WWE Battleground 2017 set for action

The Punjabi Prison match

SmackDown presents WWE Battleground 2017 on Sunday with the return of a match not seen in WWE for 10 years.
Randy Orton is gunning for the WWE Championship in a bout that has only taken place twice in the company's history.
A star-studded card sees John Cena, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura all in action in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Here is all you need to know ahead of the big event.
WWE Battleground 2017 is being broadcast live from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Sunday, July 23. It gets underway from 8pm local time and from 1am in the UK (Monday morning).
It's a type of contest none of us thought we'd ever see again, and certainly not for the WWE Championship!
Yes, unlikely as it may seem, the top title in all of wrestling will once again be decided in a Punjabi Prison match.
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal will face Randy Orton in the bout made (in)famous by his mentor, The Great Khali.
To win the match they must escape the prison, which consists of two large steel-reinforced bamboo cages.
Can Mahal triumph when locked alone with The Viper, unable to rely on the help of his cronies The Singh Brothers?
 

Full List Of Nominees For 2017 Ghana Music Awards UK

The final list for the 33 categories for the 2nd Annual Ghana Music Awards UK have been released.

Over 100s of Ghanaian musicians, labels and management teams submitted their works over the past few months in order to determine this year’s final list of nominees.

“It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the 1,265 entries we received this year. Congratulations to all the nominees,” said Alordia, CEO of Alordia Promotions.

Before winners are announced, the voting platforms and procedures will be made available to the public on Saturday 15th July 2017 in the media and social media platforms.

The awards are based on the reporting period of April 2016 through April 2017.
The 2nd annual Ghana Music Awards UK plaques will be presented to the winners on Saturday, 16th September, 2017 at the Gaumont Palace (Dominion Center), 9 The Broadway, High Road, Wood Green, London N22 6DS.

Ghana Music Awards UK shines a spotlight on the best Ghanaians musicians who excel in Ghana and the UK.

Without any further ado, here are the very deserving nominees for the 2nd Ghana Music Awards UK 2017 – congratulations to all!

1. AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR.
Runtown
Tekno
Wizkid
Mr. Eazi
Eddy Kenzo

2. GOSPEL SONG OF THE YEAR.
Yewo Nyame A Yewo Adze – Nacee ft. Ernest Opoku Jr
Change Over – Mary Agyemang
Mewo Jesus – Mabel Okyere
My Soul says Yes – Sonnie Badu
Healing Stream – Jeshrun Okyere ft. Nathaniel Bassey
Agye Wo Nsem – Piesie Esther

3. GOSPEL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Joe Mettle
Mabel Okyere
Piesie Esther
Nacee
Sonnie Badu
Jeshrun Okyere

4. NEW ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
King Promise
Medikal
Adina
Ebony
Dem Tinz

5. BEST MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Yewo Nyame A Yewo Adze – Nacee ft. Ernest Opoku Jr
Booze N Boobs – Guru ft. Roll
Pain Killer – Sarkodie ft. Runtown
Rapping Drums – Flowking Stone
Nyedzilo – Edem ft Reekado Banks
One Thing – Stonebwoy ft. Damaris

6. BEST GROUP OF THE YEAR
VVIP
R2Bees
Dobble

7. BEST RAPPER OF THE YEAR.
EL
Guru
Pope Skinny
Manifest
Yaa Pono
Flowking Stone
Sarkodie
Medikal

8. HIPLIFE SONG OF THE YEAR
Samba – Guru ft. Singlet
Club – Donzy ft. Sarkodie
Raw – Guru
Borkor Die – Criss Waddle
RNS (Rich Nigga Shit) – Sarkodie

9. HIGHLIFE SONG OF THE YEAR
Enko Den – Daddy Lumba
Frema – Nero X
Gwe – Bisa Kdei
Confessions – Kofi Kinaata
Beshiwo – Becca
Christy – Dobble
Brown Sugar – Kumi Guitar
Guy Guy – Nana Qwame

10. HIGHLIFE ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Kumi Guitar
Bisa Kdei
Becca
Kofi Kinaata
Nero X

11.REGGAE/DANCEHALL SONG OF THE YEAR
People Dey – Stonebwoy
Prove Them Wrong – Shatta wale
Yonnah – Samini ft. Luther
Nwansina – Ras Kuuku ft. Luther
Poison – Ebony
Pain Them – Rudebwoy Ranking

12. REGGAE/DANCE HALL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Stonebwoy
Ras Kuuku
Samini
Ebony
Shatta wale
Rudebwoy Ranking

13. BEST COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Forever – Eazzy ft. Mr. Eazi
Yewo Nyame A Yewo Adze – Nacee ft. Ernest Opoku
Onaapo – Nacee ft. Dee Aja
Confirm RMX – Medikal ft. Sarkodie
Taking Over – Shatta Wale ft. Militants
My Baby – Magnom ft. Joey B
Poison – Ebony ft. Gatdoe
Pain Killer – Sarkodie ft. Runtown
Beshiwo – Becca ft. Bisa Kdei

14. ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Shatta Wale
Kofi Kinaata
Sarkodie
EL
Stonebwoy

15. SONG OF THE YEAR
Taking Over – Shatta Wale ft. Militants
Confessions – Kofi Kinaata
Christy – Dobble
Time Aso – Sidney
Onaapo – Nacee ft. Dee Aja

16. HIPLIFE/HIP-POP ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Criss Waddle
Guru
EL
Flowking Stone
Sarkodie
Medikal
M.anifest

17. HIP-HOP SONG OF THE YEAR
God MC – M.anifest
Trumpet – Sarkodie ft. Tee Flow, Medikal, Strongman, Koo Ntakra, Donzy & Pappy Kojo
Lalafalama – EL
Confirm RMX – Medikal ft. Sarkodie
Tension – Okyeame Kwame ft. Cabum, Medikal & Sister Deborah
Gold – Guru

18. AFRO POP SONG OF THE YEAR
Ayoo – Shatta Wale
Solo – Article Wan
Taking Over – Shatta Wale ft. Militants
Forever – Eazzy ft Mr. Eazi

19. MUSIC PRODUCER / ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Kindee
Willis Beatz
Highly Spiritual
Nacee
Danny Beatz

20. GHANAIAN TRADITIONAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Sherifa Gunu
Atongo Simba
Norlla Wiyaala
King Ayisoba
Wulomo
(UK BASED AWARD CATEGORIES)

21. UK BASED GOSPEL SONG OF THE YEAR
You Are The One – Minister Owura Jay
Boafo ne Awurade – Hannah A. Donkor
Land of God – Justice Odoi
It will come to Pass – Sarah Clark
Onyame Tumi Adi Nyinaa Ye – Comfort Amankwah
Se Nyame Nni Mua – Mama Cee
Alpha and Omega – Amankwah Tiah
Me nsa aka Me De3 – Theodora Gospel
Give Me You – P.K. Boadi
My Soul Says Yes – Sonnie Badu

22. UK BASED GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Sounds of Africa – Sonnie Badu
Land Of God – Justice Odoi
Second Chance – Ernest O. Kyeremanteng
Eden na menye ma wo – Amankwah Tiah
Genesis – Minister King Bricky Aboagye
You Are The One – Minister Owura Jay
Onyame tumi adenyinaa ye – Comfort Amankwah
Boafo Ne Awurade – Hannah A. Donkor

23. UK BASED GOSPEL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Hannah A. Donkor
Sonnie Badu
Minister Owura Jay
Amankwah Tiah
Comfort Amankwah
Justice Odoi
Minister King Bricky Aboagye

24. BEST UK BASED NEW GOSPEL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Manye Stone
Gertrude Forson
Minister Ike
Maame Serwaa
Hannah A. Donkor
Elder Ofori
Charlie Barnes
Nana Achia
Sarah Clark
Mama Comfort
Prophet Eliyahu Boateng
Yaw Boateng
Bishop Merry Frimpomaah
Alice Bee

25. BEST UK BASED GHANAIAN INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE
Stormzy
LD of 67 Group
Lethal Bizzle
Kwabs
Reggie N Bollie
Novelist

26. UK BASED AFROBEATS ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Mista Silva
Eugy
Kwamz N Flava
Composers
Jaij Hollands
Atumpan

27. UK BASED AFROBEATS SONG OF THE YEAR
GB – Under Lover
Yxng Bane ft. Kojo Funds – Fine wine
Kojo Funds ft Abra Cadabra – Dun Talkin
Dun D – Badman
Atumpan – Let them say

28. UK BASED ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Kojo Funds
Abra Cadabra
Mista Silva
Eugy
Atumpan
Juls
Dun D

29. UK BASED NEW GHANAIAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Belly Squad
Niji
GB
NSG
Koffi Nyat
A.I.M
Jayo

30. UK BASED NEW DISCOVERY UNCOVERED ART OF THE YEAR
Lippy & K- hi Bangit
Tinkez
Under Rider
Geo Wellington
Ked 2 Besi
Akata Stone

31. UK BASED PRODUCER /ENGINEER
Composers
Kwamz
DJ Juls
Whoelsebutjuelz
Adeshyie Studios
Kingsbeatz
Hator Bros/Temaboyz
Black Kulcha Music
Team Salut
Jae 5

32. UK BASED GHANAIAN DJ OF THE YEAR
DJ Billy
DJ Sawa
DJ Bibi
DJ Snypa
DJ Fiifi
DJ P. Montana
DJ Invisible

33. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Mr. Dennis Tawiah – Akwaaba UK (UK)
Afro Moses – Musician (Ghana)

Credit:  Mawuenam Avi-Doe

Russia's Lavrov threatens US over seized diplomatic mansions

Russia says it is "outrageous" that the US has not yet handed back two Russian intelligence compounds seized in the US under the Obama administration.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he was "considering specific measures" in response, but did not elaborate.
Earlier, unnamed Russian officials said Moscow was ready to expel about 30 US diplomats and seize US state property.
In December the Obama administration expelled 35 Russian diplomats and shut down two intelligence compounds.
Ex-President Barack Obama acted against Russia after US intelligence sources had accused Russian state agents of hacking into Democratic Party computers to undermine Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
Mr Lavrov told Russian media it was "simply shameful for such a great country as the United States, a champion of international law, to leave the situation in such a state of suspended animation".
"Justice and international law must be restored," he said, accusing the US Congress of being "charged up with Russophobia".
Which compounds were seized?

• The US seized a Russian diplomatic property on Maryland's Eastern Shore - a sprawling 45-acre (18.2-hectare) retreat. The facility, acquired during the Cold War, was used by Russian diplomats for recreation, such as tennis and swimming. But it also had sophisticated communications, and US officials said it doubled as a spying outpost
• The other diplomatic property is a New York mansion at Glen Cove, Long Island. It has 49 rooms and is similarly surrounded by woods. Like the Maryland mansion, its location is ideal for eavesdropping on US communications, US officials say

Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the issue of the Obama sanctions with US President Donald Trump when they met in Hamburg on 7 July, the daily Izvestia reported.The Trump team is under investigation over alleged Russian collusion during last year's presidential campaign. The Kremlin has denied interfering in the election.
Credit:  CNN

Indian man kills wife over dinner delay

Police in India say they have arrested a 60-year-old man who fatally shot his wife for serving his dinner late.

Ashok Kumar came home drunk on Saturday night and got into an argument with his wife, Rupesh Singh, a senior police officer in Ghaziabad city near the capital Delhi, told the BBC.
Sunaina, 55, was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to her head, but by then she had died, reports said.
Mr Kumar has confessed to his crime and now regrets his actions, Mr Singh said.
"The man [Mr Kumar] used to drink every day. On Saturday, he came home drunk and started having an argument with his wife. She was upset with his drinking habit and wanted to talk about it, but he wanted dinner immediately," Mr Singh said.
"He got frustrated with the delay and shot her," he added.
Domestic violence has been the most reported violent crime against women in the country every year for more than a decade now.
In 2015, an incident of domestic violence was reported every four minutes under the legal definition of dowry deaths, harassment over dowry related crimes, cruelty by husband or his relatives and domestic violence.
The BBC's Geeta Pandey in Delhi says such violence is not unique to India - it occurs around the world - but what sets it apart in India from many other countries is the culture of silence and approval that often surrounds it.
According to a family survey carried out by the government, more than 54% of men and 51% of women said it was ok for a man to beat his wife if she disrespected her in-laws, neglected her home or children, or even over something as trivial as putting less - or more - salt in the food.

Credit: BBC

UNICEF opens Africa’s first humanitarian drone testing corridor in Malawi

The UN children’s agency Unicef has formally opened an air corridor to test the effectiveness of drones in humanitarian emergencies.
The project opened on Thursday in Malawi is the first of its kind in Africa and will assist mostly in humanitarian and development use.
“You can really see what can drones in terms of transport bring medical supplies to health centres, bring educational supplies to school, what can they do in terms of connectivity in areas where we do not have coverage of telecommunications network and it puts Malawi on the map,” said UNICEF country representative, Johannes Wedenig.

The innovation will help us in a number of ways. Apart from delivering, you know, medical samples to testing laboratories, it can also do a lot of mapping, land surveying and several other important activities
The corridor will have a radius of 40 km and is also open to the private sector, universities and could also provide imagery to map out natural environments and other infrastructure.
“The innovation will help us in a number of ways. Apart from delivering, you know, medical samples to testing laboratories, it can also do a lot of mapping, land surveying and several other important activities,” said Malawian minister of transport, Jappie Mhango.
The test corridor is centred at the Kasungu Aerodrome focusing on three tasks: generating aerial images of crisis situations, using drones to extend Wi-Fi or mobile phone signals across difficult terrain in emergencies and delivering low-weight emergency supplies.
The launch of the testing corridor follows a pilot project in Malawi in March 2016 on the feasibility of using drones for the transportation of dried blood samples for early infant diagnosis of HIV.
This study showed that drones are a viable addition to existing transport systems, including those used to help with the diagnosis of HIV.

Credit: Reuters

Picture: Ronaldo confirms he is father of twins

Hours after he captained Portugal to semi-final defeat in the Confederations Cup in Russia, Cristiano Ronaldo has announced the birth of twins.

For days Portuguese media have reported that the footballer's twins had been born to a surrogate mother in the US.
But it was only after the national team were knocked out on penalties by Chile that he confirmed the birth.
Ronaldo went on Facebook to say: "I'm very happy, finally, to be with my children for the first time."
He already has a son, Cristiano Ronaldo junior, who was born in June 2010.
The Real Madrid forward began his message declaring that he been at the service of the national team "body and soul" despite the birth of the twins, adding: "Unfortunately we couldn't achieve our main sporting aim."
The semi-final in Kazan ended in a 0-0 draw and Chile went through as Ronaldo's teammates missed three penalties.
Little is known about the twins, although unconfirmed reports in Portugal said they were born on 8 June, well before the start of the Confederations Cup. The SIC TV channel said the boy and girl had been named Eva and Mateo.
Further reports said the Fifa footballer of the year's mother, Dolores Aveiro, travelled to the US soon after they were born.
In a statement, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) said it had been informed by Ronaldo before the Confederations Cup that he had become a father again, and yet had decided to travel to Russia with the team. The FPF described his decision as a "gesture that we must highlight and praise".
Instead of staying with the team for the third-place play-off on Sunday, Ronaldo was now going to leave the camp, it added. "We must release the athlete so he can finally get to know his children."
Ronaldo, who has a long-term girlfriend, model Georgina Rodríguez, left the team in Kazan on Thursday morning. There has been speculation in Portuguese media that she too is expecting a baby, after the footballer posted a picture on social media showing the couple sitting down with their hands on her stomach.
At the time the model appeared to reject the rumours, posting gym photos that suggested she was not pregnant, although it was unclear when the pictures were taken.
Credit: BBC 

US woman, Monalisa shots boyfriend in YouTube stunt

A Minnesota woman has been charged over the fatal shooting of her boyfriend, in what authorities say was a social media stunt gone wrong.

