Home Blog Page 1009

Shaping the Future of Digital Governance: IGF 2024 Begins in Riyadh

By
JENNIFER AMBOLLEY
-
0
Participants at the conference

The 19th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has begun today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Internet Governance Forum, organised under the auspices of the United Nations serves as a global platform for discussions on Internet governance.

Hosted annually by a member state, the forum unites stakeholders, including governments, private sector actors, international organizations, and civil society, to deliberate on policies that shape the digital landscape.

This year’s five-day gathering expects over 9,000 participants from more than 175 countries. It features 1,000 international speakers across 300 specialized sessions, workshops, and panel discussions addressing critical issues surrounding the future of the internet.

Under the theme “Building our Multi stakeholder Digital Future,” the IGF 2024 provides a collaborative space to explore innovative strategies for governing the digital sphere in a way that benefits all.

The internet’s influence extends across all aspects of life—innovation, healthcare, governance, and social interaction. As digital technologies continue to evolve, the IGF emphasizes the importance of addressing challenges like inclusion and effective governance.

Key Themes of IGF 2024;

  1. Harnessing Innovation and Balancing Risks in the Digital Space

This theme focuses on fostering dialogue about how to leverage digital innovation for the benefit of all while managing the risks of rapid technological transformation. It highlights best practices and success stories that demonstrate how stakeholders can work together to address emerging challenges.

  1. Enhancing the Digital Contribution to Peace, Development, and Sustainability

With global priorities such as sustainability, peace, and economic development, this theme explores how digital tools can drive transformative change. It underscores the role of technology in advancing socioeconomic progress, promoting peace, and addressing pressing environmental concerns.

  1. Advancing Human Rights and Inclusion in the Digital Age

In today’s interconnected world, ensuring that all communities, especially marginalized groups, can access and benefit from the internet is essential. This theme examines innovative solutions to expand connectivity and ensure that human rights protections apply equally online and offline.

  1. Improving Digital Governance for the Internet We Want

Effective governance models that are inclusive, transparent, and collaborative are at the heart of this theme. It emphasizes the importance of multistakeholder efforts to strengthen governance processes and create a more open and equitable internet for all.

GJA loses land for construction of press centre in Kumasi

By
RICHARD OWUSU-AKYAW
-
0
This is the land for the building of the press centre

Journalists in the Ashanti region have expressed disappointment over government’s failure to exclude the Ashanti regional Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Press Centre from the re-zoning exercise carried out by the government.

According to them the government has done a great disservice to the media in the region by not making provisions to save the GJA Press Centre, which is under construction at Denyame, a prime residential area in Kumasi.

The outburst by the media follows a statement made by the Ashanti regional minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, during the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council briefing on Infrastructure Development in the region.

A journalist had asked the minister about the current status of the Press Centre.

Responding to the question, Osei-Mensah explained that per E.I, the government released portions of state lands at Denyame, Ridge and Nhyieaso to Manhyia. This development, according to him, led to shortage of land.

“Maybe going forward, we have to go for another place to site the project for the Ghana Journalists Association. That is the challenge that we have,” he said.

However, journalists present at the event did not take the explanation from the Ashanti regional minister lightly, expressing utmost disappointment over the latest development.

Mr Kwame Agyenim Boateng, a journalist with the Otec FM,Kumasi, described the development as “unfortunate” since the GJA had been working hard to procure funding for the completion of the project.

“You know, I cannot dispute that, but I believe that if indeed this was the problem, he should have told the media and give us the way forward, because we have seen other government agencies whose lost lands have been replaced for them.

“I was expecting the minister or the government to meet the media, give them the update and tell them how they will resolve this particular issue, but for us to hear it at this programme, it is quite unfortunate, because when it comes to Ashanti region or Ghana in general, the media has been very supportive of this government,” he said.

“If you are telling us that we have lost the press centre without a land to begin something, it is rather unfortunate. I will call on the government, particularly the regional minister, to ensure that they replace the land for the media and get funding for the project”, he added.

Mr. Antwi-Bosiako, a journalist with Akoma FM, expressed disappointment in the government of the day, over her inability to assist the media to complete the project.

“In fact, I am very disappointed in this current government because they have been in power for eight years and when they came, the GJA executives engaged them in a series of meetings about the progress of this project, but they have sat aloof for the land to be rezoned”.

“They cannot not tell us that they have the media at heart because had the media been able to complete the project, the land would not have been added to that of Manhyia Palace.”

Richard, a media practitioner with Ashh FM, repeated the same sentiments by his colleagues, describing the loss of the Ashanti regional press centre as worrisome.

“We are sad that we have lost our press centre;we hope authorities will put in measures to get the Ashanti regional GJA a new site for the construction of our Press Centre”, he said.

The construction of the Ashanti GJA press centre was started around 2016, but owing to financial challenges the project stalled.

GWCL workers threaten to halt operations over demolition of staff bungalows

By
ERNEST BEST ANANE
-
0
Emmanuel Opkoti Koduah addressing the media at GWC Guest House

The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in the Ashanti Region has threatened to halt operations, following the demolition of official residential accommodation of their officials.

A private developer is reported to have demolished the fence walls and boys’ quarters, which serve as official residence of two directors of the company. To the workers, unless steps are taken to restore their properties, they would carry out their threat.

The demolished bungalow

Addressing a news conference in Kumasi recently, Mr. Emmanuel Okpoti Kodua, Vice Chairman of the Senior Staff Union of the GWSCL in the Ashanti Region, expressed strong discontent over the destruction of these properties.

He contended that the land on which the demolished buildings stood is owned by the company and occupied by some of their staff.

According to him, the demolition of the Ashanti South Bungalows and Chief Manager Ashanti Production is highly unpleasant for them, especially when five bungalows are currently under threat of similar fate and action.

He disclosed that it is even more concerning that the bungalows were demolished right after the general election.

The Workers Union of Ghana Water Company Ltd, according to Mr. Okpoti Kodua, has given the private developer an ultimatum to reconstruct the damaged fence wall, failure of which they will shut down their operations in the region.

Mr. Kodua appealed His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene and President Akufo-Addo to intervene to ensure that whoever is behind the demolition stops the unlawful act, to enable the company continue with its vital operations in the region.

The new apartment built to relocate the affected government workers

Meanwhile, information from the Ashanti Regional Lands administration has revealed that the position of the GWCL workers was intended to sabotage the initiative to redevelop government land, since they refused to relocate to new apartments.

The Lands Administration sources say the Directors of Ghana Water Company are among other government officials and workers that are to relocate to the new apartments built by the government at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), to make a way for the redevelopment of the old accommodation for the efficient use of the lands.

The report disclosed that almost all the affected government workers, except three directors from the Ghana Water Company, have agreed to relocate to the new buildings.

NPA promotes use of gas over firewood and charcoal

By
admin
-
0
Another batch of market women being educated

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has intensified efforts to promote safe cooking practices in the Western Region of Ghana.

Nana Ogudzi Essoun III, Divisional Chief of Kwesimintsim speaking at the NPA forum

Through community and market engagements, the Authority is educating Ghanaians on the health, safety and environmental benefits of using Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) over traditional cooking fuels like firewood and charcoal.

These engagements, which have taken place in communities such as Axim, Agona Nkwanta, Kojokrom and Jubilee, featured interactive sessions, presentations and the distribution of educational materials on LPG safety.

They culminated in a grand durbar at the Kwesimintsim Lorry Station, where stakeholders emphasised the urgency of transitioning to cleaner energy sources.

Speaking at the durbar, Nana Ogudzi Essoun III, Divisional Chief of Kwesimintsim, highlighted the significant health risks posed by traditional cooking methods.

He cited research showing that prolonged exposure to smoke from firewood and charcoal leads to respiratory diseases, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart-related illnesses.

He further noted that children exposed to such smoke face higher risks of pneumonia, while pregnant women may experience complications, including low birth weight in their newborns.

“By embracing LPG, households can drastically reduce indoor air pollution, protect their health and improve their overall quality of life,” he stated, urging the NPA and government to make gas accessible, affordable and available to all Ghanaians.

An NPA official speaking at one of the fora

He commended the NPA for spearheading the campaign, describing it as a critical step toward environmental sustainability and public health improvement.

LPG, a clean-burning fuel, produces significantly fewer emissions than traditional fuels, thereby mitigating deforestation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Addressing participants, Mr. Johnson Gbagbo Junior, Supervisor of Gas at the NPA, explained the environmental and health advantages of LPG.

“LPG is a cleaner and healthier alternative to firewood and charcoal. It not only protects our environment, but also reduces exposure to harmful pollutants that cause respiratory diseases, eye damage and heart conditions,” he said.

Mr. Gbagbo emphasised the need for urgent adoption of LPG, calling on Ghanaians to transition to gas as a sure way to stay safe and healthy.

In earlier engagements, Mrs. Eunice Budu Nyarko, Head of Consumer Service at the NPA, interacted with market women at Axim Market and the landing beach site. She explained that continuous inhalation of smoke from traditional fuels damages the lungs and eyes.

She encouraged participants to embrace LPG and highlighted the introduction of the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM), a government initiative designed to enhance access to LPG and ensure safety throughout the distribution chain.

Divisional Officer Grade II Bernard Adjei took participants through fire safety and drills

Nationwide Campaign for Cleaner Energy 

The Western Regional campaign is part of a nationwide initiative by the NPA to promote LPG as a sustainable and environmentally friendly cooking fuel.

Similar campaigns have been held in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Volta regions. These efforts align with global strategies to mitigate climate change by reducing reliance on biomass fuels, which contribute to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions.

The campaign, organised in partnership with Digicraft Advertising and Saudi Arabia’s Oil Sustainability Program (OSP), underscores the NPA’s commitment to ensuring that every Ghanaian has access to cleaner energy solutions.

By adopting LPG, households can improve indoor air quality, enhance public health, and contribute to the fight against climate change.

The NPA reiterated its dedication to making LPG accessible and affordable nationwide while continuing to educate the public on its safe and efficient use.

This initiative represents a collective effort to combat indoor air pollution and safeguard the environment for future generations.

Bollywood star on why he secretly quit films

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
-
0
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan is known for some of India’s most popular films, including Lagaan and 3 Idiots.

So great is his appeal, he can barely walk down the street without getting mobbed by fans.

What’s less well known is that he secretly quit films during the Covid pandemic in order to spend more time with his loved ones.

“I told my family I’m done with acting and films,” he tells BBC News.

“I [didn’t] want to produce or direct or act. I just wanted to be with the family.”

You’d imagine a major star like Khan deciding to quit the industry would have sent shockwaves through India, a nation that is fully obsessed with films.

But, he explains, his decision went unnoticed at the time because so few movies were being made due to the pandemic.

“No-one knew about it,” he says.

Fans can breathe a sigh of relief, though.

Khan didn’t quit for long. And now he’s back and is promoting Laapataa Ladies – or Lost Ladies – a film he’s produced. It is India’s official pick for the Oscars in the best international feature film category.

Khan says it was his children who convinced him to go back to work.

“They were like, ‘But we can’t spend 24 hours with you. So get real and get a life.’ So they gently nudged me back into the films,” he says.

At 59, Khan has worked as an actor, director and producer for three decades.

He’s known as one of the three “Khans of Bollywood” – the others being fellow megastars Shah Rukh and Salman.

Known for tackling social issues, Aamir’s films are widely acclaimed as well as breaking box office records.

Credit: bbc.com

 Jamie Foxx injured in altercation at his birthday dinner

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
-
0
Jamie Foxx

Hollywood actor Jamie Foxx’s birthday dinner was cut short after he was involved in an altercation at a Beverly Hills restaurant, leaving him needing stitches, his representative said.

The Django Unchained and Ray star was celebrating his 57th birthday on Friday.

Someone at another table “threw a glass that hit him in the mouth” and the matter is now in “law enforcement’s hands,” a representative for Foxx told the BBC’s US partner CBS News.

They added that the actor “had to get stitches and is recovering”.

Officials from Beverly Hills Police Department confirmed police attended Mr Chow, a high-end Chinese restaurant, after reports of an assault with a deadly weapon.

Police found there had been a physical fight between two parties at the restaurant, and that reports of assault with a deadly weapon were unfounded. They did not elaborate on what sparked the fight.

The representative told CBS News Los Angeles that Foxx was at the restaurant for a celebration, even though police did not specifically name him.

The police were called around 10:10 p.m.

It’s unclear whether any arrests have been made and no other information was provided.

The incident comes after Foxx revealed the cause of his hospital admission in April last year.

Speaking during a Netflix special earlier this month, the actor told the audience he’d suffered a “brain bleed that led to a stroke”.

He said he had a bad headache one day and asked for an aspirin, but before he could take it he “went out (blacked out). I don’t remember 20 days”.

Credit: bbc.com

Inconsistencies in accuser’s story proves her attorney was looking for ‘money and fame’ -Jay-Z

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
-
0
Jay-Z

Jay-Z is doubling down on his denial that he ever raped a teenage girl alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs, saying that newly revealed inconsistencies in her story prove that her account is not credible.

Earlier this week, an anonymous Jane Doe filed an amended complaint against Combs and Jay-Z, whose given name is Shawn Carter, which revealed that a previously unnamed celebrity in her original complaint against Combs, initially filed in October, was Carter. In the amended complaint, Carter is accused of raping the then-13-year-old Jane Doe at an afterparty for the MTV Video Music Awards in the year 2000.

The amended complaint made Carter the first celebrity to be accused of sexual assault in connection to Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to three federal charges and is awaiting a criminal trial.

In a new interview on Friday, the Jane Doe said she is standing by her rape accusation against Carter, but admits to inconsistencies in her original story, including key corroborating witnesses.

“I have made some mistakes,” the Jane Doe told NBC News.

“You should always advocate for yourself and be a voice for yourself. You should never let what somebody else did ruin or run your life. I just hope I can give others the strength to come forward like I came forward.”

In her initial complaint, Jane Doe said that she asked her father to pick her up in 2000 after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Carter and Combs. But her father now said that he does not recall picking her up.

Credit: cnn.com

Rwanda, DR Congo peace talks hit snag as mediator Angola calls off meeting

By
admin
-
0
The DRC and the UN accuse Rwanda of backing M23

Peace talks between the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to end the conflict in the eastern DRC have been called off, according to the Angolan presidency, which has been mediating between the two sides.

“Contrary to what we expected, the summit will no longer be held today,” the presidency’s media officer Mario Jorge told journalists on Sunday, without elaborating on why the meeting was cancelled at the last minute.

Angolan President Joao Lourenco – the African Union mediator to end the conflict – was meeting alone with DRC leader Felix Tshisekedi, Jorge said.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame had been expected at the meeting but it was not clear if he was in Angola.

There had been hopes the talks would reach an agreement to end the conflict in the eastern DRC, where the M23 fighter group – which the DRC and the UN say is backed by Rwanda – has seized swaths of territory, displacing thousands and triggering a major humanitarian crisis.

The DRC presidency said negotiations had hit deadlock over a Rwandan demand that DRC hold direct dialogue with the M23 rebels.

Before the talks, fighting intensified between the DRC army and the M23 rebel group on Friday.

The DRC’s army had accused M23 of killing 12 civilians earlier this week in villages of the Lubero territory in the eastern province of North Kivu.

An M23 spokesperson, however, denied the accusation, discrediting it as “propaganda” from the DRC government.

M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich eastern part of DRC near the border with Rwanda.

The conflict there has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with more than seven million people displaced.

Credit: aljazeera.com

Five dead after shootings in northern France

By
admin
-
0
Shootings in northern France

Five people have died in shootings in northern France, including near a migrant camp, and a 22-year-old man has turned himself in to police, according to French media.

Four people – two security guards and two migrants – were fatally shot near the camp in Loon-Plage, a stretch of coastline near Dunkirk, unnamed security sources told outlets in France.

The gunman is alleged to have also confessed to an earlier shooting in the nearby town of Wormhout, according to AFP news agency.

Local media said weapons were found in the suspect’s car. Dunkirk’s Mayor Patrice Vergriete said the motive behind the attacks “remains unknown”.

BBC News has contacted local authorities for comment.

Vergriete described the incident as a “tragedy” and said “an individual coldly murdered several people” in the area.

Xavier Bertrand, head of the region’s assembly, confirmed on X that five people had died in a “tragic event”.

French media reported a large emergency services presence close to a migrant camp, though it is unclear if the shootings took place inside a settlement.

Loon-Plage is home to several temporary settlements housing migrants. It is near to Calais and the Strait of Dover, which is the narrowest part of the Channel.

Similar camps along France’s northern coast have been used by people attempting to reach the UK via small boats.

Credit: bbc.com

Two Russian oil tankers wrecked in Black Sea

By
admin
-
0
Two Russian oil tankers wrecked

Two Russian oil tankers with 29 crew members on board have been heavily damaged in the Black Sea, triggering an oil spill, authorities in Russia have said.

Footage released by Russia’s Southern Transport Prosecutor’s Office showed one of the tankers broken in half and sinking amid a heavy storm, with streaks of oil visible in the water.

At least one crew member was reportedly killed and the second ship was said to be drifting after sustaining damage.

The incident took place in the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia from the occupied Crimean peninsula.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered a working group to be set up to deal with the incident, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev, local media reported.

Authorities are investigating for criminal negligence, according to TASS news agency.

A rescue and clean-up operation is said to be under way involving tugboats, helicopters and more than 50 personnel.

Both tankers have a loading capacity of about 4,200 tonnes of oil, Reuters news agency reported.

The full extent of the oil spill and the exact fate of both ships remains unclear.

In 2007, another Volgoneft oil tanker – Volgoneft-139 – split in half during a storm while anchored off the Kerch Strait, spilling more than 1,000 tonnes of oil.

Credit: bbc.com

1...1,0081,0091,010...2,965Page 1,009 of 2,965

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

©
The Ghanaian Chronicle