CNN's Vladimir Duthiers explores the cultural and ethnic diversity of Nigeria.
[Ghanaian Chronicle]The Member of Parliament (MP) for Afram Plains South, Joseph Appiah Boateng, has found himself on the wrong side of the law, after rendering a 23-year-old boy unconscious.
Actresses Jackie Appiah from Ghana and Genevieve Nnaji are among 15 persons to receive meritorious awards at the Accra International Film Festival (AIFF) scheduled to come from June 25 to June 30.
Times of OmanAmerican who leaked NSA secrets is a free man in Hong Kong, for nowTimes of OmanEdward Snowden, an American who has leaked details of top-secret US surveillance programmes and is believed to be in Hong Kong, is technically free to leave the China-ruled city at any time, local lawyers said today, and one suggested he probably ...Snowden in Hong Kong: The Legal Complications of 'One Country, Two Systems'TIMEUS leaker Snowden is a traitor, says John BoehnerBBC NewsEdward Snowden's girlfriend is 'as well as can be expected', says fatherThe GuardianDaily Mail -Houston Chronicleall 2,645 news articles »
The elimination of fuel subsidies in Ghana will result in credit-positive fiscal savings, Moody’s analyst Edward Al-Hussainy has said, according to a report by Bloomberg. The assistance accounted for 4.15 percent of government spending last year as the West African nation struggled to narrow a budget gap that soared to 12.1 percent of gross domestic product by the end of 2012 following a presidential election, the ratings agency said. Ghana’s national petroleum company raised fuel prices on June 1, completing a fuel subsidy reform that began in February. Gasoline prices have increased by more than 24 percent this year, according to Moody’s. At the same time, Moody’s expects the budget deficit to remain elevated at 10 percent of GDP this year due to high wage and interest costs. The wage bill may reach 9 percent of GDP, down from 9.3 percent in 2012, the report said. Interest payments are forecast to rise to about 3.6 percent of GDP from 3.4 percent in 2012. Finance Minister Seth Terkper said in an interview last month the government wants to reduce the wage bill to between 30 percent and 35 percent of tax revenue by 2015. Salaries accounted for 72 percent last year, according to budget data. Bloomberg
Evans Nii Oma Hunter, one of this country’s best-known known stage and screen actors, died in Accra on Tuesday, June 4 after a short illness. He was 70.
Transport unions in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi have welcomed the police action to rid the city of lawlessness on the roads of the Western Region.
The NationDespite failure, Korea talks still in demand from both sidesFirstpostSeoul, South Korea: South Korea dismantled the meeting table, pulled down the placards and rolled up the red carpet. Its intended guest, North Korea, has stopped answering the phone. The rivals' much-anticipated meeting, which had been set for ...Behind Breakdown of Korea Talks, a History of SuspicionsNew York Times (blog)2 Koreas Hotline Goes Silent AgainVoice of AmericaNo one's picking up in North Korea day after talks with South founderReuters UKBusiness Standardall 288 news articles »
Butternut squash, a vegetable crop, which is grown in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions is now being considered as an economic crop. Farmers, who cultivated the crop along the banks of the Black Volta River in the Lawra District of the Upper West region during the last dry season, earned not less than Gh¢ 7,000.00 each at the farm gate, Mr. Sadat Alhassan, Chief Executive Officer of Plus One Investment Limited, said at Wa at the weekend. He was speaking at a Butternut squash food bazaar, organized by Plus One Investment Limited, a Food Processing company, to promote the cultivation and consumption of butternut squash and its products. Mr Alhassan said the seed of the crop and its products are believed to contain medicinal properties that could cure certain fatal diseases like prostate cancer.He said the cultivation of the crop was being promoted by Plus One Investment Limited and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture with the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) as the facilitating agency. Mr. Alhassan asked farmers in the three regions to increase production of butternut so that they could reap the economic benefits of the high demand of the crop in Europe. Dr Ephraim Avea Nsor, the Upper West Regional Minister, noted that 41,000 hectares had been earmarked for the cultivation of the crop this year. He appealed to more farmers living along the banks of the Black Volta River to cultivate the crop to improve their incomes. Mr. Joseph Faalong, Upper West Regional Director of Agriculture, said butternut squash had high nutritional value adding that farmers in the Lawra and Jirapa districts of the region had been empowered to cultivate the crop for export. Various food products prepared from the crop were served at the bazaar.
Ghana legend Reverend Osei Kofi has hailed the return of the Ayew brothers into the Black Stars.
Preparations for the fourth edition of Mr Ugly contest are on course, organisers have said. The contest, which seeks to choose Zimbabwe's ugliest face, is scheduled to take place at Pagomo Heights Leisure Centre in August.
A judge rules in favour of a Nigerian oil tycoon's wife, in a case that lawyers say could have significant implications for divorcing couples.
