clickongh

[clickongh]

Nissan ex-boss, Carlos Ghosn says he wants a trial

Fugitive former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has said he wants to stand trial on charges of financial wrongdoing in order to clear his name.

He spoke to the BBC after France issued an international warrant for his arrest, citing allegedly suspect payments.

Mr Ghosn said he was “expecting” the move though he was “surprised at the timing”.

Mr Ghosn faced charges of financial misconduct when he fled Japan in 2019.

The former head of Nissan, once one of the most powerful figures in the car industry, is currently unable to leave Lebanon, as he is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice issued by Japan.

He told the BBC: “I want to stand trial because that’s the only way I can get rid of the Red Notice which today forbids me from leaving Lebanon.”

He said he wanted a trial in Lebanon on the charges brought against him in Japan, and any that emerge from the French investigation – and was “totally confident” he could prove his innocence.

Prosecutors in France are investigating claims that Mr Ghosn funnelled millions of euros from Renault through Suhail Bahwan Automobiles.

According to reports first published in the Wall Street Journal, he used the money for personal purchases including that of a 120-foot yacht.

An investigating magistrate in France has now issued five international arrest warrants against Mr Ghosn and four people linked to a car distributor in Oman.

Mr Ghosn told the BBC on Friday: “There was not one euro [from Nissan or Renault] that ended up benefitting me directly or indirectly”.

He denied he was a fugitive from justice – and repeated previous claims he had left Japan because he would not have had a fair trial there.

Mr Ghosn said the charges against him were part of a conspiracy to derail his plans for a full merger between Renault and Nissan.

Mr Ghosn once ran the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, one of the biggest car-making groups in the world.

He was arrested in Japan in late 2018, and faced a number of charges, including claims he deliberately mis-reported his earnings and used company money to fund his own lifestyle. He denied any wrongdoing.

He has previously spoken of his dramatic escape from Japan, which involved disguising himself to go unnoticed through the streets of Tokyo, being hidden in a large music equipment box and fleeing to his native Lebanon as he awaited trial.

Mr Ghosn, who holds Brazilian, Lebanese and French passports, cannot be extradited to France from Beirut, although he confirmed to the BBC that he has been questioned as part of the investigation.

‘Surprising’

He said he thought France had issued the arrest warrant because under its law the investigation could not be closed unless he was in French territory.

“So in a certain way we were expecting something like this to happen,” he said. “What was surprising was the timing…and also that we knew about it through an American newspaper…without me being officially alerted.”

Earlier, his lawyer, Jean Tamalet at King & Spalding, told the BBC: “We believe this move is the only technical resort they found to be able in the future to try the case in a court of law.”

Warrants were also issued against the current owners and former directors of the car distributor, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles.

The Omani firm did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.

Source: Ghana News

The post Nissan ex-boss, Carlos Ghosn says he wants a trial appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/nissan-ex-boss-carlos-ghosn-says-he-wants-a-trial/

[clickongh]

Chinese mine manager in Rwanda sentenced to 20 years in prison for whipping local workers

A Chinese businessman was charged with torture and sentenced to 20 years in prison by a court in Rwanda after he was filmed beating a local worker who was tied to a pole last year.

Sun Shujun, 43, is seen in a video yelling at the Rwandan man hunkered on the ground and whipping him with a rope while other men in orange jackets watched.

A Rwandan court sentenced the Chinese man seen in this video, Sun Shujun, to 20 years in prison for brutally beating one of his employees last year. Sun said he was “frustrated and fed up of them constantly stealing minerals.” He has 30 days to appeal: https://t.co/QBWEjHBRbv pic.twitter.com/Es9Yf22U8T

— The China Africa Project (@ChinaAfrProject) April 21, 2022

Sun was arrested after the video circulated online in August 2021. He was later released on bail.

Renzaho Alexis, a Rwandan man who is considered by the court to be an accomplice in the beating, was also sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Judge Jacques Kanyarukiga said that Sun had “tortured the victims and issued corporal punishment with malicious intent, and this is a grave crime.”

While prosecutors accused Sun of assaulting four people, he only admitted to assaulting two workers. He said he beat them because he was “frustrated and fed up of them constantly stealing minerals.”

Witnesses told the court that workers suspected of stealing from Sun were tied and whipped.

Sun, a manager of a mine that produces cassiterite in the Rutsiro district, said that his two victims received compensation of more than 1 million Rwandan francs (approximately $1,000) and a reconciliation letter.

Prosecutors, however, argued that the victims only accepted his payments because “they were traumatized and afraid of him.”

