to make sure we get value for money†Patrick Kumor added.
The District Chief Executive for Upper West Akyem, Eugene Sackey, has been hospitalised after he was involved in a near-fatal accident on the Suhum to Nsawam Stretch of the Accra to Kumasi Highway.
The accident occurred Friday, September 20, 2019. The official vehicle of the DCE collided head-on with a speeding commercial vehicle.
The DCE recently filled his nomination to seek for reelection as Parliamentary Candidate for the third time in the Constituency, which has been occupied by NDC since 1992.
In 2012, Eugene Sackey was defeated by then-incumbent Member of Parliament Joseph Sam Amankwanor by some 3,100 votes. Sackey, however, closed the gap to about 400 in the 2016 parliamentary and presidential election.
The DCE is therefore hopeful of winning the seat for the NPP in 2020 if given the nod as Parliamentary Candidate for the third time.
Contrary to speculation on social media concerning the adoption of Rose Abakah one of the Takoradi kidnapped girls, family sources say she is a ‘real blood’ of the Abakah family but is yet to receive any official communication on the DNA results.
It had been widely circulated on social media that the family of Rose Abakah, have rejected the DNA results saying the girl in question was adopted but Evangelist Veronica Cobbinah told the Ghana News Agency that Rose Abakah was not an adopted daughter.
Meanwhile, the Police she added was yet to brief the family on the DNA results of Rose, adding, “I am now convinced that the DNA did not March that of my ward and that’s why the police have not come or communicated anything to us as of now”.
She said Rose was conceived by her own blood sister and was born two weeks after the death of her father, one Mr Abakah.
Evangelist Cobbinah said Rose and other relatives stayed with her including the mother who later moved to Tarkwa area to trade.
On the DNA test, she added that samples were taken from Rose’s real mother and senior sister and has therefore refuted the social media allegation.
Luck however eluded her when she tried escaping; she was given a ‘hot’ chase by the security man and some policemen who were on guard and arrested just few meters away from the entrance to the bank.
The name of the lady was not immediately available as at the time of filing this report but per the post, the incident happened in the capital of the Ashanti Region; Kumasi.
Daniel Owusu, a 26-old-year chain-saw operator who defiled his 12-year-old stepdaughter has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in hard labour by the Cape Coast Circuit Court. Owusu, a native of Twifo Adjetey Camp in the Twifo Atimokwa District of the Central Region pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement and was sentenced on his own plea.
Sergeant Iddrisu Yakubu, who prosecuted, told the Court presided over by Mrs Dorinda Arthur Smith that the complainant is the father of the victim and lived in the same vicinity with Owusu at Twifo Adjetey Camp.
Narrating the fact of the case, Sergeant Yamubu said Owusu had been living in the same room with the victim and his wife for about one year.
He said during the month of August 2019, the victim’s mother travelled leaving her and two other siblings in the care of Owusu.
Owusu, the Prosecutor said, made advances at the victim to have sexual intercourse with him but she refused.
He said on Monday, August 12, 2019, at about 1100 hours, while the victim was in their room, Owusu entered the room, locked the door, held her two hands and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her.
Her loud screams for help could not deter Owusu who satisfied himself and later warned her not to disclose it to anyone or she will die.
The girl kept her ordeal a secret for the fear of losing her life.
Sergeant Yakubu said Owusu took advantage and continued having sexual intercourse with the victim until Friday, August 30, 2019, when she narrated her ordeal to her father.
Economic Professor Peter Quartey has kicked against proposals for government to focus on the services sector following the sterling performance.
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates over the past years have shown that the service sector contributed significantly with minimal support.
The second quarter estimate for 2019 show that the service sector covered about 50 per cent of the economy and helped drive the 5.7 per cent jump in economic growth
But Prof Quartey who is head of the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, said focusing on that sector alone because of its growth is not sustainable.
He told Joy FM Thursday September 19, 2019 that :“If you look at employment trajectory you will find that it is manufacturing and agriculture that employ a greater proportion of the labour force.
“So if that sector is not growing as rapidly as the services sector then it becomes a problem. The financial sector grew by 1.4 per cent, it tells you that sector is picking up from the cleanup.
“So you will find that people have lost jobs in the financial sector so if manufacturing, agriculture is not growing so much to absorb some these labour we are going to have a problem.â€
“This is a long overdue and hugely positive move by the finance minister. The new rates simplify the tax architecture and it will give a fillip to investments and jobs,” he told Reuters.
India’s economic growth is sitting at a six-year low and the government has taken a series of steps to boost the economy.
So far this year, India’s central bank has cut rates four times and the benchmark rate currently sits at a near-decade low.
The country has relied on domestic consumption to fuel growth but spending has slowed sharply.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has paid his last respect to Manuel Junior Agogo with a tribute full of admiration and respect for the ex-Ghana football star.
The late Agogo, who was a fan favourite of the Black Stars passed away on August 22, 2019 and will today, September 20, 2019 be cremated in London.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the late Junior Agogo is one of the most dedicated players the country has ever had.
He also stated that Agogo’s exceptional striking ability, work ethic and professionalism were also acknowledged by his trainers and peers and his unwavering dedication and professionalism won the admiration of the entire football fraternity.
The deputy Sports Minister, Perry Okudzeto is expected to grace the occasion and read the tribute on behalf of the President.
Here are excerpts of the tribute.
“On behalf of the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Government and the people of Ghana; the Ministy of Youth and Sports expresses its deepest regret and sorrow at the demise of Manuel Agogo Junior, one of the finest and most dedicated football players Ghana has ever had.
The late Junior Agogo made a great contribution to the National Football team and he was deservedly recognised as a dedicated member of the team by both the coaching staff and teammates. His exceptional striking ability, work ethic and professionalism were also acknowledged by his trainers and peers.
His unwavering dedication and professionalism won the admiration of the entire football fraternity and fans globally and today, as we mourn the tragedy that has befallen our nation, let us also celebrate our national hero for the talent, skill and youthful exuberance he brought to our footballing nation. – portions of the tribute read.
Paris St-Germain have won a legal challenge that means Uefa cannot re-open an investigation into the French champions’ finances up to June 2017.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) upheld PSG’s appeal against Uefa.
Uefa had initially ruled the accounts complied with financial fair play (FFP) before launching a review. Cas ruled European football’s governing body had missed a deadline for its review.
However, PSG remain under investigation for their 2017-18 finances.
During this season they signed Neymar from Barcelona for a world record £222m euros (£200m) and Kylian Mbappe from Monaco, initially on loan, for 180m euros (£165.7m).
Uefa released a statement after the Cas ruling saying it would “analyse” the decision and “consider implementing as soon as possible any clarifications or amendments to its rules that may result from the analysis of the abovementioned award”.
“The Cas decision does not put in doubt the objectives of the Uefa Club Licensing & Financial Fair Play system,” it added.
Ligue 1 club PSG were initially cleared of breaking FFP rules in June 2018, but Uefa reopened the case in September.
Cas said Uefa’s application to reopen fell outside the 10-day deadline from the initial decision.
FFP ‘break-even’ rules require clubs to balance spending with their revenue.
PSG were in 2014 fined after being found guilty of breaking them.
A sponsorship deal with the Qatar Tourism Authority was deemed to have an unfair value by Uefa’s independent investigation panel.
The French club, purchased by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011, were also forced to play with a restricted 21-man squad in European competition for a season.
A man linked to the Football Leaks disclosures which prompted investigations into the Manchester City and Paris St-Germain clubs has been charged with 147 offences in Portugal.
Rui Pinto, 30, is accused of crimes relating to unauthorised access to data and attempted extortion.
He says he acted in the public interest and should not face trial.
Football Leaks was set up to expose alleged corruption in the sport by releasing confidential documents.
Mr Pinto was held in January in Hungary on a European arrest warrant issued by Portugal and later handed over to the Portuguese authorities.
What are the charges?
The charges mostly relate to alleged illegal access to data, aggravated extortion, violation of correspondence and computer sabotage.
The prosecutors in Portugal said in a statement that Mr Pinto “used various computer programmes and digital tools to enter, in an unauthorised and anonymous manner, the computer systems or email boxes and remove content from it”.
Mr Pinto, a Portuguese national, has been described as a “computer genius” by local media.
His defence lawyers characterise their client as a “very important European whistleblower”
A trial date is yet to be announced.
What is Football Leaks?
It was launched in 2015 to uncover alleged corruption taking place in football.
Football Leaks provided millions of documents and more than 3.4 terabytes of information to media outlets in the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) consortium.
The documents were used as the basis for media reports that made damaging allegations against England’s Manchester City and Paris St-Germain (PSG) of France.
Europe’s football governing body, Uefa, later launched investigations into the finances of both clubs following the leaks.
PSG successfully fought against an investigation through the courts, while the Premier League side has taken the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Both clubs denied any wrongdoing.
