TIG Post

Author: Persis

  • Robert Trump: President’s younger brother reportedly dies in hospital

    President Donald Trump has paid tribute to his “best friend” and youngest brother following his death at 71.

    “It is with [a] heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

    The president had visited his brother in hospital in New York the day before his death, telling reporters: “He’s having a hard time.”

    It is unclear what caused Robert Trump’s death.

    A number of US media reports suggested he had been seriously ill.

    “He was not just my brother, he was my best friend,” Donald Trump said in a statement on Saturday. “His memory will live on in my heart forever.”

    President Trump’s son Eric described his uncle as an “incredible man – strong, kind and loyal to the core”.

    “He will be deeply missed by our entire family,” he wrote on Twitter.

    Robert was the youngest of Fred and Mary Anne Trump’s five children, and was born two years after his brother Donald.

    The eldest of the children, Fred Jr, died in 1981.

    Robert Trump spent much of his career with the family real-estate firm, becoming a top executive. Unlike his brother, however, he was said not to court publicity and lived semi-retired in New York state.

    He recently went to court in a failed bid to stop publication of his niece Mary Trump’s tell-all book about the president, How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.

    According to the New York Post, Robert spent more than a week in the intensive-care unit of Manhattan’s Mount Sinai Hospital in June.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Australia surfer saves wife by punching shark

    A man leapt from his surfboard on to a shark that was attacking his wife, repeatedly punching the animal until it let go, Australian media report.

    Chantelle Doyle, 35, was surfing off Shelly Beach at Port Macquarie, New South Wales, when the attack took place.

    Her husband punched the shark until it released its grip and then helped Ms Doyle to the shore.

    She was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries to her right leg.

    Experts quoted by the Port Macquarie News believed Ms Doyle had been mauled by a juvenile great white shark up to 3m (10ft) in length.

    Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce praised the husband – named by media as Mark Rapley – for his quick action.

    “This fella paddled over and jumped off his board on to the shark and hit it to get it to release her and then assisted her back into the beach,” he said, quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald. “Pretty full on, really heroic.”

    Inspector Andrew Beverley, of Ambulance NSW, said people on the beach administered first aid to Ms Doyle before medics arrived.

    “The bystanders on scene that rendered assistance should be commended. They did an amazing job,” he said.

    He added that it was the third serious shark attack on that stretch of coast in recent months.

    Ms Doyle was flown to Newcastle Hospital for surgery and was in a stable condition.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Barcelona 2-8 Bayern Munich: ‘It was good against Brazil, against Barca we were brutal’

    We were all warned about this Bayern Munich attack – now we have witnessed it at its most ferocious.

    Yes, Barcelona were poor – in fact, they were awful. But credit to coach Hansi Flick for making them look poor as his Bayern side recorded a humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final victory.

    Midfielder Thomas Muller, who scored twice, said the side had “made a statement” in Lisbon. It was some statement:

    Bayern became the first team in Champions League history to score eight goals in a knockout match, and the first in the European Cup since Real Madrid in the 1990-91 last 16 against FC Wacker Innsbruck (9-1). Barcelona had not conceded eight goals since losing 8-0 to Sevilla in the last 16 of the Spanish Cup in 1946. Bayern have won their past 19 matches in all competitions, a record run for a German top-flight team.
    Muller, 30, was also involved for Germany in the 7-1 thrashing of Brazil at the 2014 World Cup. He scored the opener in what was one of the most memorable international fixtures of all time.

    When asked about the comparison between the success over Barcelona and that feat, the man of the match said: “In the win in Brazil we didn’t have the same amount of control. Yes, we were good, but tonight the way we dominated the game was brutal.”

    Germany struggled to hit those heights in the final, managing a 1-0 extra-time win over Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

    Muller, perhaps with that in mind, added: “Today we have to be very happy. After we wake up and answer the messages on the phone then we have to focus.

    “I know about these tournament situations. Most of the time after the big wins it’s difficult.”

    Flick was an assistant to head coach Joachim Low in 2014, and he was also asked to compare the wins.

    The 55-year-old, who has been in permanent charge only since December, said: “You know that I do not look back because only the here and now matters.

    “Yes, we played an outstanding game and we can be happy but we all know we still have hard work to do if we are to stand in the end where we want to stand.”

    They face either Manchester City or Lyon in the semi-final, which will take place next Wednesday.

    Have you seen a more incredible game? Your responses
    The match at Estadio La Luz will long live in the memory, but we asked you whether it was the most incredible game you had witnessed. Here are some of your responses.

    Wi Fi Tom: Forest 5-2 Derby, Christmas 2010. Ex Rams man Robert Earnshaw bagging a few. Very happy night!

    Ash Williams: The Liverpool comeback was special (from 3-0 down against Barcelona in the semi-final in 2019) because they were written off because of the first leg.

    Mike: England 5-1 Germany (2001) is another one that’s up there for how bad a drubbing it was of a big side.

    Matt: Liverpool vs Arsenal. 26 May 1989. Never to be beaten. Arsenal won the First Division title with a late Michael Thomas goal.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Belarus: Vladimir Putin ‘pledges support’ for President Lukashenko

    Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says that Russia has agreed to offer security assistance in the case of external military threats.

    Mr Lukashenko also voiced concerns over Nato military exercises taking place in neighbouring Poland and Lithuania.

    The news comes as the embattled president faces mass protests over the disputed 9 August election.

    Thousands gathered outside state television on Saturday, demanding full coverage of the demonstrations.

    The unrest erupted after President Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in last week’s election, the result of which has been condemned amid widespread allegations of vote-rigging.

    The Central Election Commission says Mr Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, won 80.1% of the vote and the main opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya 10.12%.

    But Ms Tikhanovskaya insists that where votes were properly counted, she won support ranging from 60% to 70%.

    What’s happening politically?

    As the unrest continued on Saturday, Mr Lukashenko sought help from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    Mr Lukashenko said President Putin had promised to provide what he called comprehensive assistance in the event of external military threats to Belarus.

    The announcement came the day after EU foreign ministers agreed to prepare new sanctions against Belarusian officials responsible for “falsification”. The US has also condemned the election as “not free and fair”.

    In a joint statement on Saturday, meanwhile, the prime ministers of three Baltic republics – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – “expressed deep concern at the violent crackdown… and the political repression of the opposition by the authorities”.

    Lithuania and Latvia have previously said they are prepared to mediate in Belarus, provided the authorities stopped violence against protesters and formed a national council with members of civil society. They warned that the alternative was sanctions.

    The leaders said the presidential election was “neither free nor fair” and called for a “transparent” vote “with the participation of international observers”.

    “The prime ministers urge the Belarusian authorities to refrain from violence against peaceful demonstrators [and to] release all political prisoners and those that have been detained,” the statement added.

    Ms Tikhanovskaya left for Lithuania following the election after she publicly denounced the results. She had sent her children to Lithuania for safety before the vote.

    Some 6,700 people were arrested in the wake of the election, and many have spoken of torture at the hands of the security services.

    Amnesty International said accounts from released detainees suggested “widespread torture”.

    What’s the latest with the protests?

    Demonstrations have continued following Ms Tikhanovskaya’s call for further peaceful rallies on Friday.

    Some 100 staff came out of the state television building to join Saturday’s protests, saying they planned a strike on Monday, AFP news agency reports. Others have signed a letter in support of a strike.

    “Like everyone we are demanding free elections and the release of those detained at mass protests,” one employee, Andrei Yaroshevich, told AFP.

    On election day, Belarusian state channels aired the voices of Lukashenko supporters and did not cover the demonstrations. State TV later showed footage of violence to blame protesters and warn people not to participate.

    Several journalists have resigned over the coverage.

    Earlier on Saturday, thousands of people waved flags, lit candles and laid flowers at the scene close to the metro station where one of the protesters, Alexander Taraikovsky, died on Monday.

    Others held up pictures of injured protesters, while drivers joined in by honking their horns.

    Many opposition supporters chanted “Leave!” – a call for President Lukashenko to resign – and some carried signs with slogans against police violence.

    The circumstances of Mr Taraikovsky’s death are unclear.

    Officials say he died when an explosive device went off in his hand during a protest, but his partner, Elena German, told the Associated Press news agency that she believed the 34-year-old was shot by police.

    A “March for Freedom” is also planned in the centre of the city on Sunday, a week after the contested election.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: South Africa eases lockdown as ‘outbreak reaches peak’

    South Africa’s president has said coronavirus infections appear to have peaked in the country, as he announced a sweeping relaxation of lockdown measures.

    President Cyril Ramaphosa said nearly all restrictions on the country’s economy will be eased from Monday.

    A controversial ban on the sale of alcohol and tobacco will be lifted.

    Domestic travel, small family gatherings and the reopening of businesses will all be allowed.

