TIG Post

Author: Persis

  • Prince Andrew ‘appalled’ by Jeffrey Epstein’s sex abuse claims

    Prince Andrew is appalled by sex abuse claims about his ex-friend Jeffrey Epstein, Buckingham Palace has said.

    It comes after the Mail on Sunday published footage that claimed to show the Duke of York inside the financier’s Manhattan mansion in 2010 – two years after Epstein’s first conviction.

    Epstein, 66, took his own life in a jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in New York.

    He previously socialised with Prince Andrew and President Donald Trump.

    A Buckingham Palace statement said: “The Duke of York has been appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes.

    “His Royal Highness deplores the exploitation of any human being and the suggestion he would condone, participate in or encourage any such behaviour is abhorrent.”

    Who was Jeffrey Epstein?

    New York-born Epstein worked as a teacher before moving into finance.

    Prior to the criminal cases against him, he was best known for his wealth and high-profile connections.

    He was often seen socialising with the rich and powerful, including former US President Bill Clinton. In a 2002 profile in New York Magazine, Mr Trump referred to Epstein as a “terrific guy”.

    But he later said the pair fell out “12 or 15 years ago” and reiterated last month that he was “not a fan of Jeffrey Epstein”.

    Reports of Epstein’s wealth vary, with his Virgin Islands-based firm generating no public records.

    What was Epstein accused of?

    He was accused of paying girls under the age of 18 to perform sex acts at his Manhattan and Florida mansions between 2002 and 2005.

    Police arrested him last month after he landed in New Jersey on his private jet.

    Epstein pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and was being held without bail. He faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted.

    The financier avoided similar charges in a controversial secret plea deal in 2008, and instead pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of soliciting a minor for prostitution.

    He received an 18-month prison sentence, during which he was able to go on “work release” to his office for 12 hours a day, six days a week. He was released on probation after 13 months.

    What are the links between Prince Andrew and Epstein?

    The duke was photographed with Epstein in New York’s Central Park in 2010 after the tycoon had served his 18-month prison sentence for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

    His former friendship with Mr Epstein attracted criticism at the time and he quit his role as a UK trade envoy in 2011 after the fallout from the photos.

    The pair had also met at Epstein’s Florida home over the years. Prince Andrew later acknowledged his friendship with Epstein had been a mistake.

    Buckingham Palace has previously denied claims the duke groped a woman in Epstein’s US home.

    The accusation was made in documents from a 2015 defamation case.

    Contained in the defamation case papers is an allegation by a woman called Johanna Sjoberg that Prince Andrew touched her breast while they sat on a couch in Epstein’s Manhattan apartment in 2001.

    According to court filings, another of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Roberts, claimed she was forced to have sex with the prince on three occasions – in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein – between 1999 and 2002, when she was under-age according to US law.

    But Buckingham Palace has branded the allegations “false and without any foundation”, stating: “Any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors” by the duke was “categorically untrue”.

    Source: bbc.com

  • US economists expect recession in 2020 or 2021: Survey

    A majority of economists expect a recession in the United States within the next two years but have pushed back the onset amid Federal Reserve actions, according to a new survey.

    The survey came out on Monday after President Donald Trump dismissed talk of a looming recession amid a slew of US data reports last week showing a mixed picture on the economy.

    “I’m prepared for everything. I don’t think we’re having a recession. We’re doing tremendously well. Our consumers are rich,” Trump told reporters on Sunday.

    “I gave a tremendous tax cut, and they’re loaded up with money. They’re buying. I saw the Walmart numbers, they were through the roof,” he said.

    “And most economists actually say we’re not going to have a recession. But the rest of the world is not doing well like we’re doing.”

    Larry Kudlow, Trump’s chief economic adviser, has also downplayed talk of a recession. “I sure don’t see a recession,” he told NBC’s Meet the Press programme on Sunday.

    “Consumers are working at higher wages. They are spending at a rapid pace. They’re actually saving also while they’re spending … So I think actually the second half, the economy’s going to be very good in 2019,” he said.

    The National Association for Business Economists (NABE) found far fewer experts now think the next recession will start this year compared with respondents to an earlier survey in February.

    NABE conducted its policy poll as Trump put the Fed under constant attack, demanding more stimulus, but before the central bank cut the benchmark lending rate on July 31.

    However, the Fed was already sending strong signals that it intended to pull back on the rate increases made in 2018 due to concerns starting to dog the economic outlook, including the trade war with China.

    Trade war scepticism

    “Survey respondents indicate that the expansion will be extended by the shift in monetary policy,” said NABE President Constance Hunter, who is chief economist at KPMG.

    Only two percent of the 226 respondents now see a recession this year, compared with 10 percent in February’s survey, NABE said.

    However, “the panel is split regarding whether the downturn will hit in 2020 or 2021,” Hunter said in a summary of the survey, which showed that 38 percent of respondents expect a contraction of growth next year, while 34 percent do not see it until the following year.

    More economists shifted their recession prediction to 2021, narrowing the gap from the prior report, which had many more expecting the change next year.

    The results show 46 percent expect at least one more rate cut this year from the Fed, while about a third see policy holding where it is now, with 2.25 percent as the top end of the policy range.

    Economists are sceptical about a resolution to Trump’s trade wars, although 64 percent said a “superficial agreement is possible,” NABE said.

    However, that was before Trump announced another round of tariffs of 10 percent on the remaining $300bn in goods not yet hit by US punitive duties.

    The new measures will take effect in two stages, on September 1 and December 15.

    As Trump continues his vocal campaign criticising the Fed, the NABE survey found economists are concerned about the impact: 55 percent said his remarks do not influence Fed decisions but do “compromise the public’s trust in the central bank.”

    More than a quarter of respondents said the criticism will “cause the Fed to be more dovish than otherwise, thus threatening its independence.”

    The survey also asked about fiscal policy and a majority of economists said Trump’s tax cuts “had an overall negative impact on housing activity over the past 18 months,” due to changes in deductions allowed for mortgage interest.

    Source: aljazeera.com

  • Greek PM on EU tour in bid to soften fiscal targets

    Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will begin a tour of EU capitals this week, officials said Monday, in a bid to persuade the country’s creditors to alleviate tough fiscal targets.

    Mitsotakis will begin his meetings with a trip to Paris on Thursday to see President Emmanuel Macron, a government source said.

    He will then see German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on August 29 and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on September 2.

    New Greek finance minister Christos Staikouras told the Financial Times this weekend that the government would swiftly implement a programme of tax cuts and privatisations to promote growth, reassure investors and “move the economy to an upward virtuous spiral”.

    Mitsotakis, elected last month on a ticket of boosting growth, hopes to win agreement to cut the annual target of 3.5 percent of primary budget surplus which Greece’s previous leftist government had pledged to maintain to 2022.

    Greece exited its final bailout last year.

    Before his victory, Mitsotakis had expressed confidence that he could persuade Greece’s creditors to lower the primary surplus target with a front-loaded programme of reforms.

    “I?ve…told my European partners that should we be able to deliver real reforms, we should be rewarded with smaller primary surpluses, at least in 2021 and 2022,” he told CNBC earlier this year.

    “Symbolically it would be a reward for a country that is actually engaging in meaningful reforms,” he said.

    The austerity, maintained by the previous government to boost credibility, is also intended to help cut a public debt that last year stood at 335 billion euros ($372 billion), or 180 percent of GDP.

    The debt load is forecast to fall to 168 percent of GDP this year, but only through the belt-tightening brought in by the previous leftist government which Mitsotakis’s New Democracy party says is stifling growth.

    Macron’s office on Monday said he would discuss with the new Greek PM “European and bilateral issues, in addition to eastern Mediterranean issues.”

    Staikouras next month is expected to announce an early repayment of about one-third of the 8.5 billion euros ($9.4 billion) bailout debt that it owes to the IMF, the FT said.

    Source: France24

  • Spain offers closer ports to stranded migrant ship

    A rescue ship stranded off the Italian island of Lampedusa can take the migrants on board to a Spanish port closer to Italy, such as Palma de Mallorca or Majon, in Menorca, Spain has said.

    The offer came after the charity Open Arms, which operates the ship, rejected an offer to take them to Algeciras in southern Spain, saying conditions on board were now so bad, the voyage would be too long.

    Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said it was inconceivable that Italy would refuse to let the vessel dock.

    On Saturday, the Italian government reluctantly allowed 27 teenagers to disembark.

    Six European countries have offered to host the migrants.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Sudan’s ex-President Omar al-Bashir arrives for trial

    Sudan’s former President Omar al-Bashir has arrived at court to face corruption charges, which his lawyers say are baseless.

    Mr Bashir was ousted in April after months of protests bringing an end to his nearly 30 years in power.

    In June, prosecutors said a large hoard of foreign currency had been found in grain sacks at his home.

    On Sunday, pro-democracy activists and the country’s military leaders signed a deal paving the way for elections.

    There was heavy security outside the courthouse in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, witnesses say,

    The former president arrived with a large military convoy, AFP news agency reports.

    In June, Omar al-Bashir was seen in public for the first time outside the prosecutor’s office in Khartoum

    What are the corruption charges?

    The former president faces charges related to “possessing foreign currency, corruption and receiving gifts illegally”.

    In April, Sudan’s military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said more than $113m (£93m) worth of cash in Sudanese pounds and foreign currency had been seized from Mr Bashir’s home.

    Mr Bashir’s defence team rejects the charges.

    The ousted leader had been due in court in July – but the trial was postponed for security reasons.

    What other charges does Mr Bashir face in Sudan?

    In May, Sudan’s public prosecutor charged Mr Bashir with incitement and involvement in the killing of protesters.

    The charges stem from an inquiry into the death of a doctor killed during protests that led to the end of Mr Bashir’s rule in April.

    There have been protests on the streets of Sudan for months

    The doctor had been treating injured protesters in his home in Khartoum, when police fired tear gas into the building.

    A witness told the BBC that the doctor had walked out with his hands in the air, told the police he was a doctor and was instantly shot.

    What about the transition to democracy?

    Mr Bashir’s trial will be seen as a test of whether the new authorities are able to deal with the alleged crimes of the previous regime.

    On Saturday, Sudan’s ruling military council, which took over after Mr Bashir’s ousting, and civilian opposition alliance signed a landmark power-sharing deal.

    The agreement ushers in a new governing council, including both civilians and generals, to pave the way towards elections and civilian rule.

    Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagolo, widely regarded as Sudan’s most powerful man, has pledged to abide by its terms.

    The members of the new sovereign council were supposed to be sworn in on Monday, but the ceremony has been postponed for 48 hours after a request from pro-democracy activists, the Reuters news agency quotes a military spokesman as saying.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Ashanti Region NPP boils over plans to suspend Manaf Ibrahim today

    The Ashanti Region which is the World Bank of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is currently turbulent times over certain decisions superintended by the Regional Executive Committee superintendent Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Chairman Wontumi.

    Barely a few days after the Ejura Sekyeredumase constituency secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ms Gifty Ndoma was suspended in a rather dramatic manner, information picked up by MyNewsGh.com indicate Director of Political Affairs at the Presidency, Manaf Ibrahim has been penciled as next.

    Sources within the Regional Executives confided in this portal that an emergency Regional Executive Committee meeting scheduled today Sunday 18th August, 2019 at the residence of Chairman Wontumi is set to announce the decision.

    NDC Presidential primaries was peaceful Ashanti Regional Chairman

    Some party supporters who are not enthused with plans by Chairman Wontumi and his cohorts to hijack the party and impose candidates on them, have vowed to resist his autocratic leadership.

    Manafi Ibrahim has declined comment on the matter days after his vetting which went well awaiting the outcome before the primary at a later date.

    Meanwhile, has described her suspension as bogus and a slap in the face of democracy orchestrated by the Regional Chairman who is gradually ruining the reputation of the party in the area

    Ms Ndoma in a response to her suspension said “I find the decision as contained in the said letter of my indefinite suspension to be surprising and illegal” she stated.

    In her opinion, the suspension is part of what she described as a grand scheme to get her out of the competition. “I suspect my illegal indefinite suspension is all part of the grand scheme to obstruct me from contesting to become PC and believe it is a plot in accordance with your resolution to present your preferred candidates uncontested” she alleged.

    She insisted that she will continue to hold herself as constituency secretary of Ejura Sekyere-dumase. Per our independent checks, it appears she is not ready to badge to the pressure from the regional office of the party though she declined to comment on the matter.

    Source: mynewsgh.com

  • Were not pocketing admission fees GIMPA

    The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, GIMPA has described as misleading and mischievous, a publication by Chronicle Newspaper which suggests that it sold admission forms to applicants without offering them neither the course nor a refund.

    According to the Institute, its intention to roll out a law degree course in satellite campuses in Kumasi, Takoradi and Tema was put on hold.

    However, the fifty-five applicants who applied were asked to put in a request for a refund in writing.

    GIMPA students threaten demo over inability to register for exams

    The Institute said so far only six applicants had done so.

    It has therefore in a statement signed by its secretary, Julius Atikpui demanded a correction of what it describes as a misleading story in seven days or face their wrath.

    “The Institute wishes to communicate unequivocally its abhorrence to the front-page headline which in its view is palpably misleading, mischievous, malicious and flies against the facts on the issue. The content of the publication was also riddled with factual inaccuracies arising from your lack of adherence to the basic tenets of journalism-fact checking. This kind of yellow journalism should not be associated with a newspaper such as The Chronicle.”

    “It is the hope of the Institute that the above 10-point explanation of the facts as it relates to the issue would aid you in correcting the unbalanced and fact-bereft publication which you mischievously and maliciously published to damage the image and brand of the Institute. It is reiterated for your attention that the Institute expects you to cause a rejoinder to be published in the same form and manner as the earlier publication within the timeframe mentioned above. Do not doubt the resolve of the Institute to pursue this matter to the ends afforded it by the laws of Ghana,” the statement said.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

     

  • Were hoping to recruit 53,000 nurses by end of 2019 Health Minister

    The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu says his outfit is seeking financial clearance from the Finance Ministry to commence the recruitment of nurses and midwives who completed their training in 2017 and 2018.

    According to the Minister, the recruitment is part of a grand agenda by the Health Ministry to employ 53,000 nurses and midwives across the country.

    Mr. Agyemang-Manu made these known at Issa, the capital of the Daffiama-Bisie-Issa district of the Upper West Region during a visit by President Nana Akufo-Addo to the area.

    Health Minister stopped, driver arrested for road traffic violation

    “We are aware of the current unemployment situation the previous government created. That is why the president upon assuming office started a process to get our nurses employed. So far we have recruited in the process up to 2016.”

    “We are in talks with the Finance Ministry to give us further clearance to employ the 2017 and 2018 barges. We are hoping that by the end of this year, we will employ up to 53,000 nurses nationwide,” he noted.

    The Health Minister said the government is in talks with Germany and other countries to export nurses and other health personnel to those countries.

    He further added that the government is in the process of paying all arrears owed health service providers under the National Health Insurance Scheme in the country by the middle of September this year.

    Mr. Agyeman-Manu charged Ghanaians to rally behind the government to bring the needed development to the country.

    According to him, ” a vote for the opposition NDC is a vote for the scraping of the nurses training allowances and other flagship initiatives by the NPP. They will come and tell you they will restore it but if you vote for them they will scrap it”.

    The Minister and other high profiled government officials will be joining the President on Sunday to commission the new ultramodern Upper West Regional Hospital.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • Savannah Region: Two dead in violent clash at Lukula

    Police in the Savannah Region have confirmed the death of two persons in a violent clash at Lukula, a farming community in the region.

    According to reports, the conflict broke out between two factions over the siting of a mosque in the town.

    Regional Minister Salifu Adam Braimah together with the Regional Police Command have since visited the area.

    Northern Regional Police PRO, DSP Mohammed Yussif Tanko in an interview with the media said the Police are currently on the lookout for the perpetrators of the violence.

    He, however, said the Police have been able to calm the violent situation.

    “The Savannah Regional Police Command received information from Lukula, a farming community in the Daboya district to the effect that conflict has broken out between two Mamprusi factions over the siting of a mosque in the community. The Regional Minister and his deputy and some other high ranking officials and security men left Damango to the community to ascertain the extent of the conflict.”

    “Two persons were confirmed dead. Calm has been restored to the area. The Police Command is investigating the case to ensure that perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted. Meanwhile, the two factions have been appealed to, to allow peace to reign in the area. Police are monitoring the situation very well.”

    Military deployed to Daboya township over tensions

    The Savannah Minister, Salifu Adam Braimah subsequently deployed the military personnel to the town to reduce the tension among the feuding factions.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • Two PDS impostors caged

    Two individuals who acted as staff of the Power Distribution Services (PDS) have been put in remand by the Kyebi Magistrate Court.

    The two, Okai Samuel, 26, a student at Coaltar Senior High School and Prince Owusu Ansah, 27, also a student of the Accra Technical University, were arrested by the residents and handed over to the Kyebi Divisional Police Command for forcefully disconnecting the power supply of residents at Teacher Mante in the Ayensuano District of the Eastern region.

    Narrating the story, Mad. Mary Eshun, the Regional PDS PRO confirmed the arrest of the suspects were made after some residents of Teacher Mante feared they were “sheep in wolves linen.”

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    Mad. Eshun mentioned that, in some cases, the impostor completely removed the postpaid meters of customers who failed to yield to their request.

    The two allegedly cut power supply to the homes of customers who had defaulted in the payment of their bills and had refused to pay them some amounts of money they had requested.

    Okai Samuel and his counterpart, Prince Owusu Ansah, have since been kept into police custody to reappear on September, 21.

    Meanwhile, the Power Distribution Services, is currently under investigation by the government of Ghana, after the company was found to have made false representations in the concession deal which led to PDS takeover the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as power distributors in the Southern Electricity Zone in the country.

    The inquiry, expected to determine the nature of the breaches and advise on suggested next steps, will be conducted in both Ghana and outside the country.

    Source: Ghanacrusader.com

  • Togbe Afede holds dinner for British and Australian High Commissioners

    Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli and President of the National House of Chiefs, on Friday played host to the British and Australian High Commissioners to Ghana in his private residence in Ho.

    The honour was in appreciation of the High Commissioners “noble” project of riding bicycles some 1,000 kilometres across the country to raise awareness on health, tourism and the environment.

    Togbe Afede commended the High Commissioners for the deep thought-through project to showcase the tourism potentials of Volta Region, in particular, and the country at large.

    He said a more developed tourism sector would contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and translate into a boom for the local and national economy.

    Mr Iain Walker, British High Commissioner to Ghana, said the “GhanaGrand”,- the name of the project, gave him the opportunity to “see Ghana” and engage rural folks on issues of mutual concern.

    He said sometimes diplomacy and “barriers of title” could get in the way of interacting with people, which the journey through towns and villages accorded him.

    Mr Walker said they raised awareness on mental health with some mental health organisations joining them at some points through the journey.

    The GhanaGrand has so far taken the High Commissioners from Tumu through to Wa, Sawla, Larabanga, Damango, Tamale, Salaga, Wulensi, Kpandai, Kpassa, Jasikan, Hohoe and to Ho.

    Mr Walker and his co-rider, Mr Andrews Barnes, the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, are expected to ride from Ho to Akosombo enroute to Accra to complete the cycling project.

    The High Commissioners earlier laid wreaths on the tomb of Togbe Afede’s late mother, Madam Rosalia Anyawoe.

    Source: ghananewsagency.org

  • Zoomlion, MOH to deploy technology to map mosquito breeding sites

    Waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited in collaboration with the Ministry of Health at a training program organized for stakeholders executing the larviciding exercise in the Ashanti region disclosed that a mapping technology will be used to map mosquito breeding sites.

    The mapping technology which will locate all water bodies in a specific area and record their GPS coordinates by the use of a tablet will track possible mosquito breeding sites thereby hastening the application of the biolarvicide to such water bodies.

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    Mosquitoes are one of the most deadliest disease vectors in the world with the ability to transmit and spread very dangerous diseases to humans causing millions of deaths every year.

    A technical vector control officer with the National Malaria Control Program, Mr. Christian Atta-Obeng who took participants through how to use the mapping technology explained that the application software known as EpiInfo vector surveillance helps in collecting useful data on breeding sites which helps to undertake effective larval source management.

    He said the mapping technology will enhance proper surveillance of mosquito breeding sites and provide useful reports on performance measurement.

    Mr. Abel Djangmah, a Senior Vector Control Technical officer of Zoomlion explained that mosquito vector-borne diseases are becoming a global health threat to humanity hence the need for the country to develop effective larval source management preparedness plan to confront diseases transmitted by mosquitoes head-on.

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    He said available data from the Ghana Health Services indicate that malaria cases are plateauing in some health facilities whilst some of the mosquitoes are either developing resistance to in-door residual spraying insecticides or biting people before they go to bed at night.

    He urged participants to make good use of the scientific knowledge gained from the training to enhance their larviciding activities in their communities and improve health conditions of residents in the Ashanti region.

    The participants included district and municipal environmental health officers, malaria focal persons, district managers and spraying team leaders in the Ashanti region.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • Sack doctors without white coats, name tags from hospitals Medical and Dental Council

    The Registrar, Ghana Medical and Dental Council, Dr. Eli Kwasi Atikpui, has tasked the hospital authorities to be bold and sack doctors without white coat and name tags out of the hospital premises to redeem the image of the profession.

    He bemoaned a situation where some doctors always use their white coats to clean their seats instead of wearing them to identify themselves.

    Dr. Atikpui was speaking at the 10th white coat ceremony of the School of Medical Sciences of the College of Health and Allied Science (CoHAS) at University of Cape Coast (UCC) after swearing in the student doctors to induct the 10th batch into the medical profession as they begin their clinical studies.

    Seventy students comprising 40 males and 30 females who have completed the 1st cycle of their medical education were roped by their lecturers to commence the 2nd phase of their training to become medical doctors.

    The Registrar parents for the marvelous financial support for their wards and appealed to the parents to add one more white coats to the ones that they have been provided with to enable their wards shine in the doctoring profession.

    The Dean of the School of the Medical Sciences of UCC, Prof Ivy A. E. Ekem explained that the white coat ceremony symbolizes the medical profession where appropriate dressing is of unquestionable importance.

    According to the Dean, the ceremony is reserved for students who have done the recognized number of years in “preclinical” training and are at the threshold of full clinical training.

    “In our school at the moment, students entering the undergraduate level spend three years for the pre-clinical training while those entering as graduates spend one and a half years” Prof Ekem stated.

    The Chairman of the Ghana Medical and Dental Council, Prof Paul Kwame Nyame, who was the guest speaker charged them to treat the patient with respect and desist from maltreatment of patients.

    He asked the student doctors not to embark on any demonstration as well as not to give room for dabbling in practices bordering on occultism.

    “Keep away from so-called cults which purvey a sense of societal superiority. Do not be consumed by new-fangled religiosity which promises results without work or sweat. Fasting and “all-night” may keep you slim but will not pass examinations or cure the patient” Prof Nyame revealed.

    The Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh who stood in for the Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof Joseph Ghartey Ampiah as the chairperson of the function reminded the student doctors of their professional dutiesa and urged them to live up to expectation and practice their act with uprightness.

    Source: mynewsgh.com

  • DVLA determined to fight corruption – DVLA Chairman

    The Chairman of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) board, Frank Davies, has cautioned staff of the authority against acts of corruption.

    Mr. Davies said the authority was determined to stamp out corrupt practices in the system and would not countenance any staff member who engages in it. He gave the warning in Sunyani in the Bono Region during a three-day mid-year review workshop organised by the authority.

    The board chairman said DVLA was creating a new image for itself to become the best public service organisation worthy of emulation; and it would depend on the hard work of the staff to make that happen. “The new executives of the authority have worked hard to erase the bad image of the authority as being corrupt to introduce technologically innovative methods that have eliminated personal contact in doing business with clients,” he stated.

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    He pointed out that doing business with the authority is now efficient, where transactions like vehicle registrations and licence acquisition are all done electronically and owners issued with vehicle registration smart cards. He said the technology introduced was phasing out the middlemen (Goro Boys) syndrome that created a lot of inconveniences for clients.

    “As we commend ourselves for the successes chalked up over the years, I want to caution individual staff who want to ride at the back of the authority to amass wealth to be careful, because the board would not countenance any act that seeks to mar the reputation of the authority again,” he emphasised, adding “such a person would not be spared but shown the exit and possibly be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.”

    Chief Executive Officer of DVLA, Kwasi Agyeman Busia, said the authority had added new services like ride-sharing with Uber and Taxify in the area of regulation.

    “There is also the introduction of bi-annual registration of vehicles, better aligned, better control securitised licence plate manufacturing with centralised embossing, authentication of vehicle insurance either during registration or renewal of road worthiness, among others, currently being piloted at the headquarters,” he said.

    Source: Dailyguidenetwork.com

  • GAF vehicle in near-fatal crash; three injured

    A vehicle belonging to Ghana Armed Forces has been involved in a near fatal accident at Teacher Mante New Town along the Eastern Region stretch of the Accra to Kumasi highway.

    The accident occurred around 3:37 pm Friday, 16 August, 2019.

    Three Military personnel onboard the vehicle sustained various degrees of injuries with one reported to be in critical condition.

    All the victims were rushed to the Nsawam government Hospital for treatment.

    According to an eyewitness, Robert Azaglo, a Staff of Ayensuano District of the National Disaster Management Organization, the Military officers were traveling from Accra direction towards Kumasi but suddenly the Vehicle veered off the road and summersaulted.

    The accident comes few days after a similar accident at Zebilla in the Upper East Region which involved Ghana Armed Forces armoured Vehicle with registration number 19 GA 08 which killed one Military personnel onboard and injured two others.

  • Bawumia mocks ‘General Mosquito’ over acquisition of Master’s degree in Defence and International Politics

    Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday mocked Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, popularly known in political circles as ‘General Mosquito’ for graduating with a Master’s degree in Defence and International Politics from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College.

    Vice President Bawumia, who was the Special Guest of Honour for the graduation ceremony, set the auditorium of the College alive with the hilarious comments.

    Dr Bawumia remarked: “One of our graduands today, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah… he is known as ‘General Mosquito’, and also the General Secretary of the NDC.

    “Am told when he came into this institution, he left all his “ntua…tua” behind the gate.

    “As I shook his hands, I was wondering whether the physical training and exercises had added any more muscles to his…but it appears, it did not…am told he did not come here for the physical muscles…but came here to beef up the intellectual capacity of the NDC…and also enhance his case of being selected as running mate”.

    Dr Bawumia’s comments set the auditorium of Hamidu Hall of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College with laughter and cheers from the audience.

    On a more serious note, Dr Bawumia congratulated Mr Asiedu Nketiah for completing the course and his determination to acquire more knowledge, saying; “It shows that it’s never too late to acquire knowledge and I believe that you have done very well “.

    He also commended the graduands, some of whom were from 13 sister African countries for bonding very well during the course and charged them to use their links and networks to improve the sovereignty and integrity of their respective countries.

    In all, 67 officers, comprising middle class and senior level military officers and civilians received Master’s degree in MSc Defence and International Politics.

    Forty of the graduands were from the Ghana Armed Forces and 27 were allied students from sister African countries and other security services, industry and Civil Service.

    Source: ghananewsagency.org

  • H1 2019: Oil revenue falls by US$112.71m

    In the first half of 2019, Ghana received US$311.22 million from the three oil fields Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme (TEN), Jubilee field and Sankofa Gye Nyame fields as against the US$423.93 million recorded in the second half of 2018, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has announced.

    The BoG attributed the shortfall to the lower lifting receipts, predominantly a result of lower crude oil prices.

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    The report said : “During H1 2019, the Ghana Group (GNPC lifting on behalf of Government of Ghana) lifted three (3) parcels of crude oil (10th, 11th & 12th liftings) from the Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme (TEN) field, Jubilee field ( 47th ,48th & 49th liftings) and one from Sankofa Gye Nyame field (2nd lifting).

    “The lifting proceeds received into the PHF in H1 was US$311.22 million compared to receipts of US$423.93 million in H2, 2018.

    “The H1 lifting receipts comprised US$117.37 million for TEN (10th & 11th liftings) compared to 123.88 million for H2 2018, US$123.85 million from Jubilee (47th & 48th liftings) compared to US$200.30 million for H2 2018, and US$70.00 million from Sankofa Gye Nyame (2nd lifting).

    “The lower lifting receipts are predominantly a result of lower crude oil prices.

    Nigeria naira weakens on falling oil prices, lower bond yields

    “During the period under review, a total amount of US$123.26 million was received from various entities for the payment of surface rental, corporation income tax, and interest accrued on the PHF account.

    “The amounts received in respect of other incomes comprise of US$1.138 million from interest on undistributed funds held in the PHF, US$0.595 million for surface rental and US$121.53 million for corporation income tax.”

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • Double-Track system too expensive Kwesi Pratt

    Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has asserted that the Double Track System of the free Senior High School (SHS) policy is too expensive.

    Speaking on Kokrokoo on Peace FM, monitored by Adomonline.com, he said the Double- Track System is too financially demanding of parents whose wards are expected to enjoy free education.

    GRA clears air on Free SHS rumours

    “When our children come home because of the Double-Track System, we cannot just watch them stay at home doing nothing.

    “We ought to register them for private classes so that they can keep up in academics but the monies pumped into putting them in these classes are far more than what we would have paid as school fees for the old SHS system.

    “It is far too expensive, taking into consideration classes fee, food etc.,” he argued.

    Apologise to Akufo-Addo for previous Free SHS hostility NAPO to NDC

    In his opinion, a system that is putting more financial burden on parents has defeated the intent of a free SHS policy.

    Source: adomonline.com

  • Two friends jailed 20 years for robbery

    The Nkawie Circuit Court in the Atwima-Nwabiagya Municipality has sentenced two friends to 10 years imprisonment each over armed robbery.

    Frank Tuffuor, 23, unemployed and Kofi Asamoah, 28, driver, together with their accomplices on the run, were said to have attacked and robbed a businessman who was visiting his construction site at Toase and incidentally chanced upon them smoking weed.

    They pleaded guilty and were convicted on their own plea by the Court presided over by Mr Michael Johnson Abbey.

    Detective Inspector Anthony Acheampong told the Court that, on April 28, this year, at about 0900hrs, the convicts attacked and inflicted deep cutlass wounds on the hands of the businessman who inadvertently found himself in their midst.

    They again took away his wallet containing an unspecified amount of money, mobile phones and also burnt his fingers with a lighted wrapped Indian hemp after which they fled into the bush.

    Inspector Acheampong said later on the same day, the complainant spotted Tuffuor in a Toase-Kumasi bound bus and alerted the Nkawie police who arrested him.

    In his caution statement, he admitted the offence and mentioned Asamoah as one of his accomplices.

    Asamoah was also arrested and after investigations, they were charged and brought before the Court.

    Source: Ghananewsagency.org

  • US $434.5m petroleum revenues recorded in first half of 2019

    For the first half of 2019, the country made a total of US$ 434.5 million in oil sale proceeds from its three operational oil fields as well as in fees and taxes charged for the period.

    A report from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) outlines the crude liftings of Ghana as well as the allocations that have been made to the Ghana Petroleum Funds.

    The first-half performance of the Ghana Petroleum Funds shows that the country made US$ 311.2 million, from oil sale from the 10th and 11th liftings of Tweneboa Enyenra Ntomme (TEN), 47th and 48th liftings of Jubilee and 2nd liftings of Sankofa fields.

    Other receipts for the period from the various operators of the oil fields amounted to US$ 123.26 million. Of this US$121.5 million was made up of corporate taxes from and the US$ 595,246.18 from surface rentals paid by some 7 companies. US$ 1.14 million was accrued from interest payment for the half-year period.

    The publication by the Bank of Ghana is in line with section 28 of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, 2011 (815).

    Out of the total revenues, US$99.7 million was allocated to the Ghana Stabilization Fund and the Ghana Heritage Fund.

    Government, in this second half of the year, is expecting to recover from the shortfall recorded in the first half of the year.

    According to the 2019 mid-year budget statement, revenue from upstream Oil and Gas amounted to GHc 1,859 million, 31.0 percent lower than the programmed target of GHc 2,697 million. This was mainly on account of four liftings compared to five programmed liftings for the period hence the lower-than-programmed revenues.

    Source: goldstreetbusiness.com

  • Liberian senator cuts his own salary

    Outspoken Liberian opposition politician Abraham Darius Dillion, who has become the newest member of the senate after defeating the candidate of President George Weah in a crucial by-election last month, has announced that he has taken a self-imposed pay cut.

    Liberian lawmakers have in recent years ignored a public outcry over their $12,000 to $15,000 (£9,800 to £12,300) monthly salary.

    Civil servants get paid $125 a month and more than half the population live below the poverty line, the World Bank says.

    The new senator, from the Liberty Party, said during his induction that he would not take more than $5,000 a month and promised to put the rest of his monthly earnings into a separate account for the benefit of his constituency.

    Mr Dillion also declared his assets before taking office – another thing that is unusual in Liberian politics.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Stormzy funding two more Cambridge University places

    Grime star Stormzy has announced he will fund the university costs of two more Cambridge students.

    Stormzy will also continue to cover costs for the first two students to be supported by the scheme.

    The Stormzy Scholarship is aimed at supporting people from minority backgrounds who have earned a place at the university.

    The scheme is intended to help address the low number of black students who attend Oxbridge institutions.

    Stormy, who recently headlined Glastonbury, is paying the tuition fees of the four students.

    The identities of the students supported by the scheme have been kept secret to ensure they have a normal life during their studies, although the grime star keeps track of their academic progress.

    Source: bbc.co

  • Duchess of Sussex’s TV drama Suits jokes about her royal role

    The Duchess of Sussex’s old TV show Suits has made a cheeky quip about her new role as a royal.

    Meghan shot to fame as lawyer Rachel Zane in the hit US legal drama, starring from its launch in 2011 until her final episode in 2018.

    Rachel’s on-screen husband Mike Ross, played by Patrick J Adams, also left, but returned for an episode of the new series and was asked how she’s doing.

    “If I told you how good, you probably wouldn’t believe me,” he replied.

    The TV show’s official Twitter account continued the gag by tweeting: “Turns out Rachel is doing REALLY well.”

    Fans of Suits seemed to love the reference.

    In the show, Mike and Rachel were seen getting married before the characters moved to Seattle.

    Adams was among the Suits stars at the royal wedding last May, when Meghan married the Duke of Sussex at Windsor Castle.

    Meghan announced she was quitting the USA Network drama shortly after getting engaged, in order to commit to royal engagements.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Egypt outrage as Aids patient expelled from hospital

    Egyptian officials are investigating the forced removal from hospital of a man who had been diagnosed with Aids.

    The case, in the northern region of Gharbia, has prompted outrage on social media after videos and pictures of the incident were circulated online.

    They show him being dragged along the floor from a hospital in Kafr el-Zayat, a city about 100km (about 65 miles) from the capital, Cairo.

    The Ministry of Health has said hospital staff must be held accountable, saying they had not followed appropriate procedures.

    HIV and Aids are highly stigmatised in Egypt.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Jimmy Kimmel Live! fined $395,000 over presidential alert skit

    ABC talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been fined $395,000 (£326,000) for mimicking a presidential alert on the programme, a US regulator announced.

    The show replicated the emergency alert tone three times during a sketch mocking the warning system.

    On the same day the programme aired, 3 October last year, the alert was officially tested nationwide.

    As part of the trial, more than 200 million US mobile phones received a test “Presidential Alert” notification.

    The alert system, which is designed to warn of major threats such as missile attacks, natural disasters and acts of terrorism, is run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).

    In the event of a national emergency, US President Donald Trump would be in charge of ordering the agency to activate the warning system.

    By simulating the alert tone, the Jimmy Kimmel Show! breached broadcasting rules, said the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates television in the US.

    Under FCC rules, broadcasters are barred from mimicking the warning system “to avoid confusion when the tones are used, alert fatigue among listeners, and false activation”.

    ABC admitted to broadcasting the alert on 3 October 2018, but said it did so under the impression “use of the tone was permissible”.

    In a statement, ABC – which is owned by Walt Disney Television – said it takes “regulatory compliance seriously and we are pleased to have resolved this issue”.

    ABC has agreed not to broadcast it again, the FCC said.

    Separately, AMC Networks, Discovery and Meruelo have agreed to pay civil fines for broadcasting the presidential alert in programmes.

    The penalties agreed are $104,000 (£86,000) for AMC, $68,000 (£57,000) for Discovery and $67,000 (£55,000) for Meruelo, the FCC said.

    Last October’s emergency alert trial was held to test the readiness of the system.

    The alert produced a tone and showed a notification saying: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

    The test was mandated under a 2015 law, the IPAWS Modernization Act, that said one must be run at least every three years.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Cathay Pacific boss Rupert Hogg quits

    The chief executive of Cathay Pacific, Rupert Hogg, has resigned in the wake of the protests in Hong Kong.

    Paul Loo is also leaving as chief customer and commercial officer.

    Mr Hogg said: “These have been challenging weeks for the airline and it is right that Paul and I take responsibility as leaders of the company.”

    Mr Hogg warned on Monday staff could be fired if they “support or participate in illegal protests” in Hong Kong.

    Last week, China ordered the airline to suspend workers who support pro-democracy protests in the territory.

    Cathay Pacific said in a statement that Mr Hogg had been replaced by Tang Kin Wing Augustus.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Zimbabwe protests: Opposition MDC backs down after police ban

    Zimbabwe’s main opposition group has called off anti-government protests in the capital Harare at the last minute, after failing to overturn a police ban.

    However, some protesters who had already gathered in the city were violently dispersed by police.

    The opposition said the ban exposed the “fascist” government’s true colours.

    The demonstration was called in protest at the government’s handling of the economy, but police said they had evidence it could turn violent.

    There is a heavy police presence and the city centre is subdued, with most shops closed.

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    About five million Zimbabweans are in need of food aid, according to the UN.

    The country has been hit by power cuts and rising inflation.

    What happened when the ban was introduced? Police announced they were banning the protests on Thursday evening.

    The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) applied to the High Court to overturn the ban, but it was upheld by a judge on Friday morning.

    Speaking to journalists after the court decision, MDC deputy leader Tendai Biti said the party would not appeal, but added that the ban had exposed the government’s “true colours”.

    “The constitution guarantees the right to demonstration… yet this fascist regime has denied and proscribed this right to the people of Zimbabwe,” he said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

    “We have jumped from the frying pan into the fire after the coup… We don’t accept the conduct of this regime, the conduct of [President Emmerson] Mnangagwa.”

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    Mr Biti said that protests planned for next week in other cities would still go ahead.

    Some opposition supporters had already gathered by the time the MDC announced the suspension.

    But police quickly moved in to disperse the crowds.

    Video and still pictures from the scene show officers beating protesters with batons as they chased them from the streets.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Jailed Saudi activist rejects deal to deny torture for release, says family

    Jailed Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has rejected a release deal that would have granted her freedom in exchange for denying that she was subjected to torture, according to her family.

    Hathloul, who was arrested in May 2018 as part of a crackdown on government critics, initially agreed to sign a document denying the torture, her brother Walid al-Hathloul wrote on Twitter Tuesday. But when Saudi security officials requested she make the statement on camera, she rejected the offer, Walid added.

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    “When the state security asked her to sign the document for the video release, she immediately ripped the document,” Walid wrote. “She told them by asking me to sign this document you are involved in the cover up and you’re simply trying (to) defend Saud Al-Qahtani who was overseeing the torture.”

    Activists have accused Qahtani, a former top advisor to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, of involvement in the torture.

    CNN’s attempts to reach Qahtani through the Saudi government were unsuccessful and Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment on the torture allegations.

    Qahtani was removed from his post after he was implicated in the October 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

    Through a series of tweets and media interviews in recent months, Hathloul’s siblings have detailed alleged torture endured by the prominent women’s rights activist.

    “Whenever Loujain spoke about the torture sessions to my parents, her hands shook uncontrollably. I fear the pain will stay with her forever,” Walid al-Hathloul wrote in a CNN opinion piece in January.

    “My own baby sister said she is being whipped, beaten, electrocuted and harassed on a frequent basis,” he wrote. “She said that sometimes there are masked men who wake her up in the middle of the night to shout unimaginable threats.”

    In a six-page charge sheet for Hathloul’s case, seen by CNN, a section titled “crimes committed” includes activism against the kingdom’s male guardianship laws, along with contact with foreign journalists and diplomats.

    A job application to the UN that Hathloul once filled in was used as evidence against her, according to the charge sheet.

    Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia announced it was set to ease male guardianship restrictions.

    Several jailed women’s rights defenders, including high-profile activist Aziza al-Yousef, have been temporarily freed in recent months.

    At a court session in March, Yousef cried as she spoke about the physical and sexual abuse she said she had suffered in detention, according to two sources briefed on the events. “They respected nothing about who I was,” the longtime activist said, according to one source.

    Riyadh previously denied allegations of torture in a statement to CNN following an initial HRW report alleging physical and sexual abuse against Hathloul and other detained female activists in November.

    Source: edition.cnn.com

  • Zimbabwe protests: Opposition vows to defy police ban on rally

    Zimbabwe’s main opposition group has said it will hold anti-government protests in the capital Harare, in defiance of a police ban.

    The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has called for protests against the government’s handling of the economy.

    The MDC has said it has given the authorities assurances the protests will be peaceful.

    But police say they have evidence the protests will be violent.

    A “prohibition notice” banning the demonstrations has been issued by authorities in Harare’s central district, police spokesman Paul Nyathi said.

    “The police will be conducting patrols, surveillance, stop-and-searches to ensure law and order is maintained in all areas of the country,” he added.

    In response, an MDC official told Reuters news agency that the party was not aware of the prohibition order and the demonstrations would take place as planned.

    The official said, given the party had complied with law by notifying police of the protests, it expected them to “ensure there is peace”.

    What’s the background?
    If the protests do go ahead, they will be the first since rallies against fuel price increases in January led to deadly clashes with troops.

    In recent months, Zimbabwe’s economy has deteriorated, feeding into wider grievances with the ruling Zanu-PF party under President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

    Mr Mnangagwa swept to power in November 2017 after long-time leader Robert Mugabe was ousted in a military coup.

    He called elections, held the following year on 30 July, which he won. On the campaign trail, he promised democratic reforms and economic recovery after years of decline under Mr Mugabe.

    But the mood of hope and change in the wake of Mr Mugabe’s removal from power has diminished as Zimbabwe’s economy has faltered.

    Opposition groups feel that the president is failing to live up to his promises following his election in disputed polls.

    There are fears, however, that protests in Harare and other major cities will lead to another police crackdown akin to January’s.

    In those protests, at least 12 people were killed and ma

    Source: bbc.com

  • Ghana spends over US$100 million on tomatoes and onions annually

    A study by the Agency for Health and Food Security (AHEFS), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has revealed that Ghana spends over US$100 million on the importation of vegetables annually.

    The vegetables, mostly tomatoes and onions, according to the study, were mostly imported from neighbouring Togo, Cote Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

    Speaking at a media briefing on the study for journalists in Accra on Monday, August 12, 2019, the Director of AHEFS, Mr Kwaku Asante, said the country needed a vegetable-specific agricultural policy to be able to meet its vegetable consumption needs.

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    He said it was sad that in spite of the fact that the country had better climatic conditions for vegetable production than many of the countries its imported vegetables from, it still could not produce the required vegetables it needed.

    “We are not really producing enough of what we really need,” he said, pointing out that Ghanaian farmers were unable to produce enough of vegetables to feed the populace let alone producing for the factories for processing.

    The study, which was funded by DANIDA, European Union, and USAID through the BUSAC Fund was titled: “Strengthening Agricultural Value Chain Economics for Sustainable Development (Saves); A Focus on Vegetables.”

    Vegetable policies

    According to Mr Asante, the country was unable to produce the vegetables it needed due to the absence of a vegetable-specific agricultural policy.

    He explained that although the country had some good agricultural policies, the policies were not cropped specific, hence making it difficult to achieve the desired results, when it came to production and other value-chain activities.

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    He said, “non-specific agriculture policies have not helped in the sector.”

    According to Mr Asante, countries such as China and Thailand had become key players in vegetable production globally due to their vegetable-specific agricultural policies.

    He said the country could save a lot of monies on the vegetable importation if it introduced a vegetable-specific agricultural policy to help farmers.

    Touching on the rationale for the research, Mr Asante said, the study was carried due to the huge potentials in the vegetable sector.

    According to him, the vegetable sector could help alleviate poverty, particularly among women farming, pointing out that women performed better in the vegetable sector than men.

    He has, therefore, suggested that agricultural value chain policies should be designed for specific crops and that project implementing partners should be properly trained and their responsibilities clearly defined to prevent role conflict and ensure proper coordination of various activities.

    Mr Asante added that in future, stakeholder consultations prior to agricultural value chain policy designs should include an interdisciplinary mix of experts from universities and other research institutions as well as civil society organisations (CSOs) and private sector actors.

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    Similarly, he called for specific projects and investments strategies to deal with vegetable value chain challenges in the country.

    Consumption

    He also expressed worry about the low vegetable consumption in the country, stressing that many people feared to consume vegetables produced in the country because of perceptions people had about the production process.

    According to him, many vegetable farmers did not adhere to good farming practices, hence producing vegetable which were sometimes dangerous to consume.

    He explained for instance that the excessive use of pesticides and other agronomic chemicals without recourse to standard practices regarding their uses posed a great risk to consumers of such vegetables.

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • SSNIT pensions: 13 defaulting employers to be prosecuted Employment Minister

    The National Pensions Regulatory Authority is implementing a Sanctions Regime to enforce compliance and instil discipline in the pensions industry. As a result, the authority has been given the mandate by the Attorney General to prosecute defaulting employers; thirteen of which have been found culpable.

    This revelation was made by the Employment and Labour Minister, Ignatius Baffour Awuah on Thursday while addressing the Press on developments in his sector.

    He lamented the increasing rate of employers and employees who under-declare their salaries in order to pay less. He also observed that some employers were also habitual defaulters adding that 13 of such had been arraigned to be prosecuted before the court.

    25% of Ghanaians earn GH¢400 or less SSNIT explains low pensions

    Mr Baffour Awuah indicated that according to the statistics there are more employees on Tier 1 more than Tier 2 asserting that there was the possibility employers were paying more of the former than the latter although both are mandatory.

    He cautioned and appealed to all employers to the pensions of their employees in order to avoid the sanctions and prosecutions thereof.

    “…ironically the number of employees on the Tier 1 that is 1,533,942 are more than those on the Tier 2 though both are mandatory. So the meaning is that it is possible some employers pay Tier 1 of their worker’s contribution but do not pay the Tier 2.

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    It is for this reason and other pension-related offences that NPRA has secured prosecutorial powers from the Attorney General to prosecute offending employers.

    Currently, as of June 2019, 13 defaulting employers have been earmarked for prosecution. Dockets are being prepared to take them to court.

    I, therefore, want to use this opportunity to appeal to all employers to pay the contributions of their employees timely to avoid prosecution.” Mr. Baffour Awuah noted.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • ‘Irrelevant BECE will soon be scrapped’ – NaCCA boss

    The Executive Secretary of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) has said the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) has outlived its usefulness and will soon be scrapped from the educational system.

    BECE to be scrapped

    Dr Prince Hamid Armah says “The nomenclature called BECE will be scrapped totally…an exam will be used to do placements going forward.

    A criterion reference system will be used as BECE has outlived its usefulness in this country,” he said on Accra-based Starr FM, Thursday.

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    According to him, there is enough evidence to support the need to introduce a new approach to testing the quality of teaching that pupils receive.

    Source: Myjoyonline.com

  • 128 cars impounded for traffic offences

    The Ashanti Regional Police Command has seized 128 commercial vehicles for various road traffic offences.

    Thirty-nine of the cars were impounded at Adum, 59 at Suame, and 30 at Asokwa.

    The drivers of the cars were arrested during the command’s exercise on Thursday, 15 August 2019 dubbed: “Operation to reduce road traffic accidents and operation to make passengers comfortable on public transport”.

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    The exercise follows the regional command’s revelation that 1,921 road accidents were recorded in the first six months of this year.

    240 deaths and 2,309 injuries were recorded during the same period.

    Superintendent Emmanuel Adu Boahen, the Regional Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) Commander told Kumasi FM’s Elisha Adarkwah in an interview that the offences of the drivers were “taking a greater number of passengers than what they were supposed to, and failing to provide proper sitting accommodation”.

    “…But notwithstanding these things (offences), we also have to look at other issues, whether the driver who was driving the vehicle at that point in time was even a licensed driver; if he’s a licensed driver, whether he is permitted to drive that particular vehicle and any other related offences that we can find on the vehicle,” he added.

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    Mr Boahen said some of the drivers alleged after their cars were impounded, that they had legal backing to carry 15 rather than 12 passengers.

    He said the allegation will be properly investigated, adding that if they are found culpable, they will be arraigned for prosecution.

    He said the exercise was going to be sustained to clamp down on recalcitrant drivers.

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • NAB service personnel donate to LEKMA Hospital

    The National Service Personnel at the National Accreditation Board (NAB) have donated items worth about Gh¢2000 to the LEKMA Hospital.

    The donation was part of activities to bring to an end their service to NAB and social responsibility.

    Handing over the items on behalf of the service personnel, Bismark A.O. Gyamfi, the spokesperson for the group, explained that giving back to society was of great importance to them, more so when their investigation revealed that the Maternal Unit was under a lot of pressure and needed some items.

    The items donated included baby wipes, t-rolls, baby diapers, detergent, bleach, soaps and 20 buckets.

    The Deputy Director of Nursing Services of the hospital, Madam Stella Siriboe, expressed great appreciation for the kind gesture.

    “We are highly impressed with this donation which will augment and cushion the Maternal Unit. In fact, this is the first time that national service personnel have donated to the hospital.”

    She encouraged the public to take a cue from the gesture to make donations to facilities in the country to support and reduce the cost of health care delivery.

    The leader of the group, Bismark Gyamfi was full of praise and admiration for the Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board, Dr. Kingsley Nyarko for supporting such a noble cause and challenged all National Service Personnel to go the extra mile wherever they may find themselves.

    The group was accompanied by Lawrence Kwarteng-Ashia, Head, Public Relations and the Human Resource Manager, Anita Andrews Nanfuri.

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • Ghana ‘very safe’ Canadian diplomat

    Ghana is a “very safe” country, the Political Counselor to the Canadian High Commission, Pasquale Salvaggio has said at the maiden Commonwealth Speaker Forum in Accra on Wednesday, 14 August 2019, despite the kidnapping of two Canadian ladies in Kumasi, Ashanti Region a few months ago.

    Mr Salvaggio holds the view that: “We still believe that is the case and it is important for people to know that it is still the case. Ghana remains and Accra remains a very safe place and we expect that it will stay that way”.

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    The two Canadian aid workers, Lauren Patricia Catherine Tilley, 19; and Bailey Jordan Chitty, 20, were rescued on Wednesday, 12 June 2019 at Sawaba, Kumasi within a week after their abduction.

    However, the whereabouts of three Ghanaian girls who were kidnapped in Takoradi since August last year, are still unknown.

    They are 18-year-old Priscilla Mantebea Koranchie, last seen on 21 December 2018; 21-year-old Priscilla Blessing Bentum, last seen on 17 August 2018; and 18-year-old Ruth Love Quayson, last seen on 4 December 2018.

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    However, the police have retrieved some skeletons from the backyard of the prime suspect in Takoradi, Western Region. A team of forensic experts is conducting DNA tests on the skeletons to ascertain if they are the remains of the three girls.

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • We will honour one constituency one ambulance promise by end of year – Health Minister

    Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu has assured Ghanaians that the government is committed to ensuring that it keeps its promise of distributing 275 ambulances across all Constituencies in the country.

    The New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the run up to the 2016 elections disclosed in their manifesto that should they be elected, they will procure ambulances for all 275 Constituencies.

    Speaking on the Presidents tour of the Upper East Region, he confirmed that the government will be the end of the year distribute the ambulances to all the 275 constituency in order to ensure quality health delivery in the country.

    “By close of the year we should have completed distributing close to 275 ambulances to all districts of this country and I hope you will benefit.

    That will help us carry people and pregnant women who are about to deliver they are referred to district hospitals without maternal challenge” he emphasized.

    Ghana currently has 55 working ambulances which is woefully inadequate to cater for the medical needs of the citizenry.

    A situation which adversely affects the efficient delivery of health care in the nation.

    It will be recalled that the previous regime procured some ambulances but they were deemed as not fit for purpose.

    Source: ghanaguardian.com

  • Beware of Captain Koda – Hajia Fati warns Akufo-Addo

    A staunch supporter of the New Patriotic Party, Hajia Fati has cautioned President Akufo-Addo to beware of his top security aide, Captain (rtd) Edmund Kojo Koda.

    According to her, there are some actions of the retired soldier which can affect the party’s chances of winning the 2020 elections; hence Akufo-Addo should ‘let him go’.

    Hajia Fati was reacting to some Hyundai Gallopers which have been auctioned after they were left to ‘rot’ at the Local Government Institute at Madina in Accra.

    Watch the video below to understand why Hajia Fati wants Captain Koda sacked.

    Source: peacefmonline.com

  • Stop paying business development fees to mobilise deposits BoG

    The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has directed Banks and SDIs to desist from the payment of facilitation and business development fees or any other fees to mobilise deposits.

    The central bank says any institution which fails to comply with the directive shall be severely sanctioned.

    The BoG, in a statement, noted that it “observed, during the banking industry clean-up exercise, a practice whereby facilitation/business development fees or some other payments are made to agents who assist in the mobilisation of wholesale deposits, particularly from the public sector.”

    The statement said the practice had the tendency to increase the “cost of funds” of institutions, which invariably was passed on to customers through high lending rates.

    The BoG said Section 16 (1) (f) of the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Act, 2016 (Act 930) gives it the authority to revoke the licence of any institution which, in the judgement of the central bank, is deemed to be engaged in unsafe or unsound banking practices, and, therefore, banks and SDIs should desist from that act.

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • Recession fears prompt selling in global stock markets

    Global stock markets fell around the world as concerns about the US-China trade war and the global economy prompted investors to dump shares.

    The three main US stock markets closed 3% lower overnight, European stocks fell across the board, while Asian stock markets opened lower.

    Weak data from Germany and China on Wednesday helped fuel a rush for safe assets like bonds and gold.

    Bond market moves pointed to possible recessions in major economies.

    The US central bank also came under renewed pressure from US President Donald Trump for not doing enough to support the world’s largest economy.

    There are concerns that renewed attacks by Mr Trump on the Federal Reserve could erode investor confidence on its ability to make independent decisions.

    Analyst Oliver Pursche, from financial services company Bruderman, said the global picture was precarious.

    “What’s happening in Hong Kong, what’s happening with Brexit and the trade war, it’s all a mess,” the chief market strategist said. “Every central bank around the world is trying to prop up economies and every politician around the world is trying to destroy economies.”

    News that Germany’s GDP contracted in the second quarter, and that China’s industrial growth in July hit a 17-year low, had already spooked markets in Europe. The FTSE 100 closed more than 1% lower, while in Germany and France the markets finished more than 2% lower.

    Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped some 2% in early trading on Thursday, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index opened 1.4% lower. Both later regained some ground. Disruptions related to pro-democracy protests have also weighed on the stock market in Hong Kong.

    Another worry was that bond markets are flashing recession warnings.

    The yield on two-year and 10-year Treasury bonds inverted for the first time since June 2007.

    This means investor appetite for safety is such that they are willing to get lower returns for holding bonds for a longer period. Usually investors demand higher returns for holding bonds for longer due to the risks involved with parking your money away for a long time.

    Historically, such bond movements have been a reliable indicator of possible recessions, and preceded the last global downturn more than 10 years ago.

    The UK bond yield curve also inverted for the first time since 2008, while the yield gap between 10-year and 2-year German government bonds was at its tightest since the financial crisis.

    Meanwhile, the CBOE volatility index – the so-called fear index – jumped higher, and spot gold prices rose.

    Fed attack
    On Wednesday, Mr Trump again attempted to deflect the market turmoil onto the US Federal Reserve and its interest rate policy, calling Fed chief Jerome Powell “clueless”.

    In raising interest rates four times last year “the Federal Reserve acted far too quickly, and now is very, very late” in cutting borrowing costs, the president tweeted. “Too bad, so much to gain on the upside!”

    Recent presidents have avoided commenting on Fed policy, in a sign of respect for the bank’s independence.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Russian Airbus makes emergency landing in corn field

    A Russian Airbus with more than 230 people on board was forced to make an emergency landing in a corn field outside Moscow on Thursday after hitting a flock of seagulls, officials said.

    There were no immediate reports of serious injuries.

    The Ural Airlines A321 was carrying 226 passengers and seven crew from Moscow’s Zhukovsky airport to Simferopol in Russia-annexed Crimea, the Rosaviatsia air transport agency said in a statement.

    The bird strike occurred shortly after take-off, causing engine trouble, and the crew decided to immediately land.

    The plane landed in the corn field about a kilometre from the runway, with its engines off and landing gear retracted, Rosaviatsia said.

    Passengers were evacuated on inflatable ramps, with some taken to hospital and others back to the airport.

    The health ministry said 23 people were hospitalised, including nine children, but that none suffered serious injuries.

    Source: France24

  • ‘No suspicion of foul play’ in Franco-Irish teen’s death: Malaysian police

    A vulnerable Franco-Irish teen who disappeared from a Malaysian rainforest resort died from internal bleeding due to starvation and stress, and there is no suspicion of foul play, police said Thursday.

    Mohamad Mat Yusop, Negeri Sembilan state police chief, told reporters Nora Quoirin died from “gastrointestinal bleeding” and she had suffered “extreme stress” and “hunger”.

    “For the time being, there is no suspicion of foul play,” he told reporters after a post-mortem examination.

    She is believed to have died two to three days after disappearing, he said.

    “There is no indication she was raped,” he said.

    The 15-year-old’s naked body was discovered Tuesday in a ravine in dense jungle following a 10-day hunt involving hundreds of people.

    She went missing from the Dusun Resort, not far from Kuala Lumpur, on August 4, a day after checking in for a holiday with her London-based family.

    Her family believed the teen, who had learning difficulties, had been abducted but police classified her disappearance as a missing persons case.

    Source: France24

  • Trump says if China wants trade deal, it must first ‘work humanely with Hong Kong’

    President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that trade talks with China can wait until tensions in Hong Kong have eased, tweeting: “Of course China wants to make a deal. Let them work humanely with Hong Kong first!”

    Trump also praised Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling him a “great leader” and saying he could quickly resolve the unrest in Hong Kong if he wanted to. “I have ZERO doubt that if President Xi wants to quickly and humanely solve the Hong Kong problem, he can do it. Personal meeting?” Trump tweeted.

    Source: France24

  • Gibraltar court to decide fate of seized Iranian tanker

    Gibraltar’s Supreme Court was to decide on Thursday whether an Iranian oil tanker seized last month near the tiny British territory can be held longer amid speculation that it might soon be released.

    The Grace 1 supertanker, carrying 2.1 million barrels of Iranian oil, was seized on July 4 by Gibraltar police and British special forces off the overseas British territory, provoking a diplomatic crisis between Tehran and London. It was suspected of carrying oil to war-torn Syria in violation of EU sanctions.

    Iran, which has described Britain’s actions as “piracy”, seized a British tanker, the Stena Impero, on July 19 in the strategic Strait of Hormuz for breaking “international maritime rules”.

    The Supreme Court hearing on the fate of the Grace 1 is set for 10:30 am (0830 GMT), with a decision expected to be announced later in the day. The current detention order on the vessel expires on Saturday.

    There has been speculation in recent days that Gibraltar authorities will soon release the tanker after the deputy head of Iran’s port authority, Jalil Eslami, said Tuesday that Britain had shown an interest in overcoming the problem and documents had been exchanged.

    “I hope this problem will be resolved in the near future,” he added in a report by state news agency IRNA.

    The government of Gibraltar would neither confirm or deny the report.

    “We continue to seek to de-escalate issues arising since the lawful detention of Grace 1,” a spokesman said.

    Sanam Vakil, a senior research fellow at Chatham house in London, said Iran sees its seizure of the Stena Impero as “retaliation” for the British seizure of the Grace 1.

    “It’s a tit-for-tat thing. If the Grace 1 gets released, and it would be if behind the scenes probably Iran made a commitment not to export that oil to Syria, and then it is likely that the Stena Impero will also be released,” she told AFP.

    Iranian authorities believe Britain seized the Grace 1 at the behest of the Trump administration which they feel is “staging an economic war against Iran designed in the long run to prevent Iran from regaining its market share in the oil sector. So Iran is also trying to defend its market share,” she added.

    The capture of the tanker has heightened frictions just as European nations are scrambling to save a landmark nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic after the United States pulled out of it last year and started imposing sanctions on Iran.

    Iran says the tanker was in international waters and was not headed to Syria. It has repeatedly called for the ship’s release.

    Gibraltar authorities will also have to decide on the fate of four crew members of the Grace 1, including its captain, who were arrested shortly after the tanker was seized. All four are on police bail and have not been charged with any offence.

    Gibraltar’s Supreme Court on July 19 extended its initial order authorising the detention of the Grace 1 for a further 30 days at the request of the attorney general.

    Source: France24

  • Film claims group plotted to infect black Africans with HIV

    A plot by white mercenaries to spread HIV through black South Africa via a phony vaccination program: it sounds like the stuff of pulp spy novels, but documentary-maker Mads Brugger is clear that this is one sensational conspiracy that actually happened.

    The Danish director set out to investigate the mysterious 1961 plane crash that killed the head of the UN in modern-day Zambia for his latest film — but says he ended up uncovering something vastly more sinister.

    In “Cold Case: Hammarskjold,” Brugger meets Alexander Jones, a former member of a clandestine paramilitary organization with alleged ties to South Africa’s apartheid government.

    Jones tells the filmmaker that the group undertook nefarious HIV research in the 1980s and 1990s as part of a white supremacist plot to devastate black communities with the virus.

    “We were at war,” Jones tells Brugger in the film. “Black people in South Africa were the enemy.”

    There is no evidence of the plot to spread HIV being successfully put into action.

    But Brugger and his team tracked down medical clinics run by the group’s now-dead leader Keith Maxwell in South Africa.

    Maxwell claimed to be seeking a cure for HIV but had no medical training, and spoke openly of his fascination with biological weapons, according to the filmmakers.

    They met with a witness who says he saw Maxwell personally injecting black patients with supposed vaccines.

    “What easier way to get a guinea pig than (when) you live in an apartheid system?” Jones says in the film.

    “Black people have got no rights, they need medical treatment. There’s a white ‘philanthropist’ coming in and saying, ‘You know, I’ll open up these clinics and I’ll treat you.’

    “And meantime (he was) actually the wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

    Brugger told AFP that “strategy papers” belonging to Maxwell fit “hand in glove” with Jones’s claims about the plot.

    “What Maxwell was writing about, planning for… in itself constitutes a crime,” Brugger said.

    – ‘Outrageous’ –

    The allegations were denounced as irresponsible and medically dubious by some critics after the film’s January premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where Brugger won a top directing prize for the documentary.

    Touring the global festival circuit since, Brugger has defended his work ahead of its release by Magnolia Pictures from August 16 in a few dozen US theaters and online platforms including Amazon and iTunes.

    In the film, he initially set out to investigate theories that UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold’s plane was deliberately brought down in a crash that killed 16 people.

    Documents found in South African government archives containing details of plans to detonate a bomb on Hammarskjold’s aircraft bear the name of Maxwell’s group — the shadowy South African Institute for Maritime Research (SAIMR).

    This prompted Brugger and his team to examine the group more closely.

    They tracked down Jones, who claimed SAIMR had brought down the plane.

    Brugger has since arranged a meeting between Jones and UN investigators compiling an inquiry report into the crash, a UN spokesman confirmed to AFP — something the director says demonstrates his witness’s reliability.

    “I do know that what (Jones) says is outrageous and sensational,” Brugger said. “So far, what he has told us, what we were capable of corroborating, has checked out.”

    – ‘Fed information’ –

    But there are major issues with Brugger’s account.

    Many doubt SAIMR even existed on any substantial scale outside the warped mind of its “leader” Maxwell, a noted fantasist who dressed like an 18th-century British naval admiral.

    A New York Times report suggested Jones initially denied any HIV research project existed, and only professed knowledge of it on camera after being fed information by filmmakers.

    Brugger admitted to AFP that there “could have been examples of cross-contamination” because his team spent so much time with Jones.

    “But I know for sure that the essential part of what he tells us is not something we fed him,” Brugger said, adding that it is typical for whistleblowers to “open up and tell you more as time progresses.”

    And then there is the issue of whether it would have even been possible to deliberately spread HIV.

    Medical experts say the technology was beyond the scope of all but a handful of government laboratories at the time.

    Conspiracy theories about Western plots to weaponize AIDS in Africa were encouraged by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and can cause serious harm by turning people off medical treatment.

    South Africa has extremely high HIV infection rates and a history of dangerous misinformation about its spread.

    Brugger told AFP he “thought hard and long” about the damage the vaccine claims could do, but insisted that “what Alexander Jones tells us needs to be published.”

    “If the response to this is that we are invigorating or revitalizing conspiracy theories, I think that is in some sense absurd,” he said.

    Source: France24

  • UK’s Corbyn threatens no-confidence vote, proposes ‘temporary government’ to delay Brexit

    Britain’s opposition Labour Party has urged rebel lawmakers in the ruling Conservatives to help block a no-deal Brexit by bringing down PM Boris Johnson’s administration and allowing its leader Jeremy Corbyn to form a caretaker government.

    Johnson has promised to take Britain out of the European Union by Oct. 31, with or without a deal, setting the scene for a showdown in parliament where lawmakers are opposed to a divorce without a transition agreement.

    In a letter to opposition party leaders and several senior Conservatives opposed to a disorderly exit, Corbyn said his “strictly time-limited temporary government” would delay Brexit and hold a general election.

    He said Labour would campaign in the election to hold a second referendum on the Brexit terms, including an option as to whether the country should remain in the bloc three years after it voted to leave.

    “This government has no mandate for No Deal, and the 2016 EU referendum provided no mandate for No Deal,” Corbyn said. “I therefore intend to table a vote of no confidence at the earliest opportunity when we can be confident of success.”

    A spokeswoman for Johnson’s Downing Street office said the choice was clear: “This government believes the people are the masters and votes should be respected, Jeremy Corbyn believes that the people are the servants and politicians can cancel public votes they don’t like.”

    Lawmakers return from their summer break on Sept. 3, reconvening for a battle over Brexit that will determine the fortunes of the world’s fifth-largest economy.

    Johnson, who led the 2016 campaign to leave the EU, has staked his premiership on getting Britain out by Oct. 31, prompting politicians from all sides to try to stop him.

    On Wednesday he said those trying to block Brexit were engaged in “a terrible kind of collaboration,” after former finance minister Philip Hammond said parliament would block a no-deal exit, and that the government must respect it.

    Parliament showdown

    Were Johnson’s government to lose a no-confidence vote, lawmakers would have a 14-day period to try to form a new administration; otherwise a general election would be called, which could be held after the Oct. 31 exit date.

    Opponents of a no-deal exit say it would be a disaster for what was one of the West’s most stable democracies, shattering supply chains, damaging global growth, and weakening Britain’s standing in the world.

    Brexit ‘still a daunting challenge’, says former UK minister Peter Mandelson

    Brexit supporters say while there may be short-term disruption, it would provide a clean break from the bloc and allow the economy to thrive.

    Parliamentary votes have shown there is a small majority against a no-deal Brexit. Corbyn, a low-key Remain campaigner during the 2016 referendum, has come under pressure from his own side to step up efforts to prevent it from happening.

    He said he hoped his proposal to lead a caretaker government could “halt the serious threat of No Deal, end the uncertainty and disarray, and allow the public to decide the best way ahead for our country.”

    But Corbyn, a veteran socialist, is a highly divisive figure in parliament and could struggle to form a majority of his own.

    While the political turmoil of the last year has led to an unprecedented level of cross-party cooperation, many in Johnson’s Conservative Party and others would still find it difficult to vote for Corbyn.

    Jo Swinson, the new leader of the pro-EU Liberal Democrat party which has 14 lawmakers in the 650-seat parliament, described the proposal as “nonsense.”

    “Jeremy Corbyn is not the person who is going to be able to build an even temporary majority in the House of Commons for this task,” she said. “I would expect there are people in his own party and indeed the necessary Conservative backbenchers who would be unwilling to support him.”

    She is due to set out her own proposal on Thursday to work with other parties to block a no-deal Brexit.

    Source: France24

  • Anthony Joshua v Andy Ruiz: Jr: Champion wants New York not Saudi Arabia to host

    Unified world heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr says he has not signed to fight Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia and hopes their rematch is in New York.

    A 7 December rematch in Saudi Arabia was announced on Friday and Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told a a news conference on Monday it was signed.

    Ruiz did not speak or post about the bout on social media until Wednesday.

    The 29-year-old told ESPN in Mexico: “I have not signed anything yet, we are negotiating everything.”

    Asked about a Saudi Arabia contest he said: “They want to do it there but we have to see where we negotiate with my team. I would like it in New York again.”

    ‘Joshua’s too big’

    Ruiz stunned Joshua – who was a 1-25 favourite with bookmakers – at New York’s Madison Square Garden on 1 June.

    In doing so, he walked away with the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles, becoming Mexico’s first world champion in the division.

    Joshua, 29, took up his right to a rematch and promoter Hearn has repeatedly pointed to Ruiz being signed to fight as a result of the fact a rematch clause was part of the first fight’s contract.

    Hearn has said Joshua’s team contractually only need to let Ruiz “know the time, date and venue” and says the champion could face legal proceedings if the fight does not happen.

    Organisers in Saudi Arabia have put forward a reported fee of $40m (£33m) to host the event but there has been criticism of taking a fight of such magnitude there given the country’s human rights record.

    Human rights organisation Amnesty International has said the move provides “opportunity for the Saudi authorities to try to ‘sportswash’ their severely tarnished image”.

    Ruiz is again a bookmakers’ underdog for the repeat fixture but since his shock seventh-round stoppage win has stated Joshua is “not good at boxing”.

    Asked on Wednesday about facing Joshua again, he said: “I think he will want to run a little longer, move, but he is too big, he has many muscles and it will be very difficult for him.”

    There’s a clear stand-off at the heart of an event which is as mouth-watering as it is controversial at the moment.

    As Joshua and the team around him posted pictures of a ‘Clash on the Dunes’ fight poster last Friday, not a word was muttered from team Ruiz.

    The champion’s trainer Manny Robles told reporters there was “a reason” for the silence.

    Then came Monday’s news conference, one that showcased the intent of Saudi organisers to deliver.

    But something seems amiss. In a sport where money talks, is Ruiz simply trying to hold out for a little more? During his career he has has fought in New Zealand and Macau, so heading overseas has not bothered him too much in the past.

    It is worth remembering Ruiz begged Hearn for the chance to replace Jarrell Miller and face Joshua on 1 June. His life changed on that remarkable night and now, with world-champion status, he seems defiant in not giving Hearn the Saudi Arabia night he wants.

    Source: bbc.com

  • PSG reject Barcelona, Real Madrid bids for Neymar

    Barcelona and Real Madrid have made unsuccessful offers for Paris St-Germain forward Neymar, says BBC Radio 5 Live’s Guillem Balague.

    Neymar’s former club Barcelona are believed to have offered 100m euros (£92.4m) plus Philippe Coutinho.

    Ivan Rakitic was also discussed with the French club as part of the deal for the 27-year-old Brazil international.

    Real have put forward a deal that includes money as well as Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez.

    PSG asked for Vinicius Junior but Real did not put his name in the frame.

    Neither bid has been accepted, but it is thought PSG would prefer to sell to Real.

    Neymar became the world’s most expensive player in 2017 when PSG paid him 222m (£205m) so that he could buy himself out of his contract at Barcelona.

    The striker has scored 34 league goals in two seasons for the French champions, although injuries interrupted both of those campaigns.

    PSG fans held up a banner telling Neymar to “go away” on Sunday as he missed his side’s Ligue 1 opener against Nimes after sporting director Leonardo said on the eve of the game that talks about the Brazilian’s exit were “more advanced than before”.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Hong Kong protests: Trump suggests ‘personal meeting’ with Chinese president

    US President Donald Trump has suggested a “personal meeting” with China’s President Xi Jinping to discuss the political crisis engulfing Hong Kong.

    In a tweet Mr Trump said he had “ZERO doubt” that Mr Xi could “humanely solve the Hong Kong problem”.

    He also tied the protests to a US trade deal with Beijing, in the face of ongoing trade tensions.

    “Of course China wants to make a deal. Let them work humanely with Hong Kong first!” he tweeted.

    Mr Trump’s comments come after weeks of tumultuous pro-democracy protests sparked by opposition to an extradition bill in Hong Kong.

    Critics feared the bill would bring Hong Kong more decisively under China’s control.

    The bill has now been suspended, but the protests have evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement.

    Hong Kong is part of China under a “One Country, two systems” model that grants it a high level of autonomy.

    It has its own legal system and judiciary and enjoys certain freedoms not seen in the mainland – Hong Kong and Macau for example, are the only places in Chinese territory where people can hold vigils commemorating Tiananmen Square.

    Tensions and tear gas
    Tensions between demonstrators and police have escalated in recent days, with Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam warning the city could be “pushed into an abyss”.

    The Chinese government has strongly criticised the protesters, calling their behaviour “close to terrorism”.

    On Wednesday evening, police armed with riot shields fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the Sham Shui Po neighbourhood, who had been shining laser pointers at a police station.

    Laser pointers have gained significance in the protests after a student was arrested for possessing laser pointers, which police described as an “offensive weapon” that could cause serious eye injuries.

    Since then, demonstrators have used lasers as a way of ridiculing the claim.

    Wednesday’s tear gas came a day after protests at Hong Kong’s International Airport turned violent on Tuesday night.

    Thousands of protesters flooded the terminal buildings, using luggage trolleys to build barriers.

    The gathering started off as a peaceful mass sit-down, but deteriorated after police officers used pepper spray against some protesters while trying to evacuate an injured man.

    Clashes soon broke out between protesters and police, and in one instance, a policeman was seen frantically drawing his gun on protesters after being attacked with his own truncheon for manhandling a woman.

    Hong Kong police said the officer’s life was “under great danger” and insisted he only drew his gun “out of emergency and necessity”.

    Protesters had boxed him into a corner after prying the baton from his hands during a violent skirmish. After collapsing to the ground, the policeman was eventually dragged to safety by his fellow officers.

    With disruption striking Hong Kong’s infrastructure and no resolution in sight, activists fear a direct military intervention by China – though analysts believe this is unlikely to happen.

    Separately, the US president’s national security advisor, John Bolton, warned China on Wednesday to tread “carefully” in Hong Kong “because people in America remember Tiananmen Square”.

    A repeat of the military crackdown on the 1989 student-led protests in China would be a “big mistake”, he told news outlet Voice of America.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Sudan’s ex-spy chief banned from the US

    The former head of the Sudanese intelligence service, Salah Gosh, has been banned from entering the United States because of his alleged involvement in human rights violations.

    In a statement, the US State Department said it had credible evidence that Mr Gosh was involved in torture when he was in charge of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).

    Members of his family have also been barred.

    Omar al-Bashir, the country’s former president under whom Mr Gosh served, was ousted from power in April.

    A Transitional Military Council then seized control.

    In a tweet, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, voiced his support for a civilian-led transitional government in Sudan.

    The ruling military council and main opposition coalition signed a declaration about 10 days ago to pave the way for a three-year transition period in Sudan, with a final power-sharing deal to be signed this Saturday.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Nigerian who locked child in dog kennel arrested

    Police in Nigeria’s commercial hub of Lagos have arrested a woman filmed abusing a child and then locking him in a caged kennel with dogs.

    It is not clear when the footage was shot, but it went viral on Twitter earlier this month.

    In the video clip, a woman is seen beating a boy, stripped to his waist, with a belt. She then drags him into an empty kennel and locks it before walking away. Two dogs can be seen in other neighbouring kennels.

    The video caused outrage on social media, where shocked users offered rewards to anyone that could track down the woman.

    On Thursday, a police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, tweeted that the woman in the video had been arrested.

    “The suspect is in custody and will be charged to court… The boy, who happens to be an orphan, has been rescued and kept in a shelter provided by Lagos state government,” she said.

    Her tweet links to a video filmed by police showing the dog kennels where the boy was locked up:

    Source: bbc.com