In a statement, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda wrote, “The Chinese Embassy in Rwanda has taken note of the recent ruling of 20 years’ imprisonment by a Rwandan court regarding a Chinese citizen. The Embassy always asks Chinese citizens in Rwanda to abide by local laws and regulations.”

“Meanwhile, the Embassy calls for the case to be handled appropriately in a rational, fair and just manner, and requests the legitimate rights of Chinese citizens to be properly protected,” the spokesperson added. “The Embassy will continue to follow the case. The Chinese Embassy remains committed to promoting relations between the two countries and friendship between our people.”

The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda responds to media inquiries on the recent ruling regarding a Chinese citizen. See the picture below for full text: pic.twitter.com/ZCPKBLHavm

— Chinese Embassy in Rwanda (@ChinaEmbinRW) April 20, 2022

Sun can appeal to a higher court, according to Rwanda courts spokesman Harrison Mutabazi.

Source: Ghana News

The post Chinese mine manager in Rwanda sentenced to 20 years in prison for whipping local workers appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/chinese-mine-manager-in-rwanda-sentenced-to-20-years-in-prison-for-whipping-local-workers%ef%bf%bc/

[clickongh]

6 fascinating facts about vaginas that every woman should know

The vagina is an important part of the female anatomy, but many people know very little about it.

“When we do exams in the office, we get out a mirror, show women their vaginas and point out the anatomy of the area,” Dr. Lauren Streicher, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and creator of the podcast Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information, tells Yahoo Life. “For the majority of women, this is the first time they take a close look.”

Many people, Streicher adds, “don’t know the correct terminology and anatomy” for describing the area. Dr. Christine Greves, an ob-gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando, agrees. “A lot of women don’t know a whole lot about their vaginas,” she tells Yahoo Life.

As Dr. Jennifer Wider, a women’s health expert, tells Yahoo Life, “Whether the fault lies in sex education in the schools, public health messaging, self-reluctance or a combination, not knowing and understanding how the entire body functions and what is normal or abnormal could have health consequences.

“It’s vital to understand our bodies,” she says, “even the parts we can’t see all that well.”

With that in mind – and in honor of National Vagina Appreciation Day on April 23 – we checked in with some ob-gyns and came back with a few fascinating facts about vaginas.

Fact No. 1: The vagina is self-cleaning

The vagina is sometimes compared to a “self-cleaning oven,” as Greves puts it. The bacteria in the vagina include good bacteria called lactobacillus, she says, adding that they work something like a robot vacuum. “It just takes care of your vagina,” Greves says. “If you have the appropriate amount of lactobacillus, it’s able to combat the bad bacteria and yeast that could overgrow otherwise.”

The vagina also sheds its outermost cells to clean itself, flushing them out in discharges and mucus, Wider says.

Fact No. 2: You can’t actually ‘lose’ anything in your vagina

Horror stories float around online about women “losing” tampons in their vagina, but although foreign objects can get stuck in the vagina, losing them isn’t possible, Streicher says. “Everybody thinks the vagina is this open-ended road, but the truth is that it’s a dead end,” she says. “You can’t lose a tampon or anything in there, because it stops at the dead end.”

For most women, she says, that’s the cervix, the lower part of the uterus, which typically only opens during childbirth. In a hysterectomy, the back of the vagina is sewn closed, “So it’s still a dead end,” Streicher explains.

Fact No. 3: Vagina and vulva are not the same thing

Ob-gyns say they often hear their patients confusing the two. “I still have women come into the office and say that their vagina hurts when they mean their vulva,” Greves says. “People just use one term for the entire area.”

Streicher agrees. “No one uses the term ‘vulva,’” she says. “But the vagina is completely internal. Anything you see is the vulva.” Streicher says the reason for this is probably cultural. “Little girls aren’t taught the proper terminology, and no one uses it,” she says.

Fact No. 4: The depth of the vagina increases during arousal

Most women aren’t aware of this, Streicher says, but “During arousal, there is increased blood flow to the genitalia,” she explains. “It also lengthens in order to accommodate a penis – biologically, that’s why we have sex.” In general, “the aroused vagina is longer and a little more dilated than a non-aroused vagina,” she adds.

Fact No. 5: Your vagina isn’t supposed to be odor-free

Despite the frequent use of douches and other feminine deodorizing products, Streicher points out that it’s “normal for a vagina to have a scent.” (The use of douches and deodorant sprays are not recommended by ob-gyns, since they can lead to vaginal infections.)

