President Akufo-Addo re-opens refurbished GH 30 million Nkrumah Memorial Park
Over 1,160 BECE Candidates empowered to fight exams fright
A total of 1,160 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) from 23 Junior High Schools (JHS) in Sekondi-Takoradi from Monday June 26 to Friday June 30, 2023 received pep-talk on how to fight examination fright and how to answer the BECE questions amongst others.
Titled ‘Yes We Can,’ the one-hour pep-talk was organised by ww.233times.net.
According to the Convener, Nana Kwesi Coomson, this is “to empower the Candidates who are set to write their first external examination in August.
“As this is the first external examination, it comes with some level of examination fright. I was a victim of this BECE fright because as a teenager, I was wondering if I could make it in the BECE to get my dream school and those thoughts worried me a lot.
“I realised that most of my friends also had this same fright when they were writing their BECE so we came up with a tour to empower the Candidates so that they overcome this fright” Mr. Coomson added.
The 2023 edition of the ‘Yes We Can’, a one-hour pep-talk with the BECE Candidates is the 6th edition of the project as the Organisers have for the past six years spoken to Candidates to help them better prepare for the BECE.
In addition to helping them overcome the exams fright is also teaching them how to answer the questions in BECE and time management.
The Speakers for this year’s ‘Yes We Can’ include Yaa Amoako-Adu, an oil and gas mogul and women empowerment champion, Adobea Clement, an event planner and manager at Surfline, Saviour Adzika, CEO of Corpnation Foundation, Reuben Mbrah, a Pharmacist and Life Coach, Manfred Darko-Konadu, an educationist, Joseph Amuah, a broadcaster, Marian Ampon, Manager of AnajiChoicemart, Emmanuel Ampaabeng, CEO of Western Music Awards and Convener, Nana Kwesi Coomson, a Corporate Communications Professional and Public Speaker.
Some of the Candidates who spoke after the pep-talk said they have been inspired to choose Category ‘A’ schools as their fears have been dealt with by the speakers.
Amongst the participating schools include Woodbridge International School, Morning Glory International School, Jaycris International Centre, Young Christian JHS, Rev. Mosignor Ansah, Woode Methodist, Korsah Complex, Nana Brempong Yaw and Rev. CobbahYalley all in Takoradi.
The rest are Myoung Barracks JHS, Myoung Forces, Defence Basic JHS, Garrison Basic, Airforce Base Basic, Services Basic School, Airforce Complex, Airforce Station, Berea Academy, Naval Base, Nav West, Navy Basic, Western Command and Endtime New Generation.
Men should make their intentions clear to women when it comes to romance –Akwaboah Jr
Musician Akwaboah Jnr has shared an advice to his fellow men, urging them to be clear about their intentions when approaching women for the first time.
In his view, men must be clear when it comes to matters of romance.
Stressing the importance of honest communication, especially in matters of romance, the ‘Posti me’ crooner added that men should express their intentions clearly from the start to avoid misunderstandings and potential heartbreak.
In a video posted on his Instagram page, the talented artist, known for his hit song “I Do Love You,” encouraged men to be honest about whether they seek a serious relationship or a casual encounter.
He stated that it is unfair for a man to engage in sexual relations with a woman he proposed marriage to and then behave strangely when she seeks clarity on the matter.
He highlighted the need for honesty by asserting that it is not fair for a man to engage in sexual relations with a woman he proposed marriage to, only to act distant or disinterested when she seeks further commitment.
Do something about import duties -Wendy Shay appeals to President Akufo-Addo
Afrobeat Artiste, Wendy Shay has appealed to President Nana Akufo-Addo to do something about the exorbitant import duties imposed on cars.
Officially known as Wendy Asiamah Addo, the singer shared the frustrations many individuals encounter when importing cars into the country.
In a tweet, Wendy Shay wrote; “Your excellency @NAkufoAddo Mr president, I know you have the welfare of Ghanaians at heart but can you please do something about import duties, especially on cars?”
Addressing the high import duties on cars, Wendy Shay drew government’s attention to the stark contrast in prices between purchasing a vehicle in the United States and the additional costs incurred due to duty charges upon importation.
She further explained, “The import duties on cars are way Outrageous. You buy a car in the US for $35,000 (397,707.10 Cedis) and pay $30,000 USD (340,891.80 Cedis) as a duty. Please do something, Mr President”
Wendy Shay’s plea to President Nana Akufo-Addo stems from a belief that reducing the import duties on cars would greatly alleviate the financial strain on Ghanaians seeking to own vehicles.
I didn’t have a written contract with Lasmid –Kaywa
Sound Engineer and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Highly Spiritual Music, Kaywa has disclosed that he never signed a contract with the ‘Friday Night’ hitmaker, Lasmid.
