Few hours after news broke out about the death of Ghanaian musician and actor, OJ Blaq, a section of Ghanaians have taken to social media to express their consolation to his family and friends.
While the cause of his death is uncertain, many are relying on the information that he has been battling kidney related diseases for years.
His death has rendered many in shock as others are trying to fathom with the reality.
Some fans are acknowledging him as the first musician to walk into Lynx studio to record his music while others eulogises him for the memories he imprinted during his days as an actor.
R.I.P. to the first musician to ever walk into the Lynx Studio to record his music. U will always be remembered for ur kind heart and ur ability to put a smile on so many faces.
OJ Blaq inspired a generation of Fat boys in Ghana and I was one of them. It was OJ photos on my phone and social media DP all through my High school days. He took body positivity to a whole new level. Rest well biggie boy lover. Nipa b3y3 bi nanso wamb3y3 nenyinaa. My… pic.twitter.com/uuyimQKF00
BREAKING: Ghanaian rapper OJ Blaq just passed Away at the age of 40, The cause of death has not yet been confirmed, but the rapper had been battling kidney disease for For years….
Actor Jamie Foxx, 55, has issued an apology for a deleted Instagram post that garnered accusations of antisemitism.
The post in question stated, “They killed this dude name Jesus… what do you think they’ll do to you???! #fakefriends #fakelove”.
Several social media users interpreted Foxx’s words as echoing an antisemitic notion that Jewish individuals collectively bear responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, a belief that was officially refuted by the Roman Catholic Church in 1965.
Foxx addressed the criticism in a subsequent Instagram post on Saturday, expressing remorse: “I want to apologize to the Jewish community and everyone who was offended by my post. I now know my choice of words have caused offense and I’m sorry. That was never my intent.”
The Ray star further clarified his intention: “To clarify, I was betrayed by a fake friend and that’s what I meant with ‘they,’ not anything more.”
Notably, Jennifer Aniston faced backlash for appearing to “like” Foxx’s initial post prior to its removal.
The Friends actor responded with a statement on her Instagram, asserting her disapproval of any form of antisemitism.
An upsetting video that surfaced on social media depicting two women being forced to walk naked by a baying mob in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur aroused outrage and prompted the nation’s leader Narendra Modi to speak out about the area’s protracted sectarian war.
According to the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), the viral video shows an event that happened on May 4. However, police didn’t make any arrests until this week, after the video had already gone viral.
On Wednesday, Manipur Police called the event “a case of abduction, gang rape, and murder” on Twitter.
Officials said Thursday that four people have been arrested and that police raids are ongoing. Authorities are interrogating more than three dozen men in relation to the apparent sexual assault, Reuters reported.
The video, which has been seen by CNN, shows two terrified women being forced to walk naked through a crowd of clothed men. The victims appear to be being groped and sexually assaulted while surrounded by a mob of men, many brandishing long canes or sticks as weapons.
The horrific footage emerged amid ongoing ethnic violence in the northeastern Indian state.
Modi addressed the situation in the state for the first time on Thursday, saying: “My heart is filled with grief and anger. The incident in Manipur is shameful for any civil society.”
“What happened with the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven,” Modi continued, adding the “law will take its course with all its might.”
The Upper House of Parliament was adjourned minutes into reconvening after opposition MPs sparked an outcry over the refusal to discuss the issue of Manipur.
The ITLF issued a statement on Wednesday, writing: “A video which went viral today shows a large Meitei mob parading two Kuki-Zo tribal women naked toward a paddy field to be gang-raped.”
The statement continued saying the “despicable incident” took place in B. Phainom village in Kangpokpi district and “shows the men constantly molesting the helpless women, who cry and plead with their captors.”
In recent months, Manipur has grappled with violence. Clashes broke out in the state capital Imphal on May 3 after thousands of students, mostly from the Kuki tribe, took part in a rally against the majority Meitei ethnic community, who have petitioned for special tribal status. Among other things, tribal status would enable the Meitei to buy land and provide more opportunities for government jobs.
Over 100 people have been killed and tens of thousands more displaced since then.
The incident on May 4 occurred after the women’s village was burnt down and two men were beaten to death, according to the ITLF.
India’s main opposition Congress party has been a vehement critic towards Modi’s handling of the issue, with the party’s president Mallikarjun Kharge tweeting Thursday, before the opening of Parliament: “Humanity has died in Manipur. Modi Govt and the BJP has changed democracy and the rule of law into Mobocracy by destroying the delicate social fabric of the state.”
Tagging Modi, his tweet continued: “India will never forgive your silence. If there is any conscience or an iota of shame left in your government, then you should speak about Manipur in the Parliament and tell the nation on what happened, without blaming others for your dual incompetence – both at the Centre and the State.”
Soon after, the state’s chief minister, N. Biren Singh, tweeted that an arrest had been made.
“After taking a Suo-moto cognisance of the incident immediately after the video surfaced, the Manipur Police swung to action and made the first arrest this morning,” he wrote. Suo-moto cognisance is a procedure in Indian law allowing the court to take action in a case without a complaint being filed.
He added that “a thorough investigation is currently underway and we will ensure strict action is taken against all the perpetrators, including considering the possibility of capital punishment. Let it be known, there is absolutely no place for such heinous acts in our society.”
Manipur police later said that it had made three more arrests of people accused “of the heinous crime of abduction and gang rape.”
The Indian government has issued an order to Twitter and other social media platforms, instructing them not to share the viral video, a source familiar with the matter told CNN Thursday, adding it is “imperative for social media platforms to adhere to Indian laws as the matter is currently under investigation.”
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor is not dead as speculated on social media, reports indicate.
According to a Graphic Online report, the former President is healthy and going about his normal activities.
It follows stories gaining currency on social media that the former President has passed on.
Late last week and throughout the weekend, there were discussions in some circles around the passing of the former President and on Monday and Tuesday, the conversations continued.
However, checks by Graphic Online indicate that the former President is healthy and doing well.
Reports on social media suggested that the 84-year-old former President had passed on
But the public has been urged to disregard the rumour and falsehood.
A recent interview with Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo has sparked a surge of online discussions, placing him and his perceived rival Lionel Andres Messi as the top trends on the social media platform, Twitter.
Ronaldo’s comments in the interview, which many interpreted as a slight against Messi, have ignited a Twitter battle between the two football icons. Published late on Monday, July 17, 2023, the interview saw Ronaldo asserting that the Saudi league surpasses America’s Major League Soccer in terms of quality.
During the interview, Ronaldo credited himself as a major catalyst for the growing interest of footballers in the Saudi Arabian league. He highlighted how his presence and influence in the league have enticed some of the sport’s biggest stars to choose the Middle East over European football.
“My decision to join Saudi clubs was 100% crucial to bring in new top players. It’s a fact. When I joined Juventus, Serie A was dead and then after I signed… it was revived. Wherever Cristiano goes he generates higher interest”.
“Saudi league is better than MLS. I’m 100% sure I won’t return to any European club. I opened the way to Saudi league… and now all the players are coming here”, he said.
As expected, Cristiano Ronaldo’s statement has sparked intense debates on social media, with many perceiving it as a direct jab at Lionel Messi, who recently made a move to the MLS side Inter Miami.
Fans of both footballers have engaged in passionate arguments on various social media platforms regarding Ronaldo’s claim. Messi’s supporters view Ronaldo’s statement as petty and unworthy of his stature as a football icon.
On the other hand, Ronaldo’s fans stand by his assertion, believing that the Saudi League currently outshines the MLS.
In other news, Ronaldo’s club, Al Nassr, suffered a 5-0 defeat against Celta Vigo in a pre-season friendly match.
Ronaldo thinks players are joining the Saudi Pro League cos he's there, lolz. He's truly one of the best in the game, but he d!dn't open the league or influence anyone. Just like him, people are moving to Saudi due to the higher pay & opportunities. The league !sn't even a Top 5.
This is the type of character I love none of that midget fake pretending humble image in front of media he is as real as it gets 🐐 LOVE HIM. https://t.co/5jzCTohUzX
Ronaldo is right. The way the Saudi League is growing it will be better than the MLS soon. The simple fact is they are buying top players in their prime where as the MLS model is to buy those at the end of their career.
Cristiano Ronaldo🗣️: "Saudi league is better than MLS".
His team just lost 5-0 to Celta Vigo he is worried about MLS because Messi is there. I genuinely tried to like this man, but I can never like such a jealous and petty individual. pic.twitter.com/ZalZsLflf8
Founder and president of the policy think tank IMANI Centre for Policy and Education (Imani Africa), Franklin Cudjoe, expressed surprise over a tax deduction known as “Disinfection Fee” on imported vehicles and questioned when such a tax was introduced.
He bemoaned the fact that there are simply too many levies on imported cars.
“Ah. Where from this GHS disinfection tax of GH¢140 cedis on each imported vehicle? When was this announced? There are just too many taxes feeding on each vehicle imported,” he complained onsocial media.
According to Mr. Cudjoe, the tax, or disinfection fee, on a 2023 Toyota Land Cruiser SUV was GH 143.38. On each imported automobile, there are over twenty additional taxes paid.
To the dismay of those who import vehicles, the government has subsequently initiated the collection of the Disinfection Fee even though there hasn’t been a formal notice about it in the public realm.
Due to the numerous taxes and levies imposed on each imported vehicle, the price of vehicles has dramatically increased. Despite calls for a reduction in the amount of taxes, it seems as though more will be introduced.
In the US, a lady was killed after being swept away by flash floods while attempting to save her dog.
The woman, who was believed to be in her mid-thirties, perished while trying to flee her home in Hudson Valley, New York.
Yesterday, the region was in disarray due to intense rain and thunderstorms.
According to Orange County executive Steven Neuhaus, the intensity of the flash floods forced boulders loose, which crashed into the woman’s home and damaged a portion of its wall.
‘Her house was completely surrounded by water,’ he added. ‘She was trying to get through [the flooding] with her dog, and she was overwhelmed by tidal-wave type waves.’
Rescue teams were attempting to retrieve her body. Two other family members and the dog survived the ordeal, officials said, according to PIX 11.
Up to eight inches (20cm) of rain fell in some areas, swamping roadways and causing extensive damage to buildings, which, according to officials, could cost tens of millions of dollars to fix.
Videos posted on social media show streams of brown-coloured torrents of water rushing right next to homes.
Much of the rest of north-east US began bracing for similar weather as the slow-moving storm headed east.
Speaking last night, New York governor Kathy Hochul told WCBS radio that several people were missing and one home had been washed away.
‘The amount of water is extraordinary and it’s still a very dangerous situation,’ Ms Hochul said.
‘We’ll get through this,’ she said, adding ‘it’s going to be a rough night’.
The governor declared a state of emergency in Orange County, about 60 miles (96 km) north of New York City.
She later extended the state of emergency to Ontario County in western New York, south-east of Rochester.
The US National Weather Service, meanwhile, issued flash flood warnings across parts of southeastern New York, describing it as ‘life threatening,’ as well as warnings in northeastern New Jersey.
By Monday ‘a considerableflood threat with a high risk of excessive rainfall is expected across much of New England’, the service said in a tweet.
Stormy weather was also expected in New York City and may lead to flashflooding, the National Weather Service New York tweeted.
The city’s emergency notification system tweeted that the heavy rain could cause ‘life-threatening flooding to basements’ and urged residents to ‘prepare now to move to higher ground if needed’.
Last month much of north east America and eastern Canada was shrouded in a smokey orange haze due to wild fires in Canada’s Northern Quebec region, where many people were forced to evacuate their homes.
Marketing Consultant, Mr. Ian Tabalor Okwei, encourages youth to utilize social media as a platform to actively connect with existing and potential customers, as well as promote their businesses.