“It’s normal for the vagina to have a light scent,” Streicher says. However, a strong, foul odor or fishy smell could be the sign of an infection – such as bacterial vaginosis, the most common vaginal infection in women – and should prompt a trip to the doctor, she says.

Fact No. 6: Vaginas and vulvas come in all shapes and sizes

Just like other body parts, every vulva and vagina looks slightly different. “Many women feel self-conscious about the appearance of their vulva, but they shouldn’t,” Wider says. “Vulvae come in all different shapes and sizes. There is a wide range of normal.”

Greves agrees, noting that the labia (the folds of skin around the vaginal opening) can be longer in some women and asymmetrical. “Everyone is different,” she adds.

Source: Ghana News

The post 6 fascinating facts about vaginas that every woman should know appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/6-fascinating-facts-about-vaginas-that-every-woman-should-know/

[clickongh]

Chaka Uzondu: On poultry manure and the National Fertiliser Council

Poultry manure is being promoted by representatives of the Food Ministry (MoFA) and Cocobod. They are encouraging farmers to turn to poultry manure in the face of scare and very expensive inorganic chemical fertilizers.

Then in March this year, the board of the National Fertiliser Council (NFC) was inaugurated. Both are potentially positive developments. It is good that state actors are promoting the use of poultry manure by farmers. It is well known that manures do what synthetic fertilisers cannot do – build soil structure in a sustainable way.

The production of organic fertiliser in Ghana is long overdue. That government has now established a National Fertilizer Council, which suggests, at minimum, that there is a growing impetus for local production of fertiliser.

But there is work to be done by active citizens, including farmers.  The promotion of poultry manure and the inauguration of a Council also highlight important issues for critical discussion and action.

Does the recent promotion of poultry manure by different state actors signal a fundamental shift away from the promotion of the use of synthetic fertiliser by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA )?  Is there a growing realisation that for Ghana’s agriculture to be not only “productive” in the reductionist yield per hectare sense, but to be sustainable, especially in the context of climate change, there must be a greater focus on increasing soil health? Manures and compost, not synthetic fertiliser, no matter how “scientifically” designed or applied, will always be better for soil structure and health.

If there is a national move away from synthetic fertilizer, some may ask: “is there enough manure?” There are more important questions to ask, such as; other than manure how else can we build soil health and fertility?  And are farmers utilising important practices –e.g. green manures, nitrogen-fixing crops, and the integration of crop cultivation with animal rearing– extensively enough on farms, especially large-scale commercial farms?

 Given the hike in synthetic fertilizer prices, policymakers need alternatives and they want them now. Poultry manure can potentially contribute to soil health and fertility, but it is not enough.

Here comes the Fertiliser Council and plans for a fertilizer producing company. Questions should be asked. Is the National Fertilizer Council designed to promote local organic fertiliser production by Ghanaian-owned companies? Are there any actual smallholder farmers on the newly inaugurated board of the Council? Why do its board members include a representative from YaraGhana, a subsidiary of Yara, the Norwegian multinational corporation, which is one of the world’s biggest producers of synthetic fertilizer?

If MoFA remains wedded to promoting industrial agriculture, then there will not be a lasting commitment to the use of manure and organic fertilizers. The call for the use of manure will be only a measure for desperate times. Indeed, a representative of Yara and fertilizer importers are on the board of the Council, suggesting that promoting local production of synthetic fertilisers is likely to be its primary focus. And surely, since Ghana is an oil-producing company, there will be many who will see Ghana producing synthetic fertilizers as a good thing. Synthetic fertilizers are after all a by-product of fossil fuel, so Ghana’s production of it might seem a logical step in the right direction. But to choose this path requires that we forget that synthetic fertilizers are a major producer of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and thus a major contributor to climate change.

Transformation of the agriculture sector is necessary. However, transformation cannot be based on an agriculture system dependent on synthetic fertilizers. These cause too much land degradation and pollution. Ghana needs an agriculture and food system that provides nutritious food, creates quality jobs, and has no (or at least minimal) negative impact on the environment.

In the face of shortages of chemical fertilizers, these are four steps to be implemented now: (1)provide substantive cash rewards to existing agroecological and organic farmers to help them scale up production; (2) develop a farm-to-markets transportation support system to facilitate farmers getting food to markets at fair prices to farmers as well as minimize post-harvest losses and (3) support farmer organised seed sharing systems and (4) establish an incentive scheme for farmers interested in transforming their farm with agroecology (with explicit criteria for practices such as utilising green manures). See, for example, a recent initiative by the UK government in its response to the global fertilizer price hikes.

 These recommendations are not quick fixes. There are no shortcuts. It is time to rethink our entire food system and begin changing it so that we have adequate nutritious and quality food for all and smallholder farmers thrive. It is time for food sovereignty.

*****

Chaka Uzondu (PhD) is a researcher and policy analyst. His writings cover topics ranging from agroecology, climate change, economic justice, food sovereignty, health, housing, political ecology/economy, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

Source: Ghana News

The post Chaka Uzondu: On poultry manure and the National Fertiliser Council appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/chaka-uzondu-on-poultry-manure-and-the-national-fertiliser-council/

[clickongh]

BOJ – Lekki Love ft. BNXN & Fresh L

‘Lekki Love’ is the third song off BOJ’s ‘Gbagada Express’ album and it features the rave of the moment BNXN fka Buju alongside Fresh L.

GBAGADA EXPRESS

Succeeding the release of his Wizkid and Darkovibes-assisted ‘Awolowo’ remix, Boj delivers the full-length album to his fans and music enthusiasts.  He’s finally released the long-awaited and well-crafted ‘Gbagada Express’ album. Since the tracklist was revealed, fans on social media have been expressing their delight, as it includes some of the biggest names in African music.

Following the release of ‘BOTM’ and ‘Magic’ in 2016 and 2017, respectively, ‘Gbagada Express’ will add a new badge to Boj’s vest. The album is significantly star-studded, containing 16 melodic songs and featuring some of the hottest stars in African music, including Wizkid, Davido, Mr. Eazi, Tiwa Savage, Buju, Fireboy DML, Amaarae, Victony, Darkovibes, Kofi Jamar, Prettyboy D-O, Fresh L, Teezee, Enny, Mellissa, Zamir and Obongjayar.

Listen to ‘Lekki Love’ below.

BOJ – Lekki Love ft. BNXN & Fresh L

The post BOJ – Lekki Love ft. BNXN & Fresh L appeared first on DCLeakers.com.

Source: Ghana Music

The post BOJ – Lekki Love ft. BNXN & Fresh L appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/boj-lekki-love-ft-bnxn-fresh-l/

[clickongh]

Court sentences 6 to death in killing of Sri Lankan

A Pakistan court has sentenced six people to death and nine others to life in prison after convicting them for their roles in last year’s vigilante killing of a Sri Lankan factory manager accused by workers of committing blasphemy, a defense lawyer said.

The six men sentenced to death were convicted of murder in a case that outraged many Pakistanis.

As many as 73 additional men were given jail terms of two to five years by the anti-terrorism court after finding them guilty of playing a role in the killing of Priyantha Kumara.

Kumara was killed in December by workers at a sports equipment factory in Pakistan’s eastern Sialkot district where he was a manager.

According to defense lawyer Israr Ullah, the judge announced the verdicts after concluding the trial at a jail in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province.

The killing of Kumara drew nationwide attention, with many people demanding the killers be publicly hanged.

Kumara was initially beaten by his Pakistani colleagues inside the factory who had accused him of desecrating posters bearing the name of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. His body was later dragged outside the factory and burned by an angry mob.

According to officials, 89 suspects were tried in the killing of Kumara and one of them was acquitted.

In conservative Pakistan, a mere allegation of blasphemy can invite mob attacks. The country’s blasphemy law carries the death penalty for anyone found guilty of the offense. Pakistan’s government has long been under pressure to change the country’s blasphemy laws, a move Islamists strongly resist.

Source: Ghana News

The post Court sentences 6 to death in killing of Sri Lankan appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/court-sentences-6-to-death-in-killing-of-sri-lankan/

[clickongh]

Boj – Get Out The Way ft. Kofi Jamar & Joey B

‘Get Out The Way’ is a song by Nigerian Afrobeat singer-songwriter BOJ featuring Ghanaian rapper Kofi Jamar alongside talented Ghanaian Afrobeat/Afropop artiste Joey B.

The song ‘Get Out The Way‘ is housed under BOJ’s Gbagada Express album.

GBAGADA EXPRESS

Succeeding the release of his Wizkid and Darkovibes-assisted ‘Awolowo’ remix, Boj delivers the full-length album to his fans and music enthusiasts.  He’s finally released the long-awaited and well-crafted ‘Gbagada Express’ album. Since the tracklist was revealed, fans on social media have been expressing their delight, as it includes some of the biggest names in African music.

Following the release of ‘BOTM’ and ‘Magic’ in 2016 and 2017, respectively, ‘Gbagada Express’ will add a new badge to Boj’s vest. The album is significantly star-studded, containing 16 melodic songs and featuring some of the hottest stars in African music, including Wizkid, Davido, Mr. Eazi, Tiwa Savage, Buju, Fireboy DML, Amaarae, Victony, Darkovibes, Kofi Jamar, Prettyboy D-O, Fresh L, Teezee, Enny, Mellissa, Zamir and Obongjayar.

Listen/Download ‘Get Out The Way’ below.

Boj – Get Out The Way ft. Kofi Jamar & Joey B

The post Boj – Get Out The Way ft. Kofi Jamar & Joey B appeared first on DCLeakers.com.

Source: Ghana Music

The post Boj – Get Out The Way ft. Kofi Jamar & Joey B appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/boj-get-out-the-way-ft-kofi-jamar-joey-b/

[clickongh]

Chinese court sentences US citizen to death for murder

A Chinese court sentenced US citizen Shadeed Abdulmateen to death on Thursday for intentional homicide of a 21-year-old woman, his former girlfriend, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

In its verdict, the Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court in Zhejiang Province found that after a disagreement over the pair’s break-up in June 2019 the defendant arranged to meet and talk with the victim, a Chinese woman surnamed Chen, at a bus stop in Ningbo before killing her with a “folding knife”.

The court held that the defendant’s “premeditated revenge killing, stabbing and cutting Chen’s face and neck several times, resulting in Chen’s death, was motivated by vile motives, resolute intent and cruel means, and the circumstances of the crime were particularly bad and the consequences particularly serious, and should be punished according to law,” CCTV reported.

An official with the U.S. State Department said it was monitoring the matter but would not comment further due to privacy considerations.

Source: Ghana News

The post Chinese court sentences US citizen to death for murder appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/chinese-court-sentences-us-citizen-to-death-for-murder%ef%bf%bc/

[clickongh]

WATCH: Ex-Bayern Munich midfielder reveals how Maame Water CRASHED the careers of several top stars including Stephen Appiah, Awudu Issaka, and Christian Atta Gyan

Ex-Ghana U17 captain Emmanuel Bentil claims Stephen Appiah and several top Ghanaian prospects failed to fulfill their career promises due to the powers of a marine spirit.

Bentil claimed many of the 1995 national team U-17 players sustained life-threatening knee injuries which eventually ended their careers after the team failed to “show appreciation” to a spiritualist, one Acquah Isaacs who ‘assisted’ the team with prayers before the triumph at the FIFA World Cup victory in Ecuador.

The midfielder, who signed for European giants Bayern Munich in 1995 from local club Okwahu United, failed to make a single senior appearance for the Bavarians.

Eventually, the one-time promising midfielder’s career hit the rocks as he turned up for clubs in lower-division leagues in Greece, Russia, Bulgaria, Vietnam, and the United States of America.

Speaking to Ghana’s Press Attaché at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games Erasmus Kwaw on LifeStyle TV’s Heart and Soul programme, the Tema-born midfielder made some stunning revelations.

“The whole team had to go there and pray. They will pray and call the saints and sometimes you can hear things, noise, and something will come out from the sea,” he revealed.

He named several players from that generation of players including himself, Stephen Appiah, Awudu Issaka, Christian Atta Gyan, Attakora Amaniampong, Abu Iddrisu, and Charles Allotey.

Asked about the possibility that his teammates may have sustained the knee injuries as a result of wear and tear normally associated with footballers or sportsmen, Bentil insisted the injuries were a result of a curse

“Not like the way it happened to the whole group. Most of us ended up with knee injuries,” Bentil insisted.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @akyerekowriter

The post WATCH: Ex-Bayern Munich midfielder reveals how Maame Water CRASHED the careers of several top stars including Stephen Appiah, Awudu Issaka, and Christian Atta Gyan appeared first on Ghana Sports Online.

Source: Sports

The post WATCH: Ex-Bayern Munich midfielder reveals how Maame Water CRASHED the careers of several top stars including Stephen Appiah, Awudu Issaka, and Christian Atta Gyan appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/watch-ex-bayern-munich-midfielder-reveals-how-maame-water-crashed-the-careers-of-several-top-stars-including-stephen-appiah-awudu-issaka-and-christian-atta-gyan/

[clickongh]

2022 Eid-ul-Fitr prayers to be held at Independence Square – Bawumia

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has announced that Muslims will this year hold their Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at the Independence Square following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions by government.