    In a TV address on Saturday, Mr Ramaphosa said the easing of restrictions will help to revive the country’s flagging economy after a period of great hardship for the country.

    However, he called on South Africans not to let their guard down against Covid-19 despite “signs of hope”, warning of difficult times ahead.

    The country has recorded more than half of Africa’s coronavirus infections, with more than 570,000 cases and 11,500 deaths to date.

    South Africa also has the fifth-highest number of cases in the world after the US, Brazil, Russia and India, but infections have started to dip in recent days.

    Mr Ramaphosa said the number of new daily confirmed cases had dropped from a peak of more than 12,000 to an average of 5,000 over the past week.

    The number of active cases has declined to about 105,000 and the recovery rate risen to 80%, the president said.

    “As we look back at the past five months, all indications are the South Africa has reached the peak and moved beyond the inflection point of the curve,” Mr Ramaphosa said.

    How has South Africa handled its coronavirus outbreak?
    In March, the South African government introduced some of the toughest lockdown restrictions in the world. Borders were shut to international travellers, schools were closed, alcohol was banned and people were told to stay at home.

    Those measures were credited with slowing the initial spread of Covid-19, giving the health sector valuable time to prepare for more patients.

    Meanwhile, the economy faltered as businesses struggled to stay afloat during lockdown.

    To ease the economic pain, the government began a gradual reopening in June, but restrictions were reintroduced last month as infection rates began to rise again. A state of emergency was declared effective until 15 August.

    A large proportion of South Africa’s coronavirus infections have been reported in Gauteng, the country’s financial hub.

    The influx of patients has put an incredible strain on South Africa’s hospitals. A BBC investigation found an array of systematic failures that had exhausted healthcare professionals and brought the health service in some areas near to collapse.

    This is a big moment for South Africa.

    Praising his government’s response to the pandemic, President Ramaphosa spoke of a new phase, and signs of hope.

    And he has a point. The official death toll here is 11,000. But a quick, aggressive response has enabled most hospitals and provinces to contain an outbreak many feared would overwhelm the nation.

    The economic price has been devastating, though. President Ramaphosa spoke of hardship and hunger for millions, and warned it would take years to rebuild the economy.

    There are still big concerns about a second wave of infections, which, Mr Ramphosa warned, could be worse than the first.

    But many South Africans – still sporting face masks in public – will be relieved that the lockdown is easing.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rising water levels in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley threaten jobs and wildlife

    In Kenya, rising water levels in lakes along the Great Rift Valley have forced thousands of people from their homes.

    It follows severe flooding after months of unusually heavy rain, which campaigners say has been made worse by illegal deforestation.

    Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria, once 20km (12.5 miles) apart, are now so close together that there are fears they could contaminate each other, threatening wildlife and livelihoods still further.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Ten African innovations to help tackle coronavirus

    As Africa passes more than a million confirmed Covid-19 cases, innovators on the continent have responded to the challenges of the pandemic with a wide range of creative inventions. Here are 10 we’ve picked out.

    1. ‘Doctor Car’ robot

    Students from the Dakar Polytechnic School in Senegal have built a multifunctional robot designed to lower the risk of Covid-19 contamination from patients to caregivers.

    The device is equipped with cameras and is remotely controlled via an app. The designers say it can move around the rooms of quarantined patients to take their temperatures and deliver drugs and food.

    2. Automatic hand-washing machine

    Nine-year-old Kenyan schoolboy Stephen Wamukota invented a wooden hand-washing machine to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

    The machine allows users to tip a bucket of water to wash their hands by using a foot pedal. This helps users avoid touching surfaces to reduce the risk of infection.

    Stephen was given a presidential award in June.

    3. The Respire-19 portable ventilator

    Amid a shortage of ventilators on Covid-19 wards in Nigeria, 20-year-old engineering student Usman Dalhatu attempted to help meet the shortfall.

    Dalhatu built the portable automatic ventilator to help people with respiratory problems – often a symptom of a severe coronavirus infection. He now plans to build up to 20 ventilators.

    4. 3D mask printing

    Natalie Raphil is the founder of Artificial Intelligence company Robots Can Think South Africa.

    She’s using 3D printers to produce 100 masks a day for use in some of Johannesburg’s major hospitals. South Africa accounts for around half of all reported coronavirus cases in Africa.

    5. Solar-powered hand-washing sink

    Amid a lockdown in Ghana aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19, shoemaker Richard Kwarteng and his brother Jude Osei decided to design a solar-powered hand-washing basin.

    When hands come into contact with a sensor on the device, soapy water is automatically released. An alarm goes off after 25 seconds of hand-washing – within the timescale recommended by the World Health Organization.

    6. Web-based X-ray lung scans

    Engineers in Tunisia have created an online platform that scans lung X-rays to try to determine if a person could be suffering from coronavirus.

    When an X-ray is uploaded onto the platform, it runs a test to detect signs of a possible coronavirus infection. Researchers at the National Institute of Applied Science and Technology in Tunis say the tool is 90% effective in indicating the probability of infection.

    The platform is still in development, but thousands of lung X-rays have been fed into the system to enable it to recognise the impact of Covid-19 on lungs.

    7. Police robots on lockdown patrol

    Authorities in Tunisia deployed police robots on the streets of the capital Tunis in April to enforce lockdown measures.

    8. Wooden money sanitiser

    Kenyan mobile money agent Danson Wanjohi has built a wooden device that sanitises cash notes that are passed through a slot in the machine.

    Wanjohi constructed the mechanism using a motor, a rubber band and gears which enable notes to pass through the machine.

    As the notes pass through the device, they are cleaned with a sanitising solution.

    9. Rapid 65-minute Covid-19 testing kit

    South African tech entrepreneurs Daniel Ndima and Dineo Lioma have created a Covid-19 testing kit which provides results in just 65 minutes.

    Typically, it can take up to three days for Covid-19 tests to produce results.

    The testing kit is known as qPCR, and features a technology used to measure DNA. The testing kit needs to undergo regulatory approval before it can be rolled out.

    10. Socially distanced haircuts

    In Ethiopia, barbers have come up with a way to continue cutting hair for clients while minimising the risk of Covid-19 transmission.

    The barbers stand in a specially constructed booth which acts as a partition separating them from clients, minimising person-to-person contact.

    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Necessity is the mother of all inventions.<br><br>Ghanaians are the BEST <a href="https://t.co/7u9Re9CmOi">pic.twitter.com/7u9Re9CmOi</a></p>&mdash; Saddick Adams (@SaddickAdams) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaddickAdams/status/1246131455786434560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

    Source: bbc.com

  • Ten African innovations to help tackle coronavirus

    As Africa passes more than a million confirmed COVID-19 cases, innovators on the continent have responded to the challenges of the pandemic with a wide range of creative inventions. Here are 10 we’ve picked out.

    1. ‘Doctor Car’ robot

    Students from the Dakar Polytechnic School in Senegal have built a multifunctional robot designed to lower the risk of COVID-19 contamination from patients to caregivers.

    The device is equipped with cameras and is remotely controlled via an app. The designers say it can move around the rooms of quarantined patients to take their temperatures and deliver drugs and food.

    2. Automatic hand-washing machine

    Nine-year-old Kenyan schoolboy Stephen Wamukota invented a wooden hand-washing machine to help curb the spread of Coronavirus.

    The machine allows users to tip a bucket of water to wash their hands by using a foot pedal. This helps users avoid touching surfaces to reduce the risk of infection.

    Stephen was given a presidential award in June.

    3. The Respire-19 portable ventilator

    Amid a shortage of ventilators on COVID-19 wards in Nigeria, 20-year-old engineering student Usman Dalhatu attempted to help meet the shortfall.

    Dalhatu built the portable automatic ventilator to help people with respiratory problems – often a symptom of a severe coronavirus infection. He now plans to build up to 20 ventilators.

    4. 3D mask printing

    Natalie Raphil is the founder of Artificial Intelligence company Robots Can Think South Africa.

    She’s using 3D printers to produce 100 masks a day for use in some of Johannesburg’s major hospitals. South Africa accounts for around half of all reported Coronavirus cases in Africa.

    5. Solar-powered hand-washing sink

    Amid a lockdown in Ghana aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, shoemaker Richard Kwarteng and his brother Jude Osei decided to design a solar-powered hand-washing basin.

    When hands come into contact with a sensor on the device, soapy water is automatically released. An alarm goes off after 25 seconds of hand-washing – within the timescale recommended by the World Health Organization.

    6. Web-based X-ray lung scans

    Engineers in Tunisia have created an online platform that scans lung X-rays to try to determine if a person could be suffering from Coronavirus.

    When an X-ray is uploaded onto the platform, it runs a test to detect signs of a possible coronavirus infection. Researchers at the National Institute of Applied Science and Technology in Tunis say the tool is 90% effective in indicating the probability of infection.