Monalisa Perez, 19, was booked into county jail after shooting at Pedro Ruiz as he held a book to his chest, believing it would stop the bullet.
The couple's three-year-old child and nearly 30 onlookers watched as she fired the fatal bullet into his chest.
Ruiz's aunt said they did it to increase their social media following.
Claudia Ruiz told WDAY-TV that her nephew had told her he wanted to do the stunt "because we want more viewers, we want to get famous".
"He had told me about that idea and I said, 'Don't do it. Don't do it. Why are you going to use a gun? Why?'" Claudia Ruiz told the news channel.
"They were in love, they loved each other," she said. "It was just a prank gone wrong."
Ms Perez, who is pregnant, is facing charges of second degree manslaughter. She faces her first court appearance on Wednesday.
County Attorney James Brue described the book as a hardcover encyclopaedia, and said the weapon used was a .50-calibre Desert Eagle handgun.
Police have seized two cameras, which are said to have recorded Monday's incident.
The single gunshot was fired from about one foot (30cm) away as neighbours gathered to watch outside their Minnesota home.
She told deputies that the stunt had been Ruiz's idea, and that he had to convince her to do it.
Earlier that day she tweeted about her reservations.

"Everyone was crying. I was standing behind that tree over there. And that was it. I just couldn't take it anymore so I had to go back home," neighbour Wayne Cameron told WDAY-TV.
The couple had started a YouTube channel in March, aiming to show the "the real life of a young couple who happen to be teen parents".
Their most recently uploaded video, on the day that Ruiz died, was titled: "Doing scary stunts at the fair".
Last week Ms Perez told her viewers that it was a "blessing" to have her husband home for the forthcoming birth of their son, who is due in September.

Pregnant Serena Williams poses naked on the cover of Vanity Fair

Pregnant Serena Williams has posed naked on the cover of August's Vanity Fair magazine.
The tennis star found out she was expecting her first child with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian just before the Australian Open in January.
She told the magazine that she hadn't suspected anything until she was sick at the side of the court while practising.
But her friend suspected she might be pregnant and suggested taking a test.

Image caption The August edition of Vanity Fair, featuring Serena Williams, is on sale from 7 July

Serena ended up taking a test while doing a photo shoot for a lingerie company at an Australian hotel and said her "heart literally dropped" when she saw the result.
"Oh my God, this can't be - I've got to play a tournament," she said. "How am I going to play the Australian Open? I had planned on winning Wimbledon this year."
Her friend Jessica was then sent back to the hotel chemist to buy five more test kits to convince Serena that she was pregnant. All of them were positive.
The article also reveals how Alexis and Serena started dating in 2015.
He proposed last December at the same table at the Cavalieri Hotel in Italy where they'd first talked to each other.

Rihanna tweets world leaders and Justin Trudeau is the latest to respond

She's a global pop icon, they are G20 leaders. So what happened when Rihanna tweeted some of the world's most powerful men to talk about their commitment to education in the developing world?

Well, some of them responded and their exchanges are there for us all to see on social media.
It started earlier this week when the singer and fashion icon, who has 74 million followers on Twitter, publicly messaged the leaders of France, Argentina and Canada, plus the spokesperson for Germany's Angela Merkel.

In January, Rihanna travelled to Malawi meeting children at under resourced schools in an initiative with Global Citizen and the Global Partnership for Education, for whom she is an ambassador. The two organisations aim to help fund the teaching of millions of children and young people in developing countries.
Given her superstar status and her previous work with her own charity, the Clara Lionel Foundation, Rihanna urged G20 leaders to discuss the subject when they meet in Hamburg in July.
Credit: BBC

The Queen gets a £82.2 million pay rise

The Queen is to receive an 8% increase in income from public funds, after the Crown Estate's profits rose by £24m.

The Sovereign Grant, which pays for the salaries of her household, official travel and upkeep of palaces, is to increase by more than £6m in 2018/19.
It comes as accounts revealed the Queen's official net expenditure last year increased by £2m, to almost £42m.
Sir Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said the Queen represented "excellent value for money".

• 2015 - How rich is the Queen?

He said: "When you look at these accounts, the bottom line is the Sovereign Grant last year equated to 65p per person, per annum, in the United Kingdom.
"That's the price of a first class stamp.
"Consider that against what the Queen does and represents for this country, I believe it represents excellent value for money."

The Queen and the Royal Family's official travel cost the taxpayer £4.5m during 2016/17, up £500,000.
Clarence House has also released its annual accounts, which showed the Prince of Wales' annual income from his hereditary estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, increased by 1.2% - to £20.7m.

Royal accounts - some key figures

• £82.2m - Amount the Queen is expected to get from the Sovereign Grant in 2018/19
• £4.5m - Cost of the Queen and the Royal Family's official travel in 2016/17
• £288,697 - Amount spent on the Royal Train travel for 14 trips
• £1.2m - Cost of replacing doors on the orangery at Windsor Castle
• £154,000 - Estimated cost of Prince Charles and Camilla using "Cam Force One" - the official government plane - to visit Italy, Romania and Austria earlier this year

The Sovereign Grant, which is paid two years in arrears, is money given to the Queen by the Treasury.
It is based on the profits of the Crown Estate portfolio, which includes much of London's West End.
The Crown Estate posted a £24.7m rise in profits, to £328.8m, in 2016/17.

Credit:  BBC

Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foe: A friend of football who died playing

Marc-Vivien Foe, was a Cameroonian international and professional footballer who gained global fame following his death during an international competitive fixture in the FIFA Confederations Cup years ago.
He died on 26 June 2003, when the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon took on Columbia in the semi-final clash of the competition. He had played in victories against Brazil and Turkey but was rested for the game against the United States ahead of the Colombia fixture.
We present you some key facts about Marc-Vivien Foé – undoubtedly a friend of the game and one who the game remembers long after his passing.

Marc-Vivien Foé – A Friend of the Game

1. Marc-Vivien Foé (1 May 1975 – 26 June 2003) was a born in Yaounde
2. He played as a midfielder for the Indomitable Lions and also at club level
3. He started out with capital based side, Canon Yaounde, he won the Cameroon Cup in 1993.
4. He played for Lens between 1994 – 1999 making 85 appearances and scoring 11 times, at Lens he won the 1998 French league title.
5. He spent a season at West Ham United £4.2 million in January 1999 (1999-2000) with one goal from 48 appearances
6. He returned to France to join Lyon on £6 million transfer between 2000-2003, 43 appearances and three goals.
7. In 2001 he won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2001, and the league title with Lyon.
8. His international debut was against Mexico in September 1993.
9. He was part of the Cameroon squad for the 1994 World Cup, starting all three of their matches.
10. Due to a broken leg at Cameroon’s pre-World Cup training camp, he missed the 1998 World Cup.
11. He made squad for Cameroon in the 2002 World Cup. As in 1994, he played in all of Cameroon’s matches.
12. In the 72nd minute of the match against Colombia, Foé collapsed in the centre circle. After failed on-field resuscitation, he was stretchered off the field, where he received mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen. Medics spent 45 minutes attempting to restart his heart, and although he was still alive upon arrival at the stadium’s medical centre he died shortly afterwards.
An autopsy concluded that Foé‘s death was heart-related as it discovered evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise.
On the occasion of his fourteenth year after death, a series of tweets from the football fraternity has been celebrating the memory of the Cameroonian number 17 man at the time slumped and died at the State de Gerland in Lyon, France.

Credit: Africa News

Over 200 migrants rescued by Spain

More than 200 migrants were rescued by the Spanish coastguards on Saturday. They attempted crossing the Mediteranean from north Africa to Spain.
Most of them from sub Saharan Africa and the Maghreb, were rescued from from five vessels in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea, which separate Spain from Morocco.
The spokesman said, dozens were rescued in south of Gibraltar from three boats. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 3,314 people reached Spain by sea between 1 January and 30 April .
On Thursday more than 400 migrants were reported rescued by the Spanish sea rescue service.
At least 2,018 people have died or disappeared in the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year, according to IOM’s latest report .
Credit: Africa News

Kwadwo Sarpong, Nneka Ogwumike among Honorees for 2017 Face List Award | See Full List

The 2017 Face List Award celebrating Pan-African achievement is set to hold on Saturday, July 15, 2017.
In the 6th annual edition, Face2face Africa is carrying on its tradition of  honoring a group of inspirational heroes with uniquely fascinating stories to tell.
The 2017 honorees  are recognized for their distinguished careers and achievements. Their impact and legacy will shape and influence the pan-African community for generations to come.
Ghana’s Kwadwo Sarpong, Founder of African Research Academies for Women and Nigeria’s Nneka Ogwumike,WNBA Most Valuable Player of 2016 and the will be honoured in the Young Africans Committed to Excellence category of the award.
Nigerian Femi Kuti was a recipient of the Face List Award in 2014 for Entertainment.
See portfolio of 2017 Honorees below:
Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton – The National Action Network

Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton is founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), a not-for-profit civil rights organization formed in 1991 with over 100 chapters nationwide. As one of the nation’s most-renowned civil rights leaders, Rev. Al Sharpton has been praised by President Barack Obama as “the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden”.

Mimi Alemayehou – Black Rhino Group

Ethiopian-born Mimi Alemayehou is one of the most influential and sought-after experts in African Business. She is Managing Director at Black Rhino Group, and also serves as an Executive Advisor and Chair of Blackstone Africa Infrastructure LP. Previously, she was executive vice president of the Overseas Private Investment Corp. (OPIC), under the Obama administration, and was one of the architects of the Power Africa initiative to increase energy access across the continent.

Beverly Bond – Black Girls Rock!

A dynamo in true form, Beverly Bond, has blazed trails in the music, entertainment and social entrepreneurship industries. Her body of work, across sectors, has made her one of the most celebrated DJ’s, and social innovators of our time. She is the founder of BLACK GIRLS ROCK! a youth empowerment mentoring organization, and the annual BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards, which celebrate the accomplishments of exceptional women of color.

Tuma Basa-Spotify

Billboard has called Tuma Basa one of the “new pioneers” in music today. As the global programming head of hip-hop at Spotify, he is one of the most important tastemakers in hip-hop music today, personally responsible for choosing every song that goes onto the Rap Caviar playlist. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he has held music programming positions at BET, MTV, and Revolt, where he served as Vice President of Music Programming.

Adenah Bayoh – Adenah Bayoh & Companies

Adenah Bayoh embodies the American dream. At age 13, she escaped the civil war in her native country of Liberia, immigrated to the United States and is now one of the most successful entrepreneurs in her home state of New Jersey. Her company owns IHOP franchises in Paterson and Irvington, New Jersey and a real estate development portfolio with over $225 million dollars in urban redevelopment projects. Adenah Bayoh & Companies is the second largest employer in Irvington, NJ.

Organization Honoree – “Ubuntu Award for Service”


Young Africans Committed to Excellence (YACE) Honorees:

Nnemkadi Ogwumike WNBA Player

Kwadwo Sarpong Founder, the African Research Academies for Women

Other Details:

Wyclef Jean Headline Performer

Host Ama K. Abebrese Actress, “Beast of No Nation”

For tables, group registration or advertising, contact Sandra Appiah at Sappiah@f2fafrica.com.

Katy Perry crowdsurfs at Glastonbury

Pop star Katy Perry ended her debut performance at Glastonbury by diving head first into the audience.

It was less crowd-surfing than crowd-swimming, as the singer pulled herself slowly over the heads of her fans.
"Well, Beyonce never did that," joked one audience member as Perry emerged from the fray.
The stage dive came as the star performed Roar at the end of 60 colourful minutes of pure grade pop, including the hits Firework and ET.
The star brought something that the Pyramid Stage never usually sees - choreography - as well as glitter cannons, silver-clad backing singers, and dancers dressed as giant eyeballs.
"This makes me feel cool," remarked Perry as she observed the crowd. "I don't really ever feel cool."
"There's so many people here," she added. "I didn't know if you still liked me."
The comment was presumably in reference to the relatively poor performance of her new album, Witness, which entered the charts at number six last week.
In truth, most of the audience had come for the earlier hits - I Kissed A Girl, Teenage Dream, California Girls - which prompted mass sing-alongs from the younger elements of Glastonbury's audience.
The newer material was less enthusiastically received; although a spirited rendition of Chained To The Rhythm, which saw Perry trade impromptu dance moves with a security guard, proved to be a lot of fun.
Credit:  BBC

Otumfuo Osei Tutu makes historic visit to Techiman

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has made a historic visit to Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region and paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu was on his way to Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region to attend the burial ceremony of the Omanhene of the Nkoranza Traditional Area, Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom IV.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has made a historic visit to Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region and paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu was on his way to Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region to attend the burial ceremony of the Omanhene of the Nkoranza Traditional Area, Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom IV.