Muslims have not been able to gather to observe the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at the Independence Square for the past two years since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Speaking at the Jubilee House before the Iftar with the Chief Imam, Dr Bawumia, however, noted that Muslims will this year have the opportunity to gather at the Independence square for their Eid-ul-Fitr prayers.

“This particular Eid which is coming will be prayed at the Independence Square because of the Covid-19 pandemic which has been abated by the grace of God. We haven’t done that in a few years and we will make sure that Eid is celebrated at the Independence Square; we will be able to do so in line with the easing of restrictions on Covid-19.”

Within the last two years, the Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu had to issue directives on how Eid-ul-Fitr prayers are organised due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

“Eid-ul-Fitr prayers and celebration cannot be observed in large congregation at bigger squares and parks, as it used to be”, he said in a statement to announce the modalities for the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.

President Akufo-Addo in his 28th Covid-19 address announced that limitations and bans placed on huge gatherings have been removed.

On March 27, the President announced that these facilities can now admit patrons to full capacity under full vaccination during his public address.

“All in-person activities, such as those that take place in churches, mosques, conferences, workshops, private parties and events, cinemas and theatres may resume at full capacity, as long as the audience and/or participants are fully vaccinated”, the President said.

This paved for religious bodies and other public events to be held at full capacity, the reason for the usual observance of the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers before the onset of Covid-19.

Source: Ghana News

The post 2022 Eid-ul-Fitr prayers to be held at Independence Square – Bawumia appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/2022-eid-ul-fitr-prayers-to-be-held-at-independence-square-bawumia/

[clickongh]

Livestream: Newsfile discusses labour agitations and EIU report

The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has embarked on a strike over government’s failure to pay its members their neutrality allowance.

The workers said they will not resume until the government honours its obligation of paying the 20% neutrality allowance as agreed upon in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two parties. 

Also, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) is urging the government to reconsider public sector pay in order to mitigate the effects of rising commodity and service prices on workers.

The labour unions warned the government not to use Covid-19 and the Ukrainian-Russian war as justifications for not meeting their demands.

The latest EIU report, which predicted a win for the NDC if their flagbearer changed, will also be dissected on Newsfile today. This prediction has sparked outrage from both parties—the NPP and the NDC—as well as the general public, with everyone sharing their differing perspectives.

JoyNews’ Samson Lardy Anyenini will host experts in the various fields as they delve into the issues as well as offer solutions.

Source: Ghana News

The post Livestream: Newsfile discusses labour agitations and EIU report appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/livestream-newsfile-discusses-labour-agitations-and-eiu-report/

[clickongh]

Madeleine McCann’s parents welcome declaration of formal suspect

Madeleine McCann’s parents have welcomed news that a German man has been formally made a suspect over the three-year-old’s disappearance.

Kate and Gerry McCann said it reflected progress in the investigation, adding they still hoped to be reunited with Madeleine, who went missing in 2007.

Portuguese prosecutors made Christian Brueckner an “arguido” on Thursday, but did not formally reveal his name.

Brueckner has not been charged and denies any involvement in the case.

Madeleine disappeared during a family holiday in Praia da Luz and investigators believe she was abducted from the apartment where the family were staying in the Algarve resort.

Posting on the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page, Kate and Gerry McCann wrote: “We welcome the news that the Portuguese authorities have declared a German man an ‘arguido’ in relation to the disappearance of our beloved daughter Madeleine.

“This reflects progress in the investigation, being conducted by the Portuguese, German and British authorities.

“It is important to note the ‘arguido’ has not yet been charged with any specific crime related to Madeleine’s disappearance.

“Even though the possibility may be slim, we have not given up hope that Madeleine is still alive and we will be reunited with her.”

Madeleine McCann was three when she went missing in 2007

German police first announced they were investigating Brueckner in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance in 2020.

He is serving a prison sentence for drug offences in Germany and was also given a seven-year term for raping a 72-year-old woman.

On Thursday, a statement was issued by prosecutors in Faro, Algarve’s main city, who said a person was made an “arguido” – which translates as “named suspect”, “formal suspect” or “person of interest” – a day earlier.

On 3 May it will be 15 years since Madeleine was reported missing and under Portuguese law it would no longer be possible to declare someone a person of interest beyond this date. Declaring someone a person of interest is a necessary step to any criminal charges.

In its statement, though, Portugal’s office of public prosecutions said the move was not driven by timing, but by “strong indications” of the practice of a crime.

The Metropolitan Police continue to treat Madeleine’s disappearance as a missing persons inquiry.

