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Rita Ora   has apologised for breaking corona virus  lockdown rules by holding a lavish 30th birthday bash at a Notting Hill restaurant. In a message to fans she said sorry for the 'serious and inexcusable error of judgement' as a source confirmed she has offered to pay the proposed £10,000 fine over the event. The singer, whose mother is a nurse, was initially reported to have invited 30 friends to the restaurant in Notting Hill, West  London , to mark the occasion. But the group, said to have partied 'until the early hours', was said by sources close to her to have been just seven.     Rita Ora arriving at her party at Notting Hill restaurant  Metropolitan Police officers had been called to Casa Cruz in West London on Saturday night at 9pm but at the time found no evidence. But following further information, police continued their investigation today, and we understand the star voluntarily paid a £10K fine. The breach was a far cry from Rita's actions ear...

George Weah can’t stop playing. The Liberia President and former Paris Saint-Germain star participated in a Maracana tournament on Saturday with young Liberians. Weah retired from football a couple of years ago but the Liberia president never misses an occasion of playing soccer. As he did it again on Saturday, November 28 with the young citizens of his country. The 54-year-old has football in his soul. Weah is still the first ever and the only African player to claim Ballon d’or following his outstanding season with Serie A side AC Milan in 1995. He scored 58 goals in 147 games with the Rossoneri. He also featured for Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain where he netted 49 goals in 127 appearances. Furthermore, George Weah has also played for AS Monaco, his second club in France, and scored 65 goals in 135 matches.

The Coastal Development Authority has designed the CODA Drive initiative to eradicate poverty and create wealth for commercial drivers, okada, and pragya riders. The new initiative is also expected to help address road safety within the Coastal Development Zone. According to the Authority, this in accordance with its mandate and commitment. In an interview with the media, Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Jerry Ahmed Shaib explained that under the CODA Drive intervention, CODA will offer Bajaj Qute four-passenger quadricycles to drivers and okada riders on hire-purchase for use as public transport. The operation of CODA Drive will initially be concentrated in rural areas and city outskirts in the six regions of the Coastal Development Zone.

The family of His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings in consultation with government has set December 23 as the funeral and burial day for the late former President.  His Excellency Flt. Lft. Jerry John Rawlings died on November 12, at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital after a short illness. In a statement signed by the  Funeral Planning Committee head,  Ambassador Victor Gheho, the family invited all and sundry who are willing to send in tributes for the fallen statesman to do so.  Below is the press release from the family.   PRESIDENT RAWLINGSFUNERAL TO BE HELD ON DECEMBER 23 The family of His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, has in consultation with the Government, agreed that the date for the State funeral of the former President is confirmed for Wednesday, 23rd December, 2020 at the Independence Square in Accra. The family is working in conjunction with the Government on the finer details of the funeral ceremony and will communicate the arrangements in due co...

The term, pandemic has been named 2020 word of the year by Merriam-Webster. “Sometimes a single word defines an era, and it’s fitting that in this exceptional -- and exceptionally difficult -- year, a single word came immediately to the fore as we examined the data that determines what our Word of the Year will be,” Merriam-Webster said in its announcement on Monday, November 29.  According to the publishing company, the first big spike for people looking up the word “pandemic” happened on Feb. 3 -- the same day that the first COVID-19 patient was released from a Seattle hospital -- when searches for the word skyrocketed by 1,621% more compared to the same time the year before. The company said searches for the word had actually been slowly increasing since Jan. 20 -- the same day as the first positive case of COVID-19 occurred in the U.S. “People were clearly paying attention to the news and to early descriptions of the nature of this disease,” the publishing company said. “That i...

The minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway has jabbed the  NDC  parliamentary candidate in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, John Dumelo. According to her, Parliament is for serious minded people and therefore the people of Ayawaso West Wugon should choose the NPP candidate Lydia Alhassan over the famed movie actor John Dumelo. “Parliament is for serious minded people and not people who have done some movies and think they are popular.” she said while addressing the people of Ayawaso West Wuogon during the President’s  tour of the constituency.