Credit:  

Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Biiya Mukusah Ali

China landslide: 15 dead, over 100 missing in Sichuan

The bodies of 15 people have been found after a landslide in Sichuan province in south-western China left more than 120 people missing, state media say.

About 40 homes were destroyed in Xinmo village in Maoxian county, after the side of a mountain collapsed at about 06:00 local time (22:00 GMT Friday).
Rescue teams are frantically searching for survivors trapped beneath rocks dislodged by heavy rainfall.
President Xi Jinping urged rescuers to "spare no effort".
A couple and a baby were rescued and taken to hospital after teams of workers used ropes to move large rocks, AFP news agency reports, citing local authorities.
Qiao Dashuai told CCTV the baby had woken them and when they came to the door of their home they were swept away by water. He said his parents and other relatives were still missing.
An earlier toll of 141 missing people has now been revised down by state media.
The landslide blocked a 2km (1.2-mile) stretch of a river, Xinhua news agency reported.
Local police told state broadcaster CCTV a lack of vegetation in the area had made the landslide worse.
Local officials said some 8m cu m (282m cu ft) of rock had been dislodged.
Roads in the county were closed on Saturday to all traffic except emergency services, the news agency said.
Landslides are a regular danger in mountainous regions of China, especially during heavy rains.
In 2008, 87,000 people were killed when an earthquake struck Wenchuan county in Sichuan province. In Maoxian county itself, 37 tourists were killed when their coach was buried in a landslide caused by the earthquake.

Credit: BBC

UK schoolboys wear skirts to protest against ban on shorts

Teenage boys at a school in Exeter, United Kingdom, went to school Friday wearing skirts in protest at a ban on wearing shorts.
Around 50 pupils at ISCA Academy are understood to be taking part in the protest after a small group of boys came to school in girls' uniform Thursday.
"My son wanted to wear shorts but was told he would be put in the isolation room for the rest of the week," the mother of one 14-year-old told Devon Live yesterday.
"The head teacher told them 'Well you can wear a skirt if you like' but I think she was being sarcastic.
"However children tend to take you literally and so five boys turned up in skirts today – and because she told them it was ok there was nothing she could do as long as they are school skirts."
One of the five boys is believed to have got in trouble because his dress was too short - and another boy, Josh Baxter, told reporters he'd been told to change back to trousers as he "had hairy legs."
Mother Claire Reeves told Devon Live: "[The school] have told me that if I send my son to school in shorts then he will be sent to the isolation room all day and if I keep him off school then it'll be an unauthorised absence.
"The girls are allowed to wear skirts all year round so I think it's completely unfair that the boys can't wear shorts.
"Boys just don't have the option and I am just really concerned about how the heat is going to affect him."
Following the pupils' protest the school has said it would considering changing its uniform policy in future.
"We recognise that the last few days have been exceptionally hot and we are doing our utmost to enable both students and staff to remain as comfortable as possible," said headteacher Aimee Mitchell.
"Shorts are not currently part of our uniform for boys and I would not want to make any changes without consulting both students and their families.
"However, with hotter weather becoming more normal, I would be happy to consider a change for the future."

Credit: Telegraph

VIDEO: WITHDRAW MILLITARY MEN FROM DENKYIRA BOASE- FARMER PLEADS WITH GOV’T

A farmer and a retired miner, Isaac Kwaku Owusu has appealed to the government to withdraw all military men deployed and stationed at Denkyira Obuase

In an exclusive interview with Kessben TV , he explained that the amount of money spent by government on the daily activities of these military could be used for other things  like even building a police station with that money to check lawlessness in the area.

He said innocent were paying dearly for crimes they did not commit and they have rights as Ghanaians.

PLAY VIDEO