    The platform is still in development, but thousands of lung X-rays have been fed into the system to enable it to recognise the impact of COVID-19 on lungs.

    7. Police robots on lockdown patrol

    Authorities in Tunisia deployed police robots on the streets of the capital Tunis in April to enforce lockdown measures.

    The surveillance robots, called PGuards, spied on people walking on the street and approached them to ask why they were out.

    Offenders then had to show their ID and other documents to the cameras attached to the robots. The four-wheeled devices are equipped with thermal-imaging cameras and light detection and ranging technology.

    8. Wooden money sanitiser

    Kenyan mobile money agent Danson Wanjohi has built a wooden device that sanitises cash notes that are passed through a slot in the machine.

    Wanjohi constructed the mechanism using a motor, a rubber band and gears which enable notes to pass through the machine.

    As the notes pass through the device, they are cleaned with a sanitising solution.

    9. Rapid 65-minute Covid-19 testing kit

    South African tech entrepreneurs Daniel Ndima and Dineo Lioma have created a COVID-19 testing kit which provides results in just 65 minutes.

    Typically, it can take up to three days for COVID-19 tests to produce results.

    The testing kit is known as qPCR, and features a technology used to measure DNA. The testing kit needs to undergo regulatory approval before it can be rolled out.

    10. Socially distanced haircuts

    In Ethiopia, barbers have come up with a way to continue cutting hair for clients while minimising the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

    The barbers stand in a specially constructed booth which acts as a partition separating them from clients, minimising person-to-person contact.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Zimbabwe rejects Catholic bishops’ criticism of corruption and abuse

    Zimbabwe’s government has dismissed a letter by Roman Catholic bishops highlighting corruption, poverty and human rights abuses.

    “There is no crisis, political or otherwise,” said Information Secretary Nick Mangwana.

    He accused the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop’s Conference of joining groups seeking “to manufacture crises”.

    The bishops had called for an urgent resolution to the country’s economic and political challenges.

    “The struggle in Zimbabwe, has resulted in a multi-layered crisis of convergence of economic collapse, deepening poverty, food insecurity and human rights abuses,” said seven bishops from the Zimbabwe’s main cities and towns in a letter released on Friday.

    “Corruption in the country has reached alarming levels,” they added.

    Zimbabweans have been protesting against alleged government corruption and a deepening economic crisis with inflation running at more than 700%.

    President Emmerson Mnangagwa has, however, blamed his political opponents of working with foreigners to try to destabilise the country. He called them “bad apples” and warned that he will “flush” them out.

    His government has recently attracted heavy criticism over a crackdown targeting anti-government protesters which has resulted in several people being assaulted and arrested.

    Prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was charged last month with inciting public violence. He is still in detention after being denied bail.

    He had exposed alleged corruption in the health ministry during the purchase of medical supplies to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

    Images of police assaulting protesters have been shared online sparking a global campaign using the hashtag #ZimbabweanLivesMatter to highlight rights abuses.

    Celebrities like rappers Ice Cube, AKA and Lecrae and actresses Thandie Newton and Pearl Thusi have expressed support.

    What else did the bishops say?

    “Fear runs down the spine of many of our people today. The crackdown of dissent in unprecedented,” the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop’s Conference said in their letter.

    “Voices of various governments, the European Union, the African Union, and the UN on the desperate situation in Zimbabwe have not only confirmed the seriousness of the human rights breaches by government agents but the need to rally behind #ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” they said.

    But writing in the state-owned The Herald newspaper, Mr Mangwana defended the government.

    “Zimbabwe, like most countries in the world, is currently grappling with challenges attendant to illegal sanctions, drought and the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

    He said President Mnangagwa had demonstrated his commitment to fight corruption, highlighting the arrest of high profile individuals and strengthening of anti-corruption bodies.

    The information secretary also said the bishops had ignored the impact that close to two decades of economic sanctions had had on the country.

    Source: bbc.com

  • I agree with Nana Yaw Amponsah, Kotoko is bigger than NPP, NDC Board member

    Kumasi Asante Kotoko board member, Alhaji Abu Lamine has backed the club’s Chief Executive Officer, Nana Yaw Amponsah after the latter claimed the porcupine warriors is bigger than both New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

    The former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Presidential aspirant during his unveiling some weeks ago emphatically stated that not even NPP and NDC can be compared to Kotoko.

    He affirmed Asante Kotoko is the biggest brand in Ghana not even a Political party can be compared to fabulous boys. None of the two biggest Political parties in Ghana can be compared to Kotoko.”

    He made this assertions after signing on to a 3-year deal with Kotoko to steer affairs of the club.

    However, Abu Lamine reacting to the issue says he agree to what the CEO of the Kotoko said.

    “I agree with Nana Yaw Amponsah when he says Kotoko is bigger than NPP and NDC” he told Asempa FM in an interview.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Bernard Tekpetey delighted after Ludogoret’s big win over Slavia Sofia

    Ghana forward Bernard Tekpetey climbed off the bench to help Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad to a thumping 3-0 win over rivals Slavia Sofia.

    The on loan Schalke O4 forward was introduced in the 60th minute, after replacing Dominik Yankov with his side 1-0 up.

    Nusciano Gusmao opened the scoring at the stroke of half time, before Mavis Tchibota added the second in the 73 minute.

    Cosmin Moti made it three from the spot six minutes later to seal the champions’ first win of the campaign.

    Bernard Tekpetey was making his second appearance since joining the club early this month.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Richard Attah urges Hearts of Oak to keep Joseph Esso

    Hearts of Oak goalie, Richard Attah has urged the club to keep Joseph Esso ahead of the upcoming 2020/21 football season.

    The Phobians are looking to tie down the highly-rated forward on a two-year deal after announcing that they have parted ways with him.

    After engagements with the supporters’ groups of the club and backlash in the media, Hearts of Oak are now on the brink of re-signing Joseph Esso.

    “There are important players in every team and their presence inspire the other players.” It’s not a secret, even big European clubs have such players,” Attah told Asempa FM.

    “Esso is a fantastic player and I would be glad to have him in the squad next season.” All the five players on transfer are good players but, Esso stands tall and his absence is no good to the team.”

    The 23-year-old is attracting interest from Asante Kotoko following his exploits in the truncated 2019/20 season.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Tanzanian giants Young Africans SC chase the signature of Ghanaian goalkeeper Kofi Mensah

    As Tanzanian giants Young Africans SC is aiming at wrestling to win the league from bitterest rivals Simba SC next season, they are augmenting their squad with top quality.

    The latest to be on the radar of the Yellow and Greens is Ghanaian goalkeeper Kofi Mensah who plays in Zambia.

    The 23-year-old has been in scintillating form in the Zambia Super League for Power Dynamos.

    Young Africans want to sign Mensah to bolster their goalkeeping department for the 2020/2021 campaign.

    “Young Africans are interested in Mensah from Power Dynamos. With inconsistencies and injuries in their goalkeeping department, the club is considering making an offer for Mensah for next season,”  a close source told DucorSports.com

    Kofi Mensah left Ghana for Lusaka Dynamos in 2019 after ending his stint with Ghana Premier League side Karela United.

    After a short stints at Lusaka Dynamos, Mensah switched camp to sign for Power Dynamos

    He is former Ghana U-17 and U-20 shot stopper.

  • Jeremy Doku provides assist as Anderlecht beat St. Truiden

    Ghanaian forward Jeremy Doku put up an impressive performance for Anderlecht who secured a 3-1 victory against St. Truiden in the Belgian top-flight clash this past weekend.

    Doku provided an assist as Anderlecht won their first home match of the season.

    This is after getting off to a disappointing start last weekend after being held by Mechelen.

    Anderlecht took the lead after 41 minutes of play when Bogdan Mykhaylychenko scored with a fine strike after he was assisted by teenage sensation Jeremy Doku.

    Landry Dimata doubled the lead for Anderlecht five minutes after halftime to put the side on the path to victory.

    Though St. Truiden pulled one back through Nelson Balongo on the 88th minute, summer signing Percy Tau completed the resounding win with a third goal in added time.

    The 18-year-old lasted the entire duration of the match alongside his compatriot Derick Luckassen while Francis Amuzu missed the game.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Government to consider renovation of Gyandu Park – NSA Boss

    Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Prof. Peter Twumasi has hinted that the government and its development partners are considering to renovate Gyandu Park in Takoradi.

    The Park which serves as a venue for football matches and other activities has been in bad state and neglected for about three decades.

    Speaking to the media, Prof. Twumasi disclosed that to reduce pressure on the big stadia in Ghana, the Gyandu Park would be renovated for the community.

    “As we focus our attention on the large stadiums, more attention would be given to rehabilitation of community parks to reduce pressure on our big national stadiums,” he said as quoted by GNA.

    “My visit to Gyandu Park today revealed decay of the stadium which has been neglected for nearly three decades.

    “Government and development partners in sports will urgently consider its renovation.”

    Meanwhile, the Government is constructing 10 new stadia which is nearing completion in the regions of Ghana.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • GFA Executive Council to hold final meeting over appointment of Technical Director

    The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association [GFA] will hold a final meeting today over the appointment of a new Technical Director.

    The Technical Director job of the GFA has been vacant following the exit of Francis Oti Akentang in March 2020.

    Six candidates have been shortlisted for the job which includes three local coaches and three expatriates coaches.

    Last week, Footballghana reported that German and former Cameroonian gaffer, Winfried Schäfer is the leading candidate for the job.

    Despite holding a meeting last week at the premises of the Ghana Football Association, the Executive Council will take a final decision today.

    Meanwhile, Abdul Faisal, the younger brother of Yusif Chibsah is the only local coach who is also in poll for the position.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Ghana midfielder Bernard Mensah arrives in Istanbul to join Besiktas

    Ghanaian midfielder Bernard Mensah arrived in Istanbul on Sunday night ahead of him joining Turkish giants Besiktas, Ghanasoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.

    The 25-year-old arrived in the Turkish capital with his wife and two kids indicating that his move to Besiktas has already been agreed with his club Kayserispor.

    He arrived in Istanbul in the company of his two kids who were also wearing the jersey of T-shirt of Besiktas indicating that the deal with the club has been sealed.

    As revealed by Ghana’s leading soccer earlier on Sunday, Mensah was expected to touch down from Kayseri at 10pm Turkey time and he was met by officials of Besiktas at the new airport in Istanbul.

    It was noteworthy that Mensah, who came to Istanbul Airport from Kayseri, was wearing a T-shirt symbolizing the “I won’t let you go” campaign launched by Besiktas Club.

    The Kayserispor player travelled to Istanbul after his club agreed to transfer him to Besiktas on loan deal pending a full transfer on a bumper contract.

    He will undergo a medical test on Monday morning before sealing the transfer deal.

    The Ghana international will sign a 500,000 Euros loan deal with Besiktas on Monday if he passes the medical.

    Before travelling to Istanbul he signed a one year extension to his contract with Kayserispor who now have him under contract until 2022.

    Besiktas will have the first option to buy Mensah for 4.5 million Euros at the end of the season.

    Mensah was on a buyout clause of 2.8 million Euros at Kayserispor at the beginning of last season before his latest contract extension scored 5 goals and 8 assists in 26 matches.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Mission staff, students on government scholarship abroad cant vote this year – EC

    Some Ghanaians stranded abroad due to COVID-19 restrictions may not be able to vote during the 2020 elections if the measures to halt the spread of the disease remains.

    The Electoral Commission (EC) chair, Jean Mensa said at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, August 12 that it has been unable to travel to register workers in the Ghanaian missions as well as students on scholarships abroad.

    She indicated that the working timetable for the commission may not allow for them to partake in the December exercise if they are unable to get onto the roll anytime soon.

    “It is a challenge for all of us that we are grappling with. We have Ghanaians beyond the borders who are unable to come in. The Commission would have liked to register all eligible Ghanaians but it is a challenge that we are grappling with.

    “We find that we are not able to travel because there are restrictions on travel not only in Ghana but around the world.

    “As part of our plans we were supposed to have travelled to all countries where we had Missions and Embassies to register the Mission staff and students on Government of Ghana scholarship but we have not been able to do that because of the travel restriction.

    “There are discussions ongoing and maybe at a later stage when there is some a solution we will provide you with the information on that but for now they are all caught within the restrictions and travel bans globally. It puts us in a tight position and we are not able to say for sure that we will be able to cross the borders. We are working within some timelines and so it has to fill within a particular time so that those persons will be captured on the register,” she said.

    Source: 3 News

  • At least 30% of NaBCo recruits employed permanently John Kuma claims

    The Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Mr John Kuma, has claimed that the government has permanently employed between 30 to 40 per cent of the Nation Builders Corps (NaBCo) recruits.

    He told Alfred Ocansey on the Sunrise show on 3 92.7FM Wednesday, August 12 that the government was determined to deal with the youth unemployment menace hence, the introduction of initiatives such as the NaBCo.

    He said: “As we speak over the last two to three years of NABCO about 30 to 40 per cent of them have already been absorbed into the system on a permanent job basis.”

    Mr Kuma, also a private legal practitioner further stated that: “Before you enrol, you know that you have three years. The government comes in to say that be enrolled on the programme up to three years and you have options as you are on, you can earn to move on to become an entrepreneur to start your own business.

    “Or if an opportunity comes within the firm where you are working you can apply to be employed as permanent staff.”

    The NaBCO programme is a government initiative to address graduate unemployment to solve social problems. The focus of the initiative is solving public service delivery in health, education, agriculture, technology and governance and drive revenue mobilisation and collection.

    It is recalled that during the first anniversary of NaBCO on 11 October 2019, the Chief Executive of NaBCo, Dr Anyars Ibrahim, said over 11,000 people had already exited the scheme to permanent employment.

    Source: 3 News

  • Lets unite and save Ghana Mahama to Christians

    Former President John Dramani Mahama has called on the Christian Community to unite and take action against what he says is the politicisation of state institutions by the Nana Addo Akufo-Addo government.

    “Almost everything that we had as a people, as a country, held dear and sacred has been intentionally corrupted in furtherance of selfish political ends. But, my brothers and sisters, no matter where we have belonged on the political divide, this is the time for us to unite and act to save our country; we cannot sit silently and look on as our nation slips towards decadence.

    “It is not about John Mahama; it is about Ghana. Indeed, I have received complaints from men of God to call the government to order in its unfair treatment and sometimes targeted attacks on them for speaking out against injustice,” Mr Mahama said while introducing his running mate Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to the Christian community at a ceremony in Accra Wednesday.

    The NDC flagbearer also told the clergy he and his running mate will avoid campaign of insults.

    “My running mate, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, whom I am presenting to you today, has been encouraged by the Osu Mantse to be strong and courageous in the face of, what he feared would be, a barrage of insults and attacks on her person, just because she has decided to serve her country at the highest level, help shape its destiny and ensure shared prosperity for all. Indeed, these unprovoked attacks and insults have already started.

    “But I can assure you and all Ghanaians that Naana Jane and myself will never engage in insults and name-calling of opponents. Children are watching, listening and copying and it is important we serve as good role models. The book of Philippians assures me that the God who began this mission will bring it to a fruitful conclusion.

    Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is God-fearing, a woman of unquestionable integrity, hardworking, and a results-oriented person. She has carved a niche for herself as a distinguished scholar in Ghana, on the African continent and across the world,” Mr said.

    Source: starrfmonline.com

  • NDC, NPP parliamentary candidates satisfied with voter registration exercise

    Parliamentary candidates of the two main political parties in the Ketu South Municipality have described the just ended Voter Registration Exercise as largely successful.

    Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, and Mr David Tiahno Quarshie, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate for Ketu South, said the exercise had been without ugly incidents and commended the Electoral Commission for a peaceful registration.

    Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) the political rivals shared their impression on the exercise, which sought to compile a new electoral roll ahead of the general election in December.

    Madam Gomashie expressed gratitude to the citizenry for defying the odds to go out to register and noted that though the exercise was successful she had some reservations.

    She said the centre for the mop-up was too far from the communities making it difficult for some people to commute to the office to register.

    “Again, logistics including chairs and canopies needed for the smooth running of the exercise created a challenge and should be addressed going forward,” she said.

    “I am happy for the people of Ghana, Volta Region and especially Ketu South for coming out to register in their numbers in these extraordinary times. Neither the fear of COVID-19, the harassments, intimidation and the challenge forms stopped them from coming out.”

    Mr Quarshie said he was satisfied with the overall conduct of the registration exercise and debunked claims of intimidation, harassment and tagging of residents as foreigners in the Municipality.

    He called on the people of the Volta Region, especially those in Ketu South, to disregard the so-called “Togolese tag” on them because the current government did not consider them as such.

    Mr Kofi Sakyi Boampong, the Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission, said the process was successful and the office did not intentionally leave out any eligible applicant.

    “Any eligible applicant desirous of registering for the voter card would have done so within the regular and the mop-up period. The office made efforts to communicate the gazetted schedules to the public in a bid to inform them to participate in the exercise,” he said.

    The exercise, which ended on Sunday, had 139,100 applicants in Ketu South registering out of which about 800 applicants had their registration challenged.

    Source: GNA

  • 64,966 PwD captured in new voters register – EC

    A total number of 64,966 persons living with disability have been captured on the voters register in the just ended voter registration exercise, the Electoral Commission has disclosed.

    Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, 12 July 2020, the EC said the number represents 0.56% of the total number of persons registered and this according to the election management body “demonstrates good progress”.