Christian Brueckner has not been charged over Madeleine’s disappearance

Jim Gamble, a former police officer who led a 2010 review of the case commissioned by the Home Office, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the case against Brueckner was strong and the “confidence of the German police” should not be underestimated.

He said: “This seems like a really strong case and that’s why I don’t think it is a procedural tick in a box to make sure they don’t miss out because of the statute of limitations.”

The child protection expert claimed a phone attributed to the convicted rapist placed him in the area within a 30-minute window. He also said Brueckner had burgled holiday homes in the area and had children’s clothes in his camper van.

He continued: “I think the circumstantial evidence that I know exists is extremely strong… I wouldn’t be surprised if charges follow.”

Brueckner denies any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.

Source: Ghana News

The post Madeleine McCann’s parents welcome declaration of formal suspect appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/madeleine-mccanns-parents-welcome-declaration-of-formal-suspect/

[clickongh]

Marjorie Taylor Greene: I did not call for violent capitol insurrection

A US congresswoman has denied calling for an “insurrection” in Washington as part of a trial challenging her right to stand for re-election.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is being tried under a Civil War-era law that bars officials from holding office if they violate their oath to protect the US.

The Georgia Republican, a close ally to Donald Trump, is one of the party’s most right-wing members in Congress.

Democrats claim she played a key role in the 6 January US Capitol riot.

On Friday, Ms Greene, 47, became the first sitting lawmaker to testify under oath about her alleged role in the attack in 2021, as Congress was meeting to cement Joe Biden’s election victory over Mr Trump.

She testified to the Georgia courtroom that she “had no knowledge of any attempt” to illegally interfere with vote counting in Congress that day.

She also repeated false claims that Mr Trump actually won the election.

The case centres around a provision of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution – the “Insurrectionist Disqualification Clause” – which prohibits elected representatives from seeking office again if they “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof”.

Democrats may seek to use the same argument to bar Mr Trump from running if he attempts to throw his hat into the 2024 presidential election.

In a filing ahead of the trial, lawyers for Ms Greene said that she “vigorously denies that she aided and engaged in insurrection to obstruct the peaceful transfer of presidential power”.

In court, Ms Greene said: “I don’t support violence of any kind,” and denied having ever called for violence in her social media posts and media appearances.

Prosecutors allege that she made coded calls to arms on public platforms.

For example, on 5 January, one day before the riot, Ms Greene said in an interview: “This is our 1776 moment”, in what lawyers said was a reference to the year that the US declared independence from Britain, triggering a war.

Under oath, she said that she had no memory of that statement and denied that references to 1776 amounted to a secret call for violence. The Georgia state seal hanging in the court, she noted, has the year “1776” written on it, prompting a laugh from the judge.

Her lawyers have described her support for the 6 January riot as protected speech under the US Constitution’s First Amendment, which covers right to free expression.

The effort to ban Ms Greene from running is being led by Free Speech for People, a group that advocates for campaign finance reform. A similar suit against North Carolina Republican Madison Cawthorn was dismissed by a federal judge last month.

Source: Ghana News

The post Marjorie Taylor Greene: I did not call for violent capitol insurrection appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-i-did-not-call-for-violent-capitol-insurrection/

[clickongh]

Dancing police officer shows off new moves

An officer was seen showing off his bhangra dance moves with a group of volunteers at a Commonwealth Games warm-up event in footage released by West Midlands Police.

Student officer Gorvinder Chima “got his dancing shoes on” at the event in Perry Barr to the popular bhangra track Mundian To Bach Ke.

Officers were at the Alexander Stadium policing an event for the British Army who were testing the athletics track ahead of the Games later this year.

Perry Barr Police said it was “great to speak to and engage with the local community in the run up to the Commonwealth Games”.

Source: Ghana News

The post Dancing police officer shows off new moves appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/dancing-police-officer-shows-off-new-moves/

[clickongh]

Goaso court sentences 2 robbers to 10 years each

Two robbers have been sentenced to a combined 20 years imprisonment by the Goaso circuit court on Friday, April 22, 2020.

This was after they attacked and robbed students of the Goaso Nursing and Midwifery Training College.

Isaac Kwame Bonsu, age 19, and Mensah Christian, age 18, attacked the nursing trainees returning to their hostel after night studies at Goaso on April 17.

They pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges to commit a crime, to wit robbery, and were convicted on their own plea by the court presided over by His Lordship Akwesi Acheampong.

Chief Inspector Daniel Tawiah told the Goaso circuit court that the incident happened on April 17, 2022.

