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Ghana’s Veterinary Services have banned importation of poultry and poultry products from northern neighbour Burkina Faso. The fiat follows an outbreak of the deadly bird flu in the French-speaking country. Veterinary officers have increased their surveillance activities in the Volta, Upper East and Upper West regions to prevent a possible outbreak in Ghana.

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it will embark on a door-to-door campaign strategy to garner more votes ahead of elections next year. Deputy General Secretary of the party, Koku Anyidoho, revealed this in the party's stronghold, the Volta Region, where he was a guest of honour at the SRC week celebrations of the Evangelical Presbyterian University. He said says the party will be adopting the door-to-door campaign strategy which was introduced by the late President, John Evans Atta Mills is aimed among other things at sustaining government's interaction with students at the tertiary level. Mr Anyidoho is convinced the campaign strategy will enable the students, especially, comprehend some of government's policies and decisions in the education sector. source:myjoyonline.com

It has emerged that Pas­tor Eric Isaiah Adusah of the United Kingdom- based Global Light Revival Ministries implicated in the death of his British wife may not be the last person to have entered the room of the deceased. Open record of the room purported to have been occupied by the late Ms Speirs, which is in the custody of Daily Guide, indicates that someone else entered the room after Pastor Adusah had left. According to the prosecution, the condition of the body clearly showed that Ms Speirs died a couple of days earlier, a situation that raised their suspicion.

A 28-year-old Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University student, Benjamin Codjoe, has died at his apartment. Codjoe, a first year student from Accra, Ghana, was found unresponsive in his residence hall room at the McManus Center and was pronounced dead. Evanston police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan said, the deceased had a previous medical condition and there were no signs of foul play in his death.

Beverage producing company, Blue Skies says it will lay off a thousand of its workers in the next few weeks if nothing is done to improve the erratic power supply in the country. This comes as the company plans to shut down one of its plants due to high production costs following the power crisis. Blue Skies currently employs over 3,000 people and this plan would mean that one-third of them will have to go home. Head of Public Relations and Projects, Alistair Djimatey told Joy News the situation is worrying. He said the company spends about £20,000 a week to fuel generators to run the facility. Alistair Djimatey appealed to government to put in place measures which will save businesses and prevent families from losing their source of livelihood. The company produces 25 percent of the country’s pineapple exports and one percent of Ghana’s total exports. Blue Skies will join the list of many companies who are laying off their staff due the challenges posed by the erratic power s...

A 33-year-old Google executive is among the 18 climbers killed in the avalanche on Mount Everest after a shattering earthquake in Nepal. Dan Fredinburg, who used to date One Tree Hill actress Sophia Bush, suffered fatal head injuries while climbing with the Jagged Globe team on Saturday.

Police at Osinor in the Eastern region have launched a manhunt for a 17-year-old JHS student who is accused of stabbing his colleague. Kwasi Reindorf allegedly stabbed Godfred Apraku for instigating a tackle on him during a football match. The victim is under critical condition at the Koforidua Central Hospital. Narrating the incident to Starr News, a Police officer with the Osina Police command Sergeant Joseph Butts said the police, as part of its investigations, will speak to the victim to give them a firsthand account of what exactly happened. “The victim was wounded but we will try and speak to him if he can tell us what exactly took place. “His mother was the one who came to report the case, but she wasn't there when the incident occurred but we need to know exactly what happened,” he said. Source: Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/103.5FM

Majority Leader Alban Kingsford Bagbin endorsed National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) research findings indicating Parliament is doing a woeful job in keeping the Executive arm of government in check.. Speaking at a National Quarterly Dialogue organised by the NCCE to discuss the findings of the research, he said parliament was structured to create consensus not to battle the executive. The spirit of this consensus building mechanism is even displayed in Parliament’s horseshoe sitting arrangement, the Nadowli/Kaleo MP said.

Joy News investigations have uncovered a syndicate fraudulently leaking examination questions in the ongoing 2015 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination to individuals and some top schools, and taking huge sums of money for it. The syndicate, allegedly made up of teachers and a West African Examinations Council (WAEC) official who works in its printing room leaks the questions 14 hours before the exam time. Joy News' investigative reporter, Kwetey Nartey who posed as a school proprietor got in touch with a member of the syndicate, Edmund a tutor in one of the Senior High Schools.

A 13-year old girl Eunice Brakuah was killed instantly after a mud house collapsed on her in the Akyemansa district of the Eastern Region. Confirming the tragedy, DSP Ofosu Anim told myjoyonline.com that Eunice, was with her mother and sister in the 3-bedroom house Wednesday evening around 9pm when the incident occurred. A portion of the building crushed her head killing her instantly. Her mother and sister survived with injuries to their legs. The house collapsed following heavy downpour last night. The rains and strong winds exposed the weak structure of the building, resulting in its collapse. The District police commander said other buildings in the area had their roofs ripped off. According to him, the dilapidated structure of the building gave it little chance of surviving the heavy downpour. Eunice was a pupil in a government basic school in the district. Her body has been deposited at the Oda Government Hospital for autopsy.

 Information reaching Joy News indicates that two people have been killed in what reports say is the single largest robbery in Anyinam, Eastern Region. Isaac Brobbey who was driving a Nissan vehicle with registration number GW 6896 - 15 and an unidentified Chinese national driving a vehicle with number GX 609 – 14 were shot dead when they attempted to escape upon reaching the robbery scene. The incident took place at about 8 pm Wednesday night.

A private security guard has allegedly murdered a househelp because the deceased spurned his sexual advances. The 25-year-old security man, identified as Adam Rahman is currently on the run, Airport Police Commander Chief Superintendent Yao Tettegah confirmed to Joy News’ Fred Smith.

Jamaican reggae legend, Luciano, born Jepther McClymont, says dancehall music is breeding violence amongst the youth and should be looked at again. According to him, most of the current dancehall artistes preach violence and promiscuity which does not help the society. Dancehall has gained popularity worldwide and is currently one of the most revered music genres in Ghana.

A combined team of heavily armed police and military personnel has been deployed to the Brong Ahafo Region town of Sakore following a bloody clash between supporters of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC). The supporters of the two political parties attacked each other with clubs and machetes last Monday, reports indicate.

A seven-member jury is expected to be constituted at the Accra High Court Wednesday to hear a case of rape brought against Kwesi Kyei Darkwah (KKD). This means the ace broadcaster will today come face-to-face with the persons who will determine his fate in the 5-month long legal tussle. KKD is standing trial for allegedly raping 19-year-old Ewuraffe Orleans Thompson at a hotel washroom.

Midwives and nurses at the Fomena Health Centre have been depending on mobile phones and candlelight to assist women in labour to deliver their babies. This is because the centre has no standby generator and whenever there is a power outage, the health workers are forced to improvise. The acting Medical Director of the centre, Mr Isaac Odame Awuku, disclosed this when a team from mobile telecommunications company MTN, which provided a maternity ward for the health centre, visited the facility.

A contingent of 55 police and military personnel has moved to restore peace at Sankore in the Asunafo North District of the Brong-Ahafo Region. On Monday April 20, a clash erupted between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the town. The Ghana News Agency (GNA) learnt that the supporters of the two rival political parties attacked each other with offensive instruments.

In the latest of internal agitations within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper West Region, executive members of the Wa East Constituency have called for the removal of Mr Abudu Abdul Karimu from his position as District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area. They have accused the DCE of being a sympathiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and claimed that his actions and pronouncements endeared him to NDC's political opponents than party members.

Week after week some top Ghanaian players lose their places in their respective teams abroad as they either turn bench warmers or fail to make their club’s squad for games altogether. The recent past weekend was a reminder of a worrying trend for Black Stars head coach Avram Grant who needs all of his regulars to get regular game time to keep their form. Highlight of the weekend was 2015 AFCON Player of the tournament winner Christian Atsu. The Chelsea loanee once again failed to make the Everton squad when they downed Burnley 1-0 at the Goodison Park. Atsu’s stats in the EPL is still poor as he has played just 110 minutes out of a possible 2970 minutes since the start of the season.

Sbonelo Mbatha (left) took to his Facebook page to tell a heartwarming story about his friend from Democratic Republic of Congo who lives in South Africa. His post has over 38,000 likes and shared more than 10,000 times. Read what he wrote below...     This is my friend from DRC. He washes my car every time when I go to the gym and charges me R50. Even when I forget to lock the car, I'd never loose a cent when he is there! He pays R120 a day to hire the wash machine and sometimes looses his money when the weather turns rainy. He has 2 little girls with his wife, they both go to primary school.     He washes an average of 5 cars per day (5xR50=R250) - R120 = R130, buys food for R30, netts R100 per day on average. This guy survives on R2800, give or take per month. He pays rental and has kids to support. He took nobody's job! Any South African who wants to do his job is most welcomed! Stop killing them and abusing them, some are making an honest living und...

A 29-year old professional, Francis Thomas Anderson was shot dead early Wednesday morning while home with his pregnant wife. Three young men, suspected to be armed robbers shot the E-volution worker after what appeared to be a prolonged struggle. Joy News’ Beatrice Adu reports that blood dotted everywhere in the 2-bedroom apartment at Santa Maria, Kwashieman which served as home for the couple. But the most gruesome site of the crime is in the kitchen where blood would soak your feet if you walk in, Beatrice reported. An uncle of the deceased who lives in a house opposite, revealed that after hearing gun-shots, he saw three men jump into a BMW vehicle and sped off. The neighbourhood was plunged in darkness because of a load shedding arrangement. Francis Anderson known by the family as Paapa moved into the apartment on 8th March. He died 40 days after moving in. The eldest of two children born to Martha Anderson, his death has left the family particularly the mother, distraught...

Recent studies have shown that a workplace day care can improve employee morale, lower absenteeism and increase turnover because fewer employees need to take time off to look after their children. But many working parents may find it hard to imagine a daycare centre right in the same building as their job. It is almost an impossible dream for a parent to see their child during a workday. For Unilever Ghana employees, it is a dream come true.

Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has condemned the barbaric act on the female Presenter of YFM, Adaeze Onyinyechie Ayoka popularly known as Miss Ada who was  kidnapped and raped last week by three unknown men. According to Kwesi Pratt, the ordeal of the ‘Y lounge’ presenter in the Western Regional capital, Takoradi was a clear case of torture which no human being must be made to endure. Speaking on Peace FM's Kokroko Morning Show, he stated that, the situation was gravely disturbing, frightening and must be condemned in no uncertain terms. Mr Pratt said “I cannot believe this is going on in Ghana. This is a clear case of torture…I am frightened to the core.”

Ghana’s export revenues from the minerals sector amounted to five billion dollars last year, reports from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, has stated. According to the report, the sector, employs about 32,000 people in the large scale sector and more than 1,000,000 in small scale mining. It contributes an average of 40 per cent to the state’s revenue and 17.5 per cent of the total national corporate tax earnings.

The government has pledged massive investment to change the face of the nation’s agriculture, to woo more young people into the sector. Dr. Ahmed Mustapha, Youth and Sports Minister, said carefully targeted interventions would be introduced to promote youth development through agriculture. He was opening a two-day training programme to expose selected youth farmers to innovative ways of plantain cultivation at Asankare.

It rained fishes in Thailand as fishes covered the whole streets causing heavy traffic as security forces intervenes.Passersby have been held in awe as hundreds of fishes had flown to the banks of seashore and on the road causing hold up to motor cars. Reports have it that most of fishes were found dead. Whilst some people tried to save the fishes, others stood watching in amazement.

A lecturer at the Valley View University College, Mr. Emmanuel Opata has been arrested and placed behind bars for allegedly inciting a group of people to attack police officers and court officials who had gone to accomplish an order of execution by an Accra High Court. The mob, numbering about 50, set ablaze a bull-dozer, which was working on the disputed land and almost succeeded in destroying a police pick-up vehicle that took the policemen to the site, but for the bravery of the driver.

Aspiring Member of Parliament for the Mfansteman constituency in the Central Region, Gilbert Aggrey also known as Abeiku Santana has said he is competent enough to run for the position. The ace presenter believes that the experiences he has gained during the 18 years he has worked in the media will be beneficial in his work as MP if he is elected. He said his work has given him the opportunity to identify the needs and challenges of the citizenry and he wants to help address some of them.

A survey of mobile phone usage in five of Africa’s major markets, including Ghana has revealed that 51 % of Ghanaian mobile phone subscribers use their phones to surf the internet, mostly social media site Facebook (54%). Apart from Ghana, the Mobile Africa 2015 study, conducted by mobile surveying company GeoPoll and World Wide Worx, surveyed 3, 500 mobile phone users in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda. Beside the startling findings on the rise of Internet access via phones, the survey found that Samsung has a strong presence in Ghana out of the five countries surveyed and that there is a potential demise of Nokia in the markets surveyed while the appeal for Blackberry has a potential to soar.

How you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. So if you want to be productive, feel energized and happy, and incorporate these five practices into your daily life. 1. Oil pulling Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic remedy where oil is swished or held in the mouth. Ayurvedic literature states oil pulling is capable of improving oral and systemic health, including a benefit in conditions such as headaches, migraines, diabetes mellitus, asthma, and acne, as well as whitening teeth. All you have to do is, first thing in the morning, put a tablespoon of cold-pressed sesame or coconut oil in your mouth and swish it in your mouth for 10-20 minutes, then spit it out and brush your teeth as per normal. Studies show that it makes your teeth and gums healthier. On top of that, it whitens your teeth which will hopefully encourage you to smile more!

An autopsy report has revealed that the British woman, Charmain Speirs, who was allegedly murdered by her Ghanaian husband died of heroin overdose. The prophet and leader of the Global Light Revival Church Eric Isaiah Adusah is standing trial for murdering his pregnant wife, 41, in a hotel during a recent vacation to Ghana. He allegedly left their hotel alone, telling staff that his wife did not like to be disturbed. Her body, close to decomposition, was discovered wrapped in a white towel three days later.