According to him, Lasmid’s journey at Highly Spiritual was through his investments.
He explained that after Lasmid was crowned the winner for MTN Hitmaker season 8, he was brought to his label by MTN to help him release songs and videos for one year with a seed capital of GHc40,000.
Kaywa added that after he was through with his one-year contract, he wanted the musician to stay because he knew Lasmid had the potential but the latter refused.
“There was nothing like even a contract in the first place. MTN gave Lasmid to me for one year with GHC40,000 to produce two songs and two videos.
After a year, his time is over and he was sad because it was over. He wanted to stay; I wanted him to stay. I personally called him with some people and I said listen, I still believe in you and still believe in what you can do.”
“Let’s agree; I’ll put in every effort to push you to where you ought to get to then the conversation will be different. So, once we’re signing you to the label properly, nobody will say anything”, he explained.
Kaywa further stated that after they went to an agreement, they began to produce some songs which included one of his hit songs ‘Friday Night.’
Kaywa reveals that, when it got to the period for them to sign the contract Lasmid became reluctant and was bringing up excuses to avoid signing the contract.
He said: “He agreed, we were all happy then we started the journey. Moving on first song, second song, third song and fourth song ‘Friday Night’. So, we had to put on the contract’ sign the contract and move on.
He was desperate to even sign the contract. After making six months of changes in the contract, I said we are ready to let’s sign and he said my lawyers and I said let’s wait for your lawyers then but the lawyers were not coming”.
France shooting: Peak of rioting has passed, says Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron said he believes the peak of rioting across the country has passed after a week of violence.
He made the comments on Tuesday at a meeting of more than 200 mayors from areas that have been affected by the unrest.
The protests were sparked by the fatal shooting of teenager Nahel M at a traffic stop near Paris on 27 June.
However, the president said he still remained “cautious”.
“Is the return to calm lasting? I will be careful, but the peak we have experienced in recent days has passed”, he said in a televised address.
Mr Macron said he had invited the mayors to thank them for the action they had taken in recent days.
“If you are here it is because you have been victimised, sometimes you have been victimised in a very direct and personal way, your families and loved ones, in an intolerable and unspeakable way,” he added.
His comments come as the interior ministry said the levels of violence had halved in the past 24 hours.
Several people, including police officers, were injured in street clashes and a firefighter died on Sunday night while trying to put out burning cars.
Hundreds of people have been arrested, and the riots are estimated to have caused millions of euros worth of damage to public transport in the Paris region alone.
On Monday, mayors across France held demonstrations calling for an end to the violence after attackers tried to set fire to the home of Vincent Jeanbrun, a suburban Paris mayor, and fired rockets at the official’s fleeing wife and children.
The public prosecutor’s office has started an investigation for attempted murder.
Mr Macron told the mayors on Tuesday that they had his “full support” and that he would provide them answers over the events of the past week.
The killing of Nahel M by a police officer has reignited anger from members of the public, who accuse the security forces of system racism. The 17-year-old was of Algerian descent.
It has also sparked a wider conversation about the power of the police and the relationship between the authorities and people from France’s suburbs, who feel segregated from the country’s prosperous city centres.
The police officer accused of killing Nahel M has been charged with voluntary homicide. He said he had fired because he felt his life was in danger.
Source: bbc.com
Eight injured in Tel Aviv car ramming and stabbing attack, Israeli officials say
Eight people were injured after a car driver rammed into pedestrians near a Tel Aviv shopping center and then got out of the vehicle to stab civilians, Israeli officials said Tuesday.
The attack came as Israeli forces continued military operations in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin for a second night, a day after incursions killed at least 10 people between the ages of 16 and 23, and injured about 100 others.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, and said it was a response to Israel’s ongoing military operation in Jenin.
A police spokesperson described the car ramming on Pinchas Rosen Street in northern Tel Aviv as a “terror attack,” and told CNN the driver was killed by an armed civilian.
The chief of staff of the Israel’s Medical Emergency Service, Uri Shacham, outlined how the attack unfolded. “This terror attack was combined, both of the vehicle hitting pedestrians, and then the driver, leaving the car, going outside, and stabbing innocent civilians,” he said.
“Magen David Adom [the emergency service] deployed tens of ambulances, mobile intensive care units and motorcycles emergency motorcycles to the scene.”
Source: cnn.com
Israel’s Jenin operation reignites Palestinian anger
A thick crust of black ash has settled on the pavements and roads in the centre of Jenin.
It comes from barricades of burning tyres set up by young Palestinian men, who prowl streets where they might see an Israeli jeep. Some of them carry rocks or small home-made bombs to hurl at passing Israeli vehicles. In sporadic bursts, gunfire and explosions echo in the refugee camp, which is on high ground above the town centre. Israeli drones buzz constantly overhead.
At times, armed Palestinians emerge from the tyre smoke to fire at the Israelis.
Violence between Palestinians and Israelis has become almost a daily event this year. When blood is spilt there is often a dynamic of retaliation, that includes Palestinian armed groups, Jews who live in settlements in the occupied West Bank that are illegal under international law, and the Israeli army. The Israelis said they moved in on the Jenin camp because more than 50 relatively recent attacks were launched from there.
But the roots of violence, despair and hatred go much deeper than the latest violent confrontations. They thrive in the poison generated by a conflict over possession of the land that started more than a century ago. For a while, back in the 1990s, there were hopes that peace might come if an independent Palestinian state could be established alongside Israel, the so-called two-state solution. The attempt failed.
Powerful Western countries, including the US, European Union members and the UK still insist that two states are the only possible solution. Their words are empty slogans. The last American attempt to try to make the idea work collapsed in 2014.
The Israeli operation here in Jenin was in the air for months. Despite regular smaller Israeli raids, Palestinian armed groups had become strong enough and united enough to control the Jenin refugee camp. They seemed to be getting stronger.
A fortnight ago they blew up an Israeli jeep and fought hard to repel an Israeli raid, in which the Palestinian dead included a a 15-year-old girl. The next day four Israelis were killed by two Palestinians who burst into a restaurant not far from Jenin, where they were eating. The Israeli army protected Jewish settlers who rampaged through Palestinian villages burning cars and houses, in a series of reprisals.
It was a matter of time before the Israeli army moved against the Palestinians who controlled Jenin refugee camp. It says it is carrying out a systematic operation to track down and destroy weapons and explosives.
Fury and frustration rage through young Palestinian men who have gathered in angry knots at road junctions in the town and outside a hospital on the edge of the Jenin refugee camp. Their barricades of burning tyres leave behind black circles and piles of burnt rubber and twisted wire.
The Israeli army is releasing updates on explosives discovered and neutralised in the two days it has been in the camp, along with what it calls terrorist command centres. The business-like tone of the military communiques contrasts with the statements made by members of the Israeli cabinet who oppose any kind of Palestinian self-determination.
After a Palestinian was shot dead in Tel Aviv by a passer-by, after he had rammed his car into a crowd of Israelis, public security minister Itamar Ben Gvir issued a statement saying Israel’s war in Jenin was also their war in Tel Aviv. Every Jew, he said, was a target for murderers.
Mr Ben Gvir and his political allies have been pressing for a punitive sweep through the West Bank to deal with their enemies. The Israeli army is more cautious, as it is more worried about the risks and consequences of escalation.
All the indications are the Israeli army would like to restrict its operation to the Jenin refugee camp, declare victory soon and order its soldiers back to their bases.
Israeli victories after an operation like this never last long. Palestinian armed groups restock their armouries and the cycle begins again.
Plans to expand settlements for Jews on occupied land that Palestinians want for a state, sometimes called a Zionist response by Israeli politicians, also raise the temperature.
Many Palestinians are disenchanted with their own ageing and ineffective leaders in the Palestinian Authority, a legacy of the 1990s peace process that was supposed back then to build the institutions necessary to create their own state.
When this operation ends, on past form both sides will claim victory. Then the current realities of this long conflict will reassert themselves. Anger, despair and poverty will reinforce the culture of resistance that has embedded itself in Palestinian society, especially here in Jenin and in Nablus.
And Israel’s right-wing, hyper-nationalist government, as long as it lasts, will try to match its rhetoric with action.
The real danger is that Israelis and Palestinians are sliding into an even more violent phase of their long conflict.
Source: bbc.com
Climate activists block golf course holes with seedlings and cement to protest water use
Climate activists have targeted 10 golf courses around Spain, plugging up holes to protest the amount of water used to maintain these courses as the country is gripped by a severe drought.
Members of Extinction Rebellion (XR) Spain, along with activists from other climate groups, accessed golf courses in locations in six provinces, including Madrid, Valencia, Ibiza and Navarra. Some groups used cement to fill the holes, others planted seedlings. Protesters also unfurled signs with phrases such as: “Alert: Drought! Golf closed for climate justice” and “water is a common good.”
Golf in Spain uses more water than the cities of Barcelona and Madrid combined, XR said in a video posted on Twitter on Sunday. One hole on a golf course requires more than 100,000 liters (22,000 gallons) of water a day to maintain the area around it, according to XR, which cited data from Spanish non-profit Ecologistas en Acción (Ecologists In Action). Only 0.6% of the population plays golf, XR said.
In a statement, the group said the aim of the action was “to denounce the waste of water in the context of one of the worst droughts that Europe has suffered.”
XR said it wanted to point out the “cynicism of continuing to allow this type of elitist leisure while Spain dries up and the rural world suffers millions in losses due to the lack of water for their crops.”
Spain has been in a long-term drought since the end of 2022, with conditions exacerbated by soaring temperatures. In April, temperatures in the city of Córdoba reached 38.8 degrees Celsius (101.8 Fahrenheit), the highest April temperature ever recorded in mainland Spain. And in late June, temperatures soared to more than 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit) in parts of the country.
The drought has had far-reaching impacts. Some reservoirs sunk to less than 10% of capacity, millions of hectares of crops across the country have been lost and some towns and villages have been forced to to rely on trucked in water.
Between June 1 and 10, 60% of Spain was under “drought alert” conditions, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
XR, which is demanding restrictions on golf course water use, said its actions are part of a broader fight against the richest 1%, which will also target the use of private jets and large polluting cars. The group said it wanted to make it clear that “the rich and their leisure activities that waste essential resources are a luxury that we cannot afford.”
Source: cnn.com
US report on Abu Akleh killing must be made public, senator urges
A United States senator has called on President Joe Biden’s administration to make public a government report on the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
Democrat Chris Van Hollen said on Monday that he had reviewed the report by the US Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority (USSC) — weeks after he requested it from the State Department.
But Van Hollen said he now wants it declassified “in its entirety”.
“I strongly believe that its public release is vital to ensuring transparency and accountability in the shooting death of American citizen and journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and to avoiding future preventable and wrongful deaths — goals we should all support,” the senator said in a statement.
Abu Akleh, a veteran Palestinian-American correspondent, was killed on May 11, 2022, while covering an Israeli raid in Jenin, a city in the occupied West Bank.Video Duration 02 minutes
At first, Israeli officials falsely accused Palestinian gunmen of fatally shooting Abu Akleh before acknowledging months later that she was likely killed by an Israeli soldier.
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Still, Israel has dismissed the incident as unintentional and has not opened a criminal probe into the killing — prompting calls for the US, a staunch Israeli ally, to conduct its own investigation and seek accountability in the case.
Van Hollen said on Monday that the USSC, which oversees and encourages security coordination between Israeli and Palestinian officials, was not granted access to key witnesses and was “unable to conduct an independent investigation” into the killing.
Still, the senator said the report provides “very important insights” into the incident, including on the Israeli unit involved in the operation that led to Abu Akleh’s death, “as well as other [Israeli military] units operating in the West Bank”.
The report is described as a “summation” document on other investigations of the incident.
In July 2022, the State Department cited an initial USSC summary of the probes conducted by Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which said that Israeli gunfire was “likely responsible” for Abu Akleh’s death, though it found no reason to believe the shooting was intentional.
The assessment angered Palestinian rights supporters who noted that US authorities did not interview witnesses and ignored the PA’s conclusion that the shooting was deliberate.
The USSC report, which Van Hollen said on Monday he had reviewed, is believed to be a more thorough accounting of the US government’s findings. Specific details of the report, including when it was finalised and what it includes, remain unclear.
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Witnesses, video footage and investigations by numerous media outlets have concluded there was no fighting in the immediate vicinity of where Abu Akleh — who was in full press gear — was fatally shot.
In the months since, Van Hollen and other American legislators have called for a US probe into the incident.
Late last year, Israeli and US media outlets reported that the FBI was investigating the killing, but US authorities — including the Justice and State departments — have refused to confirm or deny the existence of the purported probe.
US officials initially called for accountability in the case, including prosecuting Abu Akleh’s killers to the “fullest extent” of the law.
Weeks after the shooting, Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said that Washington was looking for an “independent” investigation into the killing.
But Washington appeared to drop that demand last year. Instead, the State Department now says it is seeking accountability by calling on Israel to review its military rules of engagement — a demand Israeli leaders have openly rejected.
“In the aftermath of the death of Shireen Abu Akleh, Secretary Blinken has asked the Government of Israel to review the [military] rules of engagement in the West Bank, but he has been rebuffed — such a review remains necessary,” Van Hollen said in Monday’s statement.
Last month, on the first anniversary of Abu Akleh’s killing, the Al Jazeera journalist’s family met with lawmakers in Washington, DC to renew calls for justice.
“It’s not just that the Biden administration hasn’t done anything to achieve justice for Shireen; it’s that they actively are working to block any form of accountability,” Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib told reporters at the time.
“If the administration actually wanted to help, they would launch a full State Department … investigation into whether or not US weapons were used to commit this and other war crimes and human rights violations.”
Source: Alijazeera.com