He said the convicts, armed with scissors, ambushed the students near the Goaso Methodist school compound and forcefully took away a Techno Spark GO mobile phone valued at ¢1,500, ¢10 cash and other valuable items and fled into the bush.

They were later arrested following police investigations.

The arrest and prosecution of the two come after the Ahafo Regional Police Command, on April 4, 2022, launched a pilot “Community Safety Patrols” program in Goaso as part of the strategy for crime prevention, building public confidence and trust in police in the communities.

According to the Ahafo police command, the safety patrols are also expected to facilitate the sharing of crime-related information between the police and the community and help reduce antisocial behaviours affecting people and the communities. As a result, it is believed that the initiative has started yielding positive results.   Some students of the Goaso Nursing and Midwifery Training College who spoke to the Media after the conviction on condition of anonymity lauded the efforts of the Ahafo Regional Police Command and the community’s vigilance in the swift arrest and prosecution of the robbers.

They also thanked the court for the judgment, which they said should serve as a deterrent to others who may also be planning to embark on similar ventures.

They, however, urged the police to continue the community safety patrols and extend them to other parts of the Region, adding that it will help in combating criminalities in the communities.

Source: Ghana News

The post Goaso court sentences 2 robbers to 10 years each appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/goaso-court-sentences-2-robbers-to-10-years-each/

[clickongh]

Zambian faces Russian jail for twerking at war memorial

Zambia’s foreign ministry has confirmed that a 21-year-old Zambian student was arrested last Sunday in Russia for twerking at a World War Two memorial in the city of Khanty-Mansiysk.

Tionge Ziba, a first-year student at Khanty-Mansiysk’s Yugra State University, has been released from custody on bail but her case has been passed on to the city’s prosecutor, the ministry says.

The video of her dancing on the Eternal Flame war memorial was filmed on 14 April, the statement said.

Ms Ziba then reportedly posted the video to Instagram two days later with the caption: “Shaking… for the dead, sure they are sleeping well tonight”, which court documents given to Zambia’s embassy in Moscow describe as an “offensive caption allegedly joking about Nazism”.

The regional investigative department posted a video of Ms Ziba apologising for her dance, though at the time it did not identify her by name or nationality.

“I want to apologise to everyone for the video I posted on 16 April,” she says in English.

“I posted a video of me dancing on this monument and I didn’t intend it to be offensive – or disrespectful to those who died.

“I’m very, very sorry to everyone. I hope I’m understood and forgiven.”

Zambia’s foreign ministry says its embassy has been told that the police will investigate the case over the next three months and “the exercise will be conducted in a humane manner to avoid interference with Ms Ziba’s academic calendar”.

According to the privately owned Kommersant newspaper, she could face a fine of between $25,000 and $65,000 (£20,000 and £50,000), forced labour for a term of one to five years or imprisonment for a term of up to five years.

Source: Ghana News

The post Zambian faces Russian jail for twerking at war memorial appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/zambian-faces-russian-jail-for-twerking-at-war-memorial/

[clickongh]

Rwanda not ‘trading people’ on UK asylum deal – Kagame

Rwandan President Paul Kagame says his country is not “trading human beings”, in his his first comments on Rwanda’s deal with the UK on migrants.

Under the deal, asylum seekers arriving in the UK on small boats will be relocated to Rwanda for processing and resettlement.

The controversial £120m ($15m) deal has made global headlines and the authorities in both countries have faced criticism.

Mr Kagame – who was on a visit to Congo-Brazzaville, Jamaica, and Barbados when the deal was signed – said it would be a mistake to think Rwanda was just getting money for migrants.

“We are not trading human beings, please, we are actually helping,” he said during a virtual seminar with US’s Brown University.

Mr Kagame said the UK approached Rwanda because of “what we managed in the Libyan case”.

He said he decided in 2018 when he chaired the African Union that Rwanda would offer shelter to migrants stuck in Libya while trying to cross to Europe.

Nearly 1,000 migrants have since been taken to Rwanda for processing, with two-thirds of them being relocated to European countries and Canada.

Mr Kagame praised this as a successful process for the UK and other European countries “who have problems of migration”.

He said Rwanda was helping to deal with migrant smuggling, noting that the UK wanted “an orderly way of sorting out people they’ll accept and others they can say no”.

Two opposition parties in Rwanda have called the deal “unrealistic” and called on the government to focus on local problems instead of solving the “burdens of rich countries”.

Source: Ghana News

The post Rwanda not ‘trading people’ on UK asylum deal – Kagame appeared first on Clickongh.

source https://clickongh.com/rwanda-not-trading-people-on-uk-asylum-deal-kagame/