Earlier this year, French prosecutors said they had collaborated with Mr Pinto on their own investigation, using material provided by him.
And this week his lawyer William Bourdon said his client’s evidence had led to “inquiries disclosing criminal activities in the football world”.
“And at the same time, Pinto is still in jail,” he told Germany’s Der Spiegel news magazine.
General Manager of Great Olympics, Oluboi Comodore insists the “moral characters” of persons who want to contest for the Ghana Football Association positions must be checked before they are allowed to run for office.
According to the veteran football administrator gays, lesbians or promiscuous people can’t be allowed to run the Football Association.
“The moral character of the aspirants needs to be looked into because we can’t allow a lesbian or gay to lead the association or someone whose pants is always down or a person whose zip is always opened,” he told New Mercury FM.
The Normalisation Committee has opened up eligibility criteria for persons who want to contest for positions in the Ghana Football Association, allowing any credible person to pick up forms.
The decision has not gone down well with “football people” who believe, anybody who wants a position should be a person actively involved in the administration of the game.
“Anyone can go and pick up forms to contest for the election. Asiedu Nketiah once said ‘any idiot can go to court same as this but the ends will justify the means’. If you’re an aspirant and can’t get give people to endorse your forms for you then I advise such person to stop running for the election,” Oluboi told New Mercury.
“If you’re begging people to endorse your forms then there is no need to contest.”
From the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, she founded an NGO at the age of 16 called Aware Girls to educate young girls about their rights.
In 2013, she created a team of 100 women to work on issues such as domestic violence and underage marriage.
She has received several awards for her work.
How did she get out of Pakistan?
Ms Gulalai was placed on the government Exit Control List, which meant she was banned from leaving the country.
She has not revealed much information about how she escaped, saying only that she did not fly.
She arrived in the US via Sri Lanka, where Pakistani citizens can travel visa-free, she told Radio Free Europe.
The campaigner gave very few details of her time in hiding or her escape because she said she feared it could “endanger people who helped me hide and exit the country”, according to The New York Times.
Her father, Muhammad Ismail, told BBC Urdu that Ms Ismail had six cases filed against her in the Pakistani courts. And that she had decided her life was in serious danger.
“Gulalai decided to leave the country at this time because she realised that her life is under threat and she has to leave the country otherwise anything could happen to her,” he said.
What led to her leaving?
She was first arrested at Islamabad airport while returning from London in Oct 2018. At the time she was among 19 people charged with making anti-state, anti-military speeches at a rally held by the Pashtun Tahaffuz (Protection) Movement, or PTM, in Swabi in August 2018.
In February of this year she was again arrested in Balochistan province during a protest over the death of PTM activist Arman Luni, who died in custody. Police deny they beat him.
In May, she was charged with incitement “against the state and other nationalities” during a protest over the rape and murder of a 10-year-old Pashtun girl Farishta in an Islamabad suburb.
She had been in hiding since, while the police conducted raids around the country in a fruitless search for her.
The presidential aspirant of the Ghana Football Association George Afriyie and his campaign team paid a courtesy call on National Chief Imam Sheikh Dr. Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu at his Nima resident on Thursday, September 19, 2019.
The former Ghana FA vice capo and his campaign entourage visited the Sheikh to seek for his blessings, guidance, and counsel ahead of the 2019 GFA elections set for October 25.
The outspoken Liberty Professionals chief believes while it is true that the Chief Imam may not have a direct vote during the election, his influence, blessings, and guidance will be key to his aspirations of assuming the highest office of Ghana football.
Mr. Afriyie has in the past served on the prestigious Executive Committee, served as Black Stars Management Committee Chairman and also served as Vice President to Kwesi Nyantakyi before he was removed his post last year.
The delegation includes Lord Zico of Bechem United, Yakubu Abdul Salam, Alhaji Raji, Abukari Damba, Apostle Jeffrey Asare.
Mr. Afriyie is expected to face competition from other astute candidates such as Fred Papoe, Kurt Okraku, Nana Yaw Amponsah, and Wilfred Kwaku Osei Palmer.
From London to New York City and from Perth to Paris, climate activists will take part in a global general strike on Friday in what is expected to be the biggest day of climate demonstrations in the planet’s history.
A Climate Strike march in central Melbourne, Australia, has already gathered a massive crowd.
“This is HUUUGE, Melbourne! Announcers just said over 100,000 people! #climatestrike #Greens,” Greens MP Adam Bandt, who represents the seat of Melbourne in Federal Parliament, tweeted.
The Global Climate Strike is the third in a worldwide series of climate rallies organized by school students, and led by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg.
But it is not just young people taking part this month, with labor and humanitarian groups, environmental organizations and employees of some of the world’s biggest brands also set to participate.
According to Swedish schoolgirl Thunberg, who is in New York ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit on September 23, around 4,638 events have been organized in 139 countries.
By going on strike on September 20 — and September 27 in a few countries — protestors hope to put pressure on politicians and policy makers to act on climate issues.
In an opinion piece for CNN, teenager Katie Eder, co-founder and executive director for Future Coalition, said climate change was “the five-alarm fire that America’s political leaders pretend not to see.”
The 19-year-old added: “On Friday, we’re striking for a Green New Deal; for the immediate cessation of fossil-fuel projects on sovereign indigenous land; for environmental justice; for the protection and restoration of nature; and for sustainable agriculture.
“We’re striking for ourselves, for our friends and family, for the kid who lives down the street from us. We’re striking because it’s what we have to do.”
Tunisia’s former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali has died in exile aged 83, his family says.
Ben Ali led the country for 23 years and was credited with delivering stability and some economic prosperity.
But he received widespread criticism for suppressing political freedoms and for widespread corruption.
In 2011, he was forced from office following mass street protests. This triggered a wave of similar uprisings across the Arab world.
At least half a dozen countries in the region saw their president fall or conflicts break out in the wake of the former Tunisian leader’s downfall, in what became known as the Arab Spring.
Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia when he left office and was living there when he died on Thursday.
His funeral will take place on Friday in Saudi Arabia, his lawyer told Reuters news agency.
Obsessive control was his undoing
Analysis by Richard Hamilton, BBC News
Tunisia’s autocratic former president brought stability but little freedom to the country.
He came to power in 1987, ousting Habib Bourguiba to become Tunisia’s second-ever president. He promised reform, democracy, women’s rights and education.
But he failed to deliver a more free and open society.
In a diplomatic cable published by Wikileaks, a US ambassador described how the Ben Ali family was widely viewed as a “quasi-mafia”. It spoke of a “nexus of corruption” which bled the country dry.
And while he did bring some economic growth, no-one was really fooled by his three consecutive “99.9%” election victories.
His strict control of society shored up by a vast network of spies, informers and secret police kept Ben Ali in power. But in the end anger against that obsessive control proved to be his undoing.
He acted too slowly to stem the tide of that unexpected popular uprising.
In June 2011, a court in Tunisia sentenced Ben Ali in absentia to 35 years in prison for embezzling public money.
In 2012, he was sentenced to life – also in absentia – over the killing of protesters in the revolution in 2011. A separate court also sentenced him for 20 years for inciting violence and murder.
Ben Ali’s death comes just days after Tunisia held the second free presidential election since he was ousted.
It was brought forward after the death in July of the country’s first democratically elected president, Beji Caid Essebsi, who took office in 2014.
Today (Friday) marks a landmark for Ghana football as top-class aspirants submit the nomination form to contest positions in the crucial FA elections.
The secretariat of the Ghana Football Association is expected to be besieged by aspirants and their supporters ahead of the filing process.
The aspirants will undergo a mandatory FIFA integrity test after which the stage will be set for what is expected to be the most keenly contested elections in the history of Ghana football.
Top guns have picked forms to contest various positions despite widespread fears of a potential mass disqualification.
The presidential race will be thrown into an exciting mode with several former Executive members jostling for the top seat.
Tema Youth president Wilfred Osei Kwaku ‘Palmer’, Dreams FC Executive Chairman Kurt Edwin Simeone Okraku and Liberty Professionals Director George Kwesi Afriyie are believed to be the front-runners from the old order in the race.
Young and dynamic Phar Rangers Chief Executive Nana Yaw Amponsah could be the surprise package after making massive in-rows in the biggest voting block- the National Division One League, GHANAsoccernet.com understands.
Former Ghana FA vice-president Fred Pappoe and Amanda Akuokor Clinton are hoping to cause a massive earthquake in the presidential race.
Thee race for the Executive Council throws up some interesting names with Medeama Board Chairman Dr Toni Aubynn and Asante Kotoko chief George Amoako expected to fight for a place on the powerful body.
Dr Aubynn, who is a corporate titan, is seeking to secure one of the five available slots from the Premier League on the Council.
Ashantigold CEO Frederick Acheampong, former Hearts of Oak chief and politician Vincent Sowah-Odotei as well as King Faisal owner Alhaji Karim Grusah have all joined the race.
Bechem United chairman Kingsley Osei Bonsu is also hoping to join the powerful body.
Technically, only eight (8) persons can contest from the Premier League block on the Executive Committee.
Heart of Lions boss Randy Abbey, Tamale City chief Jones Abu Alhassan, young administrator Nana Amankwaa have all picked forms to contest from the Division One League block on the Executive Committee.
Vetting for the qualified candidates is scheduled for September 26 to October 1 with the elections slated for October 25, 2019, in Accra.
The Zimbabwe doctor and union leader who was missing for five days has told the Voice of America (VOA) that he was electrocuted during his abduction.
“I remember being in a basement of some sort, being electrocuted at some point, that is what I vividly remember,” Peter Magombeyi said
The US broadcaster said that he was struggling to speak in the interview, saying: “I barely remember anything.”
Dr Magombeyi, who had organised a series of strikes over poor pay and working conditions in recent weeks, was left in the bush in Nyabira, about 20km (12 miles) north-west of the capital, Harare, on Thursday night.
He told Zimbabwe’s state-run Chronicle Paper that he recalled being kidnapped by three men on Saturday night.
The BBC’s Shingai Nyoka in Harare says the authorities had suggested his disappearance was staged or the work of a “third force” wanting to undermine the government.
There have been a spate of abductions of government critics in recent months.
The police say they are investigating what exactly happened to Dr Magombeyi, who is the acting president of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA).
Before he disappeared, he told the AFP news agency that he had received threatening calls and messages on his phone.
He had been demanding more pay for doctors as inflation is making it impossible for them to get to work as their salary has shrunk to $100 (£80) a month.
The government had to deploy military doctors to state hospitals this week after medical workers went on strike across the country when he went missing.
A nationwide poll conducted by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) on the impending Ghana Football Association elections has predicted a slight win for presidential hopeful Wilfred Osei Kwaku ‘Palmer’, GHANAsoccernet.com understands.
However, the win will be subject to all the aspirants passing a mandatory integrity check.
Th secret polls said to have been conducted among the association’s delegates, also predicted the election may need a second round to determine the eventual winner.
The poll according to sources pits Wilfred Osei Kwaku, George Afriyie, Kurt Okraku and Nana Yaw Amponsah in a four-horse race.
The BN reports also suggest young and dynamic Phar Rangers Chief Executive Nana Yaw Amponsah will be the surprise package after making massive in-rows in the biggest voting block- the National Division One League.
There are no chances for former Ghana FA vice-president Fred Pappoe, who is out of touch with the grassroots.
Amanda Akuokor Clinton has entered the race to add up to the numbers, the reports from the independent research firms suggest.
The presidential aspirants have been traversing the country to have a last-minute jaw-jaw with electorates with the election set to take place on October 25.
After it failed, the brothers also planned to carry out a chemical gas attack in Sydney, prosecutors said. They were arrested 11 days after the airport incident.
A third brother, Amer Khayat, had carried the bag to Sydney Airport but was not part of the plot. Authorities said his brothers had planted the bomb in luggage without his knowledge.
Mahmoud and Khaled Khayat face maximum sentences of life in prison. They will be sentenced at a later date.
Amer Khayat had been detained in a Lebanese prison since 2017 but was released by authorities on Thursday after his brother’s conviction, Lebanese news agency NNA reported.
“It took time for the truth to be revealed, for his innocence to be revealed,” his lawyer, Jocelyne Al-Rai, told reporters in Beirut.
During the trial of the two brothers in Australia, prosecutors said the accused men had received guidance from a fourth brother – Tareq Khayat – an IS militant who has since been jailed in Iraq.
Police said the explosives used to make the bomb had been sent by air from Turkey as part of a plot “inspired and directed” by IS.
Achimota Primary School and Junior High School (1999 year group) has marked 20 years since they completed their Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE).
The 20th anniversary was marked under the theme “Reconnect, Celebrate and Give back”.
As part of their 20th anniversary, the 1999 year group initiated and executed some projects to complement the school administration’s effort to provide quality education and a conducive atmosphere for learning.
The year group has commissioned a water distribution system project to help solve the acute water problem on campus. In addition, some computers were donated to the school to enhance ICT learning.
Prior to the 20th anniversary celebration, the APS ’99 year group had previously donated desks and cupboards to their alma mater.
The year group also organized a mentorship programme on campus for the pupils. Similarly, the year group members joined the pupils for an aerobics session, and a thanksgiving service as part of activities to mark the occasion.
After handing over of projects to their alma mater, the year group members organized a get-together to enable them socialize and catch up on old times.
