General News of Sunday, 18 September 2022Source: www.ghanaweb.comAs the world prepares to bid Queen Elizabeth II a final farewell on Monday, September 19, 2022, GhanaWeb takes a look at another story from the days that the monarch visited Ghana. The chiefs also presented other precious artifacts, including a golden linguist stick, to the queen and her entourage. Queen Elizabeth II was in Ghana on her first official visit to the country, accompanied by her husband, the late Prince Philip. The queen, who was the longest-reigning monarch of Britain, died on Thursday, September 8, 2022, at the age of 96. She will be buried on Monday, September 19, 2022.

General News of Saturday, 17 September 2022Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe Minister of the Interior, Ambrose-Dery has declared Wednesday, September 21, 2022, as a statutory public holiday. The new Public Holidays Act, 2018, was passed by Parliament in 2018 to amend the Public Holidays Act, 2001. The new Act replaced three public holidays including September 21 and introduced two new holidays, January 7 and August 4. According to the government, the real fight for Ghana’s independence started on August 4, 1947 reason it replaced September 21 holiday. For years, Ghana has marked September 21 as the birthday of its first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

General News of Saturday, 17 September 2022Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II is scheduled for Monday, September 19, 2022, and host world leaders including leaders of countries and royalties are expected to attend. According to reuters.com, the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is one of three leaders from the African Continent that will be attending the state funeral. The other leaders from Africa include the President of South Africa and the President of Gabon. Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was reported to have been officially invited to the funeral of the late queen but his name is missing from the list of royals that are expected to attend. Below is a list of some world leaders who are expected to be attending the state funeral:ROYAL ATTENDEES- Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan- King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands- King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain- King Philip and Queen Mathilde of Belgium- Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary- King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden- King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway- King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck- Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah- Jordan's King Abdullah- Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah- King of Lesotho, Letsie III- Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein- Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri- Malaysian Sultan Abdullah of Pahang- Prince of Monaco, Albert II- Crown Prince of Morocco, Moulay Hassan- Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq al-Said- Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani- King of Tonga, Tupou VINATIONAL LEADERSAMERICAS- Joe Biden and Jill Biden, President and first lady of the United States- Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada- Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil- Paula-Mae Weekes, President of Trinidad and Tobago- Sandra Mason, President of Barbados- Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica- Floyla Tzalam, Governor General of Belize- Susan Dougan, Governor General of St Vincent and the GrenadinesEUROPE AND MIDDLE EAST- Emmanuel Macron, President of France- Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany- Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy- Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland- Micheál Martin, Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland- Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Austria- Katalin Novak, President of Hungary- Andrzej Duda, President of Poland- Egils Levits, President of Latvia- Gitanas Nauseda, President of Lithuania- Sauli Niinisto, President of Finland- Katerina Sakellaropoulou, President of Greece- George Vella, President of Malta- Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus- Charles Michel, President of the European Council- Ursula von der Leyen, President of European Commission- Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO- Mohammad Shtayyeh, Palestinian Prime MinisterAFRICA- Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa- Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana- Ali Bongo, President of GabonASIA- Droupadi Murmu, President of India- Wang Qishan, Vice President of China- Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka- Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh- Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand- Anthony Albanese, Australian Prime Minister- Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korean PresidentYou can also watch this episode of People & Places here:IB/FNOQ

Sports News of Friday, 16 September 2022Source: www.ghanaweb.comEngland legend, David Beckham spent 13 hours in a queue at Westminster Hall to pay his last respect to Queen Elizabeth II. The former Manchester United legend joined the queue to see the Queen who was laid in state at 01:45 am on Friday, September 16, 2022. We’ve been here eating Pringles, we’re eating sherbet lemons, we’re eating sandwiches, we’re having coffees, donuts.”And when asked how long he’d been waiting in the queue, Beckham said just after 2pm: “12 hours. My knees are okay, it’s my back!”The Queen died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday, September 8, 2022. David Beckham waited 13 hours in the queue at Westminster Hall to pay his respects to Queen Elizabeth II.

General News of Friday, 16 September 2022Source: www.ghanaweb.comTo date, several news items about the Inspector General of Police, COP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, continue to show how much of a ‘people-person’ he is, bringing a new breeze of warmness to his office and the Ghana Police Service in general. In a new video that has emerged online, the IGP is seen serving food to some of his men and women from a thermos bowl. Seated on a chair while surrounded by the other uniformed men, the IGP joked with them, even as he stretched out to collect cups from some of them so he could serve them the meal. It is unclear where this video was taken but the IGP, as always, appeared to have been enjoying himself, even as the people gathered around him also easily fraternized with him. See the video below:You can also watch this episode of People & Places here:Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown below:You can also watch this episode of People & Places here:EA/WA

“Electricity tariffs, water tariffs, Prices of spare parts, prices of food and Pure water prices have all increased, hence we have no option than to also increase our fares,” the statement added. Well, prices of sachet water and bottled water are set to increase again from September 19, 2022, with sachet water and bottled water selling at 50 pesewas and GH¢3 respectively. As compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 8.2656 and a selling price of 8.2738. Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 9.5086 and a selling price of 9.5190 as compared to yesterday's trading of a buying price of 9.5566 and a selling price of 9.5670. The Eastern region recorded the highest inflation rate of 41%, while the Upper East region recorded the lowest rate of 22.8%.