    “We are gratified to note that a significant number of persons with disabilities participated in this exercise. As part of our commitment to ensure that no one was left behind, the Commission made arrangements to cater for a section of our society at all district offices of the Electoral Commission throughout the country. This is the first time such an arrangement has been put in place,” EC boss Madam Jean Mensa said.

    “As a Commission, we wanted to ensure that vulnerable groups, the aged, persons with disability, pregnant women etc all felt comfortable to participate in the registration exercise [and] it paid off,” she added.

    Ms Mensa announced that “At the end of the registration exercise, 64,966 with disability had successfully registered in the process. This represents 0.56% of the total number of persons registered and demonstrates good progress.”

    Meanwhile, the total number of people captured in the new voter roll is 16,932,492.

    The EC says the exercise which ended on Sunday, 9 August 2020 was successful as it was “inclusive, participatory, orderly and peaceful.”

    Source: Class FM

  • Government deploys smart workplace virtual working platform

    More than 300 government agencies are currently on the Smart Workplaceâ„¢ platform, which is supported by Government for use by all public institutions.

    A statement signed by Richard Okyere-Fosu, Acting Director-General, the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), which is carrying out the rollout of the Smart Workplaceâ„¢ said it was working to facilitate the onboarding of the next batch of agencies.

    The Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Communications and its implementing agency, NITA, is deploying the Smart Workplaceâ„¢ solution to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

    The pilot of the Smart Workplaceâ„¢ solution commenced in 2018. However, the Government accelerated its deployment in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic to enable public sector workers work remotely to reduce personal contact, curb the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of public servants.

    Commenting on the development, the Minister for Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful urged public servants to utilize the platform, which is supported by Government, for use by all public institutions, especially during the pandemic period.

    “Changing our way of doing things is not easy but with practice, we will become more comfortable using these digital tools, and at such a time as this, Smart Workplace™ will help with the transition safely, without sacrificing speed and efficiency”, said Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.

    She called on all public institutions to give NITA the necessary support to ensure a successful implementation of the project.

    The Smart Workplaceâ„¢ solution has over 19 features and several benefits. It provides Staff with a highly efficient virtual work environment with a single access point to all resources by interfacing with MDAs and MMDAs internal (in-house) systems.

    These include Enterprise Email, Calendar, Microsoft Teams (video conferencing), Document Management, Correspondence Management, and Electronic Memos.

    Others are Corporate News/Announcements, Enterprise Search, Task Management, Knowledge Management, and Workflow Automation.

    Other features include Business Intelligence and Analytics, Timesheet, Project Monitoring, Business Application Access, Notifications, Survey, Media Gallery and Mobile Access.

    Smart Workplaceâ„¢ can also automate manual business processes such as Leave schedules, Vehicle and Payment requests, as well as Stores Requisitions.

    NITA will submit forms to all MDAs and MMDAs for collation of information which will be used for onboarding of institutions onto the Smart Workplaceâ„¢ platform, the statement added.

    Source: GNA

  • Kenya to ‘engage Russia over vaccine’

    Health officials in Kenya have said they will engage Russia over its COVID-19 vaccine, radio station Capital FM reports.

    This is after Russia became the first country in the world to officially register its vaccine. But experts have raised concerns about the speed of Russia’s work, suggesting that researchers might be cutting corners.

    “We definitely will plug in and work with Russia to ensure that the vaccine is safe before we use it,” health chief administrative secretary Mercy Mwangangi is quoted as telling a media briefing on Tuesday.

    She said the Kenyan government will follow protocols through its foreign ministry.

    Kenya has so far confirmed 27,425 coronavirus cases.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Namibia turns down German genocide reparations offer

    Namibia’s President Hage Geingob has said the offer for reparations made by Germany for mass killings in its then colony was “not acceptable”.

    German troops killed tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people between 1904 to 1908 in response to an anti-colonial uprising.

    It is thought that 75% of the Herero population and half of the Nama population died.

    The two countries started negotiations over reparations in 2015 and have so far held eight rounds of talks.

    President Geingob was on Tuesday briefed about the negotiations by the Namibian negotiating team led by special envoy Zed Ngavirue.

    “The current offer for reparations made by the German Government remains an outstanding issue and is not acceptable to the Namibian Government,” the president said in a statement.

    No details of the offer was given.

    Germany has agreed to apologise in principle but declines to accept the term “reparations”, while Namibia finds the terminology “healing the wounds” inadequate, the statement added.

    The president’s office tweeted photos of the meeting between President Geingob and Mr Ngavirue.

    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today, I received a briefing from Amb. Zed Ngavirue on negotiations with Germany about Genocide, Apology and Reparations. Diplomacy is about compromise and I commend Amb. Ngavirue on progress regarding the task assigned to him. We remain resolute in completing this key mission. <a href="https://t.co/UZzxsjsr8u">pic.twitter.com/UZzxsjsr8u</a></p>&mdash; Hage G. Geingob (@hagegeingob) <a href="https://twitter.com/hagegeingob/status/1293264256302043138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

    Source: bbc.com

  • Guinea leader confirms election date

    Guinea’s President Alpha Condé has announced 18 October as the date for the upcoming general elections.

    The electoral commission had proposed the date but the leader was yet to sign it off.

    The president has however not confirmed if he would accept his nomination by the ruling party to run for a third term.

    The ruling party last week nominated President Condé despite the constitution’s two-term presidential limit.

    “Today you have all spoken, allies, parties and others – I take note,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

    The president is taking advantage of a new constitution to circumvent a two-term presidential limit.

    The opposition – which boycotted a referendum in March – is likely to criticise the nomination.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Lagos police intercept container loaded with tramadol, codeine

    A 40-foot container loaded with drugs suspected to be Tramadol and codeine has been intercepted by the police in Apapa Area Command of Lagos State on Thursday.

    The container was intercepted on water and taken to a bonded terminal in Apapa.

    A team of officers from Customs and the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) joined the Area B Commander, Olasoji Akinbayo, for inspection.

    Channels TV reports that the Area B Commander has recently intercepted similar imports and has transferred the case and two suspects to government prosecutors.

    The latest intercepted container is expected to also be handed over to appropriate authorities for further investigation and prosecution.

    On Tuesday, the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, hinted that drug trafficking was one of the factors fueling insecurity across the country.

    Drug addiction and trafficking were one of the major issues the Federal Executive Council, chaired by the President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retd), discussed at its last meeting, according to Monguno.

    According to him, Nigeria has moved from a transit hub to a drug production centre.

    He noted that 17 meth labs were recently shut down in the country and called for a wholesome national approach to stopping the drug menace.

    Source: mynigeria.com

  • Finger-pointing begins over Mauritius oil spill

    As salvage teams rush to pump oil out of a Japanese-owned ship grounded off the coast of Mauritius, politicians on shore are starting to spread the blame.

    The government has called the situation an “environmental crisis”, and following a request from Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, France and Japan have assisted.

    But opposition politicians are demanding to know how Mr Jugnauth’s government could have allowed the spill in the first place.

    Meanwhile, the Reuters new agency quotes an inspection body in Japan as saying the vessel passed its annual check in March without any problems.

    Cracks in the hull of the MV Wakashio are getting worse, according to the police, whose spokesman Shiva Cooten told the BBC on Tuesday “anything” could happen.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Pope baptises twins after surgery to separate them

    Italian news agencies report that previously conjoined twins have been baptised by Pope Francis in the Vatican City.

    Ervina and Prefina, whose skulls were fused together, underwent surgery there last month.

    Their mother Ermine Nzotto is from the Central African Republic (CAR). Soon after the operation, she told local media she was keen for the Pope to baptise her daughters because “he has always taken care of the children of Bangui”.

    A photo taken at Friday’s ceremony has been shared by former CAR minister Antoinette Montaigne:

    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Après leur séparation chirurgicale réussie à la pédiatrie du Vatican Bambino Jésus, le Pape a baptisé les jumelles Centrafricaines hier à Rome. <a href="https://t.co/6v4Df7nzq4">pic.twitter.com/6v4Df7nzq4</a></p>&mdash; Antoinette MONTAIGNE (@Banzekaa) <a href="https://twitter.com/Banzekaa/status/1291754615738970113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

    Source: bbc.com

  • UCL qualifier postponed after positive test

    UEFA postponed a Champions League qualifying game hours before kickoff on Tuesday because a team from Kosovo was put into quarantine by Swiss authorities after a second player tested positive for COVID-19.

    Kosovo title winner KF Drita risks forfeiting its scheduled game against Linfield of Northern Ireland in a UEFA disciplinary case.

    Drita and Linfield were due to play on Tuesday evening at an empty stadium next to UEFA’s headquarters to complete a four-team preliminary round mini-tournament in the 2020-21 competition.

    UEFA said a Drita player, who was not identified, tested positive on Monday.

    A teammate also tested positive last Friday ahead of the Kosovo team’s win against Inter Club d’Escaldes of Andorra. UEFA’s return to play rules during the coronavirus pandemic can let games proceed after positive tests unless local public health authorities “require a large group of players or the entire team to go into quarantine.”

    Linfield now seems likely to advance to play Legia Warsaw in Poland next week in the Champions League first qualifying round.

    The qualifying rounds are overlapping with the pandemic-delayed 2019-20 Champions League which resumes on Wednesday at the quarterfinal stage in Lisbon, Portugal.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • ‘Nonsense!’ – Ramsey denies reports of leaving Juventus because of Pirlo

    Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey’s representatives have hit back at reports claiming new boss Andrea Pirlo doesn’t want the Welshman at the club, calling them “nonsense.”

    Pirlo was named the new head coach of the Italian champions on Saturday, just hours after the club sacked Maurizio Sarri following just one season in charge.

    The 41-year-old’s appointment came as a surprise after he was only named the head coach of Juve’s U23 side at the end of July.

    Despite having no managerial experience, the former Italian international midfielder will take over from Sarri after Juventus surprisingly fell to Lyon in the Champions League last 16.

    As Pirlo quickly makes plans for the 2020-21 season, reports emerged that he is hoping to sell Ramsey just one year after the Wales midfielder joined the club on a free transfer from Arsenal.

    However, Avid Sports and Entertainment Group, the 29-year-old’s agency, took to Twitter to dismiss those reports, indicating Ramsey will be staying put this summer.

    Following 11 years in north London, Ramsey scored four goals in 35 appearances in his first season with the Bianconeri.

    The midfielder, however, made only 11 starts in Serie A as he failed to lock down a regular role with the club in a season where they won their ninth consecutive Serie A title.

    Source: goal.com

  • New Zealand records first virus cases in 102 days

    New Zealand has put its largest city back into lockdown after recording four new Covid-19 cases, ending a 102-day streak without a local infection.

    A three-day lockdown was swiftly imposed in Auckland after the cases were confirmed.

    The four new cases are all members of a single family. None had travelled recently.

    The restrictions will come into effect on Wednesday, as authorities scramble to trace contacts of the family.

    Auckland residents will be asked to stay at home, large gatherings will be banned, non-essential businesses will be shut, and some social-distancing restrictions will be reintroduced in the rest of the country.

    New Zealand has fared better than other countries, recording 1,220 confirmed cases and 22 deaths since the virus arrived in late February.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: Arts venues in UK to go red for live events awareness campaign

    Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corp said Tuesday it was launching a stand-alone streaming service for its news and business channels that would be available in 20 countries by year’s end.
    Fox, which is a streamlined company formed after it sold much of its film and TV entertainment operations to Disney, said the new subscription service would include on-demand content from Fox News and Fox Business Channel.

    The Fox News International service priced at $6.99 per month will debut in Mexico on August 20 followed by Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom on September 17.

    It will be in 20 countries by the end of the year, according to the company.

    The streaming service will offer content from Fox News, which has been the most-watched cable news channel in recent years and a favorite of President Donald Trump, online without the need for a cable or satellite subscription.

    The service will be available on several platforms include iPhone, Android, Apple TV and Android TV, with Amazon Fire TV and Roku expected later.

    The move comes amid a polarization of news audiences in the United States in recent years, with many conservatives turning to Fox and others to rivals CNN and MSNBC.

    Murdoch, the 89-year-old media mogul, remains chairman of Fox Corp. with his son Lachlan serving as chief executive. The family also separately controls News Corp. which includes the Wall Street Journal and media outlets in Britain and Australia.

    Fox is the latest in a line of media companies to turn to streaming to reach a wider, global audience and viewers without pay TV packages. A similar service is available to US audiences known as Fox Nation.

    The Murdochs concluded a deal last year selling its 21st Century Fox studios and cable channels to Disney while maintaining the Fox broadcast network and news channels.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Apple boss Tim Cook joins the billionaires club

    Apple chief executive Tim Cook has moved into the billionaire club as the tech firm’s share price continues to soar.

    Apple’s market value has been on the rise following strong results and the upbeat outlook for tech giants.

    Mr Cook owns 847,969 shares directly and took home more than $125m (£96m) last year as part of his pay package.

    Last week, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg saw his personal wealth hit $100bn (£76bn).

    Technology companies including Apple, Facebook and Amazon have seen their profits grow during the coronavirus pandemic as more people went online.

    Silicon-Valley based Apple is now closing in on the milestone of being the first company to be valued at $2tn. Two years ago it become the first company to be valued at $1tn.

    Mr Cook took over from Apple founder Steve Jobs nine years ago. His billionaire status is based on the shares he owns and the compensation he has been paid at Apple, and calculated by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

    In 2015, he said he planned to give most of his fortune away and has already donated million of dollars worth of Apple shares.

    Facebook’s Zuckerberg has made a similar pledge to give away the majority of his shares.

    Mr Zuckerberg, along with Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Tesla’s Elon Musk, accrued their wealth from the huge stakes in the companies they founded.

    In comparison, Mr Cook’s stake in Apple is miniscule at about 0.02%.

    Based on US federal and state taxes for California, Mr Cook would face a tax rate of just over 50%, as a top-bracket earner.
    Watches and music

    While Apple has not revealed any new products as groundbreaking as its iPhone, the company has still thrived since Mr Cook took over the reins.

    He has overseen the development of devices such as the iPhone X and Apple Watch, along with new services like Apple Music.

    Source: bbc.com

  • FIFA President Infantino claims there are no ‘factual grounds’ for criminal proceedings

    FIFA President, Gianni Infantino has claimed there are no “factual grounds” for the ongoing criminal proceedings against him in a letter to member federations.

    Infantino wrote to the 211 members following the opening of proceedings against him last month, as reported by AFP.

    He said his meetings with the Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber “were in no way secret and most certainly not illegal” and the investigation against him had no “factual grounds”.

    “I went to these meetings with the most senior law officer in the country in order to offer our full support and assistance in connection with the ongoing investigations because FIFA has an interest and is a damaged party in these investigations,” he said.

    A special prosecutor was appointed in July to investigate the dealings between Lauber and the head of football’s world governing body.

    Lauber denied any wrongdoing but offered to resign after a Swiss Court concluded that he covered up meetings with Infantino and lied to supervisors while his office probed corruption surrounding FIFA.

    Earlier this month, FIFA revealed that Infantino would not step down from his role as President and said: “nothing remotely criminal has happened”.

    “At the time of the meetings between the FIFA President and the Swiss Federal Prosecutor, the Office of the Swiss Attorney General (OAG) was conducting investigations in over 20 cases in FIFA related matters and FIFA is a damaged party to those proceedings,” the FIFA spokesperson said in a statement.

    “It was therefore entirely logical for the FIFA President to be meeting the Swiss Federal Prosecutor.”

    “Meetings or contacts between parties and prosecutors are routine during an investigation.”

    In their comments, the spokesperson stressed that the reason the meetings were taking place was to build trust with the Swiss Attorney General after years of corruption, with the first meeting taking place only 24 days into the FIFA chief’s tenure.

    They also denied that the meetings took place in secret, arguing transparency on FIFA’s behalf.

    “The meeting venues were organised by the OAG in public places, like hotels and restaurants,” they added.

    “The FIFA President did not choose the venues for the meetings.”

    “All the meetings were officially scheduled well ahead of time by the OAG and were mentioned in their calendars.”

    “There is no obligation for the FIFA President under any FIFA regulation or any law to keep minutes of any such meetings.”

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Manhyia clears Asante Kotoko to sign new players Reports

    Manhyia Palace, the seat of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II have softened their stance on the transfer ban placed on Asante Kotoko.

    The Ghana Premier League side were hit with a one-year transfer ban following the inauguration of the new 12 member board of directors.

    Head coach of the side, Maxwell Konadu after the statement by Manhyia pleaded with the seat of the owner and bankroller of the club to lift the ban ahead of their African campaign next season.

    However, new Chief Executive Officer of the club, Nana Yaw Amponsah according to reports have held discussion with Manhyia to soften their stance on the transfer ban.

    Reports further say Kotoko will be able to beef up their squad ahead of the Caf Champions League campaign.

    The Porcupine Warriors were given the mandate to compete in the Champions League following the annulment of the 2019/20 Ghana Premier League season due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Sadat Karim scores his first goal of the season in Halmstads Bk victory over Osters IF

    Ghanaian attacker, Sadat Karim registered his first goal of the season for Halmstads BK as they defeated Osters IF 2-0 on Tuesday in the Swedish Superettan league.

    It took him twenty-five minutes in the game to end his ten games goal drought by giving his side the lead at the Orjans Vall Stadion.

    Edvin Kurtulus added the second on the 69th minute to secure the three points for Halmstad Bk.

    Sadat now has a goal and 3 assists in 11 games this season.

    Halmstads Bk is now second on the league log with just two points behind leaders Degerfos.

    Source: footballmadeinghana.com

  • Tanzanian club Namungo FC signs Ghanaian striker Stephen Sey

    Tanzania Premier League outfit Namungo FC has completed the signing of Ghanaian striker Stephen Sey, the club announced.

    Sey is joining them from Singida United who suffered relegation from the Tanzanian top-flight at the end of the season.

    The 26-year-old forward put in an impressive performance in the just ended campaign which attracted Namungo.

    The former Tudu Might Jets player will be participating in the 2020/2021 CAF Confederation Cup with his new club as they finished as runners-up in the Tanzania Federation Cup.

    Namungo ended the Tanzania Premier League season on the 4th position.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • I naturalized as a Dutch because Ghanaians didnt appreciate me – Ignatius Gaisah

    Ghanaian born Dutch long jumper, Ignatius Gaisah has disclosed his reasons for switching nationality. According to the athlete, he made the switch to represent the Dutch mainly because of support.

    Speaking to Accra based TV3, Gaisah said he was not appreciated in Ghana when he was competing for the country.

    He said: “Whenever you compete in sports for [Ghana] and you are not getting the necessary support that you are supposed to get meanwhile you are competing with other people from different countries and you know the kind of support they are getting.

    “…in order for athletes not to go out of the county, they will need support to be able to perform very well.

    Ignatius Gaisah “When I was in Ghana, they did not celebrate me as I was expecting.”

    “And so I had to make decisions for myself and then had to move to the Netherlands to see the difference,” he said.

    Source: Pulse Ghana

  • Joseph Esso swerves Hearts of Oak over fresh contract talks

    Accra Hearts of Oak supporters officials were stood up by striker Joseph Esso who was released by club last week.

    The former contract rebel promised to meet National Chapters Committee leadership over outstanding issues to signing a new contract on Monday.

    Officials waited in vein as the 23-year-old failed to show up for the meeting and later communicated to them to reschedule the meeting to Tuesday.

    Hearts supporters leadership have vowed to get their prized asset to commit himself to a new deal at the club and booked an appointment with him.

    Ghanasportsonline.com checks can confirm that the former Ebusua Dwarfs forward informed officials which included Asante Nfodwo Jones that he is unable to attend the meeting hours after leaving the officials in state of despair and confusion.

    Several reports in the Ghanaian media has linked the striker with a move to Kumasi Asante Kotoko while other reports have linked him to AshantiGold with a Serbian club also reportedly in the offing.

    Esso had 6 months left on his contract with Hearts but the former African champions decided to release him from the contract after almost a year of failed attempts to get him to commit to a new deal.

    Hearts proposed a USD$520.00 a month salary and a yearly earning of USD$5,200.00 for a proposed three-year period. Meanwhile the club intend to spread the yearly earning to cover for monthly salary in addition to the USD$520.00 over the period of the deal meaning the 23-year-old would have earned around USD$1000 a month.

    But, the powerful center forward categorically told the Hearts of Oak hierarchy he will not commit himself to a new deal at the club unless his demand for USD$27,000 as renewal fee is met with a monthly salary of USD$870.00.

    The back-and-forth lingered for over 10 months leaving the parties with no definite solution to the matter.

    Source: ghanasportsonline.com

  • Joseph Yamin bemoans lack of quality players in GPL

    Former Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, Joseph Yamin says the Ghana Premier League (GPL) currently lack quality players to make it more competitive.

    According to him, Premier League clubs cannot boast of players who have exceptional qualities that can convince football loving fans to troop to the stadium during match days.

    In an interview with Kumasi based Agyenkwa FM, he expressed that the domestic topflight league is struggling due to lack of quality players.

    “In some years back, we were having players like Emmanuel Osei Kuffuor, Charles Taylor, Ishmael Addo and the likes. All these players had a lot of quality which made the supporters to go to the stadium in their numbers. At the time, the league also attracted a lot of sponsors because of the kind of players that were in the system”

    “Nowadays, a chuck of our players with quality are leaving because of low salaries and it’s affecting our league big time” he said.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Amankwah Mireku blasts Hearts’ ungrateful players for rejecting contract extensions

    Ex-Hearts of Oak captain Amankwah Mireku insists management cannot be blamed for the exit of quintet Joseph Esso, Benjamin Agyare, Christopher Bonney, Bernard Arthur and Abubakar Troare.

    The club explained the five players refused to sign contract extensions after the expiration of their initial deals.

    This means all of them are available for free transfers ahead of the new Ghana Premier League season.

    Hearts fans have blamed management for his development but Mireku says it is not always the case.

    ”Management can’t be solely blamed for free players exit but sometimes the players decide against extensions but professionally I think management should always start early negotiations with the players if they need them,” he told Nkunim FM.

    ”Some of the players are ungrateful because players like Atinga, Kizito, Razak and co were all from nowhere but Hearts of Oak gave them the platform but later they stood against extensions and left for free.

    ”But sometimes too when players from nowhere join a team, they are sometimes treated badly and when is time for extension the players also consider how he was received or treated to decides his future.

    ”So its better for Hearts of Oak to check how they treat players especially those from nowhere.”

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Ghanaians didnt appreciate me so I naturalized to be Dutch Ignisious Gaisah

    Former Ghanaian athlete, Ignisious Gaisah, has said he was not appreciated by Ghanaians, hence his decision to naturalized to become a Dutch.

    He told TV3 Tuesday August 11 that he was not getting the maximum support he needed from Ghanaians and the sports authorities.

    He said : “Whenever you compete in sports for [Ghana] and you are not getting the necessary support that you are suppose to get meanwhile you are competing with other people from different countries and you know the kind of support they are getting.

    “…in order for athletes not to go out of the county, they will need support to be able to perform very well.

    “When I was in Ghana, they did not celebrate me as I was expecting.

    And so I had to make decisions for myself and then had to move to Netherlands to see the difference,” he said.

    On the African seen, Gaisah won gold at the 2003 All African Games for Ghana in Nigeria and won another one in Mauritius in 2010, and also settled on silver medal in 2011 All African games.

    Gaisah made a bold decision in an open letter to the Ghana Athlete Association in 2013, not to perform for Ghana again at the international stage, but would rather naturalize for the Netherlands, a decision he implemented.

    Source: 3 News

  • Thomas Partey and his Atletico Madrid teammates arrive in Lisbon for UEFA Champions League showdown

    Black Stars midfielder, Thomas Teye Partey traveled with his Atletico Madrid teammates to Lisbon for the final part of the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League.

    Atletico Madrid reached the last eight of the competition after beating champions Liverpool before the Coronavirus break to set up a quarter final clash against RB Leipzig.

    Partey suffered a minor knock during training last month, but recovered in time to be named in Diego Simeone’s 25 man squad for the trip.

    The UEFA Champions League has taken a different format following the enforced break by Coronavirus, with games from the quarter finals to be played in a one-off tie.

    Thomas Teye Partey has been in top form for the Rojhiblancos this season, starring in the La Liga as they produced a strong comeback to finish third.

    The 27-year old is a top transfer priority for English giants in the transfer window.

    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">[📋] Your 𝐀𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 for Lisbon!<br><br>🏧 <a href="https://twitter.com/Simeone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Simeone</a>&#39;s 2⃣5⃣ players for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UCL</a> final 8... 🙌<br><br>🔜 <a href="https://twitter.com/ChampionsLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChampionsLeague</a><br><br>🔴⚪ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/A%C3%BApaAtleti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AúpaAtleti</a> <a href="https://t.co/gkPuHMsLZD">pic.twitter.com/gkPuHMsLZD</a></p>&mdash; Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) <a href="https://twitter.com/atletienglish/status/1293128393643499523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Commey and manager conspired to have me removed Carl Lokko

    Bronx Boxing Club trainer and owner, Carl Lokko, who also doubles as Deputy Technical Director of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), has espoused in detail how Richard Commey and his manager conspired to have him removed as his trainer.

    Lokko on CITI TV sports show dubbed the TRACKER on Monday, August 10, recounted how he started nurturing Richard Commey when he had chosen to become a footballer at age 13.

    He narrated how Commey switched from pursuing a career in football and started kick-boxing which then took him to United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he stayed for a while and performed magic in the sport.

    “When he came from the UAE he approached me and said I want to pursue a career in boxing. I started Commey from amateur to the professional level, so from no where to what Commey has become, it is the Bronx Gym and Carl Lokko,” Lokko said amiably when asked how he discovered Commey.

    The discussion got heated and more interesting when he was quizzed on how he got separated from Commey.

    “I picked negative signals after the Robert Easter Jnr and Denis Shafikov fights which were the losses on Commey records at the time which had nothing to do with me but all to do with his promoters who failed on both occasions to win the purse even when Commey is ahead of those boxers,” Lokko said.

    “Commey was still a compelling contender ahead of Shafikov because of the bizarre circumstances which the fight was given to him and therefore we have to get Commey a fight to put him back in leading contenders in the lightweight division. [In] March 2017, Commey fought Heldi Slimani for the WBC silver title and won unanimously. Fortunately Luo Dibella signed Commey after the fight and therefore had to travel to meet his promoters in USA. He got there and had to train with Andre Rozier who I understand was a caretaker for me to come and take over. Rozier was giving me notes daily after training”.

    Carl Lokko believed that the manager Michael Amoo-Bediako had already hatched a plan with Richard Commey to end their relationship as a boxer and a trainer.

    “He called me over the phone telling me that Commey wanted to speak to me.

    “I asked him why he would not do the speaking since he was the manager but he insisted that I speak to Commey instead.

    “Commey told me that he wanted to upgrade himself as a boxer and thus wanted to train with Rozier for his upcoming fight.

    “What can I say? I said it was cool because I believed in what I was doing but later he came back saying that he wanted to move fully to the camp of Rozier.

    “I said wow, when did you have this change of heart.

    “I cannot suppress his decision so I asked him to consider what people will say because, they know where I came from with him and what we were pushing for but he would not budge.

    “Finally I told him that I would like to be assistant to Rozier since we could both upgrade together but he told me that he wanted his privacy.

    “How can a human being talk like this?” Lokko fumed.

    Commey, who lost his IBF lightweight title to Teofimo Lopez last year, is currently in Ghana waiting for the travel restrictions to be lifted so that he pursues his resolve of becoming a two-time world champion.

    We will bring you all the developing stories on this.

    Source: 3 News

  • 2020 Achievers Leadership Awards: Akufo-Addo’s appointees honoured

    At least five Deputy Ministers, some Members of Parliament and three Municipal and District Chief Executives of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government, have received the 2020 Achievers Leadership Awards organised by the United Clergy International Association.

    The event, which was the 11th edition, was held in Koforidua in the Eastern Region over the weekends.

    The event saw the awardees being honoured by the Association for their dedicated service and impact on society.

    The awardees are; Mrs Gifty Twum Ampofo, MP for Abuakwa North Constituency, who doubles as Deputy, Minister of Education; Nana Ama Asiamah Adjei, MP, Akuapem North Constituency, who is the Deputy Minister of Information, and Mr Andy Appiah Kubi, MP, Asante Akim North Constituency, also Deputy Minister of Railways Development.

    The rest are; Mr Joseph Osei Frimpong, MP for Abirem Constituency, Daniel Kenneth, DCE, Okere District, Samuel Kwame Agyekum, DCE for Asuogyman District, Mr Simon Kweku Tetteh, MCE Lower Manya Krobo Municipality and Mr Eric Osei Owusu, an NDC MP, for Afram Plains South Constituency.

    The Executive Chairman for the Association, Bishop Dr Kwame Aburam Anoff Sr. in his remarks said, “Ghanaians have an attitude of rewarding the dead but we have realized such an award is needles”.

    Bishop Dr Anoff Sr. noted that the aim of the awards is to encourage leadership and great achievements that benefit the nation and her people.

    He said the award was centred on the area of Education, Health, Sanitation and the relationship they have with their people before we nominated them.

    He added that “We have a monitoring team that goes to the grounds to have interactions with the community to hunt for the best nominees”.

    The awardees after the event expressed their profound gratitude to the Association for reorganizing their efforts on what they have done that has gained positive impacts in the lives of their people.

    Source: Ghana Guardian

  • Burundians jailed for stoning new president’s convoy

    A court in northern Burundi has sentenced two men and a woman to 30 years in prison for attempting to assassinate new President Evariste Ndayishimiye after they threw stones at his convoy.

    The prosecutor requested the court in Kayanza province to jail the three to seven years for causing insecurity for the president, but the court decided to convict them of trying to kill him and sentenced each of them to 30 years in prison, local radio station Isanganiro reported.

    The three, who were employed at Engen petrol station in Kayanza town, were accused of stoning the convoy from their work place when Mr Ndayishimiye visited the area last Wednesday.

    They denied the charge.

    “Many people were arrested after the incident, some were released afterwards but a woman and two men who work at a petrol station remained in jail and were sentenced this Sunday,” a resident in Kayanza told BBC Great Lakes.

    President Ndayishimiye was due to take power on 20 August after he won elections in May. However, he was inaugurated in June after the sudden death of his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza.

    Source: BBC Africa

  • Ghana Health Service launches breastfeeding campaign

    The Ghana Health Service has launched a national campaign to promote and raise awareness of the benefits of breasfeeding as part of activities to commemorate the 2020 World Breastfeeding Week.

    Known as the “Start Right, Feed Right–from birth to two years ” it is being supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), who are the major implementing partners.

    It aims to raise more awareness of the benefits and the need for six months of exclusive breastfeeding and complementing breastfeeding with other nutritious foods after six months until two years.

    Campaign launch

    Launching the campaign virtually in Accra on Thursday, the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, said there was substantial evidence that exclusive breastfeeding for six months had many benefits for the infant and mother.

    She said scientific evidence had proven that early initiation of breastfeeding, within one hour of birth, protected the newborn from acquiring infections and reduces newborn mortality; boosts their immune system, increases their intellectual abilities while it protects mothers from some cancers, among other benefits.

    She said the commemoration was another opportunity to remind stakeholders that six months of exclusive breastfeeding was one of the best investments to saving human lives and improving the health, social and economic well-being of individuals and nations.

    She noted that the WHO had established that it was safe for mothers with or who had recovered from COVID-19 to breastfeed.

    “As we communicate this to our women, it is also important to emphasise all the safety precautions in relation to the preventive protocols they need to take,” she said.

    Breastfeeding situation

    Mrs Akufo-Addo said it was important to take a more critical look at the breast feeding situation in the country, mentioning that the current rate of 43 per cent exclusive breastfeeding was a drop from 63 per cent in 2008.

    That, she stressed, called for more efforts to support mothers to breastfeed exclusively for six months.

    She underscored the need to improve current support systems for exclusive breastfeeding, especially, by creating the enabling environment in the workplaces, markets and all public places for women to breastfeed.

    All stakeholders are needed to work collectively to help establish exclusive breastfeeding as a cultural norm, Mrs Akufo-Addo stated.

    The week

    The 2020 theme is “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet.”

    World Breastfeeding Week is an annual celebration which is held every year from August 1 to 7 to raise awareness and galvanise action on themes related to breastfeeding.

    It was initiated in 1991 by the WHO and UNICEF with the goal to promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life because science says it yields many health benefits, including providing critical nutrients, protection from deadly diseases such as pneumonia and fostering growth and development.

    Benefits and prospects

    The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mr Charles Abani, said as the week was being commemorated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it was prudent to reiterate the benefits of breast milk to safeguarding the lives of newborns.

    “It provides antibodies that protect children against many childhood illnesses and reduce premature maternal and child mortalities. The magical ingredients in breast milk prevent the risk of acquiring non-communicable diseases such as childhood asthma, obesity, diabetes and heart-related diseases.

    “The WHO has confirmed that the benefits of breast milk to mother and child far outweigh any risk from the new coronavirus pandemic,” he emphasised. He called for collective efforts to champion breastfeeding and underscored the need to tap into the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.

    In a statement read on his behalf, the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, gave an assurance that the government would leave no stone unturned in supporting the health system to roll out programmes that would ensure that families and mothers received the necessary support to breastfeed successfully.

    Source: Peace FM

  • Coronavirus: Toyota ‘closes Ugandan branch over infections’

    Car maker Toyota has closed its branch in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, after three of its staff tested positive for coronavirus, the Daily Monitor newspaper reports.

    The test results were confirmed by the health ministry, it reports.

    The rest of staff at the branch have been asked to stay at home for a mandatory 14-day quarantine period, a company’s statement is quoted as saying.

    Uganda has so far confirmed 1,297 coronavirus cases and nine deaths, according to a tally by John Hopkins University.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Ten killed in deadly Somalia prison break attempt

    Officials in Somalia say 10 people have died during a shoot-out inside the capital Mogadishu’s main prison.

    A spokesman for the information ministry said six inmates who were members of the jihadist group al-Shabab were killed and four security personnel also died.

    There are reports that one of the prisoners managed to get a pistol off a prison warden and then a group of inmates broke into the armoury.

    A specially trained police unit was deployed to deal with the outbreak of violence which appeared to be an attempted prison break.

    The prison holds some of the most notorious al-Shabab prisoners who are either serving life or death sentences.

    A similar attempt was made by inmates at the prison 2017.

    Source: bbc.com