Maria Sharapova failed drugs test at Australian Open

Former world number one Maria Sharapova has revealed she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open.
The Russian, 28, tested positive for meldonium, a substance she has been taking since 2006 for health issues.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said the five-time Grand Slam champion would be provisionally suspended from 12 March.
Sportswear company Nike said it was halting its relationship with her until the investigation was complete.
"I did fail the test and take full responsibility for it," said Sharapova, who won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004.
Sharapova has been the highest-earning female athlete in the world in each of the past 11 years, according to the Forbes list.
With career earnings from tennis alone amounting to almost £26m, she claimed she had taken meldonium "for the past 10 years" after being given it by "my family doctor" but had known the drug as mildronate.
"A few days ago, after I received a letter from the ITF, I found out it also has another name of meldonium, which I did not know," she said.
Sharapova's lawyer, John Haggerty, told Sports Illustrated he was hopeful the player would avoid a lengthy ban.
"We think there is a laundry list of extremely mitigating circumstances that, once taken into consideration, would result in dramatically reducing any sanction that they might want to impose on Maria," he said.

Credit: Graphic Online

Stonebwoy had a successful knee surgery in Germany

Ghanaian dancehall artiste, Stonebwoy has revealed that he has undergone a successful knee surgery.

The ‘Go Higher’ hitmaker was involved in a fatal accident several years ago which led to the death of his twin brother and him limping.

Performing at the MTN Pulse Friday, Stonebwoy said he will start walking normally in a few weeks after the successful surgery.

“You noticed for the past weeks I wasn’t in Ghana. I went to Germany to do my leg…I want to show them that I can do it but I love the way I live and I love the people I inspire.

“You see this my knee, previously it doesn’t bend but now you see it is bending. I have finished with the surgery and now I am doing physiotherapy, in the next three months I will walk normal,” he told the audience at the concert.
Credit: Starr News

Bisa Kdei wins big @ MOGO Awards 2016

He may not have entered the game too early, but he has indeed left an indelible mark on lovers of quality highlife music, and crowning his efforts with four individual awards and another for a collaborative piece, at the 2016 Music of Ghanaian Origin (MOGO) Awards, is certainly not out of place.

Out of the ten award categories, the ‘Mansa’ and Brother Brother’ hit maker, had seven nominations going into the event at the Alisa Hotel Ridge Arena on Saturday night.
On the night, he was named the MOGO Artiste of the year, his song ‘Mansa’ was named the MOGO Song of the Year, and he was named the MOGO song writer of the year, as well as the MOGO Best Male Act.
To crown it all, Obrafuor’s ‘Pimpinaa’ won the Best MOGO Collaboration which featured Bisa.
Bisa, who’s on a tour outside the country, had his Business Manager Kojo Akuffo picked the awards on his behalf.
The MOGO Awards, a Citi FM initiative and a subset of the bigger MOGO Festival, seeks to celebrate authentic Ghanaian Highlife music and also reward those whose efforts have kept the genre ablaze.
This year’s event, which was interspersed with great performances from Amakye Dede, Bessa Simons, Ebo Taylor and Bob Pinodo, also treated invited guests to a dinner dance, where there was enough to eat and drink.
The MOGO Festival started on February 29, with the 3 Nights with Music Greats series, which featured Bob Pinodo, Ebo Taylor and K.K Kabobo at the +233 Jazz and Grill Bar.
That event prepared the grounds for the main awards night at the Alisa Hotel.
Full List of Award Winners
MOGO Best Song – Bisa Kdei – Mansa
MOGO Best Song writer– Bisa Kdei MOGO
Artiste of the year – Bisa Kdei
MOGO Best Performer – Amakye Dede
MOGO Album of the year – Sarkodie
MOGO Best Female Act – Efya
MOGO Best Band/Group – Ohia be ye ya
MOGO Best Producer – Kaywa
MOGO Best Collaboration – Obrafuor/ Bisa Kdei – Pimpinaa
MOGO Male Act – Bisa Kdei
MOGO Lifetime Achievement Award – Bob Pinodo and Ebo Taylor
The MOGO Festival 2016, is powered by Citi 97.3 FM, sponsored by the National Lottery Authority and Rehoboth Properties and supported by Alisa Hotels and the +233 Jazz Bar and Grill.