President-elect Joe Biden has fractured his foot while playing with his dog, Major, in Delaware on Saturday. The 78-year-old  president-elect will have to wear a walking boot for several weeks. It is unclear whether this will last until his inauguration on January 20. Initial X-rays did not show a break, but the diagnosis changed following a CT scan. On Sunday evening, he was seen walking with a slight limp to an SUV which took him to the Delaware Imaging Network for the CT scan. Commenting on the injury, US president Donald Trump tweeted: "Get well soon!" Mr Biden has two dogs, both Alsatians, Champ and Major   and, according to reports, Jill Biden has hinted she would like to bring a cat to the White House. Champ is the older of the two dogs, having been bought from a breeder as a puppy shortly after the 2008 election.

Six people including several doctors have been imprisoned in southeast China for illegally harvesting organs from traffic accident victims. Local media reports the group removed the livers and kidneys from 11 people at a hospital in Anhui province between 2017 and 2018. The trafficking ring deceived the families of the deceased into believing they had made official organ donations. The Intermediate People's Court in the city of Bengpu found the gang guilty, sentencing them to between 10 and 28 months in July, according to the  South China Morning Post . According to reports, the group would target car crash victims or patients who suffered from cerebral damage at the Huaiyuan County People's Hospital in Anhui. The head of the intensive care unit, Yang Suxun, would ask a patient's family if they would consent to donating their relative's organs. However, the consent forms signed by the families were fake. The bodies of the victims would be taken out of the hospital at ni...

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved in principle a law that states people convicted of rape could be chemically castrated. The law also allows the fast-tracking of sexual assault cases as part of a wider effort to address sexual violence against women and children in the country, according to local reports. Khan gave his approval during a federal cabinet meeting but the policy has not yet been officially announced by his government.  Under the new law, rape survivors will be able to register complaints without fear of reprisal, adding that the government will protect their identity.  Women's roles in policing and witness protection will also be improved, with special courts established to deal with cases.

Manuel Zelaya, the former president of Honduras, was stopped at an airport in the country's capital on Friday after $18,000 was found in his luggage. He has denied any knowledge of how the money got there. Zelaya claimed he was "unjustly" detained at Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa as he was trying to make his way to Mexico via a stopover in Houston, Texas.  Honduran law prevents people taking more than $10,000 in cash out of the country. The rule is designed to control money laundering and trafficking. The money must also be declared to the authorities. "I don't know the origin of that money. Obviously someone must have put it in my belongings," the former president told Honduran media. "I have traveled 400 times and I know that you cannot travel with that amount of money. It is necessary to investigate who put that money in my belongings." On Twitter, he explained why he had been detained: "The reason, a bag of money with $18,...

US President-elect Joe Biden  and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have announced an all-female communications team aimed at bringing "diverse perspectives" to the White House. Jen Psaki, a top member of the transition team who served in the Obama-Biden administration, was chosen as White House press secretary. Kate Bedingfield, who was deputy Biden-Harris campaign manager, will be White House communications director. In a statement, Biden said the team was made up of "qualified, experienced communicators" who will "bring diverse perspectives to their work and a shared commitment to building this country back better." Biden has announced several  other top administration picks , including  former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen  as treasury secretary and former Secretary of State John Kerry as his top climate adviser.  Longtime aide Ron Klain  will be his chief of staff. The Trump administration last week  formally authorized Biden's transition, g...

In a video posted on Social media, Ghanaian boxers Bukom Banku and Ayitey Powers have combined to launch verbal assault on musicians Sarkodie and Samini for supporting the incumbent New Patriotic Party in the December 7 elections. In the said video, Bukom Banku is seen hurling insults which contain profane words at Sarkodie for endorsing Nana Addo through his song “Happy Day” which featured Kuami Eugene. “You Sarkodie, you are a very big fool. You say 4 more? Ghana is going backwards and you say 4 more, herh, we are moving with 2 more, you are an animal. Your mother’s vagina”– Bukom Banku is heard saying in the video. His colleague and close friend, Ayittey Powers who was sitting next to him also hurled his insults at dancehall musician Samini for publicly endorsing Akufo Addo. “Samini you must be sick. Something must be wrong with you up there. What’s this nonsense that Nana Addo should lead Ghana for another 4 years” Ayittey Powers is also heard saying.

Veteran Ghanaian broadcaster ,  Kwasi Kyei Darkwa popularly referred to as KKD,  has described an encounter he had with Ewuraffe  Orleans-Thompson in 2014. He was accused of sexually assaulting the then-19-year-old Ewuraffe after he had unprotected sex with her at the African Regent Hotel in Accra. On December 27, 2014, KKD was accused of assault, however Ewuraffe communicated her lack of engagement in seeking after the case. In an interview on Kingdom FM in Accra, KKD, commenting on the matter said the intercourse with Ewuraffe was consensual. Talking about the incident, KKD emphasized that the intercourse with the then-youngster was consensual, intimating that Ewuraffe started the intercourse.  KKD reviewed that while in a suite at the African Regent Hotel, he went into the washroom to wash his face in the sink when Ewuraffe entered held the room, and grabbed him from behind.  ''I was washing my head in a sink when she came and snared me from behind. She touch...

Dancehall artiste, Charles Nii Armah Mensah, popularly known as Shatta Wale has sent a strong warning to politicians spreading posts reportedly written by him on social media. In one of the posts making the rounds, Shatta Wale reportedly criticized former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama for saying he launched the Free SHS policy in 2015. However, in a message on social media, the Dancehall artiste asked those spreading the false statements to 'STOP' He wrote : "Stop dragging me into matters of politics when I haven’t said anything. I see prominent people in our country posting photoshop statements about me which is not true. Please stop it cuz I hate it !!!

A total of 109,577 voters from 12 institutions are expected to cast their ballots on Tuesday, December 1 ahead of the December 7 general elections. These are people with special election day assignments.  The Ghana News Agency gathered that the special voting exercise would take place at 311 Electoral Commission (EC) designated voting centres located in all the 275 constituencies. The exercise will start from 0700hours and close at 1700 hours.  The prospective early voters are personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces, National Intelligence Bureau, National Security, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and Information Services Department.  The rest are personnel of the National Ambulance Service, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Prisons Service, Ghana Journalists Association, Ghana Police Service and National Media Commission.  The Greater Accra Region has 54 centres, the highest, followed by Ashanti Region, 48, Eastern Region, 34, Centr...

Suspected Boko Haram members have slaughtered 43 farmers at a rice plantation in Borno State, Nigeria. The insurgents were also said to have destroyed the rice plantation after slaughtering all the farmers in yet another major attack in the state. Reacting to the dastardly slaughter of the farmers, Amnesty International in a tweet condemned the targeting of civilians, saying it shows the group’s contempt for human life. The body, therefore, urged Boko Haram to “end its campaign of vicious and unlawful killings of civilians”. Even though details are still sketchy, the attack has triggered anger in several communities fearful of the worsening insecurity in the state and the country generally.  Nigerians have vented their anger on social media condemning the government for its apparent failure to secure lives of its citizens.

Investigators seized medical records, cellphones and computers from the Buenos Aires home and office of Diego Maradona’s personal doctor as part of an investigation into the soccer legend’s  sudden death last week , authorities said Sunday. Prosecutors in San Isidro, Buenos Aires province, said they concluded the searches were “necessary” after interviewing Maradona’s relatives. The 60-year-old former Barcelona and Naples star died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack at his home. He had undergone emergency brain surgery this month. Neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, speaking to reporters at his home on Sunday, said police took clinical files related to Maradona. He denied any responsibility for his death. John Broyad, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said Thursday the initial evidence showed no signs of violence and indicated natural causes. News of the investigation Sunday shocked fans rocked by the unexpected death of their idol. Source: Washington Post 

Former first lady of Ghana, Lordina Mahama has penned down an emotional message to her husband,  John Dramani Mahama  who turns 62 years today, November 29, 2020. Mrs Mahama took to her social media pages to celebrate the life of the former president and also prayed to God for good health and long life for him.   Part of her message read: “Happy 62nd birthday and God bless you my dear husband- my perfect gift from God. More Love, hugs and kisses from me and the children. Always read and remember Psalm 121: 1-8. Love always, Lordina. #iTrustJM.”  Among the photos she shared was one that saw the couple in a passionate kiss. The photo has since caught the attention of many as well wishers have also sent birthday messages to the former president who is seeking to be elected as president come December 7, 2020. See the post of Lordina Mahama below:  

  Mike Tyson showed glimpses of his destructive prime Saturday night during the 54-year-old boxing icon's return to the ring for a lively exhibition bout with 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr. Both fighters had impressive moments during a fight that was unofficially ruled a draw by the WBC judges at ringside. Tyson and Jones fought eight two-minute rounds, and both emerged smiling and apparently healthy from a highly unusual event at Staples Center. The former heavyweight champion of the world's return to the ring after a 15-year absence attracted international attention, and Iron Mike did his best to show the form that made him a legend to a generation of boxing fans. Tyson tagged Jones with body shots and a handful of head punches during a bout that was required to be a fairly safe glorious sparring session by the California State Athletic Commission. Source: Dailymail UK

Pope Francis has confirmed 13 new cardinals to the highest rank of the Catholic Church hierarchy, including the first African American to hold the position. In a ceremony at St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Saturday, which was scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the pope gave the 13 men their ring and traditional red hat, known as a biretta. Wilton Gregory, who has served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC since May 2019, became the first African American to be appointed to the College of Cardinals. “With a very grateful and humble heart, I thank Pope Francis for this appointment which will allow me to work more closely with him in caring for Christ’s Church,” Gregory said in a  statement  last month. He told The Associated Press news agency ahead of Saturday’s ceremony that he viewed his appointment as “an affirmation of Black Catholics in the United States, the heritage of faith and fidelity that we represent”. An outspoken civil rights advocate, G...

Former WBA welterweight champion, Ike “Bazooka” Quartey is planning to stage a comeback to the ring at the ripe age of 51. Ike gained national attention after he managed to knock out Venezuelan Crisanto Espana to win the welterweight belt in 1994. His first career loss was against Oscar de la Hoya in 1999. His last fight was against Winky Wright in 2006 when Ike lost by a unanimous decision, and subsequently retired from boxing. Bazooka has now confided in close friends, he’ll make a return to the ring soon. According to a source, Ike is not pleased with the current trends of Ghana boxing, and wants to stage a comeback to resuscitate the downward spiral of Ghana boxing. Ghana currently has no world champion, a situation Ike thinks, he can help correct with his experience.

The  Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Mr Ellis Robinson Okoe has disclosed that no money was burnt in fire that ravaged the Kantanmanto Branch (Liberty House) of the GCB Bank on Saturday November 28, 2020. According to the PRO, the first floor where the fire started from contains some stationery but has been confined from spreading to other floors. He was quick to add that about 40 fire service personnel helped to ensure that the other floors were not gutted by the fire. “We had a distress call that the Liberty Towers Branch of the GCB Bank had been gutted by fire. We rushed in and realized that the fire started from the first floor which contains only stationery. We have confined the fire and our men are on the ground working to ensure we douse it. There are currently 40 men in the building”, he revealed. Asked what the cause of fire he said “ I don’t want to speculate but the Chief Operating officer told me they did some fumigation and I a...

The Slain Mfantseman MP Ekow Quansah Hayford has been finally laid to rest at Mankessim in the Central Region. President Akufo Addo, his Vice Mahamudu Bawumia, leadership of parliament, and the NPP hierarchy joined the family and the Constituents of Mfantseman to bid the former lawmaker farewell. In a tribute, the wife of the late MP, Ophelia Mensah Hayford, described her late husband as a loving and caring man full of hope and inspiration. She promised to hold and protect his legacy because he thought her to be strong, loving and forgiving.