All projects were initiated and executed by the APS 1999 year group and solely financed by contributions from members of the year group.
Inhabitants of Dominase, a farming and mining community in the Nzema East Municipal Assembly in the Western Region have declared war against open defecation.
They are making frantic effort to stop pollution of river bodies including Ankobra just to ensure community members gain access to potable drinking water.
According to the residents, they became alarmed and devastated with the results of the test that was conducted on the river bodies and hand dug wells within the Ankobra Basin.
This, according to the people, informed their decision to adhere to the things they have been told through the various advocacy and sensitization programmes by Conservation Foundation. There is a need to stop the practice of open defecation in and along the water bodies.
Residents have also vowed to apply proper ways of dumping refuse.They also want to adopt proper measures in using chemicals such as weedicide, DDT, and pesticides for their farming activities.
The people made these commitment when some members of Ghana Water Journalists Network partnered Conservation Foundation, Hope For Future Generations and two local NGOs to undertake validation exercise concerning WASH and IWRM in the project communities.
The exercise seeks to empower residents to value the significance of improved water, sanitation and integrated water resources management.
It was also aimed at creating awareness for community members to ascertain the level of devastation of wetlands as a result of illegal mining activities, defecation in water bodies and excessive use of agro chemicals in farming.
Mr. Rexford Cobbinah, a member of the community who has been trained by Conservation Foundation as a Community Liaison Officer at Dominase indicated that the entire community has been reformed ever since Conservation Foundation started its advocacy and monitoring programmes in the area.
He said activities of the foundation has been supportive and helpful since it’s inception.
He therefore encouraged Conservation Foundation and the entire WASH and IWRM team members to continue with their advocacy and monitoring programmes which seeks to safeguard their health.
A member of the validation team who doubles as the Administrator and Accountant for Conservation Foundation, Mr. Alfred Kwabena Gyimah was delighted over the reforms that has taken place in Dominase.
He attributed the reforms to the impact of workshops, training programmes and advocacies organized for members of the project communities.
The University of Professional Studies-Accra through a partnership from its Centre for Public Accountability is supporting the 1st West Africa Peace Dialogue by hosting the event in one of its 400 capacity conference halls.
This gesture from the University has given the organizers of the event a giants boost as the facility will be used at no cost to the organizers.
Speaking to Awake News, the Coordinator of the 1st West Africa Peace Dialogue and Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Peace Building, Korsi Senyo said the support from the University a sign that the institution is committed to promoting peace and development in Africa adding that the gesture of the University should be emulated by other state institutions, media organizations and corporate bodies to help bring peace and development to Africa.
The Dialogue which is on the theme “Sustaining Regional Peace To Promote Trade, Investment and Development in West Africa†is being organized by pro-peace civil society organizations, the Africa Centre for Peace Building, Global Educators for All Initiatives, The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation and United Religions Initiatives -West Africa with media partnership from the AMN (publishers of Awake Newspaper & Awake Africa Magazine), GHface.com and FNnewsroom.com
The event seeks to “explore how best citizens of the West African states can promote sisterhood, peace and trade for the development of the people whiles taking into account national laws and international treaties.â€
Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Peace Building-AFCOPB, Korsi Senyo in an earlier press statement copied Awake News said “In recent times, Africa is experiencing a new trend of conflict homophobic attacks which were witnessed in South Africa. The most recent is Ghana and Nigeria trade feud and this development if not curb will become a serious threat to Africa Unity.â€
“We, as organizations with a strong foundation built on the principles of peace and harmony see peaceful co-existence among neighbouring nations is a key element to promoting trade, investment and human capital development which lead to solving some basic social problems like unemployment, poverty and hunger. These social problems are an influential undertone to conflict and civil unrest.†he said.
Mr. Senyo noted that “adherence to national laws without key references to regional treaties signed by states within the region could form a basis for regional conflicts hence defeating the common goals for establishing regional blocs in Africa.â€
On the format of the event, he said “The dialogue will have keynote addresses and panel discussions where speakers and high personalities will be assembled from the business community, law, media, academia and governments to discuss specific areas. This will have the opportunity for participants to interact with the speakers and panellists on the issues.â€
“The second section will focus on research paper presentation where researchers who have done some works on the areas of such conflicts will help find some of underpinning factors to such conflict and how they can be resolved.â€
He has since called on the media, corporate bodies to support the programme.
“We use to use this media to call on the media, corporate bodies and development partners within the West Africa sub-region and beyond to support this dialogue.â€