Highlighting the effectiveness of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, Mr. Ian Tabalor Okwei emphasised their potential to establish connections with targeted audiences, engage in meaningful communication, and share relevant content with clients, facilitating the achievement of their goals.
During an interview in Tema, Mr. Ian Tabalor Okwei, who holds the position of Protocol and Administrative Officer at TDC Development Company Limited, highlighted the existence of alternative digital channels like email and search engines. These channels can be utilized to connect with customers through text or multimedia messages, thereby enhancing business visibility.
Mr. Ian Tabalor Okwei emphasised that the need for physical queues would soon diminish as people would have the convenience of having their desired items delivered directly to their homes. He further highlighted the widespread availability of delivery services across the nation, making it possible for individuals to access various goods without the hassle of waiting in queues.
Mr. Okwei, who is also the proprietor of Big Joe Organic Waakye, added that having effective digital media strategies was essential for businesses of all sizes because people used the internet to find products and services.
He said having a strong online presence was crucial for businesses of all sizes, adding that social media had helped his enterprises by broadening their audience, and he advised the young people not to wait to start their own businesses until they had jobs.
To enhance brand awareness, drive sales and revenue, and foster customer loyalty, he underlined the need of branding oneself and selecting the appropriate channels and techniques to reach clients.
The marketing representative emphasised the significance of sellers remaining current with emerging trends and strategies to keep one step ahead of the competition and build sustainable success in their company.
Social media is buzzing with discussions sparked by a video featuring Nadia Buari and one of her daughters re-enacting a movie scene. In the scene, one character asks another whether she believes a married man would abandon his wife for her.
The video has generated significant conversation and engagement among users on various social media platforms.
The said movie is ‘The Family That Preys’ directed by Tyler Perry. The movie delves into the lives of two families, the Cartwrights and the McGregor’s, whose lives become intertwined through friendship and business. The intricate relationships between families, treachery, greed, and eventually the power of forgiveness are important themes in the narrative.
The re-enacted scene was a dialogue between two women about the possibility of a man leaving his wife and child for another woman.
“Do you really think that man is gonna leave his wife and his child for you?”
“Shut up! Yes, he will. Why is it so hard for you to believe?”
While some have expressed admiration for the acting skills ofNadia Buari‘s child, others have expressed curiosity about the actress’ decision to keep her children’s faces hidden as the shared video, like several others, showcased a profile shot of the child, while Nadia’s face was visible.
“My first tiktok with my lil munchkin and sheeesssshhhh….it was so hard for me to keep a straight face. Just looking at how incredibly adorable she was acting; I had to hug and kiss her in every take,” the caption of her video read.
Meanwhile, some have questioned the timing of the video and have given their interpretations. They have insinuated that it is a subtle reaction to Yvonne Nelson’s issue with Sarkodie.
Yvonne Nelson and rapper Sarkodie have been making headlines in recent days due to Yvonne’s newly published memoir. The actress revealed in her book that Sarkodie allegedly impregnated her in 2010 but did not take responsibility for the pregnancy. Instead, she claims that he influenced her decision to undergo an abortion. These revelations have garnered significant attention and discussion in the media.
The rapper has also reacted with a song titled ‘Try Me’, stressing he was not ready to have a child at the time but told Yvonne to keep it. Regardless, Yvonne, according to Sarkodie, said she was in school and wanted to focus on education.
“So, don’t make it seem I was the one pushing for abortion”, the rapper who is now married with two kids rapped.
ordan Neely was killed on a New York City underground car, and a former member of the Marine Corps for the United States pleaded not-guilty to manslaughter charges.
The homeless guy Neely was put in a chokehold by Daniel Penny, 24, on May 1 in Manhattan after he yelled at other riders on a tube car.
The 24-year-old veteran held Neely’s neck as he passed away, and two other passengers assisted in holding his body.
A bystander managed to capture the confrontation on video, which drew public outrage after it circulated on social media.
Penny was questioned by police officers after Neely’s death, but was not detained. He was arrested over a week later and charged with second-degree manslaughter and negligent homicide on May 12.
He was indicted again by a grand jury on second-degree manslaughter charges on June 15.
If convicted, Penny faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for manslaughter, and five years in prison for negligent homicide.
On Wednesday, Penny was arraigned before a judge in Manhattan Criminal Court. When asked how he pleaded, Penny said ‘not guilty.’ He said nothing else over the course of the short hearing.
Penny is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on October 25. He was released after posting a $100,000 bond.
Penny claimed he acted in self-defense, and said that Neely had been shouting that he was ‘ready to die’ and willing to go to jail before he restrained him.
Danny isn’t the only one on trial,’ his defense attorney Steven Raiser said. ‘The rights of people to defend one another will be on a trial too.’
Others have criticized Penny’s actions, noting that Neely struggled with homelessness and mental illness.
‘A good Samaritan helps those in trouble,’ said Reverend Al Sharpton at Neely’s funeral in May. ‘They don’t choke him out.’
Meanwhile, supporters have raised over $2.9million through a fundraiser on the platform GiveSendGo.
‘For everyone who thought donating $3 million would somehow make this go away or buy his pass: It’s not going to happen,’ said Donte Mills, a lawyer representing Neely’s family.
A talent manager and entertainment pundit, Bullgod, has voiced his disappointment in actress Yvonne Nelson for publicly discussing personal family matters involving her mother.
According to Bullgod, the actress telling her story has ‘opened her mom up for public ridicule’.
Yvonne Nelson recently launched her book which sparked social media uproar over some deep revelations in the book.
Many netizens and industry actors have equally shared their thoughts on the content of the book.
Various opinions have been aired by persons applauding her courage and others with a nonaccepting opinion of the shocks of revelations.
Bullgod speaking on UTV’s Showbiz Night submitted that the struggles of her mother had her take some decisions, however, putting her mother up for ridicule was not appropriate.
“A mom has the biggest duty in shaping a child, her mom did very well in raising her. but I am disappointed with the expose of her mom”
“I am told she is at loggerheads with her mom, I love Yvonne but believe she could have filtered some bit of the details to protect the mother’s status”.
Ghanaian gospel artist Joe Mettle has stated that it is important for fans to realize that the seemingly glamorous lifestyle portrayed by celebrities on social media may not necessarily be funded from their personal finances, but rather through sponsorship opportunities.
The musician stated that there are pressures from people who follow their celebrities and that sometimes what they believe they see is not there, and that a celebrity should have done something that they did not do.
He stated that fans have expectations of their celebrities that are not limited to money. They hold these celebrities in high regard and expect them to set examples.
“It is not simple. Your way of life. When you are doing work, some people may perceive that you have more resources when you do certain things. However, it is your responsibility to explain to them that some of the things they see you do are due to the generosity of sponsors and individuals.”
“It may appear beautiful and glamorous, but we do not finance these things. Individuals and businesses sponsor us.”
Speaking to Sokoohemaa Kukua on the mid-morning show on Rainbow Radio 87.5fm, he revealed that several people had sent him messages on social media requesting financial assistance, and he investigates those who can help and supports those who are genuine.
But when it is beyond him, he confronts the people with the reality that he may be unable to assist them.
Dancehall artist, Stonebwoy, has been been cited in a viral video on social media demonstrating his Agbadza talents.
A video which was posted by United Showbiz on their Twitter page captures the Dancehall artiste together with some people dancing beautifully to an Agbadza tune.
Stonebwoy on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, through the Livingstone Foundation (TLF), commissioned four boreholes for some chosen communities in the Western Region.
He was accompanied by his wife, Dr. Louisa Satekle and some members from his team.
As part of the commissioning, there was a dance and singing section and Stonebwoy did not let that pass him by.
With a cloth around his waist, the singer moved his body nicely to the tune of the drums, enjoying praises from others who also joined him.
Social media has reacted to a viral video regarding a Ghanaian man who is currently residing in theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE) after he spoke candidly about the poor conditions he is currently experiencing.
The middle-aged Ghanaian man who spoke about his plight in Dubai admitted that things are tough for him and his other Ghanaian colleagues living in the country. Photo of homeless man and Dubai Man says he doesn’t want to return to Ghana despite being homeless
Photo credit: @Fraser Hall poco_bw/Getty Images Source: Getty Images
He revealed that he is homeless in Dubai and sleeps behind a flowerpot at the bus station along with some of his Ghanaian friends.
Quizzed whether he would love to return home, the young man surprisingly responded with a no.
His reason was that, the standard of living in Ghana had not improved, hence would prefer to stay on.
"Things are not better in Ghana, so for me to return and be disgraced, I would prefer to stay here," he said with confidence.
At the time of writing the report, the video had gathered over 2000 likes and 100 comments. Watch the video below: Ghanaians stunned at the comments of the homeless man
Netizens who reacted to the statement urged the man and others like him who have that mindset to reconsider their stance and return home.
Paul gee indicated:
Masa, u guys should come home. I have been there before but I came home and it's better for me now
GHANANIIBA indicated:
Even USA koraa some people are stranded, masa
deborahaduboatema stated:
Let's keep the faith, we will surely make it before returning back home. lnshalla
Faisal Mohammed952 replied:
How did u end up there? look for good company bro...
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that another young man in Saudi Arabia has revealed that he will gladly return to Ghana to continue with his former job if he is offered a good salary.
Paul Agbubilla, a university graduate and teacher by profession, in an interview with SVTV Africa said his decision to travel was premised on the hardships he was facing in Ghana.
Paul said his salary was inadequate, coupled with the fact that he owed a lot of people and needed money to settle his debt.
A 76-year-old woman who was pronounced dead at a hospital in Ecuador was discovered to be alive and knocking on her coffin during her own wake in the city of Babahoyo.
“As her left hand pounded on the coffin, I raised it up, and I could feel her heart racing. In a video broadcast on social media, Gilberto Barbera, the woman’s son, stated, “We phoned 911 to bring her here to the hospital.
During the arrival of emergency personnel and the transport of the 76-year-old Montoya back to the hospital, witnesses can be seen waiting and supporting her in the footage.
It says the woman had been admitted Friday to the hospital with a possible stroke and cardiopulmonary arrest, and after she didn’t respond to resuscitation protocol, a doctor on duty declared her dead.
The video also goes on to show her hospital tags and then her son, who is shown pleading for an ambulance to arrive.
The woman’s full name is widely reported to be Bella Yolanda Montoya Castro, corresponding to the initials “B.Y.M.C” used in Ecuador’s Health Ministry statement issued on Sunday.
It said Montoya was in intensive care at the Martín Icaza Hospital in Babahoyo – the same facility that initially declared her dead. Her current condition is unknown.
CNN’s calls to the hospital for comment have not been returned.
The man recording the video later asked the name of the woman, to which someone in the room replied: “Bella Yolanda.”
The ministry went on to say that, in coordination with the Health Services Quality Assurance Agency, a national technical committee was formed “to initiate a medical audit to establish responsibilities for the alleged confirmation of death.”
People who were stranded as a result of the cancellation “chaos” were forced to sleep in airports.
Flight cancellations because from extreme weather affected more than 15,000 easyJet travellers.
Due to storms, the airline cancelled 54 flights that were set to depart or take off from Gatwick Airport on Sunday. On Monday, another 55 flights were cancelled.
Hot temperatures has led to unpredictable weather and a wave of weather warnings.
Gatwick warned that more storms are expected on Monday.
One passenger, Sharon Spark, said she was left ‘scrambling’ with 200 other passengers after their flight from Prague was cancelled.
On Monday morning, she told Metro.co.uk: ‘I’m still at Prague Airport hoping to fly home tonight.
‘One member of easyJet staff here whose only answer to all questions was “I don’t know” and the easyJet app kept crashing.
‘All passengers on our flight experienced the same lack of support from easyJet and airport staff.’
On social media, furious travellers demanded answers from the airline as they struggled to leave or return from holidays.
