Asamoah Gyan continues to hold a special place in his heart for his late mother, even 12 years after her tragic passing.
The former Black Stars captain lost his mother in November 2012 in a tragic car accident.
Madam Cecilia Amoako’s car collided with a pillar at the Teachers’ Hall in Accra, and despite efforts to save her, she was sadly pronounced dead at the Ridge Hospital.
This incident was particularly devastating for Gyan, who was playing for Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the time.
In remembrance of his mother, Gyan recently took to Instagram to mark the anniversary of her passing, emphasizing that she will forever hold a special place in his heart.
“You left us exactly this day (6th November) with a broken heart. I always prayed that you should guide me wherever you are,” he wrote.
“Now everything has fallen in place exactly around this time. You have really answered my prayers. Wooooow, thank you soo much mum. You will forever be in our hearts.”
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo left Accra on Saturday, January 14, 2023, for the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) is a global initiative championed by the UAE and its clean energy powerhouse Masdar to accelerate sustainable development and advance economic, social and environmental progress.
Established in 2008, ADSW brings together heads of state, policy makers, industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and youth – who all have a stake in the future of the planet – to discuss and engage on bold climate action and innovations that will ensure a more sustainable world for future generations.
President Akufo-Addo will depart Abu Dhabi on Thursday, January 19, 2022 for London for a six-day private visit.
The President was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway; Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh; Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor; Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, officials from the Presidency and Foreign Ministry.
President Akufo-Addo will return to Ghana on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, and, in his absence, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.
This is a growth of 56% over the 1.512 billion dollars reached in 2019.
The UAE’s ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Amer Al Alawi, said the accomplishment was proof of how quickly the two nations’ bilateral relations had grown during his remarks during the UAE’s 51st National Day Celebration in Accra.
The UAE and Ghana had this year inked five Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in an effort to strengthen their diplomatic ties and advance economic progress and prosperity, he said.
Both countries agreed to set up a Ghana Investment and Promotion Centre office in the UAE to promote and attract investment to Ghana.
Mr Alawi said the two countries were to have information exchange and technology equipment, geared towards improving investment opportunities.
As part of celebrating five decades of existence, the Arabian country, among other projects launched in Ghana, had built a vocational training centre to empower Ghanaian women with skills, supported with funds, to become entrepreneurs.
Mr William Owuraku-Aidoo, the Deputy Minister of Energy, applauded the remarkable developments of the UAE since 1971, which manifested in a growing relationship and shared objectives with Ghana.
He commended the United Arab Emirates for establishing various health facilities in parts of the country and the rehabilitation of the Trade Fair site.
“More bilateral investments in trade and business are needed as Ghana hosts the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he said.
Niloufar Mardani is the latest athlete to not follow Iran’s hijab ruleswhen competing abroad, in what has been interpreted as support for anti-government protests.
Iranian authorities have denounced a professional skater who competed abroad without adhering to the country’s mandatory hijab rules amid protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.
Protests that erupted following 22-year-old Amini’s death in the custody of the country’s so-called morality police, after she was arrested for alleged non-compliance with a mandatory dress code, are approaching the end of their second month.
On Sunday, Niloufar Mardani, who has been a member of the national Iranian speed skating team for years, stepped on a podium in Turkey to receive her first-place award while not wearing a headscarf – as is mandatory for female athletes representing Iran even when competing outside of the country.
A picture circulating on social media of Mardani on the podium in Istanbul also showed her wearing a black shirt with the word “Iran” on it.
In a short statement, Iran’s sports ministry emphasised “maintaining Islamic values in sports competitions” and said Mardani had not competed in clothing approved by the ministry.
“This athlete has not been a member of the Iranian national team since last month and attended this competition as part of a personal trip without obtaining necessary permits,” the statement said, before adding that the Iranian team had not participated in the tournament.
Last month, professional rock climber Elnaz Rekabi represented the Iranian national team in an international tournament in South Korea while not wearing a headscarf, making headlines across the globe.
A crowd had gathered to welcome her in the early hours of the morning when her flight touched down in Tehran as some believed she had taken her veil off in an act of defiance. In an interview with state television at the airport, Rekabi apologised and said that there had been an “inadvertent” issue with her hijab as she had been quickly called to compete.
The issue of the hijab has featured prominently in the country’s ongoing protests, with videos online showing some women burning their veils or cutting their hair.
But male athletes have also made headlines in recent weeks as footballers have repeatedly refused to celebrate after scoring goals in the country’s league matches.
On Sunday, Saeed Piramoun, a member of the Iranian national beach football team, held up his hair and mimed cutting it off after scoring Iran’s winning goal in the final match against Brazil in an international tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The symbolic move was seemingly aimed at supporting the protests.
Piramoun and other members of the national team had refused to sing along with the national anthem at the start of the match, and at the end of it, they refused to celebrate as they lifted the world champions’ trophy.
A number of fans chanted anti-establishment slogans inside the stadium and proceeded to do the same outside following the match, prompting the official newspaper of the Iranian government to warn the UAE of “consequences for its hostile political action” of not stopping the crowd from chanting.
The Iranian beach football federation on Monday vowed action against “those who did not adhere to professional and sports ethics” in line with regulations. Reporters were barred from speaking with the members of the team at the airport upon their return.
Iran’s upcoming participation in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar has also caused controversy, with Ukraine and some others calling for the Iranian team’s removal, although it appears highly unlikely that would happen.
‘Teach an example’
The protests have persisted despite stringent internet restrictions and a crackdown by security forces.
More than 1,000 indictments have been issued for people identified as being leaders of what authorities have called “riots” in various provinces, according to the judiciary. Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei has ordered courts to fast-track cases.
Earlier this week, 227 of the 290 members of Iran’s parliament signed a statement read aloud at a public session that called for a response to people engaging in “moharebe” (literally meaning “waging war against God”) that would “teach an example”.
Several “rioters” were charged with moharebe in the first public court cases held earlier this month, which could potentially carry the death penalty.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the judiciary’s spokesman, Masoud Setayeshi, also promised a response that would “teach an example and be deterring” to suspects.
Teenagers and young people have been arrested during the protests, but the exact number of the arrested – along with those who have been killed – is unclear. Setayeshi said a “handful” of school and university students and teachers have been arrested.
Setayeshi also said a “final decision” is near on the cases of Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, two women journalists working for local newspapers who were arrested after covering Amini’s death and her funeral.
They have been charged with “collusion with intent to act against national security” and “propaganda against the establishment” after Iran’s intelligence community earlier this month said they were trained by the CIA.
Earlier this week, the country’s tourism and culture minister, Ezatollah Zarghami, discussed the issue of teenagers’ arrest from the perspective of an interrogator whom he spoke with and who has interrogated people arrested during the “riots”.
“He [the interrogator] said I have interrogated major political people for a lifetime but my most difficult interrogations were of several hundred people arrested on the streets. Neither could I understand what they were saying, nor did they understand what I am saying,” he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in reference to its press release of August 18th, has provided an update to the public on the stranded Ghanaians at the Al Tawadi Medical Centre in Dubai.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the Ministry, in collaboration with some organisations and public-spirited individuals had so far, successfully repatriated over 450 Ghanaian nationals who were stranded at the Al Tawadi Medical Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
It said from the Ministry’s investigations, most of their compatriots who were stranded were misled by unscrupulous agents who promised non-existent jobs in Dubai and other parts of the UAE.
It said the recent evacuations involved 80 of their compatriots with the assistance of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment in Dubai between 24th and 27th October, 2022 via Ethiopian Airlines.
Additionally, 20 Ghanaians were evacuated with the support of an individual and friend of the Government of Ghana, Mr Abdul Razaak-Daheer in September 2022, on board Egypt Air, the statement added.
It said the Ministry takes this opportunity to extend appreciation to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, Mr Abdul Razaak-Daheer and all those who assisted the stranded Ghanaians, for their kind gesture.
It said, “the Ministry wishes to reiterate that the ban on direct-to-home recruitment of Ghanaian labour migrants (house helps) to homes in the Gulf states remains in force until further notice.
“The ban, however, does not affect the lawful recruitment of skilled workers (non-domestic house helps) to the Gulf States,” it said.
“The Ministry advises travelling Ghanaians to desist from embarking on journeys via illegal routes to various parts of the world since this almost always has an unfortunate outcome.”