Lawyer and author, Benjamin Tachie Antiedu, has asserted that the ongoing Aisha Huang controversy comes as an opportunity for Ghana to make a bold statement to the rest of the world. According to him, Ghana has long been perceived as a lawless country, prone to inhabit both foreign and local criminals, hence, the chance to reiterate its sovereignty is now. “Definitely they will pull the strings but this is where you assert your sovereignty as a country. So I don’t expect any form of bilateral discussions or any form of exchange with this matter,” he said. “We have heard perceptions about our country as to whether it is a disciplined country governed by law or just another lawless state.

Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has touted the impact of government’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme on the lives of families amid an economic crunch. According to him, the programme has “lessened the burden on families” as the country experiences one of its worst economic meltdown. He said despite the economic crunch, the government continues to implement the Free SHS programme which has ultimately brought respite to families. “So we hope that sooner or later, the Ukraine crisis will abate and bring down energy prices for all of us. The government implemented the Free SHS programme in 2017 to eradicate financial barriers in accessing second cycle level education.

US-based economics professor Steve Hanke has rejected Databank Research’s projection that the cedi will stabilise against the dollar and other major currencies in the coming weeks. The professor of Applied Economics at the John Hopkins University in the United States has tweeted that the projection is not grounded on credible data. Prof Steve Hanke is a professor of applied economics at the John Hopkins University. Source: TwitterIn his estimation, since 2020, the cedi has depreciated by over 41% against the United States dollar. Databank Research’s Forecast On The Cedi In Coming WeeksDatabank Research, the research arm of Databank, co-founded by finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, forecasted that the cedi will hold up against other major trading currencies in the coming weeks.

General News of Thursday, 15 September 2022Source: www.ghanaweb.comFormer Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu has thrown an invite to anti-corruption civil society group, Corruption Watch Ghana following their response to his commentary on the findings of the Special Prosecutor on Labianca Company Limited. According to the former SP, he has seen a deliberate attempt by Corruption Watch and its associated friends and lawyers to silence and intimidate him in his fight against corruption. But reacting to the report, Martin Amidu who once occupied the OSP office described the Labianca report as hollow, without mandate and unconstitutional. 2374 under which the OSP purported to have written and published the OSP Labianca Report any specified corruption and corruption-related offences were committed,” Martin Amidu wrote. Read the full document by Martin Amidu below:Watch the latest episode of #SayItLoud below:GA/WA

But it was necessary to take time to fully process and reflect on everything that's happened... Everyone of you deserved much better from me and that's all I will strive for moving forward," his statement read. The sexual misconduct case which sparked outrage last month witnessed some of his victims sharing stories of how he sent unsolicited naked materials of himself to their direct messages and chats. In a press statement shared on August 13, Culture Management Group, the parent company of Afrochella said the organisation does not take kindly to any form of harassment, discrimination or violence. The company added that “as we conduct our internal review, Edward (Deezy) Asafu Adjaye will be stepping down from his leadership position and responsibilities at Afrochella effective immediately.”Read the statement below:

Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 15 September 2022Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe presiding Judge at the Circuit Court, his Honour Samuel Bright Acquah has said the Chinese galamsey queen Aisha Huang is likely to face 20 years in jail if found guilty of charges against her. The judge explained that the first accused person; Aisha Huang, may interfere with evidence due to her influence in the country. Aisha Huang is facing trial in court following her rearrest. Aisha Huang is facing two charges; mining without a license and sale of minerals without a license. The court on September 14, 2022, denied Aisha Huang and 3 other accused persons bail after they pleaded not guilty.

Business News of Thursday, 15 September 2022Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe International Monetary Fund has ranked Ghana in fourth place with the highest private savings in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). According to a recent report published by the Fund dubbed, ‘Private Savings and COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa,’ Ghana increased its private savings from about 24 percent in 2019 to about 30 percent in 2022. It also noted that, despite the economic challenges posed in Ghana, private disposable income had also increased substantially. “The private saving rate in SSA has increased during the last two decades to an average rate of 17.3% in 2019 from 11.5% in 1983. Private saving rates, as expected, are particularly low in fragile states and low-income countries (LICs)”, it pointed out.

In court on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, Nkrabeah who is the lead counsel introduced Divine Effah Dartey as one of his assists in the case involving Aisha Huang and 3 others and the name rang a bell immediately. Upon further interrogation, it was confirmed that Divine Effah Dartey Junior is one of Mr Effah Dartey sons. Aside from Divine being a lawyer, Mr Effah Dartey also has a son called David Effah Dartey who is a medical doctor. Having been away from active politics, Captain Effah-Dartey is now operating his private law firm. Appearing for the accused on Wednesday, Captain Effah-Dartey prayed to the court to grant his clients bail.

Sports News of Wednesday, 14 September 2022Source: www.ghanaweb.comGhanaians on various social media platforms have reacted with shock and dismay after news of striker Yaw Annor's nationality switch to Togo hit the platforms. Yaw Annor could now make his national team debut in the September 2022 international friendly games. Here are some of the reactions below:OFFICIAL: 2021/2022 Ghana Premier League Top scorer, Yaw Annor, has successfully switched nationality to play for Togo ????????. ?GPL Top scorer) is eligible to play for Togo national team as he successfully switch nationality. pic.twitter.com/AC1goi3JKh — King Eben (@King__Eben) September 14, 2022Yaw Annor angrily left Blackstars camp and has now switched nationality to TogoEi ????????????????????????????????