Jayne Thompson wrote: ‘Total chaos in Gatwick tonight! Multiple cancelled flights, no support, no local hotels with availability, login to manage booking jammed, two staff on the floor swamped by thousands of panicking travellers. Totally unacceptable.’
An easyJet spokeswoman apologised for the situation and added that weather conditions had disrupted travel.
She said: ‘Thunderstorms in the Gatwick area which restricted the number of arrivals and departures on Sunday unfortunately resulted in disruption at London Gatwick Airport, including some diversions and cancellations which is having a knock-on impact this morning as a number of aircraft are out of position.
‘We are doing all possible to minimise the impact on our customers, providing those on cancelled flights with options to rebook or receive a refund as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required.
‘The safety and wellbeing of customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and, while this is outside of our control, we would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.’
Affected passengers are not entitled to compensation under UK consumer law as the cause of the disruption is outside the airline’s control.
But they must be offered new flight options and assistance such as food and drink, as well as overnight accommodation if required.
A Gatwick airport spokeswoman said: ‘Due to unsettled weather conditions and thunderstorms across the south of England and Europe yesterday, temporary air traffic restrictions were put in place, which resulted in some flights being delayed and cancelled.
‘London Gatwick apologises to passengers for any inconvenience.
‘Further thunderstorms are expected today, so passengers should contact their airline for further information.’
Meanwhile, Gatwick Express, which runs non-stop trains between the airport and central London, was suspended on Monday.
The operator said this was due to ‘urgent repairs to the track’ after a set of points – which allow trains to move from one line to another – were damaged in the East Croydon area.
Passengers travelling to or from the airport were advised to use Southern and Thameslink services, which are slower as they stop at intermediate stations.
Jo Rhodes, deputy editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: ‘Thousands of travellers will be frustrated to have had their plans thrown into disarray as a result of thunderstorms over Gatwick.
‘While easyJet does not have to pay compensation for these cancellations, it must offer affected passengers the option of a refund or to be rerouted at the earliest opportunity – even if this means booking seats with a rival carrier to ensure minimal delay.
‘If delayed for more than two hours, passengers will be entitled to assistance such as free meals or refreshments, and overnight accommodation if required.’
Three British citizens who were on a boat that caught fire in the Red Sea are being sought by police.
In Marsa Alam, twelve visitors were saved from a boat carrying 27 people. According to local authorities, the boat was carrying 15 British tourists, 10 crew members, and two guides.
Authorities say that 26 passengers, including 12 British nationals, were confirmed to be safe, but they are still seeking for the other three.
Around 6.30 a.m. local time this morning, the fire was reported to have caught fire. This alerted the rescue services to the situation.
The boat left from Port Ghalib in the eastern city of Marsa Alam on June 6 and was due to return back home today.
According to local media, the boat was taking part in a cruise in the Red Sea that was planning a diving trip.
Tourist boat bursts into flames during diving trip in Red Sea
Rescue services were alerted to the fire after reports part of the boat had caught alight.
It added that initial reports suggested the fire was the result of an electrical fault.
Footage on social media appeared to show the boat almost entirely engulfed in flames and smoke.
‘We saw smoke from the boat, it was around 9km from the beach, said Ahmed Maher, a diving manager at Marsa Shagra village, according to Reuters.
Police said the crew rescued suffered no injuries and were taken to shore in good health.
A spokesperson for Tornado Marine Fleet, the company which owns the boat, said: ‘Today at 6.30am at Elphinstone, while doing the diving briefing, Hurricane caught fire.
‘We do have three missing British passengers and all others… reached the nearest land safely.
‘Now we are bringing the boat back to the marina under authority supervision.’
The fire was spotted on Sunday morning and in a statement from the Red Sea Governorate, its secretary general Major General Mohamed Bandari confirmed the accident was the result of a fire on the boat, which was named the Hurricane.
The statement added: ‘He [Mr Bandari] pointed out that the crew and passengers were rescued by the boat named Blue and returned to central Marsa Alam, and a search is still underway for three British passengers by the concerned authorities and other boats, stressing that the Ambulance Authority and the Directorate of Health Affairs have been notified to raise the level of readiness and follow-up is under way.’
The Tornado Marine Fleet, which owns the Hurricane vessel, said the boat caught fire at 6.30am ‘while doing the diving briefing’.
It said it was now bringing the boat back to the marina under authority supervision.
An FCDO spokesperson said: ‘We are in contact with local authorities following an incident aboard a dive boat near Marsa Alam, and are supporting British nationals involved.’
The Red Sea Governorate said: ‘The initial examination resulted in an electrical short circuit in the engine room, and the investigation authorities went to conduct an inspection and investigation.’
A Ghanaian woman residing in the United Kingdom has fallen victim to online scammers, losing a substantial sum of £10,000. She is now calling on the public to exercise caution and remain vigilant against such fraudulent schemes.
In a heartfelt video shared on social media, the UK-based Ghanaian lady whose name remains undisclosed, came forward to educate the public about her devastating encounter with online scammers, resulting in her loss.
The victim emphasized the rising prevalence of money-related fraud and urged individuals to exercise caution when engaging in online financial activities.
Recounting her ordeal, the victim lamented that she lost £10,000 to some of these scammers and highlighted the risks associated with such scams. She warned viewers about scammers who masquerade as job recruiters, offering lucrative online opportunities.
“See I can count up to a sum of £10k, I’m not even talking about Ghana cedis, which I have lost this year due to a scam and I haven’t received anything in return.
“So, usually these people will reach out to you through Instagram, telegram or any of the social media to ask if you want a job. That should even tell you something because no recruiter is coming to you these days through telegram and Instagram.”
She added “They will tell you they are registered and everything they are doing is legal, it’s a lie. Because even though I registered a company about a week ago when you type the name of the company you will see that it is registered. So, every company that is claimed to have been registered should be found on the web.
“These people are not on the web. So, immediately you hear the name of their company, check the web and see because it will not be there and so you have to beware of these companies. I don’t want you to fall for these scams.
“The first group is like a foreign group, they call themselves Amazon and this is different from Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, these groups also call themselves Amazon but their link has some ebay online. They will tell you that you can support merchant goods and so, they will tell you to come and boost merchant goods.”
She continued “What they will do is to be asking you for money and they don’t want to scare you so they will not ask for the total amount upfront…they will do it in such a way that you don’t feel it they are draining you.
“They will ask for £40, or £20 and they will lure you arguing that, you won’t pay anything else again.
“They will make you feel like you are really close to getting to what they promised you and you will keep paying until they ask for a certain amount of money that you wouldn’t have.
“And clearly you wouldn’t so you will like to sign out, it is only there that you will realize that, what did I get myself into,” she narrated.
The video, originally posted by Twitter user @jeffwellz, quickly gained a reaction as concerned netizens shared the woman’s cautionary tale. She specifically highlighted the scam that involved financial deception and shed light on the tactics employed by fraudsters to exploit innocent victims.
Reflecting on her personal experience, the victim passionately expressed her desire for others to avoid falling victim to scammers. She emphasized that although various types of scams exist, such as identity theft, she specifically focused on the ones that manipulate individuals financially.
She explained “So, I really wish above all things that you will never be a victim to scammers. And I know there are different kinds of scams, like identity theft and all that but I am talking about the one that involves money.”
The destruction of a significant dam and hydroelectric power plant early on Tuesday in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine led to widespread evacuations and fears of widespread destruction, with Kiev accusing Moscow’s forces of committing an act of “ecocide.”
According to the head of Ukraine’s Kherson area military administration, residents downstream from the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River in Kherson were advised to “do everything you can to save your life” as video showed a torrent of water spilling through a significant breach in the dam.
Fast-moving torrents of water were seen pouring out of the broken dam wall in two videos that were geolocated by CNN and shared on social media. Several structures near the dam’s entrance also suffered significant damage.
The critical Nova Kakhovka dam spans the Dnipro River, a major waterway running through southeastern Ukraine and there are multiple towns and cities downstream, including Kherson, a city of some 300,000 people before Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor.
Multiple senior Ukrainian officials and military figures accused Russia of sabotaging the dam.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who convened an emergency meeting of his security chiefs, said its destruction “only confirms for the whole world” that Russian forces “must be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian land.”
“This is ecocide,” added Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
“The Russians will be responsible for the possible deprivation of drinking water for people in the south of Kherson region and in Crimea, the possible destruction of some settlements and the biosphere,” he said.
European Council President Charles Michel also appeared to blame Moscow, writing on Twitter that “Russia and its proxies” will be held accountable.
“Shocked by the unprecedented attack of the Nova Kakhovka dam,” he said, adding the attack on “clearly qualifies as a war crime.”
In recent days Ukraine’s forces have increasingly taken the fight to Russia’s entrenched frontlines in the south and east ahead of a widely expected summer counter-offensive.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior aide to Zelensky, said the dam’s destruction would “create obstacles for the offensive actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
“This once again confirms that the Kremlin is not thinking strategically, but rather in terms of short-term situational advantages. But the consequences are already catastrophic,” he told CNN.
Ukraine’s military accused Russia’s forces of blowing up the dam “in panic”.
Ukrainian authorities urged residents living downstream to escape the area, with about 80 settlements in the zone of potential flooding, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
As of 10:00 a.m. local time, 742 people have been evacuated from the Kherson region, the ministry said.
“We are helping citizens in the liberated west-bank part of the Kherson region. We are worried about our people who remained in the temporarily occupied east bank part of the region,” said Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko.
Evacuations were disrupted as water began to inundate some settlements, the ministry said.
“Water is coming. The situation is complicated by the fact that some roads are being washed away. This makes it impossible to drive to some settlements. Evacuation teams are looking for other ways,” it continued.
Around 16,000 people on the west bank of Kherson region are in a “critical zone,” Oleksandr Prokudin, the Ukraine-appointed head of the Kherson region military administration, said.
He had previously urged citizens to “collect your documents and most needed belongings and wait for evacuation buses.”
“I ask you to do everything you can to save your life. Leave the dangerous areas immediately,” he added.
Units of Ukraine’s National Police and the state emergency service of the Kherson region have been put on alert to warn and evacuate civilians from potential flood zones, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
With the water level rising, authorities urged everyone in the flood zone to turn off all electrical appliances, take documents and essentials, take care of loved ones and pets, and follow the instructions of rescuers and police.
In contrast, regional Russian officials were less urgent in their statements.
The Russian-installed mayor of Nova Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontiev, initially denied the dam had collapsed in an interview with Russian state media RIA Novosti, calling it “nonsense.”
He later confirmed the destruction of parts of the dam in what he called “a serious terrorist act” but said there was “no need to evacuate.”
“Overnight strikes on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant destroyed gate valves, causing water to be spilled downstream uncontrollably,” Leontiev said.
Andrey Alekseenko, another Russian-installed Kherson official, also played down the threat saying the situation along the banks of Dnipro was “under control.”
“There is no threat to people’s lives,” Alekseenko said, adding that Ministry of Emergency Situation staff are in control of water levels in the river.
“If necessary, we are ready to evacuate the residents of embankment villages, buses are prepared,” Alekseenko added.
CNN was not immediately able to verify the claims made by Ukrainian and Russian officials.
Throughout the course of the war in Ukraine both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of plotting to blow up the Soviet-era dam.
A critical piece of infrastructure, the dam holds back around 18 cubic kilometers in the Kakhovka Reservoir, about equal to the Great Salt Lake in the US state of Utah, according to Reuters news agency.
The 30-meter-high, 3.2-kilometer (2 miles)-long structure is one of six dams along the Dnipro and supplies water for much of southeastern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
It also supplies water for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which lies upstream and is also under Russian control.
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for Ukraine’s southern command said the dam’s destruction will “certainly” affect the operation of the nuclear power plant but there was “no need to escalate the situation now and draw the most critical conclusions.”
“Because all experts are involved and will try to create better conditions to avoid the next technogenic catastrophe,” said Natalia Humeniuk, adding that “the situation is currently under control.”
And the International Atomic Energy agency said “no immediate nuclear safety risk” exists at the Zaporizhzhia plant and their experts are “closely monitoring the situation.”
Ukraine’s nuclear agency Energoatom said that while water from the reservoir is needed for the “replenishment for turbine condensers and safety systems” of the plant, the cooling pond is “full” and as of 8:00 a.m. local time “the water level is 16.6 meters, which is sufficient for the plant’s needs.”
In November, the Nova Kakhovka dam was damaged in shelling and satellite images from Maxar Technologies obtained by CNN showed water flowing out of three sluice gates at the dam.
Ghanaian Gospel artist Empress Gifty advises youth to utilize social media responsibly, avoiding harm towards others.
She observed that some people use social media to blackmail people and insult others, especially celebrities or popular people.
The Gospel Musician also observed that some friends also use social media when they have issues with their own friends.
Meanwhile, she was of the belief that social media should be used wisely because there is so much money on that platform.
Empress Gifty made the comments while speaking with Roman Fada on Atinka Drive.
She testified to the benefits of social media, saying personally, she has made a lot of business on social media aside from the promotion of her music.
She said even her popular jargon ‘Noko Fine’, and ‘Noko wisdom’ went viral because of social media.
However, she observed that some people, instead of using the platform profitably, rather hire people to insult others.
She wishes people would use social media wisely instead of using it to ‘fool’.
“Now people are using social media to blackmail others. If someone has an issue with you, the person can sell you a page for the person to insult you. Your own friend will use social media to attack you,” she said.
She continued,” I have used social media to work and so the social media that you are using to bully someone, or using to insult someone, or using it to blackmail someone. You woke up in the morning and couldn’t pray but you went to a celebrity’s page to debate. You have channeled your strength to destroying someone. Have you thought of the consequences of what you write? They should learn the good things there and embrace it because there is money on social media.”
To those who insult people, she asked them what they gain from it, advising them to channel their energy into getting something productive for themselves.
Meanwhile, she said sometimes, she feels very sorry for this generation, questioning if it was because of the data they have or if it is something else.
The social media accounts associated with the This Morning show have maintained a low profile and refrained from posting since Phillip Schofield confessed to having an affair with a younger colleague.
Normally, these accounts provide daily updates on the program, but the This Morning TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages have been inactive since Friday.
The most recent post shared by all the accounts was a video snippet from an interview with supermodel Elle Macpherson.
However, later that day, Schofield released a statement admitting to his affair, expressing remorse.
While the official accounts have remained dormant, various moments involving Schofield and his former lover have surfaced on social media, attracting significant attention. One recent video that resurfaced showcased the two of them consuming whisky together on an episode of This Morning in 2016.
During the Christmas-themed segment, Schofield and co-host Holly Willoughby were trying out alternative advent calendars while Schofield’s lover – who worked as a runner on ITV – was in the background dressed as an elf.
After former Emmerdale actress Natalie Anderson showed them a whisky advent calendar worth £1,000, the hosts were quick to try out a bottle themselves.
With Schofield delighted by the ‘smooth’ drink, he turned to his festively dressed lover and asked, ‘Do you want some?!’
After the younger man took a sip, he joked: ‘Let’s get the elf smashed!’
The clip has resurfaced as ITV bosses face further questions about what they knew of Schofield’s affair with his colleague.
It has been claimed that the younger lover received a financial settlement from the broadcaster.
The Daily Mail has been told that he was given a payment following the end of the on-off relationship, which Schofield described as ‘unwise but not illegal’.
ITV has repeatedly declined to comment on the alleged pay-off or deny it.
There were no comments from a representative of the presenter, who quit the channel on Friday after he revealed to theDaily Mail that he had lied about the affair to our sister paper, The Mail on Sunday.
But a source claims that the money was handed to the man, who, after he declared his love for Schofield at an awards ceremony in January 2020, was shunted to another of the network’s daytime programmes, Loose Women.
He no longer works there.
Schofield and Ms Willoughby pretending to be hungover on This Morning on January 21, 2016
ITV insiders said that at some level, bosses must have known about any payment.
One added: ‘There have been numerous pay-offs at ITV and they have always had to be arranged and sanctioned by people of some seniority.’
The claims come as pressure has increased on the broadcaster’s chief executive, Dame Carolyn McCall, director of TV Kevin Lygo and head of daytime Emma Gormley to speak out about what they knew.
One source at the channel said: ‘This is unravelling fast and there is no evidence to suggest it will come to an end any time soon.
‘There are a lot of people out there who feel wronged by ITV and they now have the confidence to have their say.
‘The house of cards appears to be collapsing – it is anybody’s guess where this ends now.’
It comes after former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes accused ITV bosses of orchestrating a ‘total cover-up’ of Schofield’s affair with his younger lover, saying those in authority ‘had to know’ about the secret relationship.
The pair met when Schofield was in his 50s and giving a talk to a theatre school. At that time, his future lover was 15 and keen to make a career in the TV industry.
He moved down to London aged 18 and began working at This Morning, before striking up the secret relationship with the presenter.
In an interview on GB News on Monday evening, Holmes, labelled Schofield, 61, ‘chief narcissist’ who would ‘hit the town’ on Thursdays for ‘playtime’ with the young man.
He claimed Schofield’s lover would be ferried between the presenter’s central London flat and the TV studio in taxis paid for by the network.
Holmes said: ‘I didn’t know but I’ve subsequently found out from a very, very good source, because he would arrive much earlier in the morning than I would for the programme, that he was delivered from Phillip’s London home.
‘Usually on a Friday morning, because Thursday was playtime when he and Phillip would hit the town and then he obviously stayed overnight. There are records to show that he was brought in the next day separately in cars paid for by ITV.’
Asked whether the management would had to have known, Holmes replied: ‘Unless Phillip paid the bills separately, but it would still have to go through the accounts office that they would have seen that and known that.’
Holmes, 63, also claims he approached senior management who worked for Ms McCall to tell them about Schofield’s relationship with the young production assistant.
He said: ‘I had gone to the senior bosses at ITV, people who worked for Carolyn McCall, the chief executive in November 2019, with the story of Phillip having this inappropriate relationship with the young man, and had urged them to investigate because why, at the very least, would you not investigate?
‘I wasn’t saying that Phillip was guilty of anything. I was saying you should launch an investigation.’
Sources close to Schofield hit back at Holmes, saying: ‘If Eamonn Holmes wants to be that cruel to someone in Phillip’s position then that I think says more about Eamonn than Phillip.’
ITV is still refusing to give the Daily Mail any further detail of an investigation it insists took place. Sources close to the younger man say it did not ask him about the affair as part of any probe.
On Saturday, ITV released a statement which said ‘both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU’.
ITV will not say whether the investigation was independent and external or who conducted it and when.
The scandal is threatening to topple This Morning, the daytime programme which was launched in 1988 and hosted by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan.
One source on the show said yesterday: ‘There are already conversations taking place between staff about how they are worried that things are going to have to change and where that leaves their jobs.
‘It is a deeply worrying time, but nobody is under the illusion that the show can stay the same. It has to be rebranded because so much trust has gone.’
In the second part of the interview, which was broadcast last night, Holmes agreed with MailOnline columnist Dan Wootton that if anyone questioned Ms McCall’s ‘woke narrative… they are out’.
ITV bosses are set to be questioned by MPs about the broadcaster’s handling of Schofield’s affair when they face the Commons culture committee next Tuesday.
Despite the ongoing scandal, Holly Willoughby will return to This Morning on Mondayfollowing an extended half-term break which was planned before the scandal broke.
A source told MailOnline Ms Willoughby will front the show on Monday as planned. She will be joined by Alison Hammond, according one report.
National Ambulance Service has refuted Social Media claims of Ghanaian Government Ambulance being sold in Dubai.
In a statement, the National Ambulance Service described the claims as completely false adding that the vehicle in question is one of the 26 Toyota Hiace Ambulances being procured by the Government, through the Ministry of Health and being funded by the World Bank.
According to the service, the said ambulance is found on the premises of the Company, which is manufacturing the ambulances adding it is therefore not true that the ambulance is there for sale.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FALSE CLAIM OF TOYOTA HIACE AMBULANCE BELONGING TO THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA ON SALE IN DUBAI 29th May 2023.
It has come to the attention of the National Ambulance Service, a viral video circulating on social media, of an ambulance in Dubai belonging to the Government of Ghana, which is purported to being sold in that country. We wish to state that;
1. The ambulance in question is one of the 26 Toyota Hiace Ambulances being procured by the Government, through the Ministry of Health and being funded by the World Bank.
2. The said ambulance is found on the premises of the Company, which is manufacturing the ambulances.
3. It is therefore not true that the ambulance is there for sale.
4. The manufacturing processes are over and very soon the ambulances will be shipped into Ghana.
5. We therefore entreat the general public to disregard the video in circulation and commentary made by the person who made the video.
As reported by Japan‘s national broadcaster NHK, a man shot what seemed to be a hunting rifle in Nakano City, Nagano Prefecture, on Thursday, injuring at least four persons.
In the late afternoon, a “man stabbed a woman,” according to NHK, and the police were called.
The man opened fire on four individuals before fleeing and barricading himself in a building when police got on the scene, according to NHK.
NHK reported the suspect was wearing a camouflage hat, top and bottoms with sunglasses and a mask.
Nakano City urged citizens to stay indoors in a statement posted onto social media Thursday.
Gun violence is extremely rare in Japan. The country has one of the lowest rates of gun crimes in the world due to its extremely strict gun control laws.
In 2018, Japan, a country of 125 million people, only reported nine deaths from firearms – compared with 39,740 that year in the United States, according to data compiled by the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney.
A mother claims that her kid is “beautiful” despite the insults people have hurled at her because of a medical problem that causes the baby’s head to keep growing.
Adalgisa Soares Alves of Brazil realised something wasn’t right when she became pregnant with Graziely Alves Régis because she experienced excruciating abdominal discomfort.
Graziely was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid on the brain that put pressure on her skull and caused damage, when she was eight months pregnant, according to the doctors.
Due to the condition, Graziely’s head was larger than average when she was born and continues to grow despite multiple operations.
She was given three months to live by doctors but Graziely has defied expectations and despite losing her sight, being bedbound and unable to talk, she is still alive aged 29.
Now Adalgisa, 48, says her daughter has been dubbed the ‘giant baby’ and decided to share Graziely’s daily struggles on social media.
‘I don’t think it’s cruel because “baby” is an affectionate word, but when they call out her “big head” I feel sad,’ the mum told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
‘Because then that is just being cruel.
Graziely was only given three months to live by doctors (Picture: Jam Press / Instagram @adalgisasoaresalves)She has a medical condition called hydrocephalus (Picture: Jam Press / Instagram @adalgisasoaresalves)Adalgisa hit out at the online trolls who call her daughter names (Picture: Jam Press / Instagram @adalgisasoaresalves)
‘But the important thing is that me, and all our family and friends, love Graziely the way she is.’
The mum said nothing could be done to help her daughter before or immediately after she was born.
She said: ‘Every day I take care of her, bathe her and feed her with all my love.
‘I’m dedicated to Graziely and it makes me happy to see her well cared for, from me and all of our family.
‘Nephews, cousins, aunties and many more family members love to come and see her and care for her.
‘I don’t work, I just take care of her — I’m happy to take care of her and it is rewarding when I see her smile.
She is now bed bound, has lost her sight and is unable to talk (Picture: Jam Press / Instagram @adalgisasoaresalves)
‘I never lose hope because I am a woman of great faith and I always put God above everything — I pray a lot every day.’
Graziely’s day begins at 7am with a homemade papaya smoothie followed by soup and a clean at 11am, and again at 6pm.
Graziely uses 30 packs of nappies, costing 75 reais (£12.20) per pack, with around 2,250 reais (£366) being spent on the essential per month.
The family rely on BPC payments, a non-contributory pension scheme available to those unable to work due to disability.
People across social media have supported Adalgisa and Graziely with Sarah commenting: ‘This lady is an awesome mum,’ and another person said: ‘God bless you so much.’
Adalgisa added: ‘I always hope that she will live [for] many years.
‘She transmits positive energy and I feel a peace that overflows when someone visits her.
‘I will always give her the best because she was born from my womb, she was very much loved and desired inside my belly and I will love her until the last day of her life.’
A Chinese stand-up comedian has cancelled all of his shows after an official investigation into the agency that represents him and backlash from the government for a joke he made that made a casual reference to the military of the nation.
The uproar highlights the fine line comedians must walk in tightly controlled China, where politics is rarely made light of.
As reported by state-affiliated media Jimu News, Li Haoshi attracted attention from law enforcement after using a word connected to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) while telling a tale about two stray dogs in a recent comedy show.
He later expressed his “deep remorse and regret” in a social media post on Monday, saying that he had used “an extremely unsuitable analogy to bring bad feeling and association to the audience.”
“I will take all the responsibility and call off all my performances to deeply reflect and reeducate myself,” said the comedian, who goes by the name House and has 136,000 fans on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
The controversy stemmed from his show at the Century Theater in Beijing on Saturday, when he joked about how he had adopted two stray dogs since moving to Shanghai.
He went on to say that one day his two energetic canines gave chase to a squirrel, which reminded him of eight words, before he delivered the controversial punchline, according to audio posted to Chinese social media site Weibo.
“Fine style of work, capable of winning battles,” he said, flipping a well known Chinese Communist Party slogan referring to the PLA.
The phrase was first uttered in 2013 by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who also chairs the military, when he set out a list of qualities he commanded from the nation’s army. It has since been repeated at various official occasions.
Li’s joke drew a round of laughter at the show, as shown by audio heard by CNN, but also prompted unease from one member of the audience, who Jimu News reported took to Weibo to complain that the joke was inappropriate.
The post set off an intense debate on Weibo over whether Li was being funny or disrespectful, gaining the attention of authorities who seemed unamused.
On Monday Beijing Cultural Law Enforcement Agency launched an investigation into Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media, the company that represents Li, state media Beijing Evening News reported.
Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media described the joke as “inappropriate” before offering an apology in a statement on Monday.
“We have suspended his work indefinitely,” said the production firm, adding that it would “step up education and training on actors to maintain the order in the industry.”
Without naming the comedian, Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily said even comedians should respect limits when it comes to jokes, and it would be a mistake to put humor before all things.
A new genre of talk shows featuring quick-witted stand-up comedians pitting themselves against one another in televised contests have proven to be a big hit among young audiences in China in recent years.
Comedians make a name for themselves by taking part in these shows and often expand their careers to live shows – as Li did.
But performers have to stick to pre-approved scripts – based strictly on non-political topics – making the indirect military reference that landed Li on the wrong side of the authorities this time incredibly rare.
China imposes stringent censorship on issues it deems sensitive from women’s cleavage to criticisms against the Communist Party across all platforms, be it online social media sites or traditional mass media.
That ideological control has tightened under Xi, widely impacting the entertainment industry.
In 2021, China also passed a law banning slander and insults against military personnel.
Last May, former investigative journalist Luo Changping was sentenced to seven months in prison and ordered to offer a public apology for calling Chinese soldiers portrayed in a blockbuster movie about the Korean war “stupid.”
Li’s sense of humor divided users on Chinese social media.
One user on Weibo questioned: “How come the crowd was still laughing?”
Another user on WeChat, an instant messenger app that also allows users to blog, was more understanding.
“This is not a good analogy and it’s not funny. But this actor had no intent to insult the soldiers,” the person wrote.
Twitter has long been one of the friendliest, or perhaps just least hostile, social media platforms for sex work. As it launches into a slow death spiral, many sex workers are still paying for the platform. And that’s created a new kind of friction — as prominent accounts like Dril have urged fellow Twitter users to “Block the Blue” by mass-blocking subscribers. “I feel like my interactions have been dipping as Twitter gets less good overall but also have no choice but to attempt to keep the account verified,” says porn performer Vanniall.
It’s hard to say precisely how many sex workers are signed up for Twitter Blue, but it’s a sizable number — and to anyone familiar with the dynamics of modern sex work, it makes perfect sense. Where many professionals once worked for an agency or porn studio, a vast contingent are now independent. That leaves them a great deal of freedom but also new responsibilities. Whether you’re doing in-person work or modeling on OnlyFans, you — and pretty much you alone — are responsible for attracting clients to your metaphorical storefront. And while people have experienced a similar shift across the creator economy, sex workers’ options for social media are far more limited than most.
Many users began classifying the final “blue checks” as of April 20, when Twitter finally carried out its long-promised elimination of legacy verified accounts.
There were the Elon fanboys, who angrily badgered formerly verified users about their unwillingness to pay $8 a month for a new checkmark. There were sheepish Twitter Blue subscribers who appreciated its extra features. There were celebrities puzzled to find they’d retained their verification despite (or, sometimes, because) of their vocal unwillingness to pay for Twitter Blue.
But there was also another, far less discussed group. When I clicked the Verified tab in my mentions, I’d once been greeted with a variety of journalist friends, activists, and the odd celebrity. Now there was only one kind of user populating the tab: sex workers.
Past sex workers had a number of options for advertising, from the literal back pages of alt weeklies to the now-shuttered Backpage.com. But the current alternatives are fairly sparse. “The entire world has changed,” says Michael Stabile, director of public affairs for the adult industry trade group the Free Speech Coalition. Print publications aren’t a feasible advertising option anymore, and most online ad markets (including Google and Facebook ads) explicitly ban advertising for even legal adult services. Laws like FOSTA-SESTA have made mainstream platforms less tolerant of sexual content. Even big-name adult platforms like OnlyFans and Pornhub don’t do much to promote individual performers.
Twitter has long been one of the most XXX-friendly, or perhaps just least hostile, social networks
That leaves social media — and social media is not particularly XXX-friendly. Meta’s properties have hardline policies against nudity and explicit content, though many porn performers still use Instagram, hoping to fly under moderators’ radar and avoid a ban. While the buzzy platform Bluesky is currently quite notorious for its nudes, it’s tiny, and its future remains unpredictable. And as for TikTok — well, a site where users have to say “le$beans” instead of “lesbians” to get around content filtering isn’t likely to be a haven for sex workers.
But since its inception, Twitter has had a relatively hands-off attitude toward adult content. Posting porn clips may not be encouraged, but unlike nearly all other big platforms, it’s not explicitly banned. As a result, sex workers have flocked to it. “Most of my marketing is done on Twitter, Instagram, and several of the free porn channels,” says JW Ties, a longtime southwest Florida-based performer and producer. Lyrik Allure, who’s been using Twitter for sex work for 11 years, estimates that about 60 percent of traffic to their various pages (including a Fansly page and a Premium.Chat account) comes from Twitter. “It’s my main platform because a lot of platforms don’t support sex work,” says Allure.
Marketing isn’t the only benefit that Twitter brings to the table. Twitter also offers the chance to build community, organize political initiatives around anti-sex work laws, and connect with journalists (who, Stabile points out, are a group that’s equally dependent on Twitter). It’s hard to overstate how crucial the site is. Twitter, Stabile explains, is “almost universal in its adoption [among sex workers]. You can’t say that about any other platform. It just is the place, one of the first stops you make in terms of setting up a business.”
Which brings me back to Twitter Blue.
A number of Twitter Blue perks have obvious appeal for sex workers. Some of these aren’t unique to their industry, like getting prioritized in ranking, being able to upload longer and higher-quality videos, and being able to include more links in their bios. But Twitter Blue offers an aura of legitimacy that’s particularly valuable to people who are used to a precarious existence online. For one thing, paying for a service should theoretically make its staff less inclined to boot you off — an obvious boon for sex workers, who live in constant fear of their social media accounts getting shuttered without warning. “I haven’t had one violation since I signed up,” says Allure, who received frequent policy violation notices and believes their account’s visibility was limited before signing up.
“I feel like my interactions have been dipping as Twitter gets less good overall but also have no choice but to attempt to keep the account verified.”
Likewise, while Twitter Blue hasn’t stopped people from impersonating high-profile celebrities and politicians, it does add an extra barrier for catfishing and impersonation, problems that sex workers are particularly vulnerable to. Vanniall told me that she’s long been plagued by scammers using fake accounts to trick her fans out of money and even blackmail her. Before Twitter Blue, very few sex workers were deemed eligible for verification. After its introduction, she says “some fans have told me specifically they realized this was the real account” — though sadly, the main thing preventing impersonator accounts from signing up for Twitter Blue as well is a scammer’s own willingness to shell out $8.
Some sex workers feel confident that the Twitter Blue signup process has enough safeguards to prevent someone from impersonating them. During our phone call, Allure told me that they feel like the Twitter team is doing their best to stop fraudsters from using the service to run scams, noting that there is at least a nominal attempt to confirm that no one is using Twitter Blue for impersonation purposes.
But determined scammers have impersonated people in other fields where it’s worth the cost. And notably, when I recently searched for a sex worker friend on Twitter, her Twitter Blue-verified account was still completely absent from Twitter’s search results. Instead, I saw a bunch of imposter accounts pretending to be my friend — although so far, none of them were subscribed to Twitter Blue.
Twitter isn’t the only website offering paid verification. Meta recently announced a similar system for its sites, and some sex workers I spoke with are definitely considering signing up. But Instagram remains a much riskier bet for anyone talking about sex. At the end of the day, “Twitter is the biggest adult-friendly platform out there,” explains Ties.
Of course, there’s a trap here, too. Part of Twitter’s appeal is that it’s a mainstream platform that happens to be sex work friendly. If it’s no longer appealing for anybody else, that cuts off a huge amount of the audience sex workers are trying to reach. There’s a reason why porn-focused social media sites like Xdigg, a XXX Digg clone, never actually took off.
But for now, sex workers are drawn to Twitter Blue for the same reason they’re on Twitter in the first place: in a precarious industry, any potential leg up is well worth trying. $8 a month is a minimal price to pay if it helps sex workers maintain a constant flow of traffic — or, like Vanniall, helps them beat back scammers and catfishing. “Sex workers have always been incredibly resourceful,” says Stabile. “If they see a tool that’s going to be useful, they’re going to use it.”
Exactly six months after his contentious takeover of the social media business, Elon Musk has selected a new CEO of Twitter.
The billionaire said Linda Yaccarino, the former head of advertising at NBCUniversal, would oversee business operations at the site, which has been struggling to make money.
He said she would start in six weeks.
Mr Musk will remain involved as executive chairman and chief technology officer.
“Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app,” he wrote on Twitter, confirming the decision a day after he had stoked speculation by writing that he had found a new boss without revealing their identity.
Mr Musk – who bought the social media platform last year for $44bn – had been under pressure to find someone else to lead the company and refocus his attention on his other businesses, which include electric carmaker Tesla and rocket firm SpaceX.
With fewer than 10% of Fortune 500 tech companies headed by women, Ms Yaccarino will become that rare example of a woman at the top of a major tech firm, after rising steadily through the ranks of some of America’s biggest media companies.
Ms Yaccarino was raised in an Italian-American family, with a father who was a police officer and a mother who never went to college.
After graduating from Penn State, she worked at Turner Entertainment for 15 years before joining NBCUniversal, where she oversaw roughly 2,000 people, and was involved with the launch of its streaming service.
Her work has been marked by close collaborations with big brands, finding opportunities for product placement and convincing them to advertise alongside television shows – even ones with a reputation for edgy content, such as Sex and the City when it first launched.
She has also built relationships in new media with the likes of Apple News, Snapchat and YouTube.
A 2005 profile in an industry publication portrayed her as a busy, married mother-of-two children, then aged 13 and 9.
“I have absolutely no hobbies,” she said at the time.
Business Insider’s Claire Atkinson has followed Ms Yaccarino’s career for two decades and said her background in advertising could help Twitter, which has seen its ad sales drop sharply since Mr Musk’s takeover.
“If Twitter are looking to monetise better than they have been, then that would be the place to start and Linda would be the ideal person to make that happen,” the chief media correspondent said.
“She’s the kind of person that I can imagine Elon Musk needs,” Ms Atkinson added. “She won’t be rolled over.”
Indeed, her negotiating style within the industry earned her the nickname the “velvet hammer”, according to the Wall Street Journal in 2012.
Ms Yaccarino will face the challenge of running a business that has struggled to be profitable, while facing intense scrutiny over how Twitter handles the spread of misinformation and manages hate speech.
When Mr Musk first started discussing his plans for Twitter last year, he said he wanted to reduce the platform’s reliance on advertising and make changes to the way it moderated content.
He also said he wanted to expand the site’s functions to include payments, encrypted messaging and phone calls, turning it into something he called X.
But Mr Musk courted controversy when he fired thousands of staff upon his takeover, including people who had been tasked with dealing with abusive posts.
He also overhauled the way the service authenticates accounts, charging for blue ticks in a move critics said would facilitate the spread of misinformation.
Some of the changes raised concerns among advertisers, worried about risks to their brands, who subsequently halted spending on the site.
Mr Musk has acknowledged “massive” declines in revenue, though he told the BBC last month that companies were returning.
At an advertising conference last month Ms Yaccarino interviewed Mr Musk and pressed him on what he was doing to reassure firms that their brands would not be exposed to risk.
“The people in this room are your accelerated path to profitability,” she said. “But there’s a decent bit of sceptics in the room.”
There has also been some instant scepticism at Ms Yaccarino’s appointment on social media, where many were looking for clues to her politics, which reportedly lean conservative.
Her work for the World Economic Forum, an organisation viewed negatively as “globalist” by those on the right, has not been well-received in some quarters along with her role in a coronavirus vaccination campaign featuring Pope Francis.
Others on the left have questioned her political involvement in a White House sports, fitness and nutrition council under former President Donald Trump.
Mr Musk, who has also put women in senior positions at SpaceX and Tesla, is known to be a notoriously unpredictable and demanding boss.
Even the announcement unfolded in an unusual manner, after media reports sparked by Mr Musk’s post that identified Ms Yaccarino appeared to catch her bosses at NBCUniversal off guard.
As of mid-Friday in the US, Ms Yaccarino had still not commented publicly on the move.
Industry watchers will be curious to see how the relationship develops between the New Yorker and the until now hands-on Mr Musk.
Ms Atkinson said the two Twitter executives would be facing “difficult conversations” about how to handle moderation, especially with the 2024 presidential election approaching in the US.
“How long Linda can last under these tricky management situations is anyone’s guess,” Ms Atkinson said.
As per reports, a mysterious “military object” that was discovered in a Polish woodland last month was actually a Russian missile.
In the final week of April, the alleged KH-55 rocket was observed close to Zamo, a town located roughly nine kilometres from Bydgoszcz.
The broadcaster RMF FM described it as an air-to-surface missile that was at least several metres long, lodged in the ground, and missing its head at the time. At the time, rumours regarding its origins circulated on social media.
One of the two Polish media outlets that have claimed that the object was a KH-55 missile today is this one.
Journalists said this was determined in the preliminary findings of Poland’s Air Force Institute of Technology’s investigation.
Polsat News reported the same thing but neither named their sources.
The KH-55, which is referred to as CH-55 in Polish, is an air-launched cruise missile developed by the Soviet Union that is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
It is believed the rocket found last month landed in Polish territory last December, before it was discovered by a ‘random witness’ around three months later.
Poland has been on high alert for possible spill over of weaponry from the war in neighbouring Ukraine.
In November, two people were killed near the border by what Warsaw concluded was a misfired Ukrainian air defence missile.
The area where the object was found is hundreds of miles from the borders with Ukraine, Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
These types of incidents raise anxieties and long-held fears that the Russian war in Ukraine could spill out into Poland, a NATO member.
Metro.co.uk has contacted the Polish government and Poland’s Air Force Institute of Technology for comment.
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital‘s surgical block needs urgent attention due to the building’s unappealing state.
Pictures circulating on social media revealed the facility is deterioating due to failure by management and the Government to pay attention to it.
The facility seems to have not seen any major renovation works for a long time, making it dirty.
Meanwhile, social mediahas chided the ministry of healt and management failure to find ways of bringing back the faciity to suit its current purpose.
In 2021, management handed the block to Katalon Ghana Limited for extensive renovations.
The renovations included restoration of all cracks, removal of deteriorated metals, external painting, replacement of mosquito nets and casting of concrete to shield the first floor from rain.
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, was founded on October 9, 1923, has 2,000 beds instead of its original 200.
Currently ranked as Ghana’s top national referral center, it is the third-largest hospital in Africa.
Under the leadership of Sir Gordon Guggisberg, the then-Gov. of the Gold Coast, Korle Bu, which translates to “the valley of the Korle lagoon,” was established as a general hospital to serve the needs of the indigenous population.
There has been an increase in hospital visits in Korle Bu as a result of population expansion and the effectiveness of hospital-based care.
The government was obligated to establish a task committee in 1953 to investigate the issue and offer recommendations for the hospital’s development because the demand for its services had reached such an all-time high.
The UGMS and five other constituent schools are now subsumed under the College of Health Sciences to train an array of health professionals. All the institutions of the College however, undertake their clinical training and research in the Hospital.
At the moment, the Hospital has 2,000 beds and 17 clinical and diagnostic Departments/Units. It has an average daily attendance of 1,500 patients and about 250 patient admissions.
Clinical and diagnostic departments of the hospital include Medicine, Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pathology, Laboratories, Radiology, Anaesthesia, Surgery, Polyclinic, Accident Centre and the Surgical/Medical Emergency as well as Pharmacy. Other Departments includes, Pharmacy, Finance, Engineering, General Administration.
The Hospital also provides sophisticated and scientific investigative procedures and specialisation in various fields such as Neuro-surgery, Dentistry, Eye, ENT, Renal, Orthopaedics, Oncology, Dermatology, Cardiothoracic, Radiotherapy, Radio diagnosis, Paediatric Surgery and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns.
The Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burn Centre, the National Cardiothoracic Centre and the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine in particular also draw a sizeable number of their clientele from neighbouring countries such as Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Togo.
TV/Radio presenter and social media influencer,Felicia Osei will join Nana Mcbrown on Onua Tv’s Showtime Show as the co-host.
She is known for her engaging and interactive online presence especially on Tiktok, and fans are excited to see how she will translate that to her role on the show.
As social media correspondent, Felicia Osei will be responsible for engaging with fans on various social media platforms during the show’s broadcast.
She will also provide updates on the latest trends, memes, and reactions from fans, adding a new dimension to the show’s coverage.
Wearing a floral print wrap dress, Felicia Osei was radiant and exceptional as she worked closely with Nana Ama McBrown to the amazement of fans as she read their social media reactions.
The two presenters are expected to create an unbeatable combination, providing an exciting viewing experience for fans.
With the addition of Felicia Osei as social media correspondent, the show is set to expand its reach and engage even more with fans onsocial media.
Viewers can expect to see the duo share their views on the latest entertainment news, trends and events, and also engage in interesting conversations with guests.
Fans of the show are already excited about the new development, taking to social media to share their anticipation for what is to come.
“@OnuaTV, tell @Osei_Feliciaa, the next time she doesn’t read my tweet,she has a nut to crack. 🤣🤣🤣Much love ❤️,” a user posted
The announcement has sparked a lot of buzz, with many commending the show’s producers for bringing in someone as talented and experienced as Felicia Osei.
A Ghanaian broadcast journalist, Akuma Mama Zimbi, has advised married individuals to keep their marital problems off social media.
Akuma Mama Zimbi who was working out with Ms. Nancy on Chris’ Challenge on UTV averred that most couples who bring their marital issues on social media end up with more problems.
” I find people who bring their marital issues on social media uncouth. When they are eating they bring it on social media, when they are in the toilet they bring it on social media. They use these things for likes and validation from strangers which is wrong”, Akuma stated.
To buttress Mama Zimbi’s point, Ms. Nancy also added that most people end up with unrealistic expectations because of what they see on social media.
She added that most people live fake lives on social media hence the need to avoid posting personal things.
” the only thing people should know about you on social media is what you do or what you sell. You don’t need to let the world know about your personal issues. If you have marital problems, go for counseling and stop asking for the opinions of random strangers.” Ms. Nancy bemoaned.
People have responded in droves to a video of a woman’s neatly organized small room, praising the interior decor genius of the woman.
The woman was able to create a bedroom, parlor, kitchen, and a dressing room in her little flat.
Many who watched her video were full of questions as they wondered how she was able to cram so many things into a small space
A young lady on TikTok, @happinessmgani913, has got many people praising her room as she divided it into sections to make up for a bigger apartment she could not afford.
The lady’s wardrobe and her shoe rack were neatly arranged on one side of the wall in a TikTok video. A well-laid bed faced her TV, which was hung on the wall to save space.
Amazing interior decor
She placed a beautiful rug around her bed. The lady also had a kitchen in the same room. Some metres away from her fridge was her space for cooking.
The lady put a tabletop cooker on a cabinet. She also had a dressing table and chair in the small room. People were amazed by her orderliness.
Watch the video below:
The video was liked more than 100,000 times and has over 1600 comments.
“People out here posting their rooms rent ..me who still lives with my parents.”
Justice Kwame Arhin said:
“Did I see kitchen in the bedroom…….my eyes have been disturbing me of late.”
newyouwigskenya said:
“Good job girl keep going.”
kasese girl TikTok said:
“So sweet sis nice. God bless you.”
Angela W Shabira said:
“I love this. very impressive.”
@zippykhago0 said:
“Very smart girl u don’t waste your money.”
Melanie said:
“Smple and elegant. I love it.”
the queen said:
“Wow its pretty. clean and well organised.”
samue lowusu said:
“This room dacoration money can help you start your own house, be wise.”
Lady arranges her room well
Only a mattress was sitting on the floor.
The window was without a curtain. The floor was also bare and rough-looking. The lady said that despite having no job yet, she was able to fill the apartment with beautiful things.
Source: msn.com
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
On social media, a video of several women having their cheeks surgically dimpled has gained popularity.
The dimpleplasty technique, which involves removing fat from the cheek area and using a suture, is seen in the video.
Many people who saw the video have taken to the comment section to share their thoughts about it
A recent video of ladies undergoing a cosmetic procedure called dimpleplasty has left netizens amused and intrigued.
Dimpleplasty, a growing trend in cosmetic surgery, involves creating artificial dimples on the cheeks to achieve a cute and youthful appearance.
The video, which has gone viral on social media, was shared by @mufasatundeednut. It showed women undergoing the procedure and capturing their reactions on camera.
While some viewers found it amusing and lighthearted, others raised questions about the increasing obsession with altering one’s natural features for aesthetic purposes.
Check out the video below:
Social media users react to ladies undergoing dimpleplasty
misshembe:
“What’s the reason??”
iamnasboi:
“Una go soon Dey produce una choice of girlfriend and boyfriend.”
gylliananthonette:
“Everyday you guys keep letting God know that he made mistakes in your creation …Well done o.”
nnenna_blinks_:
“Never in a million years would I think Nigerians would copy this faux dimple trend. It can never be like the God given one. And to even think Dimples is a genetic defect.”
wigs_et_al:
“Abeg when they start account balance enlargement surgery, make una give me update oo.”
veevyann_:
“Omo! God Thank you for giving mee free o.”
datwarrigirl:
“Dimple is a genetic defect na.”
Types of dimples
In May 2020, TUKO.co.ke explored the different types of dimples that occur in various places on the body in a story.
From the story, it emerged that some individuals might have these beauty marks for their entire life, while for some, the indents can change over time.
The different types of dimples include one-sided dimples, two-sided dimples, dimples on the lower back and beautiful chin indentations.
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 woman in a video cited on social media has shared a painful story of a dad who recently learned that four of his five children are not biologically his.
The married couple, whose oldest child is 17 years old, had been together for a long.
He had worked hard to provide for them and had been actively involved in their lives.
However, things started to unravel during the family’s recent visit to the hospital.
An incident at the hospital when one of them was sick prompted him to carry out a DNA test on the children without his wife’s knowledge.
It was gathered that one of the five children was severely ill and needed a blood transfusion and been worried after several unsuccessful attempts, he decided to speak to the doctor who advised him to do a DNA test for the child to ascertain the paternity.
The man then decided to do the paternity test for all five of his children, and the results were shocking. Four of his five children, including his 17-year-old daughter, are not his biological offsprings.
The woman who narrated the story in a video she posted on TikTok said the man was devastated, feeling betrayed and hurt by the woman he had loved and trusted for about twenty years.
It turned out that only the last child, who is just 7 months old, is his child among the 5 children
Destiny Etiko retaliated against a fan on social media who allegedly chastised her for routinely shifting her behind in her videos.
The brand influencer who also works as a script interpreter shared a promotional video for a solar energy business on her Instagram profile, attesting to their effectiveness.
However, an Instagram user going by the handle @mihz_hanna_1179 commented on the post and questioned the starlet about whether or not she had to show off her bottom for the public to see it.
She wrote: “Destiny u no fit do video say u no go shake your yansh”
Reacting to the observation from the netizen, Etiko urged the Instagram user to look away from the backside and focus on the message in the video.
In her words: “@mihz_hanna_1179 leave yansh and focus on the information nne.”
Despite Media journalist, Afia Pokuaa alias Vim Lady has said that the rate of ignorance and misinformation in Ghana is at an epic stage.
Her comment is in line with public reactions to the lighting of Ghana’s seat presidency with colours of the United States and Ghana flags.
As part of the visit by US Vice President, Kamala Harris to Ghana, the Jubilee House on Monday, March 27, 2023, was lit with colours of the Ghana and American flag.
However, some critics miconstrued the incident instead claiming that the two flags put side by side reflected the rainbow colours of the LGBTQ+ movement, going on to claim that the whole episode was an attempt to propagate homosexuality in the country.
But reacting to this in a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb, Afia Pokuaa attributed the criticism to ignorance and misinformation while bitterly lamenting the fixation of Ghanaians on otherwise trivial matters instead of productive issues.
“The level of IGNORANCE and MISINFORMATION in this country is at an epic level. How can anyone say that the jubilee house has been draped with LGBTQ+ colours yet the same people were jubilating when the Burj Khalifa in Dubai was lit with Ghana colours????? Seriously? It doesn’t take you taking an international relations class to understand these basic things oh?
“Ghana has moved from producing tires, batteries, and glass to a state where we can’t even produce commercial starch from cassava and this is the issue that we are focusing on. ASSUMING IT WAS RAINBOW COLORS, SO GOD DIDN’T CREATE THE RAINBOW AFTER THE NOAH FLOOD EH,” she added.
TWI NEWS
Meanwhile, the US vice president during a joint address with President Akufo-Addo on Monday raised human rights concerns about the anti-homosexuality bill currently before Parliament.
“Let me be clear about where we stand. First of all, for the American press who are here, you know that a great deal of work in my career has been to address human rights issues, equality issues across the board including those related to the LGBT community.
“And I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting the freedom and supporting and fighting for equality among all people and that all people be treated equally.
“I will also say that this is an issue that we consider and I consider to be a human rights issue and that will not change,” she stressed.
In response to the subject, President Akufo-Addo assured that government had through the Attorney General made significant input into the legislation.
He said that the anti-LGBT bill, which was championed by “only a hand full of MPs”, is currently being considered by Parliament.
Akufo-Addo added that even if the bill is passed, it will still have to be ratified by him.
A stunning young Ghanaian woman’s impressive TikTok video of her chopping vegetables with one hand has received a lot of positive feedback on social media.
Joyce Akosua Kudzeawu, who has over 248,000 followers on the video-based platform despite having a physical disability, does not let this hinder her from accomplishing great things.
It’s interesting to note that she graduated from the university with a degree in medical biochemistry and molecular biology, demonstrating that handicap should not be mistaken for incapacity.
In this popular video, Joyce can be seen cutting a bowl of different veggies into tiny pieces while sitting down while holding a knife between her left upper arm and breast.
Despite the possibility of cutting her fingers, she meticulously completes the task without accident.
A buss online has been sparked by a Nigerian woman who lives overseas saying she doesn’t want to be an independent woman again.
The young woman revealed this on social media in a brief video she posted, claiming that being an independent woman is extremely taxing and unpleasant.
She admitted in the short clip that she had always pictured herself working for her own money and having the freedom to live her life as she pleased without a guy interfering.
After experiencing the strain of living independently and in the diaspora, she claims she has made a U-turn and is now prepared to be a full-time housewife. She will, however, continue to receive a paycheck from her husband.
“I don’t want to be a strong, independent woman anymore” is how she tagged the video.
Since then, the video has drawn a lot of responses from viewers who have shared their opinions in the comments box.
Angolan celebrity, Mya Jesushas formally filed for divorce from her husband Papito barely two months after their lavish wedding, which caught social media fans off guard due to the significant wage gap.
Prior to this new development, Mya and her husband had unfollowed each other on Instagram with Mya Jesus going ahead to delete all their beautiful pictures on her various social media.
On the 28th of November, 2022, Mya said yes to a man she met about a month prior to their engagement.
They dated for less than 10 days and waited for 2 months after their marriage to make the pictures public.
According to rumours in circulation, Mya’s decision to walk out of the marriage is because of Papitos’ serial cheating spree.
The 59-year-old millionaire was caught on several occasions cheating on the socialite and always pleaded for forgiveness yet went back to the same old habit.
Mya, who is fed up with the never-ending cheating and plea for forgiveness decided to call it quits for her own mental well-being.
Below are show some social media users have reacted to the news;
Amaleboba Lamisi Rita – Awwwwwn ,I admired in vain. Let me protect my less wedding marriage with my young man
Lindiwe Promise Vilakazi – To be honest I saw this coming after the announcement of the engagement that it would end in tears for the man
Tyrone Edwards Sr. – But on the real 22 -59 is beyond pushing it her mindset is still closer to 18 then 25 usually by 25 to 30 you have seen and grown some but 22 you still don’t really have a clue, hell he may have married just to hit and now he is done ????? who knows ,but she is fine as wine and hopefully the next guy can hold on to her.
Patricia Jacob James Hedd-williams – Maybe he doesn’t have enough income to take care of her body, these girls are looking for financial assistance to remake their bodies
Ibrahim Tunkara – What were they thinking? Is it that he wanted to have a taste of her body or she wanted to scan through the old man’s wallet? Because I see no compatibility.
To stop employees at theKomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital from using social media while at work, administrators have disabled the hospital’s computer systems.
The change is meant to maintain staff attention on patient care and raise the level of medical treatment provided at the hospital.
This is one of a number of measures and interventions implemented by the hospital’s administration to improve patient safety and comfort at the facility.
Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, says the lives of patients who visit the facility, which serves as a referral hospital, cannot be jeopardized.
He said they have blocked the hospital’s “[IT] system to YouTube and other social media platforms to prevent staff from possible loss of concentration on patient care through the use of such platforms.”
The CEO was speaking to department and division heads at the hospital’s end-of-year performance review conference inKumasi.
Ghanaian comedian Nana Yaw Boateng Oduro, popularly known as Funny Face, has revealed that he has apologized to his friends Emmanuel Adebayor and Bola Ray.
A few months ago, the comedian, who was believed to have been dealing with an extreme case of a depression-induced mental breakdown, insulted Adebayor and Bola Ray on social media for allegedly neglecting him during his difficult times.
He accused Bola Ray of terminating his job at Kasapa FM, despite his contributions to EIB’s Starr FM.
He also attacked Adebayor for unfollowing him on social media during his relapse.
In a recent interview with TV3, the comedian stated that his friends were not hesitant in accepting his apology because they know who he truly is.
“They know the real you, so they know what you are going through is not you. So when you come back and apologize, they accept,” he said. “I was not afraid of losing Adebayor and Bola Ray, because I know in their hearts, they know the real me, and they know what I was going through.”
Funny Face explained that whatever caused the rift between them was never deliberate. He was going through a tough time and was confused and frustrated.
He also revealed that he loves children, and not being able to see his own was taking a toll on him. However, it seems that the trio has reconciled, and Funny Face has taken responsibility for his actions.
We wish Funny Face all the best as he continues to make us laugh with his humour.
Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, broke his silence on Donald Trump’s legal woes on Monday. He criticized the Manhattan district attorney who is seeking charges against the former president and vowed his office would not get involved if the case somehow ended up in Trump’s adopted home state of Florida.
But DeSantis, a potential contender for the Republican presidential candidacy in 2024, refrained from endorsing the outgoing leader and instead appeared to make fun of the predicament Trump finds himself in as he launches a third presidential bid. Whether Trump should be charged for an alleged payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels linked to an alleged affair is currently being debated by a grand jury.
“I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair,” DeSantis said as laughter broke out at a news conference in Panama City, Florida. “I just, I can’t speak to that.”
DeSantis added: “I’ve got real issues to deal with here in the state of Florida.”
The dismissive quips traveled quickly across the state to Mar-a-Lago, where Trump has decamped while he awaits for word on the New York grand jury’s findings. His allies immediately started attacking DeSantis across social media, suggesting he would face a political price for failing to recognize Republicans are rallying around Trump amid his mounting legal threats.
Trump responded in a statement posted to his social media site, Truth Social, leveling a series of personal attacks against DeSantis.
“Ron DeSanctimonious will probably find out about FALSE ACCUSATIONS & FAKE STORIES sometime in the future, as he gets older, wiser, and better known, when he’s unfairly and illegally attacked by a woman, even classmates that are ‘underage’ (or possibly a man!). I’m sure he will want to fight these misfits just like I do!” Trump wrote.
As part of the post Trump also shared a photo that suggested DeSantis had behaved inappropriately with teenage girls while teaching history in Georgia in his early 20s, an image the former president previously shared on social media to go after the Florida governor.
The episode Monday was illustrative of the increasingly fraught rivalry between two of the GOP’s biggest stars as they battle for party supremacy — one made more awkward by their proximity inside the Sunshine State. Trump has suggested his arrest is forthcoming, and if he is in Florida at that moment, it could require a coordinated effort by police in DeSantis’ state.
DeSantis said he is not aware of any arrangements with local law enforcement regarding Trump, and he said he had “no interest in getting involved in some type of manufactured circus.”
The delayed remarks by DeSantis stand in stark contrast to the forceful defense he offered on Trump’s behalf last August when federal authorities seized documents from the former president’s Palm Beach estate. Just hours after the raid, DeSantis on Twitter called the FBI search at Mar-a-Lago “another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the regime’s political opponents, while people like Hunter Biden get treated with kid gloves.”
But there was no such tweet this time from DeSantis, who had remained quiet for days amid reports that a New York grand jury was interviewing witnesses and has largely avoided discussing Trump at all amid escalating attacks from the former president and his allies. DeSantis instead last week held events focused on relief for Hurricane Ian victims and the pandemic. He posted a picture from the World Baseball Classic picture standing next to the Miami Marlins mascot.
Over the weekend, as other Republicans criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, for pursuing charges in a case that dates back to the 2016 election, Trump allies engaged in a coordinated pressure campaign to get DeSantis to speak out in defense of the former president.
“Thank you, Vice President @Mike_Pence and @VivekGRamaswamy, for pointing out how Radical Left Democrats are trying to divide our Country in the name of Partisan Politics,” Trump campaigdn adviser Jason Miller wrote on Twitter. “Radio silence from Gov. @RonDeSantisFL and Amb. @NikkiHaley.”
Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., wrote in a tweet on Sunday: “Pay attention to which Republicans spoke out against this corrupt BS immediately and who sat on their hands and waited to see which way the wind was blowing.”
MAGA, Inc sent several emails tracking which Republicans had commented on the potential criminal charges and hitting DeSantis for “remaining silent.” Trump allies acknowledged that this was a concerted effort to force DeSantis to weigh in on the matter, believing that he would have to offer support to Trump.
When DeSantis finally weighed in Monday, it came during an unrelated press conference about central bank digital currencies, a recent area of concern among some conservatives but hardly the topic of the day, given the revelations about Trump’s legal case. He didn’t address Trump’s legal situation until asked by an individual from the Florida Standard, a conservative website friendly to DeSantis.
DeSantis echoed other criticism of Bragg, accusing the Democrat of seeking charges against Trump for political reasons. He compared Bragg to the local state attorney in Tampa, Andrew Warren, who DeSantis controversially removed from office last year over his politics, and linked them both to George Soros, the Hungarian-born billionaire and progressive donor often at the center of conservative conspiracies.
“If you have a prosecutor who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction, and he chooses to go back many, many years ago to try to use something about porn star hush money payments, you know, that’s an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office, and I think that that’s fundamentally wrong,” DeSantis said.
But DeSantis also seemed to downplay Bragg’s pursuit of Trump as a lesser concern compared to issues related to crime in the city.
“That’s bad, but the real victims are ordinary New Yorkers, ordinary Americans in all these different jurisdictions that they get victimized every day because of the reckless political agenda that the Soros DAs bring to their job,” he said. “They ignore crime and they empower criminals.”
Haley weighed in later Monday, saying a prosecution of Trump would be “for political points.” The former South Carolina governor, who announced her White House campaign last month, told Fox News’ Bret Baier, “And I think what we know is that when you get into political prosecutions like this, it’s more about revenge than it is about justice.”
“I think the country would be better off talking about things that the American public cares about than to sit there and have to deal with some revenge by some political people in New York,” added Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations under Trump.
Popular musician in Nigeria, Simi, known in real life as Simisola Bolatito Kosoko, has recently shared a post on the microblogging app that sparked discussions on social media.
The singer announced her intention to resign, appearing exhausted and frustrated. It wasn’t clear what the singer specifically wanted to quit.
Simi in her tweet wrote: “Sigh. I just want out.”
The singer’s tweet saw many social media users and followers talking.
Many attributed the post to the singer being tired of the current situation Nigeria is in and the many issues that surround the 2023 elections.
Read the comments below:
Remmythe05: “There’s no one Nigeria, Nigeria is a scam I reiterate. If people can not vote at liberty from anywhere in the country, there is no point in calling us one. This forceful marriage needs to be splitted.”
Cassim64760215: “my vote and my family’s votes (6) were parts of the 87 Obi got in my polling unit. The shinedus insulted us the gentle yorubas for voting Obi over Tinubu. They took our considerations for granted. They turned the party to an Igbo agenda. I regret voting for Obi. Never again.”
Abuotor: “Nigeria needs to split to Yoruba nation, Biafra, Niger-Delta, Arewa Nation. Everyone should just go their way. Now I truly believe this is best for Nigeria. And everyone should push for this and everyone can have the leaders they want”
SydneyUchenna3: “It’s tiring but there has to be a way forward surely”
Former president John Dramani Mahama and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recently had a public meeting.
The two were present during the funeral service for Black Stars footballer Christian Atsu, which was held on March 17 in Accra on the front lawn of the State House.
President Akufo-Addo, the last guest to arrive before the programme officially kicked off went across the dais to greet other guests present before taking his seat.
Mahama and his son Sharaf were among the first he greeted but it is his firm handshake with his predecessor that has gotten people on social media excited.
The particular photo as shared on Mahama’s Facebook timeline showed the two men in a tight handshake whiles looking into each others faces.
Commenters are employing jovial interpretations whiles others are making political predictions from the photo.
It had received over 120 comments at the time of filing this report.
A local TV journalist who was impolite while performing her job has received harsh criticism.
How do you feel?, a question she asked the little son of the late player Christian Atsu, soon gained popularity on social media sites as others accused her of being careless and downright unprofessional.
The child was interviewed by the reporter as the Atsu family made their way back to the seating area at the State House’s forecourt, where the former footballer’s final funeral service was held.
The boy spotted a smile at the question even as he was whisked away from the microphone as reporters retreated.
The boy had just together with his mother and aunt, Atsu’s twin sister, read a tribute and laid a wreath before returning to their seats.
One of the ardent critics happened to be actress Lydia Forson, a close friend of the deceased.
“Funerals are not concerts or for entertainment! Reporters should learn some decorum in how they cover and engage with mourners! How do you ask someone if they’re “sad”?!
“And shoving cameras in peoples faces and not giving them even a moment of privacy. Like?!!” Forson’s tweet of March 17 read.
How do you feel? Sɛsɛn? In which world is it appropriate to try to interview such a small boy who probably doesn't even understand what is going on? This is just sickening. Ghana media sit up! @adom_tv@Adom1063fm
That Adom tv journalist who asked Atsu’s child “how he feels “,I don’t have any word for him/her. Small small Everybody will know the level of journalism in this part of the world.
Who is the female journalist at the funeral of Christian Atsu who thinks it is appropriate to ask a little boy who has come to bury his father "How do you feel?"
Like SERIOUSLY! 😡😡😡 The need for an exclusive story doesn't mean negating ethics and empathy. pic.twitter.com/NJtDbQ3Aho
This is only not unprofessional, but an extremely stupid behavior from this @adom_tv reporter. How on earth do you put a microphone to the mouth of a boy who is mourning his father?
Due to the fact that the student, who was 16 at the time, was not “harmed,” the judge decided not to arrest the teacher who had sex with him.
At the Australian town of Maffra in Victoria, Monique Ooms, 31, preyed on the adolescent while he was in a “emotionally vulnerable situation” grieving a buddy.
The youngster was “not damaged,” according to Judge John Smallwood, despite the fact that they had sex at least four times last year in her car and at her home.
He said: ‘Often in these situations the harm is what comes from other people after it becomes public.
‘He being very close to 17 … does that go to in any way, shape or form the objective seriousness of the offending?’
The pair’s relationship started when Ooms messaged the boy on social media after noticing he was more withdrawn.
They started texting and before long Ooms was sending the teenager photos of herself in her underwear.
The judge said Ooms’ crime was having sex with a teenager under her supervision.
They kissed for the first time last July and Victoria’s Latrobe Valley County Court heard how they later discussed that it was wrong.
The next time they met they had sex in the back of Ooms’ car. They had sex here at least four times before they started arranging meet-ups at her house.
Someone sent two letters to the school principle, exposing the relationship and he alerted the police.
When the 16-year-old was questioned by officers, he insisted he was just friends with his teacher and then warned Ooms to delete their messages.
The court heard how the pair had told each other they ‘loved and missed’ one another several times.
The teacher and her pupil had sex at least four times.
At first, Ooms denied the relationship but she ended up getting tricked into admitting it over text to a friend. When asked: ‘You did actually do it, didn’t ya?’ she responded ‘Yeah’.
Ooms later pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual penetration of a child under her supervision and care.
Judge Smallwood stressed the offence was not Ooms having sex with the boy, but that she had sex with a teenager she was in charge of.
Crown Prosecutor Andrew Moore said: ‘There’s no definitive evidence of harm, but it is of course a notorious fact that in these sorts of cases – sexual offending against minors – harm doesn’t surface sometimes until a little bit later and sometimes decades later.’
The court heard Ooms had suffered ‘public shame’, lost her job and had been involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric ward over suicide attempts and ideation.
She is now working as a bricklayer and has posted about her life on social media.
There’s no denying that some viewers were more engaged with the Match of the Day episode without a presenter last night’s over 2.5 million viewers.
Yet it’s safe to say that the majority of those people weren’t quite as enthused as Scott Benton, the Conservative MP for Blackpool South.
Scott declared it to be the “greatest episode in years” on social media after yesterday’s episode of the chilly, minimal show ended.
The fact that it ended early so he could make it to the bar for a round of beers with the fellas before final orders, as well as “all the goals” that were featured, were his favorite aspects, he claimed.
Sadly, Twitter was merciless in taking the mickey out of Scott for his take.
Thomas Wynne Lewis asked: ‘When was the last time MOTD didn’t “have all the goals in” Scott?’
Aaron Stokes added: ‘I too, like most totally normal people, enjoy nothing more than leaving the house at 10.40pm to make it to the pub for last orders.’
Comedian Dara O Briain also joined in, writing: ‘I like the way he said “episode”, the wayfootball fans always say “I hope it’s a good episode of Match of The Day tonight”.’
Woodo replied to say: ‘I love waiting until the end of #MOTD to go to the pub for one beer when the staff are clearing up rather than going to a pub showing Match of the Day anyway at a normal time.
‘I am definitely a football fan and definitely watch match of the day and definitely frequent pubs.’
Scott, who was elected to the Lancashire seat in 2019, eventually restricted the replies to his tweet after more than 4,000 people had responded.
It wasn’t the first time he’d taken on the subject, though – earlier that day he’d taunted the wokerati with a low-resolution picture of Jeremy Clarkson badly edited over a Match of the Day background.
The MP, who proclaims himself a fan of Tottenham Hotspur in his Twitter bio, also retweeted support for the ‘Alternative Match of the Day’ hosted by former Balls of Steel presenter Mark Dolan on GB News.
The segment baffled some viewers with its complete lack of any football clips – no goals at all were shown, presumably frustrating Scott.
It was later criticised for a sneering reference to the ‘rainbow flags’ that can be seen in Brighton.
Today, the crisis at the BBC over Gary Lineker’s suspension grew to consume even more of the broadcaster’s sports shows, with Match of the Day 2 also going ahead without pundits or commentary this evening.
Meanwhile, a petition to reinstate Lineker following the controversy over his criticism of the government’s new Illegal Migration Bill has passed 200,000 signatures.
Social media is still buzzing with messages from many indicating that they do not accept Bola Tinubuas President despite The Independent National Electoral commission (INEC)’s announcement on March 1, 2023.
Several Nigerians have expressed disappointment in the verdict as they are convinced the commission was not transparent with the process.
Below are the tweets shared:
Bolanle Olukanni tells CNN that the Nigerian presidential election was not conducted fairly and INEC is misleading the public. #Obiiscoming
If we Nigerians allow INEC & APC to impose a president on us, then no Nigerian has the right to challenge SOUTH AFRICA,GHANA or any other country for xenophobia. And no Nigerian has right to question any Nigerian Media for not speaking up. We must take back our Country.! #protestpic.twitter.com/2EXwiTrYwT