Tension is mounting in Bolgatanga in the Upper East region as a group of land owners are threatening to slaughter some occupants of their lands. The lands were reportedly given to the occupants who relocated to the area decades ago. But descendants of the landowners are threatening to kill the occupants for leasing their lands without their permission. Starr FM’s Upper East regional correspondent, Edward Adeti reported that the angry land owners are calling on government to immediately intervene and return their lands or will be forced to attack the occupants. “The only thing that would solve the problem is for government to intervene. "If government does not intervene then the best thing to do is to enter there and slaughter them,” one of the land owners told Starr News. Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM

Five security men of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have been surcharged over the disappearance of a pick-up vehicle worth Ȼ50,000 belonging to the Accra West Branch of the company. The vehicle with registration number GT 6857 – 11, reportedly got missing from the company’s yard at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in 2014. A year after the vehicle mysteriously disappeared, the police are yet to unravel circumstances under which the vehicle disappeared.

Two persons have been injured in a gas explosion which occurred at Dansoman on Monday, near the Wesley Grammar Senior High School. The injured persons have been rushed to the hospital for medical attention. An eyewitness, Priscilla Amanda Aggrey, who spoke to Citi News stated that the explosion occurred around 6am at a gas station situated close to a fuel station in the area. According to her, “a car was packed by the gas tank so as soon as the driver sparked the engine, the gas tank began to leak. The tank then exploded and two people were injured.”  Ms. Aggrey complained that the location of the gas station poses a serious threat to residents in the area. She therefore pleaded with authorities to take immediate steps to safeguard lives and properties. Source: citifmonline.com

  A high school senior on Long Island has a big decision to make: He has been accepted to all 13 colleges he applied to, including all eight Ivy League schools. On March 31, when the official college decisions were posted online, Harold Ekeh logged onto his computer in Elmont, New York. The 17-year-old was shocked to discover he was accepted to all eight Ivies, as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, New York University and SUNY Stony Brook. His mother was with him when the great news came in. "Everyone was so excited and surprised," he said. "The hard work paid off."

Tito and Amanda Watts were arrested over the weekend for selling “golden tickets to heaven” to hundreds of people. The couple, who sold the tickets on the street for $99.99 per ticket, told buyers the tickets were made from solid gold and each ticket reserved the buyer a spot in heaven — simply present the ticket at the pearly gates and you’re in. “People can sell tickets to heaven,” a Jacksonville police spokesman said. “But the Watts misrepresented their product. The tickets were just wood spray painted gold with ‘Ticket To Heaven – Admit One’ written in marker. You can’t sell something as gold when it’s not. That’s where the Watts crossed the line into doing something illegal.”Tito Watts said in his police statement:

The President and Paramount Chief of the Osu Traditional Area, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI is appealing to government to transform Osu into an autonomous municipality separate from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA). Dowuona VI believes such a move will ease pressure on the AMA and enable the new municipality to effectively collect and manage revenue to spur the needed development and create employment for the youth.

A professor of law, H. Kwasi Prempeh has challenged Ghanaian Politicians to follow the example of Nigeria’s President-elect General Muhammadu Buhari, who voluntarily declared his assets on social media ahead of the party’s recently held elections. In the unsolicited declaration of his assets, the former military leader, who is famed for his anti-corruption stance posted on Facebook that: “I have at least one million naira in my bank, having paid N5.5 million to pick my form from my party.”

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) will receive the first tranche of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout of $114 million to shore up the ailing Cedi. The Bretton Woods institution has approved a $918 million financial assistance deal for Ghana over a three-year period. According to a deputy Minister of Finance, Ato Forson, the move is to improve macro-economic stability and boost investor confidence. Per the bailout agreement, $300 million will be released to Ghana every year until the expiration of the pact. “The programme aims to restore debt sustainability and macroeconomic stability to foster a return to high growth and job creation, while protecting social spending. The Executive Board’s decision will enable an immediate disbursement of SDR 83.025 million (about US$114.8 million),” an IMF statement said. Source: Ghana/starrfmonline.com/103.5FM

Ace broadcaster Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah has broken his silence over his political career and declared that he is “running for the Parliamentary Candidature of the New Patriotic Party in the Ofoase-Ayirebi constituency.” According to him, he has weighed the “potential risks and discomforts of political life” but upon “calls and encouragements to run”, he has come to the conclusion that he can help fix Ghana’s problems through politics.

A police armoured car had to convey Asante Kotoko players out of the Baba Yara Stadium after colossally disappointing fans following their elimination from the CAF Champions League on Sunday. The Porcupine Warriors were beaten 2-1 in front of a partisan crowd by Algerian side MC El Eulma to be eliminated by the same scoreline on aggregate after a 0-0 first leg result.