BBC NewsNelson Mandela's illness: Defending his dignityBBC NewsIf you want to know about the health of South Africa's first black President Nelson Mandela there's really only one person to call - and it's not some junior spokesman in the presidential bureaucracy. Instead, it is one of Mr Mandela's oldest, closest friends - a ...South Africans pray for Mandela, lament lack of information on his healthCalgary HeraldMandela remains in hospital for a 5th day; president calls situation 'very serious'Washington PostMandela remains in 'very serious' conditionIrish ExaminerThe New Age Online -The News International -Independent Onlineall 409 news articles »
How those close to Nelson Mandela try protect his privacy
Some 870 million people were still hungry in the world in 2010-2012, a new FAO report has declared. The FAO’s flagship annual publication “The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA)†-- Food systems for better nutrition -- notes that although some 870 million people were still hungry in the world in 2010-2012, this is just a fraction of the billions of people whose health, well-being and lives are blighted by poor nutrition. Two billion people suffer from one or more micronutrient deficiencies, while 1.4 billion are overweight, of which 500 million are obese, according to SOFA. Twenty-six percent of all children under five are stunted and 31 percent suffer vitamin A deficiency. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Jose Graziano da Silva, denounced the huge social and economic costs of malnutrition and said the FAO’s message is that we must strive for nothing less than the eradication of hunger and malnutrition. Jose Graziano da Silva has subsequently called for resolute efforts to eradicate malnutrition as well as hunger from around the world. He made these remarks marking the launch of FAO’s flagship annual publication “The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA)â€, where he said that although the world has registered some progress on hunger, one form of malnutrition, there is still “a long way aheadâ€. The cost of malnutrition to the global economy in lost productivity and health care costs are "unacceptably high" and could account for as much as 5 percent of the global gross domestic product -- US$3.5trillion dollars, or US$500 per person. That is almost the entire annual GDP of Germany, Europe's largest economy. In social terms, child and maternal malnutrition continue to reduce the quality of life and life-expectancy of millions of people, while obesity-related health problems such as heart-disease and diabetes affect millions more. To combat malnutrition, SOFA makes the case that healthy diets and good nutrition must start with food and agriculture. The way we grow, raise, process, transport and distribute food influences what we eat, the report says, noting that improved food systems can make food more affordable, diverse and nutritious. Specific recommendations for action include the use appropriate agricultural policies, investment and research to increase productivity -- not only of staple grains like maize, rice and wheat, but also of legumes, meat, milk, vegetables and fruit which are all rich in nutrients. Others are: 1) cut food losses and waste, which currently amounts to one-third of the food produced for human consumption every year. That could help make food more available and affordable as well as reduce pressure on land and other resources. 2) Improve the nutritional performance of supply chains, enhancing the availability and accessibility of a wide diversity of foods. Properly organised food systems are key to more diversified and healthy diets, it notes. Other recommendations include helping consumers make good dietary choices for better nutrition through education, information and other actions, and improve the nutritional quality of foods through fortification and reformulation. Make food systems more responsive to the needs of mothers and young children. Malnutrition during the critical ‘first 1,000 days' from conception can cause lasting damage to women's health and life-long physical and cognitive impairment in children. Giving women greater control over resources and incomes benefits their and their children's health, the report says. Policies, interventions and investment in labour-saving farming technologies and rural infrastructure, as well as social protection and services can also make important contributions to the health and nutrition of women, infants and young children. Projects that have proved successful in raising nutrition levels include enhanced production, marketing and consumption of local vegetables and pulses in East Africa; promotion of home-gardens in West Africa; encouragement of mixed vegetable and animal farming systems together with income-generating activities in some Asian countries; breeding staple crops such as sweet potatoes to raise their micronutrient content; and public-private partnerships to enrich products like yoghurt or cooking oil with nutrients. Making food systems enhance nutrition is a complex task requiring strong political commitment and leadership at the highest levels, broad-based partnerships and coordinated approaches with other important sectors such as health and education, according to SOFA. "A great many actors and institutions must work together across sectors to more effectively reduce under-nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, and obesity," the report says. "Food systems governance that is providing leadership, coordinating effectively and fostering collaboration among the many stakeholders, is a first priority," the report adds. By Konrad K. Djaisi
Burundian referee Thiery Nkurunziza will handle Ghana’s World Cup qualifier at Lesotho on Sunday.
Indian ExpressUnder Threat…Israeli Officer Forces Palestinian to Drink AlcoholPalestine News NetworkOn Tuesday 11th June, an Israeli intelligence officer forced a Palestinian from Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, to drink a bottle of alcohol under threat of gun. The 24-year-old Mohammed Khalil Abu Dayyeh from Beit Ummar village was stopped in his way ...Ban on Palestinians living with spouses in IsraelBoston.comIsraeli Officer Forces Palestinian to Drink AlcoholWAFA - Palestine News AgencyPalestinian Rights Investigator Says He Will Not Resign, Despite CriticismNew York TimesHuffington Post -Jerusalem Postall 371 news articles »
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS