AC Milan ended their 11-year wait to win their 19th Serie A title on Sunday as Olivier Giroud bagged a brace and Franck Kessie struck in a spectacular first half to send them on their way to a 3-0 win away to Sassuolo. The Rossoneri headed to the Mapei Stadium knowing that a draw would be enough to claim their first Scudetto since 2010/11, and they flew out of the blocks as Giroud struck twice inside the opening 32 minutes. Kessie added a third before half time, with Rafael Leao setting him up to bag a hat-trick of assists, and the second half turned into a festival for the jubilant travelling fans as the Rossoneri closed out an impressive victory. This was only an away game in name, as a vast army of Rossoneri fans travelled south to dwarf the home support in the hope of seeing history made, and it soon became clear that they were going to get their wish. Milan tore out of the blocks in search of an early goal, only to be denied repeatedly by Sassuolo goalkeeper Andrea Consigli; he palmed away a dangerous Giroud header, blocked an Alexis Saelemaekers finish one-on-one and had his gloves stung by a Leao shot. But the breakthrough arrived thanks to the superb Leao, who twice pinched the ball off dozing Sassuolo defenders and set up Giroud for simple finishes, and the Frenchman’s brace Rossoneri on the brink of the title. The Scudetto was all-but assured on the 38th minute when Kessie smashed a left-footed shot into the net – again from a Leao assist – and things almost got even better in the second half when substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed home a cross, only for the goal to be chalked off for offside. As the full-time whistle blew the fans flooded onto the pitch, waving banners, flags and flares, as the title party began in earnest. Credit: Eurosport

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources says it will be probing into the allegations surrounding the much-talked-about Achimota Forest and the purported will of the late Forestry Commission Boss, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie. According to the Ministry, it is taking this action following a document making rounds on social media which alleges that the Late CEO had included portions of the Achimota Forest in his will. In a statement sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, it said "The attention of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has been drawn to a document making the rounds on social media, which alleges that the late former Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, had included portions of the Achimota Forest in his Will, and given out same to individuals who are said to be related to him" The Ministry added that it takes a very serious view of the allegations, and has requested for all documents relating to the lands in question. The Lands Ministry further stressed that it is seeking to have the probe as part of an initial inquiry to ascertain the veracity of the claims. "Considering that the issues that form the basis of the allegations predate the tenure of the current Minister, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP, it is important that he is seized with the full facts to enable him take appropriate action, if, indeed, there is any merit in the claims." The Ministry says it is assuring the general public and the good people of Ghana that it will ensure that the national interest is protected at all times, especially in matters pertaining to the Achimota Forest. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has called for the temporary suspension of all matches involving Accra Hearts of Oak on grounds of the health and safety of the players. The Game Week 30 fixture involving Hearts of Oak and Eleven Wonders was postponed by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) following the outbreak of a strange disease at the camp of Coach Samuel Boadu’s side. The club announced that the game was postponed on medical grounds in a statement that reads, “Our match against Eleven Wonders has been postponed following advice from the Ghana Health Service. According to the GHS, they are still investigating the cause of the illness that affected the Hearts of Oak team.” Subsequently, the GHS has added more details of the reason to postpone the game highlighting that Hearts of Oak should not play any football match in the next seven (7) days, ensuring the strict isolation of footballers and staff of the club who show symptoms of respiratory illness among other things. Furthermore, the GHS stated that it will be conducting random tests on footballers in the various clubs in the league to understand the extent of the outbreak to ensure the safety of clubs. Read the full statement here Credit: Citinewsroom

The Ministry of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye has charged the local authorities such as the municipal district assemblies (MDAs) to enforce the bye-laws to prevent flooding in Accra. According to the sector Minister, the district assemblies are empowered by the Local Government Act to ensure that, for instance, building permits are issued appropriately and not anyhow. "Haphazard development of our communities is another major cause of flooding in the capital city. Whenever you are supposed to build you have to go and request for a building permit from the district assembly, and most people don't do that. ...but it is the responsibility of the district assemblies to make sure they issue permits rightly and that whenever permits are not issued, they [the district assemblies] should be decisive to pull down any structure that flouts any of the bye-laws," he urged. Mr. Asenso-Boakye made the call when his ministry, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), on Sunday afternoon embarked on an assessment tour of areas in Accra that were hit by flood, following last Saturday night heavy downpour. The visit also enabled the minister and his team to see for themselves the impact of last Saturday's downpour in especially flood-prone areas in Accra. The areas visited included Odawna Garages in the Korle-Klottey Municipal Assembly, Iran Clinic at Adabraka near the Circle Overhead Bridge, Odawna, Circle, Adabraka and Asylum Down. The rest were Circle Neoplan Station, Osudoku, Pharma Nova, Tintara all in Osu, and Tsaado in Teshie. While admitting that the size of the drains was a contributory factor to floods in Accra, the minister said the government, over the last five (5) years, has invested GHC450 million in the expansion of drainage works in the capital city. These, he said, have included drain deepening, concrete lining and increasing of the capacity of the drains to be able to carry storm water to prevent floods. He was, however, quick to add that there were other causes of flooding besides the size of the drains. "The first one is the indiscriminate dumping of solid waste into the drains and the other one which is equally important is the haphazard development of our communities," he pointed out. He noted that in areas such as Odawna which needed serious engineering works, the government has put in place remedial measures to mitigate the impact of floods. For his part, the Operations Manager, Accra Sanitary Sewer and Storm Alleviation Project (ASSSAP), Mr. Bernard Amu, stressed that but for the ongoing dredging and siltation works in the Odaw and Korle Lagoon the flooding in parts of Accra last Saturday would have been "very serious." On that score, he stressed the need for continuous maintenance dredging and annual siltation of the Odaw and Korle. He said dredging was a continuous process, adding that there was also the need to enforce the bye-laws to stop residents from dumping refuse into the drains. He also reinforced that it was crucial to intensify the education of residents around the banks of rivers to keep their environs clean. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Summary of Economic and Financial Data by the Bank of Ghana has revealed that Ghana’s public debt stock shot up from ¢40.1 billion to ¢391.9 billion as of the end of March 2022. According to the data, the increase in the debt is due to largely exchange rate fluctuation and to some extent borrowings from the domestic market. In the first quarter of 2022, the cedi assumed a free fall to the dollar, but its depreciation was halted in April 2022, following monetary measures by the Bank of Ghana. However, in relation to the Gross Domestic Product of the country, the debt was estimated at 78%. This is slightly lower than the 80% recorded in December 2021. According to the figures, the debt inched up by ¢20.5 billion in January 2022 and subsequently ¢19.7 billion in February 2022. In terms of the domestic debt, it went up by ¢8 billion in the first quarter of 2022 to ¢189.9 billion in March 2021. This is equivalent to 37.8% of GDP. Also, the external component of the total public debt shot up to $28.4 billion (¢201.9 billion) in March 2022, from $28.1 billion in December 2021. From the figures, clearly one can deduce that there were no borrowings from the external front in the first quarter of this year. The debt-to-GDP ratio of the external debt is however approximately 40.2% of GDP. The cedi component shot up by ¢31.9 billion in the first three months of 2022, primarily due to the decline in the value of the cedi to the dollar during the period. On the other hand, the financial sector resolution bond went down to ¢14.6 billion in March 2022, from ¢14.9 billion recorded in December 2021. This is equivalent to 2.9% of GDP. Credit: Pulse GH

Following hours of rain, parts of Accra and other urban centres in the Greater Accra Region, including North Kaneshie, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, and Kasoa have been flooded. The phenomenon has obstructed traffic flow on some major roads in the capital. Already, some Ghanaians have taken to Twitter to share videos of flooded areas after Saturday evening’s rain; Also, some homes have flooded as a result. Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service is cautioning the public regarding their movement in areas affected by the downpour. “…anyone who is stranded due to the downpour and requires help should contact the Police on the emergency numbers 18555, 191, or 0302787373,” the police said. Below are some pictures: Credit: Myjoyonline.com

Some disgruntled supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Aowin Constituency of the Western North Region have set the party’s office on fire over a decision by the National Executive Council (NEC) to have the recent elections run again. Their agitations follow attempts by the Council to conduct the constituency elections again due to alleged irregularities that characterized the process. But the supporters, who are unhappy about the decision, say they will resist any attempt for the elections to be reorganized. The NPP’s constituency elections turned chaotic in some parts of the country as party members threatened to halt the process. One of the notable spots was the Okaikoi South Constituency in the Greater Accra Region where over 413 names were alleged to have been deleted from the register. The aggrieved delegates added that people from other constituencies were rather included in the register to partake in the exercise. They also alleged that some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were added to increase the fortunes of some aspirants. In a related development, the election was suspended in the Yendi constituency of the Northern Region due to confusion over which album to use in conducting the elections. The matter was referred to the Party’s steering committee to be discussed for a new date to be announced. Meanwhile, delegates of the Party expressed disappointment over the development. They also accused some top officials in the Party of manipulating the electoral process to favor their candidates. Watch the video below: Source: Myjoyonline.com

Man City have been crowned 2021/22 Premier League champions after a dramatic final day to the Premier League season. City, who knew a victory would secure them the title, were 2-0 down to Aston Villa with just 15 minutes remaining but turned the game around with three goals in five minutes to win 3-2 in thrilling scenes to rival the famous 2012 Premier League title victory. Liverpool were 3-1 winners against Wolves, but fell short by just a point after a stunning 38-game duel, ending their Quadruple hopes. Pep Guardiola speaking to Sky Sports said "The moment we found a goal it changed everything. We are playing in not normal circumstances but you have to handle it" "Gundogan is the best inside runner we have. We were arriving down the sides and we needed a player with the sense of tempo in the box and he's the best" "We are legends. When you win the Premier League four times in five seasons it's because these guys are so, so special. We will be remembered. The first title we won with lots of margins, then at Brighton, then winning at home without fans and now with people, it's the best" "The magnitude of your achievement is defined by the magnitude of your rival. I've never seen a team like Liverpool. I know it's tough but a huge congratulations to them. They help us to be a better team" "Today is special as it's the fifth anniversary of the Manchester arena attack when 22 people were killed. This is for the families. Today was special." Manchester City's consistency was the difference in the Premier League this season. Liverpool has won more games since the turn of the year but the damage was done before then as points leaked away in defeats away to West Ham and Leicester. Guardiola's side had the odd slip of their own, notably losing to Tottenham on the opening weekend. But they never faltered for long. Won the next three after that setback, scoring 11 goals without reply. That resilience proved to be a theme. When the next Premier League defeat arrived against Crystal Palace in late October, City responded by winning their next 12 games in the competition. When Spurs completed the double over them, they thrashed Manchester United in the derby on their Etihad return. Manchester City blue ribbons are attached to the Premier League title Bernardo Silva was brilliant throughout but another theme of City's season has been that there was always another player ready to step up. Riyad Mahrez was the team's top scorer in all competitions but, incongruously, started only 14 Premier League games. It was not about one man. Fifteen different players have scored twice or more for Guardiola's side in the Premier League this season. Raheem Sterling was the Premier League player of the month for December. Gabriel Jesus scored six times in April. In one-off games, Liverpool was their match, drawing twice in the league, and eliminating Manchester City from the FA Cup. But over a long season, once again, no other team was able to do what they could do. Sustained excellence is what has set City apart. Credit: SkySports

The Ministry of National Security is calling on Ghanaians to release every vital information they have as it prepares for any possible terrorist attack on the country. According to the Ministry of National Security, without a collective effort, the country will not be able to deal with the issue. Addressing Journalists in Accra on Sunday, the Deputy National Security Coordinator, Edward Kweku Asomani, said "We will reduce the threat of an attack on our country. We are a proud nation, proud people and we have robust security and intelligence architecture but it is not complete when Ghanaians are not fully on-board with us" "That is why we are here today, we are seeking the support of all Ghanaians, we are not panicking, we are on top of the situation but we need the help of everybody in our jurisdiction" He added that no information is unnecessary adding that Ghanaians should report to the nearest police station any happenings in the locality. "This is a bit unusual, report it. We are launching this campaign on Tuesday with the 999 number, and all the police handles (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) will be activated. When you call, you don't need to identify yourself. You can go to the DCE or Chiefs or anyone in Authority in your locality and report" He further stressed that if such information is shared, it will help reduce the risk the country will likely face. Mr. Asomani revealed that patrol officers have been dispatched to guide unapproved routes adding that wrong-doers will not be able to use such stress. "Say something, if you see something" he concluded. Watch the video below: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

