The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam Nartey George, has warned foreign countries against interfering in Ghana’s internal affairs, particularly regarding the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly known as the anti-LGBTQ bill.
Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, February 12, Sam George who doubles as the Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament (MP) noted that Ghana has the sovereign right to decide on same-sex issues without external influence.
“So Ghana is a sovereign country. If we choose to go the other way, I don’t think that is against the law. If in the UK it is okay for you to withdraw the teaching licence and medical licence of Christians who don’t believe they should support same-sex activity, why should Ghana not also be in a position to say that we will do this?,” he added.
The bill, which was originally introduced in Parliament in 2021 by Sam George and other advocates, is currently inactive, because it did not receive Presidential assent under former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s tenure after being passed by the then Parliament.
Having expired with the conclusion of the previous 8th Parliament’s session, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has directed the Business Committee to schedule the reintroduced bill for parliamentary deliberation.
The bill, which aims to outlaw LGBTQ+ activities and criminalise their promotion, advocacy, and funding, was previously passed by the 8th Parliament.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has confidently stated that he will sign anti-LGBTQ bill once it is successfully approved by parliament.
During a courtesy visit by the Christian Council of Ghana on Tuesday, November 18, at Jubilee House, the president mentioned all the factors that must come to play for him to assent to the bill.
“I believe that we have no questions or equivocations about what we believe. I believe that we are completely aligned with the Christian Council in terms of your belief. We agree with the Speaker to relay the bill and let Parliament debate it.”
“And if there are any amendments or adjustments that need to be made, if the people’s representatives in Parliament endorse the bill, vote on it, and pass it, and it comes to me as president, I will sign it,” President Mahama said.
Before his return to office, President Mahama had already expressed a cautious approach toward the bill, emphasizing the need for a constitutional review.
Speaking with BBC Africa on December 4, he elaborated: “It is not an anti-LGBTQI Bill; it is a Family Values Bill. It was approved unanimously by our Parliament. [LGBTQI] is against our African culture, it is against our religious faith, but I think we must look at the Bill, and the president must indicate what he finds wrong with that bill and send it back to Parliament or alternatively he must send it to the Council of State and get the Council of State’s advice.”
When asked if he would sign the bill into law if elected, Mahama responded cautiously, stating, “It depends on what is in the Bill.” He emphasized that any decision would be based on a thorough examination of the bill’s content and legal compliance. “That is what I would have done,” he affirmed.
While proponents argue the bill is necessary to safeguard Ghanaian cultural and moral values from external influences, human rights advocates have raised concerns, stating it infringes on freedoms of expression, association, and equality under the law.
The bill previously faced legal opposition from journalist Richard Dela Sky and academic Dr. Amanda Odoi, who contested its passage, citing a lack of parliamentary quorum.
The Supreme Court, however, dismissed their challenge, with Justice Lovelace Johnson clarifying that a bill can only be subject to constitutional scrutiny after receiving presidential assent.
Ghana’s former President John Dramani Mahama will be under enormous pressure to meet the expectations of voters following his landslide victory in Saturday’s election.
He swept back to power after eight years in opposition, running what political analyst Nansata Yakubu described as a “masterclass” in campaigning.
He defeated Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia by 56.6% of votes to 41.6% to notch up the biggest margin of victory by a candidate in 24 years.
But voter turnout was lower than in the 2020 election, especially in some of the heartlands of Bwaumia’s New Patriotic Party (NPP), suggesting some people there – disillusioned with its performance in government – stayed at home.
As Mahama’s supporters celebrated his victory, Belinda Amuzu – a teacher in the northern city of Tamale, a stronghold of Mahama – summed up their hopes.
“I’m expecting the new government to change the economy, so that the hardship will come down. He should also prosecute corrupt officials so that it will be a lesson to others,” she told the BBC.
“The hardship” has become a common phrase in Ghana since the economy hit rock-bottom in 2022, causing a cost-of-living crisis that shredded Bawumia’s reputation as an “economic whizz-kid” – and led to his defeat at the hands of Mahama.
Ghanaian economist Prof Godfred Bokpin told the BBC the challenges facing the next government were huge.
“What Ghana needs right now is credible leadership, lean government and efficiency in public service delivery. Without that, there cannot be a future,” he said.
Mahama has promised to bring down the size of the cabinet from more than 80 to around 60, but Prof Bokpin argued it should be even smaller while political analyst Dr Kwame Asah-Asante stressed the need for appointments to be on merit rather than loyalty.
Mahama will be flanked by former Education Minister Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who is set to become Ghana’s first female vice-president when the new government takes office next month.
Dr Yakubu said her appointment was not one of “tokenism” and she was not someone who could be “manipulated”.
“We have a fantastic first female vice-president in Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang,” she told the BBC Focus on Africa podcast.
Mahama served his first four-year term as president after winning in 2012, but lost his re-election bid in 2016 as Nana Akufo-Addo rose to power with Bawumia as his running-mate.
Dr Yakubu said Mahama contested the 2016 election on his track record in building roads, schools and hospitals but voters rejected him, as their mantra then was: “We don’t eat infrastructure.”
But, she said, during the Covid pandemic voters came to appreciate the infrastructure his government had built, especially hospitals.
This – along with the fact that the economy had plunged into a deep crisis under the current government, forcing it to seek a $3bn (£2.4bn) bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – led to Mahama being re-elected, Dr Yakubu added.
She told the BBC that Mahama would now be expected to fulfil his campaign promise to create jobs in order to bring down the unemployment rate of almost 15%, and to ease the cost-of-living crisis by scrapping some taxes – or what Ghanaians call “nuisance taxes”.
Mahama has promised to make Ghana a “24-hour economy” through the creation of night-time jobs in both the public and private sectors. He said he would give businesses tax incentives to stay open at night and reduce electricity prices for them.
But his critics have doubts, pointing out that Ghana plunged into its worst electricity crisis during his first term and the power cuts were so bad that Mahama joked at the time that he was known as “Mr Dumsor” – “dum” means “off” and “sor” means “on” in the local Twi language.
He has pledged to abolish several taxes – including the much-criticised electronic levy on mobile transactions and the one on the carbon emissions produced by petrol or diesel-powered vehicles.
Prof Bokpin said he doubted the Mahama administration would be able to fulfil its promises.
“They have not done the cost-benefit analysis. There’s no budgetary space to translate those promises into actuals,” he said.
But Mahama is confident he will prove his critics wrong, saying he intends to renegotiate the conditions of the IMF loan so money is freed up for “social intervention programmes” in a country where 7.3 million people live in poverty.
In an interview ahead of the election, Mahama told the BBC the IMF wanted “a certain balance” in government finances.
“If you’re able to cut expenditure, and you’re able to increase revenue and increase non-tax revenue coming in, you’ll be able to create a balance,” he said.
Dr Asah-Asante said Mahama’s experience as former president would stand him in good stead to navigate Ghana through choppy waters.
“Of course, he is likely to encounter difficulties, but he has what it takes to turn things around,” the analyst added.
Apart from the economy, corruption is one of the biggest issues facing Ghana but not everyone is convinced that Mahama will be able to tackle the scourge.
Mahama’s previous stint in government – as vice-president and president – was plagued by corruption allegations, although he has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
In 2020, a UK court had found that aviation giant Airbus had used bribes to secure contracts with Ghana for military planes between 2009 and 2015.
An investigation was then started in Ghana, but the Office of the Special Prosecutor, in a decision announced just months before the election, concluded there was no evidence that Mahama was involved in any corrupt activities himself.
The outgoing government has also been dogged by corruption allegations, including over the purchase of ambulance spare parts at a cost of $34.9m and a controversial national cathedral project in which $58m has been spent without any progress in building it.
Mahama promised his government would tackle corruption, and ensure that officials were prosecuted for wrongdoing.
“We are thinking about special courts,” he told the BBC.
Dr Asah-Asante said Mahama should demand financial accountability from the outgoing government during a handover phase so that “whatever has gone wrong, he will be able to right” as soon as his government takes office next month.
The analyst added that Mahama, who will be inaugurated next month when President Akufo-Addo steps down after his two terms in office, had no choice but to meet the expectations of Ghanaians – or else they would “punish his government the way they have punished the NPP”.
Mahama succinctly acknowledged this in his victory speech, saying: “Expectations of Ghanaians are very high, and we cannot afford to disappoint them.
“Our best days are not behind us; our best days are ahead of us. Forward ever – backwards never.”
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a public service broadcaster in the United Kingdom, has disclosed that the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, denied its request for an interview ahead of the West African country’s elections.
Ahead of the December 7 polls, the BBC said it reached out to the front runners of the presidential race, the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) John Mahama and Dr Bawumia but only Mahama accepted their request for an interview.
“The BBC has asked for an interview with the other main presidential candidate, Ghana’s current Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, but he has declined,” the BBC wrote in a post on Instagram.
The ruling party is yet to comment on the subject matter.
John Mahama, who engaged BBC’s Thomas Naadi, discussed the idea of a 24-hour economy, whether or not he will sign into law Ghana’s anti-LGBT legislation should he be elected, and the issue of illegal mining.
On the verdict of the elections, he said, “I will accept the election results only if the process is fair,” and on assenting to the the controversial anti-LGBTQI bill, formally titled the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill,” should he become president, the former president said, “It depends on what is in the Bill.”
Touching on the cost of the 24-hour economy he seeks to implement, Mahama, when asked about how much it would cost, said, “you can’t put a cost on it immediately. 24-hour economy is not an event; it is a process. And so even while we are stabilising the macroeconomic environment and bringing inflation down and interest rates down, we will be implementing the 24-hour economy.”
When asked about the possibility of executing the agenda in 4 years, he said, “we will start at least”. Touching on the continuous implementation even after he leaves office, Mahama said,”four years, is that the end of Ghana? So after four years, that’s it?”
He added that it “would be Ghana’s loss” if the government that succeed’s his decides no longer to implement the 24-hour economy.
With regards to illegal mining popularly known as ‘Galamsey’, he noted that his government will combat the menace by “stopping mining in forest reserves and secondly, stop mining on water bodies.”
On the prosecution of anti-galamsey protestors, he assured that he would direct the Attorney-General to “file a nolle prosequi and stop their prosecution”
“To be remanded to custody for two weeks because of going on a protest, I think it was high-handed,” he added.
The protest in the country descended into chaos, leading to the arrest of 53 demonstrators in September. Among the detainees are Oliver Barker Vormawor, Grace Asantewaa, Felicity Nelson and Elorm Ama Ababio, popularly known as Ama Governor.
They face charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, unlawful assembly, causing unlawful damage, offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace, and assault on a public officer. Despite pleading not guilty, the court remanded them.
Some football fans on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter), have humorously proposed that the BBC should replace outgoing sports broadcaster Gary Lineker with Ghanaian comedian and presenter Akwasi Boadi, popularlyknown as Akrobeto.
Fans of the BBC’s Match of the Day show jokingly suggested that Akrobeto would be an ideal successor to Lineker, who is stepping down from the programme after a 25-year run at the end of the current football season.
In response to the buzz, a clip of Akrobeto delivering sports news on UTV was shared online, quickly racking up over 2 million views. Many English football fans remarked on how entertaining the show would be with Akrobeto at the helm.
The well-known comic actor presents news with a comedic twist on his television show, The Real News. A highlight of the show is his sports segment, where his amusing mispronunciations of football team names have created countless viral moments.
Alex Kay-Jelski, BBC Sport’s director, has confirmed that Gary Lineker will indeed leave the programme but will continue to host the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Gary is a world-class presenter, and we’re delighted that he’ll lead our coverage of the next World Cup and continue to lead our live coverage of the FA Cup,” he said, as quoted by UK outlet The Independent.
“After 25 seasons,Gary is stepping down from MOTD.We want to thank him for everything he has done for the show, which continues to attract millions of viewers each week. He’ll be hugely missed on the show, but we’re so happy he is staying with the BBC to present live football,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo unveiled a statue of himself on Wednesday, November 6, at the entrance of the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi during his one-day ‘thank you’ tour of the Western Region.
The event has sparked reactions from some members of the public.
Find below how the BBC reported Akufo-Addo’s unveiling of his own statue:
Uproar in Ghana after president unveils his own statue
Ghana’s outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo is facing a backlash on social media after he unveiled a statue of himself during a tour of the country’s Western Region.
The monument is intended to honour the development initiatives the president has overseen whilst in office, the region’s minister Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah says.
But many Ghanaians have been mocking its installation – outside a hospital in the city of Sekondi – seeing it as “self glorification”.
“The people of the Western Region deserve better than these self-serving displays,” opposition MP Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah posted on X.
Akufo-Addo, who will be standing down in January after two terms in power, has boasted that he has fulfilled 80% of his promises to Ghanaians.
He unveiled the monument, prominently placed in front of Sekondi’s Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, on Wednesday during his visit that has been dubbed a “thank-you tour”.
At the ceremony, Darko-Mensah, who oversees the Western Region, highlighted several key projects initiated under the president.
But the statue has sparked a wave of criticism, with some Ghanaians questioning its importance when several key projects remain incomplete.
“It would be admirable if the president had allowed posterity to recognise and appreciate his work,” an X user posted.
A section of the public is calling for the statue – photos of which have gone viral – to be pulled down after the president leaves office.
But not everyone is critical, with some seeing it as an acknowledgement of Akufo-Addo’s contributions to the development of the country.
“He is very deserving of this exquisite monument. The greatest president I’ve ever had. You will be missed by Ghanaians,” one person posted, adding that Akufo-Addo was the “founder of Ghana’s free education system”.
During his tour, the 80-year-old president has singled out his policy to scrap fees for secondary schools as his “most significant legacy”.
His visit has also fed into campaigning nationwide by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). Western Region, in the south-west, is one of 16 regions in the country.
The president urged people there to vote for his deputy, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, in next month’s general election.
He will be the NPP’s candidate and Akufo-Addo said a vote for him would see the continuation of the party’s policies and projects.
Bawumia’s main challenger will be former President John Dramani Mahama, who is seeking a comeback under the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The high cost of living is a key campaign issue in Ghana, Africa’s leading producer of gold.
Former Deputy Editor at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Ben Dotsei Malor, has expressed deep concerns about the current state of leadership in Ghana.
He believes that elected leaders across various institutions have let down the citizenry, contributing to widespread corruption and governance failures that are holding the country back.
In an exclusive interview on JoyNews’ AM Show on July 1, marking Ghana’s Republic Day, Dotsei Malor lamented the situation where citizens resort to fasting and prayer just to secure travel visas.
“Some of the prayers we are fasting and praying for in church, if we had good leadership, we wouldn’t need to pray those prayers,” he lamented.
He emphasized that with effective leadership, such desperate measures wouldn’t be necessary.
According to him, true leaders must embody strong moral principles and essential leadership qualities to effectively serve their mandates.
He criticized the lack of personal and institutional leadership, stressing that leadership should foster growth and development at all levels of society.
Dotsei Malor underscored the critical need for effective leadership to address Ghana’s challenges, including brain drain and economic hardships.
“We have failed our people. Leadership is critically needed on personal levels, entity levels, in communities, and between you and me. Iron sharpens iron,” he stressed.
He emphasized that robust systems and structures are essential for sustainable development and to curb the recurrent issues facing the nation.
“We have failed our people. Leadership is critically needed on personal levels, entity levels, in communities, and between you and me. Iron sharpens iron,” he stressed.
BBC World Service reported on the tragic incident involving comedian and film producer Kwadwo Nkansah, also known as Lil Win.
The article, “Boy’s family seeks justice after crash with Ghana actor,” described what happened after the three-year-old was killed in a crash in Kumasi on May 25.
It made use of LilWin’s court case and the warning from the deceased’s family that they would take the case all the way to court and would not consider settling outside of it.
On Monday, LilWin was given 50,000 cedi bail with two sureties who had to provide proof of their worth.
Read the full BBC story below:
Boy’s family seek justice after crash with Ghana actor
The family of a three-year-old boy killed in a car crash involving popular Ghanaian actor and musician Lil Win have said they are “determined to seek justice”.
The child died in a hospital in the city of Kumasi after the crash on 25 May, local media reports.
Lil Win, real name Kwadwo Nkansah, was also taken to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital – and arrested on Monday after being discharged.
In a statement issued before his arrest, the actor’s production company had called the crash a “tragic accident”.
Lil Win was charged with dangerous driving and causing harm through negligence at Kumasi’s Asokore Mampong District Court on Monday.
He was not asked to enter a plea and was granted bail for 50,000 Ghanaian cedis (£2,630; £3,355). The court adjourned the case until 27 June.
Afterwards, two relatives of the three-year-old boy, Nana Yaw, told local radio station Angel FM that they were counting on the police to investigate the matter thoroughly.
One of the men said: “We are determined to seek justice for our child.”
The family members accused Lil Win of failing to contact the family after the crash—until he heard that a young child had died. The actor has not commented on the allegation.
The boy’s father, Jacob Kofi Amponsah, remains in the hospital.
The premiere of Lil Win’s new film, A Country Called Ghana, was cancelled in the wake of the collision.
It was scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 1, in Sunyani, a city around 123 km (76 miles) away from Kumasi, but Lil Win’s production company, Wezzy Empire, called it off.
“This difficult decision was made in respect of the memory of three-year-old boy Nana Yaw, who unfortunately lost his life in a tragic accident involving our Chief Executive Officer, Kwadko Nkansah ‘Lil Win’ last Saturday and to join the family in mourning their loss,” a statement posted to Lil Win’s social media accounts last Thursday said.
“The CEO extends their sincere condolences to the bereaved family and wishes a speedy recovery to the father, Mr. Jacob Kofi Amponsah.”
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and other media outlets have reported on the return of looted artefacts from the Asante kingdom in Ghana, 150 years after they were taken by British colonisers.
Ghanaians gathered at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region, to welcome the 32 items back home.
The BBC emphasized in its report that these artefacts have been loaned to the Asanteman, which is an accurate statement. However, many who saw the report were dissatisfied with the BBC’s coverage.
The artefacts have been loaned to Ghana for three years under an agreement between two British museums, the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) and the British Museum, and the Asante king, not the Ghanaian government.
Although the Asantehene is a symbol of traditional authority, his kingdom is now part of Ghana’s modern democracy.
The V&A is lending 17 pieces, while the British Museum is lending 15.
The return of these artefacts coincides with the silver jubilee celebration of the Asantehene.
Some of the items, including the gold harp (Sankuo), were looted during the Anglo-Ashanti wars of the 19th Century. Other items, like the sword of state, were given to a British diplomat in 1817.
This gold headpiece known as “krononkye” was used when royalty was grieving. Credit – BBC
The midnight knife (L) was used for covert operations. The gold badges (R) were worn by the king’s soul washers. Credit – BBC.
Among the returned artefacts are the sword of state, gold peace pipe, and gold badges worn by officials charged with cleansing the soul of the king.
The sword of state, also known as the “mpompomsuo sword,” holds great significance for the Asante people, as it is used in swearing the oath of office to the kingdom by paramount chiefs and the king himself.
Royal historian Osei-Bonsu Safo-Kantanka told the BBC that when the items were taken from the Asante, it took away “a portion of our heart, our feeling, our whole being.”
The return of these artefacts is controversial and significant. Under UK law, national museums like the V&A and British Museum are prohibited from permanently returning contested items in their collections. Loan deals like this are seen as a way to allow objects to return to their countries of origin.
Some countries that claim disputed artefacts fear that loans may imply they accept UK ownership. Many Ghanaians believe the ornaments should remain permanently, but this new arrangement is a way to overcome British legal restrictions.
The loan can be extended, but only with the approval of the British culture secretary.
Ghanaians excited with return of their 'crown jewels' – but there's a catch. It's only a loan… pic.twitter.com/q9vc5ppKfe
London’s grey and angular Barbican Centre is now a sea of pink – its frontage covered in cloth that billows in the breeze as if dancing.
“It started as a joke,” visual artist Ibrahim Mahama tells the BBC.
“When I was invited here, I was looking at the grey concrete andthe grey weather. I thought, why not use something more colourful as a contrast?”
So the 37-year-old turned to local experts in northern Ghana near his studio in Tamale, who weaved and sewed this project on a colossal scale.
During three months, a team of 1,000 people hand-stitched 2,000 square metres of striped cotton, before decorating it with 130 traditional smocks known as batakari.
Purple Hibiscus is the result of that toil. It is also a nod to London’s famous rag trade – the city’s fabric merchants, tailors and dressmakers who once dominated the area where the Barbican Centre now stands.
Ghana too has its own long and rich history of textiles – perhaps best known for its bright, patterned kente cloth.
After independence from the UK in 1957, the state initially invested in the garment and cloth industries but they later went into decline because of economic turmoil and cheap Chinese imports.
Textiles have made a comeback in recent years – despite a struggling economy – and Ghanaian fabrics are desired for their high quality and interesting designs.
“I always say that doctors repair the body, but artists fill the body with the soul. And in any society, art is the soul that drives it – to evolve in a more conscious way,” says Mahama.
Community for him is key – his studio is open to visitors and he plans to open an art school for children.
Purple Hibiscus and Mahama’s other large-scale public art installations reference the power of collective labour and the memories that textiles contain.
Jute sacks – used to transport cocoa, rice and charcoal – were draped over the National Theatre in Accra, Ghana’s capital city. It was Mahama’s way of exploring the history of trade in commodities and globalisation.
His latest project at the Barbican showcases a typically Ghanaian item he has been collecting since 2012.
Batakari – also called smocks or binŋmah in Mahama’s Dagbani language – are tunics made from hand-woven strips of cotton then sewn together to create a distinctive striped pattern.
They originated in northern Ghana but are now worn throughout the country and the diaspora by men and women, on formal and informal occasions.
Some are passed down the generations – decades-old and unwashed – so “they contain the sweat, the economic struggles, the personal struggles, and the spirit of people”, says Mahama.
“I like decay quite a lot. When something is at that point of its life, I always think that is when it is beginning to live more.”
Among the batakari on show in Purple Hibiscus are those donated by old chiefs. Others came from ordinary families who would trade Mahama their old ones for a new one, and others still were specially commissioned.
Many bear yellowish stains of sweat – and in some cases, urine. Some families would not give Mahama their batakari until they had put urine on it because they believe that the family’s past, present and future is contained in the decades-old garment.
“They believe that when they do that, it somehow desacralises the material and then the soul will somehow escape away from it,” explains Mahama.
“As an artist, I think it’s even more interesting aesthetically.”
Mahama is in some ways more focused on the process and experience of creating art than the final product.
Crafting Purple Hibiscus was so big a task that the team worked in Tamale’s sports stadium, built for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations football tournament.
Bringing the textile creation over to London to drape on the Barbican’s post-World War Two brutalist forms was a feat that makes Mahama proud.
“I thought what could be more beautiful than creating this relationship between these two labour forms – one that is coming from a post-war era, and then one that is coming from the 21st Century but also steeped in traditions and histories of the pre-colonial era.”
Today it is an extraordinary sight, especially when a blue sky sets off the pink just so.
The billowing forms that batakari take when their wearers dance have always fascinated Mahama, who says they create a kind of optical effect.
The recent passage of the Anti-LGBT+ Bill in Ghana has sparked widespread concern and condemnation from international media outlets and organizations, who fear its implications for human rights and inclusivity.
The legislation, which seeks to proscribe and criminalize lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activities, has drawn sharp criticism for its potential to marginalize and endanger vulnerable communities.
The bill, which was approved on February 28, 2024, awaits presidential assent to come into effect. Its provisions include imposing hefty penalties on individuals engaged in same-sex relations, with a six-month to three-year jail term for offenders and a three to five-year jail term for promoters and sponsors of such acts.
International media coverage of the bill’s passage has largely focused on expressing concern over its potential impact on the rights and freedoms of LGBT individuals. News outlets have highlighted the discriminatory nature of the legislation, which seeks to restrict fundamental liberties based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Moreover, prominent international organizations have joined the chorus of criticism, denouncing the bill as a violation of human rights principles. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and other advocacy groups have issued statements condemning the legislation and urging [Country]’s government to reconsider its stance. They warn that the bill’s enforcement could lead to widespread discrimination, persecution, and violence against LGBT individuals, further exacerbating social divisions and undermining efforts to promote equality and tolerance.
In addition to concerns about its human rights implications, international commentators have also questioned the motivations behind the bill’s passage. Some have speculated that political maneuvering and pandering to conservative elements may have influenced the decision to enact such legislation, rather than a genuine commitment to upholding societal values.
The passage of the Anti-LGBT+ Bill in Ghana has reignited debates about the rights of LGBT individuals and the role of governments in safeguarding their freedoms. As the bill awaits presidential assent, pressure continues to mount on Ghana’s leadership to reconsider its approach and ensure that all citizens are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera reported that the Bill, considered one of the harshest of its kind in Africa, could lead to imprisonment ranging from six months to three years for those participating in LGBTQ+ activities and three to five years for those promoting or supporting such activities.
Reuters
Reuters emphasised the intensified crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights in Ghana.
According to the Reuters report, the bill, sponsored by a coalition of religious and traditional leaders, received favour from the majority of lawmakers and if signed into law by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, it would further restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and those advocating for their rights.
BBC Pidgin
BBC Pidgin highlighted the local context, noting the widespread support for the bill in Ghana despite opposition from human rights groups and civil society organizations.
The report underscored the concerns that the law could potentially abuse the rights of sexual minorities and the controversial nature of criminalizing private activities.
CNN
CNN pointed to the unanimous passage by parliament, describing it as a comprehensive measure that not only criminalizes LGBTQ+ relationships but also targets individuals supporting LGBTQ+ rights.
The news outlet referenced the three-year prison term for identifying as LGBTQ+ and the five-year sentence for promoting or supporting LGBTQ+ activities.
New York Times
The New York Times zoomed in on the severity of the legislation, stating that if signed into law, it would be among the harshest on the African continent.
The report highlighted the potential three-year jail term for identifying as gay and the five-year sentence for promoters of LGBTQ+ issues.
DW
The German broadcaster reported on the bill’s background, noting that the legislation has been the subject of discussion since 2021.
The report highlighted the support from a coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders and the potential jail terms that engaging in, promoting or supporting LGBTQ+ activities came with.
In a recently obtained video by SaharaReporters, the late televangelist and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Temitope Balogun Joshua, commonly known as TB Joshua, disclosed that he was not the biological father of Ajoke, the individual who accused him of abuse in a BBC investigative documentary.
Ajoke, whose full name is Ajoke God’swill Joshua, made severe allegations against TB Joshua in a three-part BBC documentary, claiming constant abuse and torture.
In response, TB Joshua clarified in the video that he adopted Ajoke in 2000 when she was abandoned as a baby. He reported the incident to a Lagos police station and received approval to adopt her.
TB Joshua explained that over time, Ajoke’s behavior became problematic, involving herself in fraudulent activities, theft, and causing disruptions among the church disciples.
In the video, TB Joshua addressed the church workers, introducing Ajoke and requesting prayers for her, acknowledging the challenges he faced in dealing with her actions.
He said, “It is such a surprise thing, she has what we call influence on the people, and she doesn’t influence little people. She influences big people, people that matter to the extent that two months ago, I had to call the commissioner of police to trace her file and they brought her file to me and there was a letter in the file demanding that I should return her and I held on to the letter.
“They too felt for me that I have given so much for her and that they should put her where she belongs. In a British school, there is a letter from the school which showed that this girl stole money. She agreed in the letter that she did it.”
A letter written to Prophet TB Joshua by a school in Togo, Benin Republic dated November 25, 2008, and signed by Gareth Jones on behalf of the academic team read, “We wish to bring to your notice formally this incident of theft perpetuated by Ajoke God’swill Joshua here in school.
“The school management has dealt with it by giving her a suspension and consequently her being put in isolation. It is a three school days suspension and she is allowed no visitors except her House Parent or Form Tutor who gives her some class work to do.
“We wish to assure you of our desire to keep her in school and to help her in various ways to reform and change for the better. We are of the opinion that taking her out of the school to another place could rather compound the situation and allow this habit to go on, but being in one place, getting the needed help from counselors, spiritual and temporal would to a great extent bring about the needed result.
“We acknowledge the fear you have of your name being tarnished but this we assure you once again it has been contained and would not be allowed to spill over. We have spoken to your delegation and given them a copy of the letter of plea as well as the statement of acceptance of wrong doing written by her which clearly indicates her being sorrowful for the situation she has created and remorse for it.
“We will continue to support in any way possible and be grateful for vice versa.”
One of the letters in which Ajoke admitted to the crime which was read by one of the church workers read, “I Ajoke Joshua is hereby admitting that I stole a sum of 41,000 CFA from (name of the school was hidden).
“This was a very criminal act and also something that should have not been done at all in the first place. I was so tempted by the money and I do not have any idea of whatsoever prompted me to do this. I am so sorry and I promise that in my whole entire life that this will not happen again. Please do not suspend me. I am sincerely sorry.”
TB Joshua said that after the school wrote the letter to him. According to him, “to them because nobody ever knew that she is not my biological child, we then showed them the letter of the day we found her when she was a baby. I took her to the police station and they told me to take care of her, and I felt, let her live with us.”
The cleric said the video of how Ajoke was found and picked up when she was a baby was recorded.
TB Joshua’s wife who went to the Togolese school with Ajoke to show the documents of her adoption said that the teachers in the school were surprised after the video was played to them.
TB Joshua lamented that “Ajoke has been a terrible thing that the police said they want to take her back to the orphanage home and they had taken her name and photocopies of the documents but I said no.”
A letter from the Ikotun Police Station, Lagos requesting the release of Ajoke who was adopted in March 2000, back to the police was read before the workers in the church.
TB Joshua said that if not that he had Ajoke, he would have had thousands of adopted children “but I warn you, they are very dangerous. They will never be grateful to whatever you do.”
He said that Ajoke “is now destroying the disciples here,” citing an example of one of the disciples who called him from Ghana and said that he had to go because Ajoke had destroyed him.
According to the disciple, “he cannot say no to Ajoke.” A document was also read on how Ajoke sent a message to the disciple saying she wanted to marry him and have a sexual affair with the disciple and that no matter what TB Joshua said, she was ready to die because of the disciple.
According to TB Joshua, this made the disciple to leave the church and go back to Ghana.
Annie Nightingale, who was the first woman to host a show on Radio 1 and stayed on as a host for a long time, has passed away at 83.
Nightingale started working at the station in 1970 and was the only woman on the team for 12 years.
She loved many kinds of music, from rock and punk to electronic and rap.
She was on the radio until the end of last year with Annie Nightingale Presents.
Nightingale also hosted a music show on BBC Two called The Old Grey Whistle Test.
People are praising Nightingale a lot. DJ Annie Mac said she was a pioneer, brave, funny, and really good at her job.
On Instagram, she said: “This woman made a big impact on British TV and radio that will last forever. ” You should not underestimate it.
Zoe Ball, who works on BBC Radio 2, said she was very sad when she heard the news. She said that the person who passed away really loved music and was always looking for new songs and artists that had a big impact on our lives. She interviewed all kinds of musicians, DJs, and broadcasters and helped them get noticed.
Her family said that she died at her home in London after being sick for a short time.
“Annie was a leader and role model for lots of people. ” She still wanted to share her excitement with people all around the world on TV and radio, even after working for the BBC for over 60 years.
“Always remember how much of a good example she turned into. ” Refusing to back down from sexual prejudice and male fear inspired many young women who, like Annie, just wanted to share an awesome song they heard.
Watching Annie perform on TV in the 1970s, especially on the BBC music show The Old Grey Whistle Test, or listening to her play the newest techno music on Radio One shows that she always believed in the magic of rock ‘n’ roll.
They also said there will be a party to remember her in the spring.
‘A leader for women’
Nightingale hosted the Request Show on Radio 1 in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, and then started working the late-night shift. She sometimes presented shows on Radio 2, 5 Live and 6 Music, and also made documentaries.
“Every week at work is like a new exciting journey for me. ” “I like it,” she said in July. “People don’t get it. ” Many people stop enjoying pop music when they reach a certain age. I am still curious about where it is heading and the unexpected changes.
The DJ helped many artists start their careers and other DJs like Lauren Laverne, Jo Whiley, Zoe Ball, and Annie Mac recognized him as a pioneer.
Radio 1’s current boss Aled Haydn Jones said, “We are very sad to lose Annie. Our thoughts are with her family and friends. ”
Annie was a really good DJ, radio host, and reporter. She always supported new music and new artists in her job.
She was the first woman DJ on Radio 1 and for over 50 years, she paved the way for other women in the industry and in dance music.
“We lost a well-known person in broadcasting, and things will be different now because of Annie. ”
People in the music industry are saying nice things about Nightingale. DJ Stephanie Hirst said that she was an important woman in radio.
“Annie Nightingale has passed away,” she wrote on X, which used to be called Twitter.
DJ Dave Pearce said she was a very famous broadcaster who opened doors for many female DJs.
Nightingale’s last show was a “best of 2023” three-part series on 19 December.
After playing songs by Dimitri Vegas, Daft Punk, Sam Smith, and Bad Bunny, she ended the show by wishing listeners a “great Christmas”.
She said “lots of love, from me to you” as her last words on Radio 1.
The BBC’s Rushdi Abualouf, who has been reporting from Gaza for a long time, talked about the challenges for journalists reporting from the region.
He said on the BBC News Channel that the journalist will face big consequences. People think that the person filming is a hero, but they forget that he is just a normal person with a family to take care of.
He’s always worried about his family, just think about someone losing five of their family members. He thinks he should keep writing the story, but it’s hard for him to keep reporting because he feels so sad and upset.
Rushdi said that many journalists have been killed during the fighting since October 7th.
The BBC found proof that the leader of one of the largest Christian churches has been abusing and torturing many people.
Many former members of the Synagogue Church of all Nations, including five from Britain, say that they experienced terrible things such as rape and forced abortions by the church’s leader, TB Joshua, who has since died.
There have been reports of abuse in a private area in Lagos for almost 20 years.
The Synagogue Church of All Nations did not reply to the accusations, but said that previous claims have been untrue.
TB Joshua was a popular and successful preacher who had a lot of fans all over the world. He passed away in 2021.
The BBC studied something for two years and found out some things.
Many people saw Joshua hurt or torture others, including hurting children and tying people up.
Many women say Joshua sexually hurt them. Some say it happened many times for years in the compound. Several claims of women being made to have abortions in the church after being raped by Joshua. One woman says she had five abortions. Many people have said that Joshua pretended to heal people in a special way and this was show non TV to many people.
A British woman named Rae, who was 21 years old,dropped out of university in 2002 and joined the church. For 12 years, she followed Joshua in his complex building in Lagos with other followers.
“We thought we were in a good place, but it was really bad, and bad things were happening,” she said to the BBC.
Rae says that Joshua hurt her and kept her alone for two years.
They also have social media pages with lots of followers. During the 1990s and early 2000s, many people from Europe, the Americas, South East Asia and Africa went to a church in Nigeria to see Joshua do “healing miracles”. Over 150 people stayed with him as students in his place in Lagos for many years.
Over 25 former followers talked to the BBC from different countries like the UK, Nigeria, US, South Africa, Ghana, Namibia, and Germany. They shared their stories about their time in the church, with some experiences happening in 2019. Many of the people who were hurt were in their teenage years when they first became involved. Joshua and other UK churches paid for some British people to go to Lagos.
Rae and many other people said their experiences were like being in a cult.
Jessica Kaimu, from Namibia, says she suffered for more than five years. She says that when she was 17, Joshua raped her for the first time, and that he continued to rape her, which resulted in her having five abortions.
“We were receiving unsafe medical treatments that could have killed us,” she told the BBC.
Other people who were interviewed said they were undressed and hit with electric cables and horse whips, and were never allowed to sleep regularly.
When TB Joshua died in June 2021, people said he was one of the most important pastors in African history. He came from being very poor and built a big religious group with lots of famous people and politicians involved.
During his lifetime, he caused some trouble when a guesthouse for church visitors fell down in 2014, and at least 116 people died.
More about the claims made by TB Joshua
The BBC and Open Democracy worked together to investigate for the first time multiple former church insiders speaking out about their experiences. They have been trying for years to warn others, but they have been stopped from doing so.
Some people in Nigeria say they were hurt or shot at after speaking out about abuse and posting videos on YouTube.
In March 2022, a BBC team tried to film the church’s Lagos compound from a public street but the church’s security shot at them and they were held for several hours.
The BBC talked to Scoan about the claims in our research. It did not answer them, but said that the things people said about TB Joshua before were not true.
“Accusing Prophet TB Joshua of things with no proof has happened before. None of the accusations have been proven true,” it said.
Four British people told the BBC that they told the UK authorities about the abuse after leaving the church. They said nothing more was done.
Also, a man and his wife from Britain sent email about what they went through and videos showing them being held at gunpoint by men who said they were police and members of Scoan, to the British High Commission in Nigeria in March 2010 after leaving the church. The man said in an email that Joshua had sexually assaulted and raped his wife many times. He told the commission that there are other British people still in the building and they are facing terrible things.
He also says that nothing was done.
The UK Foreign Office did not answer these claims, but they told the BBC that they take all reports of crime against British people in other countries very seriously, including sexual assault and violence.
Scoan is still doing well today, with Joshua’s widow, Evelyn, leading the way. In July 2023, she guided a group of people on a trip to Spain.
Anneka, who moved from Derby to the UK to join Scoan when she was 17 years old, told the BBC that she thinks there are many more people who have been hurt but haven’t said anything yet. She wants more action to be taken to find out what Joshua did.
“I think we need to investigate why this man was able to do what he did for so long at the Synagogue Church of All Nations,” she said.
The BBC is changing how it works in India to follow the country’s rules about foreign investments.
Four workers are leaving the BBC to start a new company called Collective Newsroom. This company will be owned by Indians and will include the BBC’s six Indian language services.
The BBC will continue to gather news in India in English.
This year, the tax authorities searched the BBC’s offices in India as part of an investigation.
Foreign funding for digital news companies in India can only make up to 26% of their total funding under new rules.
The new rule says that most of the owners of a company publishing digital news in India must be Indian citizens.
Rupa Jha, who is in charge of India at the BBC, will be in charge of Collective Newsroom with Mukesh Sharma, Sanjoy Majumder, and Sara Hassan.
Employees from the six language services – BBC Gujarati, BBC Hindi, BBC Marathi, BBC Punjabi, BBC Tamil and BBC Telugu – will be part of the new company. Members of the BBC India YouTube channel in English will also join them.
“Ms Jha said that people in India can trust that the BBC’s programs in Indian languages will give them good information and entertainment. ”
The company is being looked at for breaking the rules about investing in other countries. Tax authorities searched its offices in Delhi and Mumbai.
The searches in February happened a few weeks after the TV aired a documentary in the UK that said bad things about the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Indian government said the searches were legal and were not related to the documentary, which was not shown in India at that time.
Over 300 people work for the BBC in India. The BBC started showing programs in Hindi in 1940.
Jonathan Munro, who is the deputy CEO of BBC News, said that BBC has a long history in India and it will continue to grow with the formation of Collective Newsroom.
Fred Leparan, who was employed at Mama Lucy Kibaki hospital in Nairobi, was caught on camera receiving $2,500 (£2,000) for illegally selling a baby boy who was under the hospital’s protection.
He got caught in 2020 and was found guilty of selling children, not taking care of them, and planning to do more bad things together.
Selina Adundo, the person involved in the crime with him, was given a punishment of either six years in prison or a $2,000 payment.
An Africa Eye journalist pretended to be interested in buying something from Leparan. The reporter had heard from someone that Leparan, who works at the hospital, was involved in illegally taking children.
Leparan talked to the undercover reporter who was having trouble getting pregnant. Leparan didn’t ask many questions before agreeing to sell them a baby boy.
On that day, a baby boy and two more kids were supposed to move from the hospital to a government-run children’s home. However, Leparan was caught on camera changing the transfer documents to make it seem like only two children were coming instead of three.
Adundo, who also worked at the hospital, was found guilty of not taking care of three children, but he was not found guilty of illegally taking children.
The court warned that Leparan and Adundo should not be allowed to deal with anything involving children.
This situation has continued for over two years even though there is really solid proof against Leparan.
He had one of the best legal defenses in Kenya, but he admitted in the secret video by the BBC that it was him.
There is not a lot of trustworthy information on how many children are being trafficked in Kenya.
Between July 2022 and May 2023, over 6,000 kids were reported as missing, as stated by the Minister of Labour and Social Protection, Florence Bore.
This week, Ms Bore announced that the government plans to get rid of all orphanages and children’s homes that are owned by individuals. This is because they want to stop child trafficking. They want to complete this process in the next eight years.
When I heard the news in the early hours of Monday, 21 August 2023 titled, “Ghana’s Paa Kwesi Asare wins 2023 BBC News Komla-Dumor-Award,” borrowing from Martin-Luther-King’s “free at last, free at last, thank God we are free at last,” I heard myself say,“Home at last, home at last, thank God it is home at last!”
I was elated because finally, for the eighth award since its inception in 2015, a Ghanaian had won the BBC’s coveted award.
BBC “Komla-Dumor-Award”
The Komla-Dumor-Award was created by the BBC in 2015 in honour of Ghanaian journalist Komla Dumor who worked for BBC World News and was the main presenter of its programme “Focus-on-Africa.” He died at the age of 41 in 2014.
I have lived in Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda. Since BBC instituted the “Komla-Dumor-Award,” journalists fromthe three countries have dominated the award winning twice each. Zambia has won it once! For me, Ghananot having won the award to honour a Ghanaian, was a source of silent pain which hurt my pride as a Ghanaian.
The award brought me joy because of the pessimism expressed about a Ghanaian winning, as every year since 2015 saw fading hopes as non-Ghanaians won.The pessimism reminded me of one of Boxing’s greatest trainers Angelo Dundee. Among the boxing legends he trained are “the Greatest,” Muhammed Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman. Asked how he motivated boxers to the highest levels, he answered “criticism is good, but encouragement is better.”
He explained that, while he criticised his boxers a lot, he encouraged them a lot more. He added that, constant criticism without encouragement only destroys.
Destructive Criticism
Unfortunately, Ghanaians appear not to have the patience we have for foreigners, for fellow Ghanaians. While we bend over backwards to please foreigners even if their activities harm us, we are intolerant andquick to criticize our own, often not constructively.Our FM radios/televisions are replete with daily insults hurled by Ghanaians of all ages irrespective of status,at fellow Ghanaians.
Ironically, despite the malice we dispense so generously, we claim to be a religious people. Obviously, we only make a show of religion. Again, we do not appreciate, praise and reward merit, success and achievement. Meritocracy has given way tomediocrity.
Questions
The more I think of Dundee’s dictum, the more I ask questions like:
Why are we so intolerant and hard on ourselves and see nothing good in one another simply for having a different viewpoint?
Why do we find it so difficult to praise Ghanaians on our achievements, but so easy to find fault and criticize destructively?
Why have disrespect/arrogance and indiscipline replaced the traditional values of respect for elders and authority?
When the interviewer in a radio-programme asked a‘man-of-God’ what he thought was the strongest attribute of the Ghanaian, he answered “Traditional-Ghanaian-Hospitality.” Asked who the hospitality was directed at, he said “to foreigners.” However, he could not convincingly explain why Ghanaians direct hospitality to foreigners but not to compatriots.
Hypocrisy
A contributor quoted the old saying “Charity begins at home” and suggested that, if Ghanaians could not be hospitable to Ghanaians but could to foreigners, then it smacks of hypocrisy/insincerity and dishonesty/pretence in our national character. She asked how a people could be so unkind to their countrymen/women but shower kindness on foreigners.
She called for respect for one another as Ghanaians first, above narrower considerations like ethnicity, religion/politics, and strongly advocated a discontinuation of the culture of insults and violence by leadership and followers alike if we are to progress as a country.
Attitude
Asked in an interview in Germany about Ghana’s greatest passion football, a famous Nigerian ex-international footballer had this as his summary for Ghanaian footballers;
“……flair……. talented……………but underachievers.”
He explained that despite all the talent Ghana has produced, we have not done as well as one would have thought.
He stated “I know that Ghanaians are so talented and always produce great players. But they always have issues with coming together as a team. I don’t know whether it is ego problems, but the big players seem to fight one another. That is why they are underachievers!”
Certainly, we are operating below our optimum as a nation not only in football, but in all spheres! An octogenarian friend stated, we do things selfishly “with malice-aforethought!” We must relearn the virtues of respect/humility. We must also remind ourselves of Abraham Lincoln’s famous dictum, “a nation that does not honour its heroes will not endure long!”
Conclusion
In all human endeavours, Leadership is the most important single factor hence the saying “leadership is cause, the rest is effect!” Leadership is best by example. Good leaders solve problems and inspire, not explain why problems cannot be solved.
Let us be minded that endless destructive criticismbased on politics/ethnicity/religion, takes us nowhere as a country! Remember Angelo Dundee’s dictum “criticism is good, but encouragement is better!”
Paa Kwesi Asare winning the 2023 Komla-Dumor-Award is a breath of fresh air in the prevailing gloomwhich should remind us that, Ghana can do better than we have if we eschew pessimism and encourage one another.
Leadership, LEAD! Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP!
The writer is a former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association, Nairobi, Kenya and Council Chairman, Family Health University College, Teshie, Accra
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana.
A Ghanaian national has made it at the BBC News Komla Dumor awards.
TV presenter and journalist Paa Kwesi Asare has won the 2023 BBC News Komla Dumor Award.
The 36-year-old is the eighth recipient of the award and the first to come from Ghana, like the late Komla Dumor.
Asare is currently the head of business news at Ghana’s private TV3 channel, where he has worked for seven years as one of its main news anchors.
The award was created to honour Dumor, a presenter for BBC World News, who died suddenly aged 41 in 2014.
He had worked tirelessly to bring a more nuanced African narrative to the world, representing a confident, savvy and entrepreneurial side of Africa.
The judges were impressed by Asare’s strong journalism and his ability to explain complex topics compellingly and clearly.
“This for me is a watershed moment in my career and an opportunity I’ll grab with both hands,” said Asare, who will spend three months working with BBC News teams in London across TV, radio and online.
The Ghanaian broadcaster will also receive training and be mentored by leading BBC journalists.
As part of the placement, he will travel to a country in Africa to report on a story that will be broadcast to the BBC’s global audiences.
“I feel very elated to have won the BBC News Komla Dumor Award,” Asare said.
“This is arguably the most prestigious award for any African journalist. Komla’s talent is one that I greatly admired and to be found worthy of walking in his shoes is not only a joy but also a great privilege.”
Previous award recipients are Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya, Victoria Rubadiri, Solomon Serwanjja, Waihiga Mwaura, Amina Yuguda, Didi Akinyelure and Nancy Kacungira, the inaugural winner.
Last year, Buyoya travelled to the Seychelles to report on how the country’s ocean plants can help tackle climate change.
The young person’s attorney referred to the accusations made by the mother at the centre of the BBC presenter incident as “rubbish.”
After a virtual discussion with the broadcaster earlier today, the Metropolitan Police is now conducting additional investigations to determine whether any crimes have been committed.
Online rumours have also been rampant over the identity of the male celebrity who is suspected of paying the anonymous adolescent £35,000 for sexual pictures.
While the victim at the centre of the allegations is now 20 years old, the situation is said to have begun when they were 17.
But the lawyer representing them has reported that the claims have ‘no truth to it’.
A letter from them reported by BBC News At Six said: ‘For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in the Sun newspaper are “rubbish”.’
Again citing the lawyer, the BBC also reported the young person sent a denial to the Sun on Friday evening, but that the ‘inappropriate article’ was still published.
A statement from the newspaper said: ‘We have reported a story about two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behaviour of a presenter and the welfare of their child.
‘Their complaint was not acted upon by the BBC.
‘We have seen evidence that supports their concerns. It is now for the BBC to properly investigate.’
According to a report by the newspaper, the mum saw a picture of the presenter on her child’s phone ‘sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear’.
She was told it was ‘a picture from some kind of video call’ and looked like he was ‘getting ready for my child to perform for him’.
The family were said to have complained to the BBC on May 19, but then became frustrated that the star remained on air.
The broadcaster confirmed it had been investigating a complaint since May, and that new claims of a ‘different nature’ were brought to it on Thursday.
As well as being in touch with the police, it is carrying out its own inquiries and talking to the young person’s family.
The Metropolitan Police has announced that there is “no investigation” ongoing into the BBC incident in which one of its stars is said to have paid a kid for sexual photographs.
In response to claims that an anonymous male presenter paid a teen more than £35,000 for the images, the broadcaster stated last night that it had gotten in touch with the police.
The incident is believed to have started when the victim, who is the subject of the allegations, was 17. The victim is now 20 years old.
Detectives are now assessing information discussed in a virtual meeting with the company, but an investigation has not been launched ‘at this time’.
A Met statement said: ‘Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command met with representatives from the BBC on the morning of Monday, July 10.
‘The meeting took place virtually. They are assessing the information discussed at the meeting and further enquiries are taking place to establish if there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed.
‘There is no investigation at this time.’
This is the latest scandal to hit the BBC after the allegations first came to light on Saturday in the Sun.
Director-general Tim Davie is due to face the media tomorrow for a briefing after the release of the corporation’s annual report.
In a note to staff on Sunday, he said: ‘The BBC became aware of a complaint in May; the BBC investigations team have been looking into this since it was raised and have been actively following up.
‘New allegations, of a different nature, were put to us on Thursday, and, in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.
‘I can also confirm that we have suspended a member of staff.’
He added: ‘By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex.
‘I also want to be very clear that I am wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent.
‘We are in contact with the family referenced in the media reports.
‘I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts and to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care, including by external authorities where appropriate.’
The BBC said it had been investigating a complaint since May, adding that new claims of a ‘different nature’ were brought to it on Thursday.
As well as being in touch with the police, the corporation is carrying out its own inquiries and talking to the young person’s family.
A group of Russian hackers known as The Clop has issued a threat, stating that they have stolen payroll data belonging to over 100,000 employees from prominent British, American, and Canadian companies and organizations.
The hackers have demanded that the targeted firms initiate contact to engage in negotiations; otherwise, they will release the stolen data onto the internet.
The Clop group posted a message on the dark web, specifying that entities affected by the hack, including the BBC,British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Walgreens Boots Alliance, must send them an email before June 14th.
Failure to comply would result in the hackers publishing the pilfered data online.
“This is announcement to educate companies who use Progress MOVEit product that chance is that we download a lot of your data as part of exceptional exploit,” the post said, according to the BBC.
The hacking group successfully obtained personal information, including names, addresses, social security numbers, and bank details, by exploiting vulnerabilities in the widely used business software MOVEit, developed by Progress, a Massachusetts-based company. MOVEit is commonly utilized for file transfer within company systems.
Zellis, the largest payroll services provider in Britain and Ireland, acknowledged that data had been compromised from eight undisclosed organizations it collaborates with. The extent of the information accessed varied among the affected clients.
Zellis promptly responded by disconnecting the server that employs the third-party MOVEit software and engaging an external security incident response team for forensic analysis and continuous monitoring.
“All Zellis-owned software is unaffected and there are no associated incidents or compromises to any other part of our IT estate. We employ robust security processes across all of our services and they all continue to run as normal,” the company said.
Walgreens Boots Alliance said a “global data vulnerability, which affected a third-party software used by one of our payroll providers, included some of our team members’ personal details.
“Our provider assured us that immediate steps were taken to disable the server, and as a priority we have made our team members aware,” the company said.
British Airways, which employs 34,000 people in Britain alone, said it had notified staff whose information had been compromised and was providing them with “support and advice.”
“We have notified those colleagues whose personal information has been compromised to provide support and advice,” a spokesman said.
An internal investigation has discovered that a YouTuber ruined a BBC football broadcast by making pornographic noises while roaming ‘freely’ through a stadium.
According to the corporation, Jarvo was in charge of the security lapse after roaming ‘unchallenged’ across Wolves’ grounds the day before.
In a studio used by Gary Lineker and guests for coverage of the home team’s FA Cup match against Liverpool in January 2023, he smuggled a phone with a pornographic clip as its ringtone.
The broadcaster subsequently carried out an investigation that it tried to keep secret on health and safety grounds, citing the future safety of BBC Sport staff at outside events.
However, after Metro.co.uk challenged the refusal at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), a heavily redacted version has been released, showing how the prankster and an accomplice ‘moved freely, and unchallenged’ around the Molineux.
While Lineker was left amused, the prank raised serious questions about what might have happened if intruders with more malevolent intentions had gained access to the stadium and led to the BBC making recommendations to tighten security at future events.
The report states: ‘A male gained unauthorized access to the football ground (on the day prior to the football match).
‘He and an accomplice moved freely, and unchallenged, around the inside of the stadium.
‘Purporting to be on an official tour, the two gained access into the BBC studio area (and were not challenged by the 3rd party build team).
‘Whilst out of sight of OB [outside broadcast] staff, one male secreted a mobile telephone inside the MotD studio set. The two then left the ground without anyone knowing there had been a security breach.’
Lineker was interrupted by the embarrassing noises for almost 15 minutes during the build up to the evening game on January 17.
The host, who had been speaking with Alan Shearer, Paul Ince, and Danny Murphy, later tweeted a picture of a small mobile phone.
He said in the caption that ‘we found this taped to the back of the set’ and ‘as sabotage goes it was quite amusing’.
But the presenter later acknowledged that ‘if someone can do that, they can do something else with something that could be more dangerous’.
Safety planning at Premier League grounds has involved work involving counter-terror police to guard against possible threats.
The report found: ‘The mobile phone’s ringtone was an audio clip from a pornographic film. The telephone was dialled — and played the audio — several times during the broadcast.
‘The mobile phone was removed by club officials before the game kicked off. Although no criminal offences were committed, this incident does constitute a breach of security by the stadium.’
Key findings in the report identify Jarvo and an ‘older man’ as having entered the 32,000-capacity stadium ahead of the third round replay.
They were found to have ‘toured several parts of the ground — unchallenged by anyone (BBC contractors or club)’.
Another section reads: ‘The two men were able to move freely around the ground without anyone challenging them.
‘The production team, supported by the security management team at the venue, were able to locate the mobile phone before the football match kicked off, and it was promptly removed from the studio.’
The pair are said in the report to have ‘disappeared out of view of a (freelance) camera operator who was setting up for filming’ and to have left the phone in a part of the set ‘that was out of sight’.
A series of recommendations are then made in a section which is completely blacked out on the grounds that public disclosure might compromise security at future BBC Sport outside events.
Dan ‘Jarvo’ Jarvis, from Gravesend, Kent, said after the incident that ‘we got in because we made it look like we were meant to be there, so no one bats an eyelid’. He even helped himself to a free beer and walked into the home dressing room on the unsanctioned stadium tour.
The practical joker, known as Jarvo69 on YouTube, told The Sun that he used a £20 mobile with the loudest ringtone on the market and ‘had a cheers with the beers’ after strapping it to a wall.
The BBC initially refused to provide the document after a request under the Freedom of Information Act, arguing that a release ‘may lead to the future security of BBC staff being compromised’.
After Metro.co.uk requested an internal review, the broadcaster provided a version of the report that was so heavily blacked out on health and safety and law enforcement grounds only 172 words were visible.
The document was then re-issued by the corporation with further sections unredacted after the challenge to the ICO.
In the latest response, an unnamed member of the BBC’s legal team said: ‘Upon reviewing further published information in the public domain regarding this incident, I have liaised with BBC Sport and the Safety, Security and Risk Management team, and they have agreed to unredact further information from the report.’
The BBC issued an official apology at the time, with a short statement reading: ‘We apologise to any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening. We are investigating how this happened.’
A spokesperson for the BBC said today: ‘We don’t comment on anything relating to security issues.’
The BBC is in the middle of a controversy about its coverage of the Coronation when UK news organizations were informed they would have to pay, despite international media receiving the live broadcast at no additional expense to their current contracts with press agencies supplying them with news footage.
Due to the event’s historical significance, news websites were given free access to live coverage of the late Queen’s funeral, and a similar arrangement was anticipated for the King’s Coronation.
However, the BBC has imposed a price on British websites, including Telegraph.co.uk, in order to access the live footage that its cameras will capture inside Westminster Abbey.
It means BBC licence fee payers, whose money will cover the cost of the coverage, will be denied the choice of watching it on their favourite news websites, while foreign audiences who do not have to contribute to the cost will have no such restrictions.
The News Media Association (NMA), which represents news publishers, has been negotiating with the BBC for weeks, arguing that the Coronation, as a major historical event, should be treated in the same way as the late Queen’s funeral.
BBC has monopoly on images
The BBC, ITN and Sky, which are pooling their footage of the Coronation procession and the Abbey service, want publishers to pay a six-figure sum between them to access their images.
As the BBC is the only organisation allowed to film inside the Abbey on Saturday, it will have a monopoly on the images of the Coronation service, enabling it to effectively hold publishers to ransom.
The Gold State Coach is ridden alongside members of the military during a full overnight dress rehearsal of the Coronation Ceremony on Wednesday CREDIT: HENRY NICHOLLS/REUTERS
Talks between the NMA and the broadcasters on Thursday broke up without agreement.
A final meeting between them is scheduled for Friday.
Under a separate agreement affecting foreign territories, news websites around the world will be able to stream footage of the entire event at no extra cost to their existing deals with the press agencies that supply them with news footage.
Historic events are different
Dawn Alford, executive director of the Society of Editors, which represents the editors of news publishers, said: “Given the significant public interest in Saturday’s historic Coronation and the precedent set by the Queen’s funeral last year, we are deeply concerned that while foreign publishers will be free to use live broadcast footage of the event, UK audiences look set to miss out unless publishers meet broadcasters’ financial demands.
“Given that the BBC is funded by the licence fee payer, it is wrong that UK news audiences will be the ones set to lose out on free access via their chosen platform. We urge the broadcasters to reconsider.”
Buckingham Palace has told the NMA it has no objection to the footage being shared with UK news outlets free of charge.
A BBC spokesperson said: “The UK broadcasters who are covering this complex and historic event have asked for a fair and reasonable financial contribution from any third-parties wishing to access the live coverage for their own use.”
To “prioritize the interests” of the broadcaster, Richard Sharp has resigned as chairman of the BBC.
Before the then-prime minister endorsed Boris Johnson for the position of head of the BBC, the former Goldman Sachs banker was accused of setting up a loan for him of up to £800,000.
In January 2021, he was declared the government’s choice for the chairman post.
According to the 25-page assessment by Adam Heppinstall KC on the selection of Mr. Sharp as BBC Chairman, he “failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest.”
In response, Mr Sharp said he will remain in the role until the end of June while the search for a successor takes place.
He said: ‘Mr Heppinstall’s view is that while I did breach the governance code for public appointments, he states that a breach does not necessarily invalidate an appointment.
‘Indeed, I have always maintained the breach was inadvertent and not material, which the facts he lays out substantiate. The Secretary of State has consulted with the BBC Board who support that view.
‘Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC.’
A screen showing a news report seen through the windows of the BBC in central London (Picture: PA)
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said that the BBC was being ‘dragged through the mud’ by the Conservatives.
Responding to Mr Sharp’s resignation, he said: ‘The British people won’t stand for any more of this.
‘Everything Conservative politicians touch turns into a mess. They are not fit to govern our great country.
‘Boris Johnson should never have been allowed to appoint Richard Sharp in the first place and what’s worse is Rishi Sunak didn’t show leadership by sacking him.’
Richard Sharp testified in front of a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee earlier this year (Picture: Getty Images)
Meanwhile Tim Davie, director-general of the BBC, paid tribute to the outgoing chairman.
He said: ‘On behalf of the BBC Executive, I would like to thank Richard for his service to the BBC and the drive and intellect he brought to his time as chairman.
‘Working with him over the last two years has been rewarding and Richard has made a significant contribution to the transformation and success of the BBC.
‘The focus for all of us at the BBC is continuing the hard work to ensure we deliver for audiences, both now and in the future.’
Mr Sharp had made ‘significant errors of judgement’ and had not given the ‘full facts’ when applying for the BBC top job, a committee previously found.
A spokesperson for Boris Johnson dismissed the allegations as ‘rubbish’ (Picture: PA)
In a grilling by MPs, Mr Sharp insisted his only role was as a ‘sort of introduction agency’ between his friend Sam Blyth – a Canadian businessman who is a distant cousin of Johnson – and the cabinet secretary Simon Case.
Labour had called for an investigation into Mr Sharp after allegations surfaced in The Sunday Times.
According to the newspaper, a dinner was held at Chequers before the loan was finalised.
At the time, a spokesperson for Mr Johnson dismissed the Sunday Times report as ‘rubbish’ and insisted his financial arrangements ‘have been properly declared’.
‘Richard Sharp has never given any financial advice to Boris Johnson. He did indeed have dinner with Mr Sharp, whom he has known for almost 20 years, and with his cousin. So what? Big deal.’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he has not seen the report into Richard Sharp, but was unable to guarantee a non-political figure would replace him.
Speaking to media at the Scottish Tory conference in Glasgow, Mr Sunak said: ‘There’s an appointments process that happens for those appointments. I’m not going to prejudge that.’
Gary Lineker also shared his views on Mr Sharp’s resignation.
The Match Of The Day host, 62, tweeted: ‘The BBC chairman should not be selected by the government of the day.
‘Not now, not ever.’
His comments come after he was taken off air by the broadcaster in March after posting a tweet which sparked an impartiality row prompting the BBC to launch an independent review of its social media guidance for freelancers.
He later returned to his Match Of The Day presenting role following a boycott by top on-air talent.
Earlier today, a Labour MP said Mr Sharp ‘will have to go’ if he found to have broken the code for public appointments by facilitating a loan for Mr Johnson.
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh told Sky News: ‘If it is revealed that he has failed to declare the details of this loan arrangement properly or failed to be forthcoming in the process, then of course he will have to go.
‘I think his whole saga raises wider issues around the way that the Government has approached the BBC and the particular links of the Tory party with the BBC.’
The full resignation speech from Richard Sharp
Good morning.
I would like to thank Adam Heppinstall and his team for the diligence and professionalism they have shown in compiling today’s report.
Mr Heppinstall’s view is that while I did breach the governance code for public appointments, he states that a breach does not necessarily invalidate an appointment.
Indeed, I have always maintained the breach was inadvertent and not material, which the facts he lays out substantiate. The Secretary of State has consulted with the BBC Board who support that view.
Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC. I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporation’s good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term.
I have therefore this morning resigned as BBC Chair to the Secretary of State, and to the Board.
It was proposed to me that I stay on as Chair until the end of June while the process to appoint my successor is undertaken, and I will of course do that in the interests of the Corporation’s stability and continuity.
Let me turn to the events that are the subject of today’s report.
When I sought in December 2020 to introduce the Cabinet Secretary to Mr (Sam) Blyth I did so in good faith. I did so with the best of intentions.
And I did so with the sole purpose of ensuring that all relevant rules were being followed.
I am pleased that Mr Heppinstall supports the fact that my involvement in these matters was accordingly “very limited”.
He states that he is “happy to record” that he has seen no evidence – and nor could he – to say I played any part whatsoever in the facilitation, arrangement, or financing of a loan for the former Prime Minister.
During my conversation with the Cabinet Secretary on December 4, 2020, I reminded him of the fact that I was in the BBC appointments process.
I believed, as a result of that conversation, that I had been removed from any conflict or perception of conflict. I understood this recusal to be absolute.
This was my error. In my subsequent interview with the Appointments Panel I wish, with the benefit of hindsight, this potential perceived conflict of interest was something I had considered to mention.
I would like once again to apologise for that oversight – inadvertent though it was – and for the distraction these events have caused the BBC.
For more than twenty years I have devoted time and energy to public service, whether at the Institute for Cancer Research, at the Royal Academy of Arts, on the financial policy committee of the Bank of England, or as an economic advisor to the Treasury working to protect British business, including the creative industries, during the pandemic.
For more than two years I have seen the beating heart of the BBC up close. And for all its complexities, successes, and occasional failings, the BBC is an incredible, dynamic, and world beating creative force, unmatched anywhere.
As Chair I have acted at all times in the public interest, and for the betterment of the BBC. I am proud to have fought for the recent return of Government funding for the World Service. I have been active in commissioning independent thematic reviews of BBC coverage on touchstone issues.
And I have championed the importance of the BBC as a well-funded and impartial public service broadcaster.
To chair this incredible organisation has been an honour. The BBC’s contribution to our national life is immense, its people are hardworking and brilliant, and preserving and enhancing it matters.
In order to “prioritize the interests” of the broadcaster, Richard Sharp has resigned as chairman of the BBC.
The former Goldman Sachs banker has been accused of setting up a loan for Boris Johnson of up to £800,000 before the then-prime minister supported him for the BBC leadership position.
When applying for the top position at the BBC, Mr. Sharp made “significant errors of judgment” and failed to provide the “full facts,” a committee previously concluded.
He was announced as the government’s choice for the chairman role in January 2021.
Mr Sharp said he will remain in the role until the end of June while the search for a successor takes place.
A spokesperson for Boris Johnson dismissed the allegations as ‘rubbish’ (Picture: PA)Richard Sharp testified in front of a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee earlier this year (Picture: Getty Images)
In a grilling by MPs, Mr Sharp insisted his only role was as a ‘sort of introduction agency’ between his friend Sam Blyth – a Canadian businessman who is a distant cousin of Johnson – and the cabinet secretary Simon Case.
Labour had called for an investigation into Mr Sharp after allegations surfaced in The Sunday Times.
According to the newspaper, a dinner was held at Chequers before the loan was finalised.
At the time, a spokesperson for Mr Johnson dismissed the Sunday Times report as ‘rubbish’ and insisted his financial arrangements ‘have been properly declared’.
‘Richard Sharp has never given any financial advice to Boris Johnson. He did indeed have dinner with Mr Sharp, whom he has known for almost 20 years, and with his cousin. So what? Big deal.’
Earlier today, a Labour MP said Mr Sharp ‘will have to go’ if he found to have broken the code for public appointments by facilitating a loan for Mr Johnson.
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh told Sky News: ‘If it is revealed that he has failed to declare the details of this loan arrangement properly or failed to be forthcoming in the process, then of course he will have to go.’
Ms Haigh said an independent panel to look into the issue of public appointments has been established in the opposition.
She added: ‘It’s been really concerning to see how the Government has sat back and done very little about the potential breaches in the process, and did nothing to help restore trust and faith in the impartiality of the BBC.
‘I think his whole saga raises wider issues around the way that the Government has approached the BBC and the particular links of the Tory party with the BBC.’
According to statement made by Alexis Dowdell to the BBC, her brother saved the birthday girl at the Alabama party where four people were shot to death. Then, in her arms, he passed away.
When her 18-year-old brother Phil Dowdell learned that there was a pistol present at the party, he went to pick up his sister Alexis Dowdell, who was celebrating her 16th birthday in a dance studio in a remote part of Dadeville.
LaTonya Allen, her mother, was aware of the gossip as well. She claimed to have turned on the lights, gone to the DJ booth, and requested that anyone bringing a weapon leave the celebration.
But when no-one spoke up, she turned the lights back off.
The gunfire erupted shortly after. “All of a sudden you hear gunshots and you just see everybody running towards the door and people falling and screaming,” Alexis told the BBC.
Her brother Phil pushed her to the ground, she said, before the two became separated in the chaos.
She was able to escape the venue and took cover outside before someone came to help her up. Alexis said she hid behind another building in case the attacker was still on the loose.
When she eventually went back inside, she discovered that her brother had been shot.
He had lost a lot of blood. She stayed with him as he drifted in and out of consciousness. He was unable to talk, though he opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows as she cradled him in her arms.
“The last thing I told him was to stay strong,” she said.
She added that her birthday would never be the same.Media caption,
Watch: Girl survives being shot three times in Alabama
Thirty-two others were injured in Saturday night’s attack at the party in Dadeville, a small, close-knit town of roughly 3,000.
Police have yet to name a suspect or a motive and have urged the public to come forward with information. Alexis and her mother said they did not know what had led to the shooting.
The city’s local pastor told the BBC the gunman was still at large.
Jimmy Frank Goodman Sr, the mayor of Dadeville, told the BBC that the scene at the hospital after the shooting was chaotic, even worse than what he had witnessed during his time serving in the Vietnam War.
“There were people crying, bodies going into the emergency room and bloody clothes on the ground,” he said.
Image caption, A vigil was held for the victims on Sunday
The oldest of three siblings, Phil Dowdell was remembered by members of his community as a star athlete and a loyal friend. He had been due to go to Jacksonville State University on a sports scholarship.
Alexis said she had enjoyed watching her brother play football and sharing laughs with him. He always used to open the door for others and come into her room to apologise whenever the two of them had fought, she said.
Ms Allen said her son made her proud “in every way”.
“A piece of my heart is ripped out,” she said. “He was supposed to graduate next month. Instead of me going to graduation I’ll be going to the cemetery to see my son.”
Shaunkivia Smith, 17, Marsiah Collins, 19, and Corbin Holston, 23, were also killed.
Relatives and friends of Ms Smith said she had been about to graduate from high school.
Mr Collins was a varsity football player who hoped to become a lawyer. Mr Holston came to the party to check on a family member once he heard trouble was brewing, his family said.
The flags outside Dadeville High School have been lowered to half-mast. A vigil was held on Sunday for all four victims. Hundreds of people, including some who were injured in the shooting, attended.
Casey Davis, a deputy superintendent at the local board of education, said clergy and grief counsellors would be available to the community.
The US has seen more than 160 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines such events as ones in which four or more people are shot.
Elon Musk defended his management of Twitter in a rare and in-depth interview with the BBC. James Clayton, the BBC’s technology correspondent, spent close to an hour questioning the second-richest man in the world at the Twitter offices in San Francisco.
Here are six things we learned.
1. He denies hate speech on Twitter has spiked
Mr Musk refused to accept there was more hateful content on the platform since he took over.
Speaking to the BBC earlier this year, some Twitter insiders have argued that the company is no longer able to protect users from trolling, state-coordinated disinformation and child sexual exploitation, following lay-offs and changes under owner Mr Musk.
In March, Twitter said it removed 400,000 accounts in one month alone to help “make Twitter safer”.
In order to assess Mr Musk’s claims fully you’d need two things which we don’t have at present – access to Twitter’s data before and after his takeover and, crucially, a clear understanding of how he defines misinformation and hate speech.
There is no blanket definition of hate speech under American law, which is generally much more permissive than other countries because of the first amendment to the US Constitution.
2. He voted for Joe Biden
Close to half the country voted forMr Trump in the last US election, Mr Musk said, but he added: “I wasn’t one of them. I voted for Biden.”
In another part of the interview, he defended ending a Twitter ban on Mr Trump who had been removed in 2021 when the platform accused him of inciting violence.
3. He says Twitter is beating the bots in war on disinfo
Mr Musk claimed his efforts to delete bots – automated accounts – had decreased misinformation on Twitter after his takeover.
“My experience is there is less misinformation rather than more,” he told our reporter.
Some outside experts disagree. A study from Newsguard which tracks online misinformation – and there are quite a few other studies along the same lines – found that engagement with popular, misinformation-spreading accounts spiked after Mr Musk’s takeover.
In the week following his acquisition of Twitter, the most popular, untrustworthy accounts enjoyed an almost 60% increase in engagement in the form of likes and retweets, according to the survey.
The BBC has also independently analysed more than 1,000 previously-banned accounts that had been let back on Twitter after Mr Musk’s takeover, and found that since being reinstated, over a third of them had spread abuse or misinformation.
This included false anti-vax claims, misogyny and anti-LGBT rhetoric, and the denial of the 2020 US election result.
4. He’s against banning TikTok
Mr Musk says he doesn’t use the most downloaded app in the US but he is against any moves to close it down.
The US is considering a ban due to security concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership. Some other countries have banned it from the phones of government employees.
“I’m generally against banning things,” said Mr Musk, although he says a ban would benefit Twitter because it may mean more people spending time on his platform.
5. He would turn down $44bn for Twitter
Mr Musk initially claimed in the interview that if someoneoffered to buy Twitter right now for what he paid for it, he’d refuse.
If he did sell, he said it would be more important to find a buyer who cherishes the “truth” rather than how much they’d pay because, as he says: “I don’t care about the money.”
But is that true? Remember, he desperately tried to back out of the deal.
Mr Musk said Twitter had just months left to live when he took over and was being run like a non-profit.
Twitter’s costs were outstripping the amount of revenue it was generating. In its last full-year results published before Mr Musk took over, total sales hit $5bn in 2021 but costs and expenses reached $5.5bn. In fact, it has only had two profitable years since 2012.
He reckons Twitter is now close to breaking even. No wonder – sacking 6,500 workers does tend to lighten one’s costs.
But he has also been proactive in finding ways to boost sales through things such as changing Twitter users for “blue tick” verification.
So yes, Twitter might be nearing breaking even now because of drastic cost-cutting. But the question is whether it can sustain that path to profitability and make the company worth that $44bn price tag.
6. He will back down on how BBC is labelled
Mr Musk confirmed he would change the BBC Twitter label from “government funded” to “publicly funded” after last week’s row.
The BBC had objected to the original description, stressing the corporation’s independence. It is mainly funded by the British public through a TV licence fee.
In Wednesday’s interview, Mr Musk said: “If we use the same words as the BBC uses to describe itself, that presumably would be OK.”
The licence fee made up about 71% of the BBC’s total income of £5.3bn in 2022 – with the rest coming from its commercial and other activities like grants, royalties and rental income.
The BBC also receives more than £90m per year from the government to support the BBC World Service, which predominantly serves non-UK audiences.
Despite complaints from viewers who called it “extreme,” the BBC is standing by its news coverage of the Gary Lineker impartiality controversy.
The company also disclosed that several complainants believed the piece should have “focused more on the Illegal Migration Bill and criticism it has received,” according to a report that was released on Friday.
Lineker, 62, was briefly removed from his role as Match Of The Day host earlier this month after criticizing the government‘s asylum policy on Twitter.
The fiasco was later resolved and he returned to air following a boycott by top talent at the broadcaster, which included pundits and presenters cancelling appearances in solidarity, including the likes of Ian Wright and Alex Scott.
Although BBC coverage of the events sparked fierce criticism, the corporation is defending its output and is standing firm that its reporting was ‘proportionate, fair and duly impartial’.
The corporation believes its coverage of the Lineker fiasco was ‘proportionate, fair and duly impartial’ (Picture: BBC)
A spokesperson said in a statement: ‘The row over Gary Lineker’s social media use, with regards to the BBC Editorial Guidelines, generated high media interest, as well as reaction from politicians from across the political spectrum and sporting personalities; this also caused disruption to the BBC Sport scheduling over the weekend of Mr Lineker’s suspension.
‘This was a story of significance and we legitimately reported on the impact for the BBC and Mr Lineker.’
It continued: ‘However, we continued to report on many other stories of national and international importance, including the cost-of-living crisis and the collapse of US Silicon Valley Bank.’
The BBC went on to stress that it made ‘clear the context’ of the story, explaining the content of Mr Lineker’s tweet, and his criticism of the government’s new asylum policy’.
‘This was primarily a media story, and our coverage focused on the issues highlighted over freedom of speech and BBC impartiality,’ it added.
‘We have separately reported in detail on the government’s Illegal Migration Bill, offering comprehensive scrutiny of the legal, political, and humanitarian implications, and featuring a wide range of views from those both critical and supportive of the proposals.’
Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg on March 12 also received complaints from viewers who felt the programme ‘displayed bias against Gary Lineker’.
In another statement, the BBC argued: ‘Throughout the programme we looked at the issues highlighted by the row over Gary Lineker’s social media use and the BBC Editorial Guidelines in detail, hearing a range of nuanced views, some of which were supportive of Gary Lineker.
‘We discussed this story with our contributors, including an in-depth interview with former Director General of the BBC Mark Thompson; we also heard from television executive Peter Salmon, who has previously worked closely with Mr Lineker.’
The statement concluded: ‘We always invite our audience to share their thoughts with us, and in this context Laura read out the views of a couple of those who had contacted us on this topic.
‘This was one aspect of our overall coverage of this story, during which we offered fair and duly impartial analysis of what this signified for Gary Lineker and the BBC, and the wider political implications.’
On Thursday, the BBC issued an apology after they received complaints from those disappointed with the disruption to the broadcaster’s football schedule during the weekend of turbulence.
Gary Linekar: “I have been presenting sport on the BBC for almost 3 decades and I am immeasurably proud to work with the best and fairest broadcaster in the world. I cannot wait to get back in the MOTD [Match of the Day] chair on Saturday”.
These were Gary Lineker’s words on Twitter when he expressed delight to return as BBC reviewed social media rules for staff.
Gary Lineker is returning to BBC screens this weekend after reaching a deal with the corporation – following an impartiality row in which he criticised the government’s new asylum policy.
Lineker’s next appearance for the BBC will be the coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final clash between Manchester City and Burnley.
The match will kick off on Saturday at 17:45 GMT, with coverage from the Etihad Stadium on BBC One starting at 17:25 GMT.
Gary Lineker was last week taken off air following an impartiality row in which he criticised the government’s new asylum policy.
BBC director general Tim Davie announced on Monday that an independent review will be carried out on social media guidelines.
Lineker said he backed the review and looked forward to getting back on air.
He said the last few days had been “surreal” and thanked people for their “incredible support”.
In a statement, Mr Davie said: “Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences.
Last week, in a tweet, Lineker compared the language used to set out the government’s asylum plan to “that used by Germany in the 30s”.
His words, about the government’s new Illegal Migration Bill, were criticised by Conservative ministers, including the home secretary.
Lineker was told on Friday he had to apologise for his tweets or would beunable to present Match of the Day at the weekend.
When he refused to do so, he was taken off air, triggering an unprecedented wave of walkouts from fellow pundits and commentators.
Weekend football coverage across the BBC was disrupted due to walkouts triggered by Lineker’s suspension.
After announcing he will return to presenting on BBC TV, Lineker tweeted: “However difficult the last few days have been, it simply doesn’t compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away.
“After a surreal few days, I’m delighted that we have navigated a way through this. I want to thank you all for the incredible support, particularly my colleagues at BBC Sport, for the remarkable show of solidarity. Football is a team game but their backing was overwhelming,” he tweeted on Monday morning.
“A final thought: however difficult the last few days have been, it simply doesn’t compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away. It’s heartwarming to have seen the empathy towards their plight from so many of you,” he added.
“We remain a country of predominantly tolerant, welcoming and generous people. Thank you”
After a surreal few days, I’m delighted that we have navigated a way through this. I want to thank you all for the incredible support, particularly my colleagues at BBC Sport, for the remarkable show of solidarity. Football is a team game but their backing was overwhelming. 1/4 — Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) March 13, 2023
‘Abide by the guidelines’
BBC employees are expected to remain impartial on political matters and must follow strict social media guidelines, but there is significant debate about how they should apply to staff outside of news.
Lineker said he backed the independent social media review which Davie said will have a “particular focus” on how the guidelines apply to freelancers outside news and current affairs.
“Shortly, the BBC will announce who will conduct that review,” Davie said.
“Between now and when the review reports Gary will abide by the editorial guidelines, that’s where we are.”
Former controller of BBC editorial policy Richard Ayre said rewriting guidelines was not straightforward and was “going to be a nightmare”.
Mr Ayre said: “Whatever emerges will be unsatisfactory to a significant number of people. It’s inevitable.
“It’s not remotely a problem solved. It’s a problem shelved for the time being.”
Lineker is expected to return to host Match of the Day’s live coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley on Saturday evening.
He is then set to front Sunday’s live coverage of Grimsby Town at Brighton & Hove Albion on BBC One.
Davie added: “Gary is a valued part of the BBC and I know how much the BBC means to Gary, and I look forward to him presenting our coverage this coming weekend.”
The BBC Board has welcomed the agreement with Lineker following the weekend of disruption.
In a statement the board said: “We believe this is the right time to look at the clarity of the BBC’s social media guidance and how it is applied.
“We will support the executive in its continuing work to ensure the organisation delivers world-class, impartial content for all audiences.”
Taking Lineker off air backfired horribly – ex-BBC executive
Former head of BBC Sport and BBC TV News Roger Mosey has spoken out, describing the Lineker row as having “backfired horribly” on the BBC’s senior management.
Mosey tells Adrian Chiles on Radio 5 Live that he has sympathy for the corporation’s leaders in trying to ensure impartiality, but asking the Match of the Day presenter to “step aside was a very big move” and “unwise”.
He adds that while many current and former BBC executives shared the view that Lineker’s Tweet comparing the government’s asylum policies to 1930s Germany was “against the guidelines”, his comment’s “weren’t something you would normally take someone off air for”.
Mosey says the problem with the situation was that it “looked like the BBC was giving into the government and Tory MPs” and therefore making the situation worse – even if this wasn’t why Lineker was taken off air.
“The problem is that if you get every BBC presenter, whether they’re news or not tweeting anything that comes into their head, in that case, you can see why there might be a problem about impartiality. That’s why it’s better if presenters are not getting stuck into current political issues.” from Roger Mosey Former head of BBC Sport
“The problem is that if you get every BBC presenter, whether they’re news or not tweeting anything that comes into their head, in that case, you can see why there might be a problem about impartiality. That’s why it’s better if presenters are not getting stuck into current political issues.”
The deal to get Gary Lineker back on air is a “problem shelved for the time being” rather than a long-term solution, says Richard Ayre, who was once the controller of BBC editorial policy.
Ayre who was part of the former BBC Trust until 2016, tells BBC News that he’s surprised by the agreement, adding that it looks like the corporation has backed down without Lineker “having apparently given any ground” other than welcoming the review into its social media guidelines.
“So it’s bound to look as though it’s the BBC that’s moved rather than both parties moving, which doesn’t bode very well for a long term settlement.”
Asked if the deal was a resolution or just kicking the can down the road, he says the situation is “not remotely a problem solved”.
“Gary will continue to hold his views. He says he will continue to abide by the BBC’s guidelines until they’re rewritten. But then, he was supposed to be abiding by the BBC guidelines last week when he tweeted what he tweeted. So watch this space, this story has a long way to run.
As per report, Gary Lineker is defying demands that he retract his comparison of the government’s new immigration policy to Nazi Germany.
The 62-year-old Match Of The Day host criticized the Home Office’s recently unveiled, divisive proposals to prevent migrant boats transporting illegal immigrants from entering the UK.
This is beyond bad, he wrote. Good gods.
“There is no significant influx. We accept significantly fewer refugees than most other major European nations.
‘This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?’
Following the remarks, it was reported that the BBC would speak to the pundit and ‘remind him of his responsibilities on social media.’
Lineker is reportedly ignoring calls from the BBC (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)
Home Sec blasts Gary Lineker for comparing her migrant law to Nazi Germany
However, the former footballer has been resisting the Line of Duty broadcaster’s approaches and has not yet had a conversation with the corporation’s bosses, according to The i.
The publication also reports that Lineker is not backing down and will not remove the tweet.
The BBC previously said: ‘The BBC has social media guidance, which is published. Individuals who work for us are aware of their responsibilities relating to social media.
Lineker’s tweet did not go down well with the Tory government (Picture: Twitter)
‘We have appropriate internal processes in place if required.’
Lineker’s remarks, which were in response to a Twitter video put out by Home Secretary Suella Braverman, have been slammed by Tory politicians.
Conservative party deputy chairman Lee Anderson, who previously famously claimed people could cook ‘nutritious 30p meals’, wrote: ‘This is just another example of how out of touch these overpaid stars are with the voting public.
‘Instead of lecturing, Mr Lineker should stick to reading out the football scores and flogging crisps.’
Lineker was clearly appalled by the government’s new polic
Lineker was previously found to have broken the corporation’s impartiality rules last year with a tweet about Liz Truss and the Conservative Party.
He shared a tweet with his followers in February 2022 after the then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urged people to boycott the Champions League final in Russia.
Lineker had asked his followers at the time: ‘And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?’
His tweet was investigated by the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) which upheld a complaint and said the post ‘did not meet the BBC’s editorial standards on impartiality’.
It added that while Lineker, who is freelance, is not required to uphold the same high standards of impartiality as the broadcaster’s journalists, he does have an ‘additional responsibility’ as he is considered ‘one of the BBC’s highest profile stars’.
John Motson, a football analyst, has died at the age of 77.
For 50 years, his recognizable voice graced the airways, and the BBC veteran broadcast nearly 2,500 games while in the booth.
A statement from the Englishman’s family confirmed: “It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson died peacefully in his sleep today.”
Motson, who was given an OBE for services to sports broadcasting in 2001, began his career as a reporter for the Barnet Press and Sheffield Morning Telegraph before taking a full-time job at the national broadcaster in 1968.
He worked for Match of the Day from 1971 to 2018 and earned his big break when covering Hereford’s iconic FA Cup triumph over Newcastle.
The man affectionately nicknamed Motty, known for his trademark sheepskin coats, oversaw 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and a staggering 29 FA Cup finals, bringing some of football’s most memorable moments to fans.
He was in the commentary box for Diego Maradona’s superb effort against Belgium as Argentina earned a spot in the 1986 World Cup final and famously quipped “the Crazy Gang has beaten the Culture Club” after Wimbledon stunned Liverpool to lift the FA Cup in 1988.
Paul Gascoigne’s solo effort against Scotland at Euro 1996 and England’s famous 5-1 victory over Germany in 2001 were also among the highlights of a storied career.
His final game for the BBC was a clash between Crystal Palace and West Brom in 2018, where he was cheered by fans after the game and presented with a framed programme and crystal microphone by then Eagles boss Roy Hodgson.
John Motson was often seen wearing one of his sheepskin coats
Reacting to the news, fellow commentator Martin Tyler said: “He was a standard setter for us all.
“He was a very serious broadcaster but he was a really fun guy to be around. He had a great sense of humour.
“He was an icon and a beacon to us all.
“I think the legacy that John has left, the soundbites, the voice associated with so many great occasions, so many great goals — it was a great career and a very good life and I’m really sorry it has come to an end today.”
On social media, fellow BBC broadcaster and 1986 World Cup Golden Boot winner Gary Lineker said: “Deeply saddened to hear that John Motson has died.
“A quite brilliant commentator and the voice of football in this country for generations. He’ll be very much missed. RIP Motty.”
While Jamie Carragher, who lifted the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, added: “RIP John Motson.
“An absolute legend of the game. So many of us grew up listening to this man describe the action and goals on Match of the Day and cup finals. Sad loss.”
BBC has issued an apology following the interruption of the FA Cup on live air by sexual noises.
Moaning was heard while Gary Lineker presented the third-round replay between Wolves and Liverpool on Tuesday.
The football pundit later posted a picture of a mobile phone he said was “taped to the back of the set”.
“We apologise to any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening,” the BBC said.
A spokesperson said the BBC was investigating the incident.
Lineker tried to laugh off the incident as he presented the programme in a studio at Wolverhampton’s Molineux Stadium alongside pundits Paul Ince and Danny Murphy.
As he cut to colleague and fellow former England striker Alan Shearer in the commentary gantry, he said: “Somebody’s sending something on someone’s phone, I think.
Well, we found this taped to the back of the set. As sabotage goes it was quite amusing. 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/ikUhBJ38Je
When the match started, he shared a picture of a mobile phone on Twitter and three laughing emojis alongside the words: “Well, we found this taped to the back of the set.
“As sabotage goes it was quite amusing.”
The incident did not go unnoticed by viewers, with clips of the moment widely shared on social media on Tuesday evening.
YouTube prankster Daniel Jarvis claimed he was behind the stunt, posting a video on Twitter that appeared to show him at Molineux.
He was handed a suspended sentence last October after being convicted of aggravated trespass over an incident where he collided with England cricketer Jonny Bairstow after invading the Oval pitch in south London during a Test.
And he was given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for two years and was banned from attending any venue where a sporting fixture is being held in England and Wales for two years.
He was also banned from travelling abroad for 12 months and made subject to a rehabilitation activity requirement.
A global alert has been issued over four cough syrups after the World Health Organization (WHO) warned they could be linked to the deaths of 66 children in The Gambia.
The syrups have been “potentially linked with acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children”, it said.
The products were manufactured by an Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, which had failed to provide guarantees about their safety, the WHO added.
The firm has not yet commented.
The BBC has contacted Maiden Pharmaceuticals for comment.
Indian officials say they have asked the WHO to share evidence of the link between the syrups and the deaths.
The WHO identified the medicines as Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup.
The four products had been identified in The Gambia, but “may have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries or regions”, the WHO added, in the alert published on its website.
It warned that their use may result in serious injury or death, especially among children.
The WHO’s intervention came after medical authorities in The Gambia – a popular tourist destination – detected an increase in cases of acute kidney injury among children under the age of five in late July.
The Gambia’s government has since suspended the use of all paracetamol syrups and has urged people to use tablets instead.
The number of deaths has declined since the ban but two more have been recorded in the past two weeks, Gambia health services director Mustapha Bittay told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme.
He said that The Gambia did not currently have a laboratory capable of testing whether medicines were safe and so they had to be sent abroad for checking. Mr Bittay added that The Gambia was in discussions with the World Bank to get funding for a quality-control laboratory.
The WHO said that laboratory analysis of samples of the products “confirms that they contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants”.
The substances were toxic, and their effects “can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state and acute kidney injury which may lead to death,” it added.
Mr Bittay also said that traces had also been found of E.Coli, a bacteria which can cause diarrhoea and vomiting.
The Gambia’s health officials said last month that dozens of children had died, without giving an exact number.
Speaking in Geneva on Wednesday, WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus said: “The loss of these young lives is beyond heart-breaking for their families.”
The WHO said that India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation indicated that the manufacturer may have only supplied the contaminated medications to The Gambia, AFP news agency reports, quoting an email from the UN health agency.
But the WHO said that “global exposure” was possible as the “manufacturer may have used the same contaminated material in other products and distributed them locally or exported” them, the agency reports.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook says there are still “not enough women at the table” at the world’s tech firms – including his own.
In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Mr Cook said technology “will not achieve nearly what it could achieve” without a more diverse workforce.
He said there were “no good excuses” for the lack of women in the sector.
He also said he thought Augmented Reality (AR), and the concept of the Metaverse, were “profound.”
“In the future people will wonder how we lived without AR,” he says. “We’re investing a tonne in that space.”
Augmented Reality is a mixture of digital content and the real world – a very simple example might be using the phone on your camera to insert virtual furniture before you buy it, to see how it might look in your house.
The metaverse is the concept of entire virtual worlds – and big tech is investing heavily in it, not least Meta, formerly Facebook, which re-branded itself to reflect its new priority.
Meeting Tim Cook
I met Tim Cook during his first visit to the UK since the pandemic.
In person, the boss of the world’s richest company is affable, polite and thoughtful.
He’s softly spoken, and was dressed in his trademark dark clothes. He wasn’t big on small talk, although we joked about the British weather, and he offered his condolences on the death of the Queen.
Image caption,
Tim Cook and Zoe Kleinman
Mr Cook told me he is “not a great role model” for work-life balance and that it isn’t a phrase he associates with himself.
“There’s little distinction between personal and work, they blend,” he says.He adds that he tries to “compartmentalise” issues that are outside of his control. “I realise that they’re there… but I don’t obsess with it,” he says.
He was fascinated by my BBC audio recorder and turned it over in his hands a few times once we had finished our interview.
I confessed that I’d had to ask his colleagues if I could borrow some wired headphones to plug into it – Apple largely ditched the headphone socket from its iPhones in 2016, in favour of wireless in-ear AirPods.
“Oh we still sell those,” he said seriously of the wired pair hanging from my ears. “People still buy them.”
He was keen to talk to me about another subject close to his heart – diversity.
‘No good excuses’
Apple has just launched its founders’ development programme for female founders and app creators in the UK.
“I think the the essence of technology and its effect on humanity depends upon women being at the table,” Mr Cook says.
“Technology’s a great thing that will accomplish many things, but unless you have diverse views at the table that are working on it, you don’t wind up with great solutions.”
He said while companies including his own had made progress on diversity, there were “no good excuses” for the tech sector not to employ more women.
Apple had 35% female staff in the US in 2021, according to its own diversity figures.
It launched its original Apple Health Kit in 2014 without a period tracker – which led to accusations that this was an oversight due to male bias among its developers.
Deloitte Global estimate large global technology firms will reach nearly 33% overall female representation in their workforces in 2022 on average – with 25% occupying technical roles.
One challenge facing the sector is the lack of girls choosing to pursue science, tech, engineering and maths subjects at school.
“Businesses can’t cop out and say ‘there’s not enough women taking computer science – therefore I can’t hire enough’,” says Mr Cook.
“We have to fundamentally change the number of people that are taking computer science and programming.”
His view is that everybody should be required to take some sort of coding course by the time they finish school, in order to have a “working knowledge” of how coding works and how apps are created.
Apple has also created its own programme language, Swift, along with content for learning how to use it.
Equalising the playing field
Mr Cook and I also met a small group of female app founders, three of whom have joined Apple’s new programme.
Image caption,
App creators Alexia de Broglie, Sahar Fikouhi, Ariana Alexander-Sefre and Zoë Desmond. Alexia, Ariana and Zoë are all on Apple’s new UK programme for founders.
One of those is Alexia de Broglie, who created a personal finance education app called Your Juno, for women and non-binary people, after being shocked by how little her female friends understood about finance.
She said she belongs to some WhatsApp groups for founders, and that some of those are 90% male.
“[The women] all know each other on a first-name basis, which is crazy, because there are so many men that are building start-ups, and they definitely don’t know each other.”
Ariana Alexander-Sefre runs Spoke, a wellness app aimed at young people, which she created after her younger brother lost a friend to suicide.
“I hope that in five years, that there’s not even going be a thing of female founder, or there’s not even going to be a defined niche because, you know, there will just be so many different people working on different things,” she says.
“I’d love to see the whole playing field just equalised.”
Following Roger Bolton’s announcement that he will no longer be hosting Feedback on Radio 4, listeners have expressed their outrage and dismay.
For more than 20 years, Bolton has been the Friday afternoon show’s host.
In his farewell show, Bolton informed listeners that “the BBC felt it was time for me to stand down,” adding, “Obviously, I’d have wanted to have remained.”
Every week, a half-hour program called Feedback airs listener complaints, compliments, and other comments regarding BBC radio programs.
It is Points of View on radio, which airs on BBC One.
BBC News understands that a new production company has been chosen to make Feedback following a tendering process, and a new presenter will be announced soon.
‘Mad decision’
Known for his affable and gentle presenting style but also for being unafraid to firmly hold senior BBC figures to account, 76-year-old Bolton has been a firm favourite with the Radio 4 audience for decades.
Listeners reacted with anger to the news of his departure on social media – including high-profile figures from both sides of the political divide.
Former Labour MP Teresa Pearce described it as a “mad decision”, while Conservative commentator Tim Montgomerie simply asked: “Why? WHY? Wwwwhhhhyyyyy?”
Radio Times journalist Simon O’Hagan said Bolton’s last programme was a “really classy sign-off” and described him as “an outstanding presenter of the programme for 23 years and a true critical friend of the BBC”.
Writer and producer Laura Marie Brown said it was “such a shame to lose him”, and listener Jane Creasy said it was a “shameful decision to get rid of him”.
Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine added it was “sad [the episode] was Roger Bolton’s last”. BBC News could not find any tweets supportive of the decision to remove Bolton.
‘An immense privilege’
Asked why Bolton would not be continuing, a Radio 4 spokesperson said: “We want to thank Roger for being a brilliant presenter of Feedback for 23 years.
“He’s been a champion of our listeners, asked incisive questions of programme makers and helped the audience understand more about BBC radio. We know Feedback listeners have been grateful for all he’s done to reflect their views as are we at Radio 4.”
Responding on air on Friday, Bolton said: “That’s a typical BBC statement, it doesn’t answer the question.
“But I can’t complain, I’ve done 23 years on Feedback, I’ve enjoyed it, it’s been an immense privilege,” he continued.
“The BBC have decided someone else needs to take it over. I don’t know who that person is, but obviously I hope that they will continue to represent you [the listeners] properly. So maybe it’s time that I should go, but I’d have liked a little longer.”
Image caption, Steve Wright said earlier this year BBC Radio 2 management was removing him from weekday afternoons
Bolton is the latest in a long line of hugely popular presenters to depart the BBC’s radio airwaves, either by force or by choice.
Steve Wright announced earlier this year that Radio 2 chief Helen Thomas had decided to remove him from his weekday afternoon show, to be replaced by Radio 1’s Scott Mills.
Paul O’Grady also exited the station after he was forced him to share his slot with the comedian Rob Beckett.
Following the departures, The Telegraph’s Jan Etherington said Radio 2 had a “death wish”, asking: “Why won’t the station celebrate and embrace its talented and experienced older presenters?”
Vanessa Feltz also recently left BBC Radio London and BBC Radio 2 for a new job at Talk TV, while Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode took their film show from BBC Radio 5 Live to Sony.
Peter Crouch, Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel have also taken their popular podcast formats to the private sector in the last year.
In their statement about Bolton, Radio 4 added: “Feedback has an impressive track record of holding BBC management, programme makers and presenters to account and the BBC endeavours to provide the programme with interviewees where possible.
“Most recently these include Alison Hindell, Commissioning Editor for Drama on Radio 4, James Cook, BBC Scotland Editor, and Emma Rippon, Senior News Editor of Radio Current Affairs.”
The BBC, Sky, ITV, and Channel 4, as well as HBO, Disney, and Apple TV+ are among the 21 organizations that have backed a drive “towards a culture in which everyone working in the TV industry feels able to call out bad behavior and that nobody is above being questioned.”
As part of a move by major TV organizations to “tackle inappropriate behavior” in the industry, actors will receive anti-bullying and harassment training as well as advance nudity warnings.
Performing arts union Equity announced its new “statement of commitment” developed alongside broadcasters including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, HBO, Disney, and Apple TV+ to help deliver “real and lasting change”.
Allegations of abuse across all aspects of the entertainment industry have come to the fore over the past few years, in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
In total, 21 organisations have backed the move “towards a culture in which everyone working in the TV industry feels able to call out unacceptable behaviour and that nobody is above being challenged: no one is untouchable”, the union said.
Representatives from the organisations have agreed to ensure safe casting and audition spaces, to appoint safeguarding contacts on set, and to put clear policies in place for making and addressing concerns and complaints of bullying and harassment.
Anti-bullying and harassment training will also be completed by cast and crew members before they start work on a production.
The statement of commitment also highlights procedures surrounding nudity and simulated sex acts, saying notification is to be given “in advance and in writing about the scope and extent of nudity and/or simulated sex requested, followed by discussion and agreement with the artist”.
The BBC has apologised after a message appeared on the news channel saying “Manchester United are rubbish”.
The text mistakenly popped up on the news ticker at the bottom of the screen during a tennis update just after 0930 on Tuesday.
Later in the morning, presenter Annita Mcveigh apologised to any Manchester United fans who may have been offended.
She said the mistake had occurred as someone was learning how to operate the ticker and was “writing random things”.
Another message which appeared on the ticker read simply: “Weather rain everywhere.”
Mcveigh told viewers: “A little earlier, some of you may have noticed something pretty unusual on the ticker that runs along the bottom of the screen with news making a comment about Manchester United, and I hope that Manchester United fans weren’t offended by it.
“Let me just explain what was happening: behind the scenes, someone was training to learn how to use the ticker and to put text on the ticker, so they were just writing random things not in earnest and that comment appeared.
“So apologies if you saw that and you were offended and you’re a fan of Manchester United.
“But certainly that was a mistake and it wasn’t meant to appear on the screen. So that was what happened, we just thought we’d better explain that to you.”
An official BBC statement added: “There was a technical glitch during training with our test ticker, which rolled over to live programming for a few seconds.
“We apologised for any offence caused on air.”
BBC presenter and Manchester City fan Clive Myrie tweeted he “had nothing to do with this!!” with the hashtag MCFC, after City won the Premier League title on Sunday.
Manchester United have struggled by their standards in recent seasons and missed out on a Champions League spot, coming sixth in the table. Their new manager and former Ajax boss, Erik Ten Hag, is United’s fifth permanent boss since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Kwabena Bobie Ansah, a journalist with Accra-based Accra FM, has written to the BBC over some claims by Elizabeth Akua Ohene, a former journalist and a Minister of State.
According to him, the current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, made some baseless allegations about the then President, John Dramani Mahama, and nothing happened to him.
“John Dramani Mahama, the former president of the Republic of Ghana, was a president under whom freedom of speech flourished. People could say anything and not get punished. The current president himself falsely accused President Mahama of spending $10 million on diaries, among other unfortunate attacks. This lie – among others – was exposed, and nothing happened to Akufo-Addo.
“Despite getting away with false accusations, today, journalists are picked up gestapo style, while radio stations have been shut down because they are affiliated with the opposition party. I myself was picked up illegally and unlawfully detained earlier this year, and I have my own story to tell.
“The biggest irony in this whole enterprise is that Akufo-Addo has said repeatedly that he prefers reckless journalism to empty bootlicking,” parts of Bobie Ansah’s letter read.
Elizabeth Ohene, who worked with the BBC for fourteen years, had questioned why the media house would measure Ghana’s press freedom state with activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor’s brushes with the law as the metric.
In her letter, she wrote that the BBC did a shoddy job by not probing the various aspects of the story and just relying on the fact that he was arrested for his activism.
“We do not expect that the BBC would only defend journalists and programmes from other jurisdictions that meet its own standards.
“But when the BBC starts a programme that purports to be about Ghana’s free speech being under attack, with a man whose claim to fame seems to be how scurrilous he can be about his opponents, who makes no attempt to be factual and who uses the most obscene language to describe Ghana’s First Lady at every opportunity, I have to wonder about the BBC.
“Have the editors of the programme determined that this is a journalist, doing a professional job who is being muzzled and attacked?” she questioned.
Kwabena Bobie Ansah was arrested on February 10, at 10 pm, right after his political talk show ended by persons purported to be National Security operatives.
He was also accused of publishing false news on January 1, this year, accusing the presidential spouses of granting themselves “state lands at AU Village, around the Kotoka International Airport for the construction of Rebecca Foundation”.
According to the police, the said presenter further called the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, “a thief and that she has stolen state land around the Kotoka International Airport,” a statement he knew was “likely to occasion the breach of the peace”.
However, he was granted a GH¢50,000 bail with two sureties on February 11.
Kiki Mordi’s Sex For Grades documentary has bagged an Emmy Award.
The BBC Africa Eye documentary became popular after exposing lecturers in Universities in Ghana and Nigeria for soliciting sexual favours from female students.
The documentary was born out of Kiki’s personal experience as a student in the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
After its release, it started a cultural revolution in Ghana and Nigeria, exposing more corrupt lecturers.
The Emmy nomination adds to the growing number of accolades it has received following it premiere.
In a post ot announce the nomination, she wrote:
“Here’s me, despite being an emotional mess, announcing that @BBCAfrica #BBCAfricaEye’s #SexForGrades is nominated in the “Current Affairs” category for this year’s international Emmys. Every single soul that made this project come alive deserves this honor!”
Here's me, despite being an emotional mess, announcing that @BBCAfrica#BBCAfricaEye's #SexForGrades is nominated in the "Current Affairs" category for this year's international Emmys. Every single soul that made this project come alive deserves this honor! https://t.co/KemqXtZAYl
He told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme that he has ambitions for Ghana’s top job.
“I want to become the President of Ghana, I want to lift high the flag of Ghana and make Ghana a truly independent country like China, the US, Britain and other countries,” he said.
He hopes to study about constitutional law, the political systems of administration, principals of management, economics and accounting.
His father, who has a degree in chemical engineering, said his son’s achievement wasn’t a surprise.
“I have invested time and energy giving him the necessary essentials that will help him to take up the challenges and the associated opportunities that go with it. So I wasn’t shocked.”
He gave an insight into the secret behind raising a prodigy, saying: “Initially I had made my boy appreciate that he is not going to be defined by the law of averages, that he should be an outlier… That’s what he should strive for, and that calls for hard work and he is prepared to do it.”
The midnight knife (L) was used for covert operations. The gold badges (R) were worn by the king’s soul washers. Credit – BBC.
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