"we don’t know what to do…. we are heading to seven months without salary’ -This is the story of Daniel, one of the migrant workers working on a World Cup stadium in Qatar. Daniel is among more than 100 migrant workers in Qatar who have not received their salaries for the past 7 months. With less than 6 months to the Word Cup, migrant workers in Qatar say they have no day off, as they work day and night to make the 2022 world Cup a reality. Amnesty International has recorded several human rights abuses among migrant employees working at Qatar Meta Coats (QMC). Among the several workers interviewed, some said they do not have any day off to rest and they are forced to work long hours under threats of pay cuts. For example, security guards told Amnesty International that their pay could be cut up to six days pay if they decide to absent themselves from work to rest. ‘we work January to January, Sunday to Sunday. No day off. If you absent yourself, they will deduct two or more days’ wages’-Godfrey, one of the migrant workers from Uganda revealed. There have also been reports of unexplained deaths among migrant workers in Qatar. These deaths have been linked to the unsafe working conditions in the country but authorities have failed to investigate the underlying causes of these deaths. When some of the workers got fed up with the company’s repeated promises and submitted complaints to Qatar’s Labor tribunal, QMC told workers that they could only be paid if they agreed to end their contracts early and go home. Many other employees said they were stopped from coming to work after the court issue, or for refusing to end their contracts. By the end of February 2020, QMC had pulled all remaining workers off the stadium and asked them to report to its factory which manufactures aluminum and steel. Many of the workers are currently in critical situations, made worse by the fact that QMC has failed to renew their residence permits. This is a clear case of exploitation and abuse, and the attention of Amnesty International has been drawn to the issue because it is a case of violation of the rights of workers and a serious offence under international law. When Amnesty International raised the issue and informed Qatari authorities, FIFA and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar’s World Cup organizing body, some workers began to receive part of what they had been owed, but many of the workers have still not received their salaries in full. Several reports have been filled against Qatari authorities over the exploitative system that exists in the country, especially against migrant workers but Amnesty International has noted that no change has been seen so far. Organizers of the world cup said they had known about the salary delays since 2019, but allowed workers to continue working without pay. Many migrant workers currently in Qatar risk detention and deportation because Qatar Meta Coats (QMC), the construction company working on the Al Bayt Stadium, has failed to renew employee’s residence and working permits. Many of these workers still live in ‘cramped’ accommodations in Doha as a result of COVID 19 lockdown measures. Interviews and preliminary investigations conducted by Amnesty International revealed that salary delays begun in 2019 and deteriorated in 2020 where many of the workers received no salary at all for their work between September 2019 and March 2020. The migrant workers include employees from Ghana, Kenya, Nepal and the Philippines among others. The situation is also dire because under Qatar’s Kafala system, migrant workers rely on their employers for almost every aspect of their legal presence in the country. Employers have a responsibility to provide valid residence permits, without which migrants cannot work legally in the country. Failure to have a valid residence permit also attracts fines and migrants could face detention and deportation. Migrants also cannot change jobs without their employer’s permission. Amnesty International Ghana has joined the global campaign to call on FIFA to take immediate actions to resolve the problem before it deteriorates further. The fact that FIFA has been unaware of the plight of workers at one of its World Cup stadiums for so long suggests that it is not taking human rights abuses linked to the Qatar 2022 World Cup seriously enough. ‘if over the past ten years, FIFA had held its World Cup partners to account, and used its clout to push Qatar to fully reform its system, we wouldn’t be hearing the same tales of workers’ suffering’-Steve Cockburn. Story by: Redeemer Buatsi, Youth Leader/Activist, Amnesty International Ghana

Officials of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission say the two tigers belonging to business mogul, Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Freedom Jacob Caesar, pose no threats to the inhabitants of the estate. Some residents at Wonda World Estates, Avenue Lincoln near the British High Commission at Ridge in Accra, had expressed worry over the presence of the two tigers at the estate. They claimed they are not comfortable sharing the estate with the carnivorous animals and have called on appropriate authorities to relocate them. Meanwhile, speaking to the media on Friday, May 20, 2022, the Director of Operations at the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, Luri Kanton, indicated that “the tigers are safe, healthy and well protected and relocation will be done after investigations”. After visiting the premises of the Wonda World Estate where the tigers are being kept, Mr. Kanton told the media that “a new structure would’ve to be constructed at a new location before the relocation of the animals could be done”. This he noted, will take about two months. Meanwhile, Samuel Tiwonitaaba Kuteba, the trainer of the tigers, said the animals have been declawed and are under strict veterinary guidance. He debunked rumours that the animals were smelly and dangerous to residents. Freedom Jacob Caesar had explained that he brought the animals in a bid to boost Ghana’s tourism. “First, it is right, I have two tigers that I bought on a bid between Ghana and Dubai. I was the representative from the private sector that initiated my interest in purchasing these two animals. But we did go through the process, the animals are seven months old, still at the very young stage.” “I went in to buy these animals to add the value of tourism in our country. I wanted to go into the Safari World by making sure that Ghana becomes the first country in the whole of West Africa, East Africa, and Central Africa, except for South Africa, which has these animals.” Credit: Citinewsroom

Officials of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission have revealed that the much-talked about two tigers belonging to business mogul, Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Freedom Jacob Caesar, pose no threats to the inhabitants of the estate. According to the Wildlife Division, the tigers at Wonda World Estates are well-protected. It will be recalled that some residents living in Ridge Estate made an official complaint to the Police about a resident living with 2 tigers at his residence. The issue spark lots of controversies with the Accra Regional Police asking the owner of the tigers, Jacob Caesar, to relocate the animals. More to follow..... Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith