The 2021 Ballon d'Or award ceremony is finally here, with the prestigious award having taken a COVID-19-enforced sabbatical in 2020, and the winner of the 2021 award will be announced on Monday evening at around 20:30 CET. The favourites are already clear with Karim Benzema going up against Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi and N'Golo Kante, and it is the Argentine international who is the overwhelming choice with the bookmakers after his exceptional performances in the Copa America, finally lifting his first professional trophy in an Albiceleste shirt. This is the start of our 2021 Ballon d'Or live blog, with our updates from this highly anticipated awards ceremony following on from here. As always, the entries nearest the top are the most recent ones. Ceremony order The Ballon d'Or ceremony starts at 20:30 CET/19:30 GMT and we will have a few surprises in Paris, as we will have two new awards. Here is how the evening should pan out... - Ballon d'Or (winner and top 10) - Women's Ballon d'Or winner - Kopa Trophy - Yashin Trophy - Two new awards Rumours suggest though that the two new awards will be Club of the Year and Striker of the Year. The Ballon d'Or is an hour away and the trophies which will be given out this evening are on their way to the Chatelet Theatre. Counting down the top 30 Whilst much of the attention is placed on just who will win the actual Ballon d'Or award, there is also a list of 30 players who have been ranked for their performances from 2021. Cesar Azpilicueta and Luka Modric are joint-29th, with Gerard Moreno and Pedri rounding off the Spanish-based players inside the bottom nine. Riyad Mahrez finished in 20th place, just behind Mason Mount, Simon Kjaer and Luis Suarez. Neymar, Raheem Sterling and Leonardo Bonucci rounded out the top 14, whilst Giorgio Chiellini, Romelu Lukaku and Erling Haaland finished 13th to 11th respectively. The ceremony is coming soon We are around 90 minutes from the Ballon d'Or ceremony and things are beginning to get tense in Paris. There are plenty of fans outside the Chatelet Theatre and they have a clear favourite to win the award. Ballon d'Or 2021 Ranking 11-19 We are getting closer to the top 10! 11 - Erling Haaland 12 - Romelu Lukaku 13 - Giorgio Chiellini 14 - Leonardo Bonucci 15 - Raheem Sterling 16 - Neymar 17 - Luis Suarez 18 - Simon Kjaer 19 - Mason Mount Two new awards! France Football are teasing us a little here with the announcement that there will be two new awards given out this evening. What could they be? Ballon d'Or 2021 Ranking 30-20 France Football have started the countdown of the best men's players in the world. 20 - Riyad Mahrez 21 - Lautaro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes 23 - Harry Kane 24 - Pedri 25 - Phil Foden 26 - Gerard Moreno, Nicolo Barella and Ruben Dias Equal 29 - Luka Modric and Cesar Azpilicueta Who is favourite for the Ballon d'Or? Despite Robert Lewandowski breaking Gerd Muller's 49-year-old record of scoring 40 goals in the Bundesliga, the Polish international isn't seen as the favourite to win the 2021 award. Lionel Messi is considered to be the most likely to take home the trophy for a record seventh time, despite his final campaign with Barcelona not ending in the most auspicious of manners. However, he would then finally deliver an international trophy to Argentine for the first time in his professional career, lifting the Copa America as international captain. How to watch the 2021 Ballon d'Or? Viewers can tune in to watch the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony on L'Equipe's YouTube channel, though it will also be streamed on Eurosport and on the Eurosport app. You can also stay up to date with what is happening in our live blog on MARCA English. When is the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony? The 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony is being held on Monday, November 29 in Paris' Chatelet Theatre. The event will begin at 20:30 CET (19:30 GMT/13:30 CT) and it is expected to concluded at around 22:00 CET (21:00 GMT/15:00 CT). The ranking will start to be unveiled at 16:30 CET (15:30 GMT/09:30 CT). Credit: Marca.com

Waste Management Company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, in collaboration with the Schools Health Education Programme (SHEP) of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has begun a massive sanitation education in senior high schools (SHSs) to sensitise students on the need to adhere to good sanitary practices. The introduction of Free Senior High School education has increased the intake of students in the various schools in the country. Total enrollment has almost doubled from 393,995 in 2007/2008 to 787,861 in 2015/2016 and the introduction of the Free SHS policy has increased tremendously these numbers with calls from stakeholders to ensure proper sanitation practices to avert the outbreak of diseases in SHSs. To this effect, Zoomlion in partnership with the GES has started a massive sanitation awareness and improvement programme to ensure total wellbeing of students in some selected SHSs in the country. The Volta Regional SHEP Coordinator of GES, Mr Constant Kofi Dzakpasu, during a presentation to students of the EPC Mawuko Girls Senior High School where the exercise started, indicated that Ghana was seriously lagging behind as total access to sanitation was just 13%, attributing this to mainly because 59% of the population use community or shared toilets. "Children lose 272 million school days each year due to diarrhoea globally and an estimated one in three school-aged children in the developing world are infested with intestinal worms," he revealed. Mr Dzakpasu added that these illness promote low school attendance and stunting growth as a result of malnutrition. He said "Effective behavioural change programmes are critical to the success and sustainability of all water, sanitation and hygiene interventions. Schools must practise handwashing with soap, safe handling of drinking water, safe excreta disposal, environmental sanitation and personal hygiene including menstrual hygiene," he pointed out A Senior Communications Officer of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mr Adams Mohammed Mahama, engaged the students on proper waste management practices by explaining some of the activities Zoomlion was undertaking to keep communities clean. He said "Zoomlion has established state-of-the-art Integrated Recycling and Composting Plants (IRECoPs) in Accra, Kumasi etc., adding that these projects are also currently on-going in all regions to ensure that we create value out of the waste we generate by recycling them to help keep Ghana clean." He said faecal waste disposal into open water bodies in Accra has been resolved by the establishment of sewerage treatment plants to help provide environmental friendly way of treating waste water. The representatives of Zoomlion Ghana Limited also donated waste bins to the EPC Mawuko Girls School to aid in solid waste management on the campus. The Head Mistress of EPC Mawuko Girls School, Mrs Ernestina Peniana, expressed the school's appreciation to Zoomlion Ghana Limited for the gesture to donate waste bins and educate the students on solid waste management practices. She was optimistic that the knowledge gained and the donation will go a long way to help uplift sanitation issues on the campus. Mrs Peniana urged other corporate institutions to emulate the example of Zoomlion to help train young ones on proper environmental sanitation practices to help gain total wellbeing which is required for academic excellence. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

"Can you read this text and tell me WTF it means?" a friend asks, handing me her phone. After scrolling through the conversation, I'll offer a few possible interpretations, along with the obligatory "but don't read into it too much!" This scenario happens almost weekly, and as much as I'd much rather have face-to-face communication than a string of abbreviations and emoji with someone I'm dating, I've also been the one looking for translations of my text conversations. But it's not just women or singles who deal with text message misinterpretations, confusion, stress, and assumptions, plenty of people in relationships get caught up in decoding text messages, or worse, engage in text fights. "This is one of the biggest relationship pitfalls that I hear about in my practice," Laura L. Ryan, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Certified Imago Therapist in Austin, Texas tells Bustle. "The way I explain it to couples is that most intimate to least intimate communication ranks like this: 1) Face-to-face conversation, 2) FaceTime, 3) Written letter, 4) Email, 5) Instant message or text." But texting is just so convenient, right? "Unfortunately, text has become the primary form of communication in modern relationships because of the convenience and the ability to text while doing other things," says Ryan. So what's the best method of communication when you're not with someone in person? It may feel old-school (but hey, aren't the '90s back anyway?), or terrifying (if you're not used to it), but your best bet for communicating effectively and building a connection with your crush or partner may be to just pick up the phone and call them. That's why Bustle is partnering with Blogologues' No Text Weekend, a challenge to not text from September 23-25. There will be event series featuring comedy, workshops, and classes all to help you connect better with others. And it's not just about changing how you communicate with your significant other, the weekend encourages you to bring your voice back to conversations with your friends, family, and co-workers, too. Interested in improving your conversations ASAP? I talked a bunch of dating and relationship experts about why talking on the phone versus texting can benefit your love life, whether you've been dating someone for three days or 300: 1. Hearing Someone's Voice Helps You Decode Messages "When you call somebody, you not only have words but you also have tone and pacing to help you decode the message," Dr. Ruth Nemzoff, author of Don't Roll Your Eyes: Making In-laws into Family tells Bustle. With texting, you only have words and a permanent record is left. Besides, between spellcheck and Siri, there is lots of room for strange and unusual mistakes." "Calling, or face-to-face communication, is better than texting because there are nonverbal cues that are lost in texting," Carrie Sharpe, Communication Consultant and Speaker, who helps people strengthen their relationships by improving their communication skills, tells Bustle. "Seeing facial expressions and body language helps us understand the speaker's motivations and intentions. These nonverbal cues help signal the true meaning behind the words spoken. Voice inflection also helps us understand the true message. Written words, in the form of texting or emails, can be easily misunderstood. These misunderstandings can cause rifts in relationships. Because we cannot see or hear the person speaking, much of the message's meaning can be lost." 2. Conflicts Are More Hostile Via Text "Eighty percent of human communication is nonverbal and during texting, because we cannot see the other person's face, hear their tone of voice or observe their physical posture and mannerisms, the information transmission quickly breaks down," Ryan says. "Messages feel more accusatory, conflict gets more hostile, and anger escalates quickly. If you have a conflict that you would like to discuss, I would strongly suggest doing it in person. If you see a conflict coming during a text conversation, immediately end the text and either call or meet up so that you can get things resolved." "I just received two questions from readers on my AskApril.com free relationship advice forum, that I answered this morning. Both had to do with texting triggering a relationship break up. In one case a young man got into a text war with his girlfriend who was away for the weekend with her girlfriends, and didn’t stay in touch with him, the way he did with her when he was the one who was out of town," April Masini, relationship and etiquette expert tells Bustle. "The text war escalated and triggered a breakup. He wrote me asking for clarification on what happened. I explained that texting is super easy, super fast, and the quickest way to escalate drama. Another reader on my forum initiated “the talk” about the status of an eight-month relationship with her boyfriend, via text. That text conversation escalated into a breakup. She wrote asking if it was over, wanting to get him back. In both these cases, calling and talking to each other in real time, or better, talking in person, is much better than texting and these two relationships might not have failed if they hadn’t relied on reactive texting to communicate." 3. Phone Calls Can Strengthen Your Connection In New Relationships "Especially in new relationships, it is essential that you maximize the opportunities to not only build that intimacy, but also to avoid any situations that might prohibit it," Tyler Turk, CEO of Crated With Love, a monthly subscription box for date night, tells Bustle. "Although texting is quicker and more convenient, it may create a stale and monotone dialect between partners. Instead of learning how your significant other responds emotionally to certain comments or questions, you are left knowing what they are saying and missing how they feel. We tend to read comments how we would say them which means your presumed context may be completely different from what they really mean. This leads to more misunderstandings and more time trying to figure out what their true reaction is. Talking on the phone however, can strengthen your connection and build intimacy. Hearing your partner's reaction, inflection, and tone of their voice will help you better understand them emotionally and can only heighten your communication skills with that person. At the end of the day, a call is just more special. Taking the time to physically talk with significant other shows them that you care and are invested in the relationship. There is an old-school charm to talking on the phone and staying up until the early morning conversing with your partner can create the best moments in a young relationship." 4. You Get To Know Someone's Communication Style On The Phone "The overwhelming impact of texting on new romance has been primarily negative, particularly when it comes to navigating the very beginning stages of dating someone new," Manhattan psychologist Dr. Joseph Cilona tells Bustle. "Texting and other electronic communication very often results in misunderstandings, miscommunications, misinterpretations, erroneous assumptions, rash decisions, and other negative complications and obstacles in new relationships. We lose all of the very important information about a person's emotions that are communicated through things like tone of voice, and the more lengthy and complete style of communicating we use when speaking with someone. ... So much can be gained early on in a relationship by just speaking to someone on the phone rather than excessive texting, and many unnecessary problems can be minimized or completely avoided." 5. The Human Quality To Communication Is Lost Over Text "I have spent countless hours parsing through misinterpreted text messages between couples," Michel Horvat, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in couple's therapy, tells Bustle. All of the nuance, and specifics of prosody, intonation, emotion, emphasis on a certain part of a sentence is lost when dwindled down to a text. The closest that we can come to conveying emotion or intent is with emojis and exclamation points. Otherwise all of that human quality to communication is lost. In that loss is where assumption and misinterpretation sprouts... It contributes to de-humanizing our connection and leaves room for assumptions and inaccurate intent. The closer we are to face-to-face communication, the less apt we are to misinterpret that communication." 6. Texting Is Too Impersonal "Texting is impersonal, there is a limit to the real connection you can have with someone but the frequency that many people use texting can cause a false sense of closeness," Nicole Richardson, Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, tells Bustle. "This is especially true in new or long-distance relationships. To safely use texting, it is be used in conjunction with phone calls (video calls like Skype and FaceTime are even better) and actually give your full attention to the texts you read and send." 7. To Truly Get To Know Someone, You Need To Speak To Them "Delays between text messages can change the meaning and create friction," Lori Salkin, Matchmaker and Dating Coach, tells Bustle. "It can also cause people to miss important cues such as when they need to react for others in the relationship (family members, friends etc). Texting doesn't allow you to hear the other person's reaction in the same way calling does. (Sorry, there are just not enough emoji's in existence to replace phone calls). When things are tense or just plain important, hearing how fast or loud or quiet or sweet or sarcastic or mad someone sounds is very important to getting to know a person and communicating in a relationship. To truly to get to know someone, you need to speak to them and know them. You could date someone for months but if you only text you may still never fully know the person because you never hear them between seeing them. People are not just who they are when they are present on a date. They are who they are when you catch them on the phone for a minute between busy work calls, or when they're visiting their grandmother or at home with their siblings or walking between things." 8. A Lot Gets Lost In Translation With Texting "Texting can be a lot of fun, however there is so much that can get lost in translation," Dr .Nikki Goldstein, Sexologist and Relationship Expert, tells Bustle. "Communication can be largely non-verbal and even though we might not be able to see the other person on the phone, hearing different tones in their voice can help us place whether something is said in a fun and playful manner or serious and annoyed. This can really change the meaning of what it being said... If you are in a bit of a low mood, the words that you receive via text might be misinterpreted and your response or even lack of response back is reacting to something that isn't there, setting a reaction of negativity in return. If it's early dating days then texting can be romantic, however if too much texting goes on and not enough talking, nerves might kick and someone could be hiding behind their phone out of fear, shyness or an inability to communicate in the flesh." 9. Response Rate Expectations Don't Exist On The Phone "Texting can harm relationships because of one partner’s expectation of the response rate," Anita A. Chlipala, Dating and Relationship Expert and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist tells Bustle. "My clients have reported hurt feelings because their partners did not respond to a text, but they could see their social media posts. So they wonder, 'If you had time to post on social media, why are you not responding to my text? He obviously doesn’t care.' This kind of expectation inevitably leads to hurt. Both partners have to have realistic expectations because many variables can lead to this kind of situation (such as the partner was waiting to call instead of text a response!)" 10. We Pay More Attention When We're Talking On The Phone "Communication is clearer and more efficient on a telephone call than when texting," Grant H. Brenner M.D, Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst, and Co-author of Irrelationship: How We Use Dysfunctional Relationships To Hide From Intimacy, tells Bustle. "Miscommunication is less likely when speaking than with text because speech is faster and so you can say more in the same amount of time. People tend to abbreviate with text, as well, leading to confusion. People tend to fill in the blanks in general, and this is more the case with text — if something is vague or confusing, rather than noticing and asking for clarification, people are more likely to assume what the other person meant. Usually assuming the worst if it is about an emotional issue, or if it is about something concrete like directions to dinner, assuming they know what was meant... Speaking on the phone, we pay more attention and can have rapid exchanges when something doesn't make sense, and that helps us to stay on the same page whether it is planning where to meet up later, or discussing an emotionally-charged topic." 11. We're Less Likely To Take Things Out Of Context On The Phone "The *biggest* reason calling is better than texting is that you can decipher tone of voice in calling,"Kali Rogers, Founder of Blush Online Life Coaching. "The inflection of our voice communicates so much more than the words we are saying — so speaking on the phone or in person exchanges much more communication than email or text. Texting therefore can be risky, especially in new relationships, due to the vulnerability of taking things out of context. We can project our own experiences, memories, mood, assumptions, and more onto others' tone (or lack thereof) and take a harmless text message completely out of context. Calling will always be the healthier and more efficient form of communication, but it's best to utilize text messaging after you thoroughly get to know someone." "Often, in text, we lose the context of the conversation," Alexis Nicole White, Author and Relationship Expert tells Bustle. "For example: you are missing the tone, rate, and pitch of the voice which can indicate the severity of the message. You cannot hear if the person is frustrated, irritated or being silly and/or sarcastic. Although we have emojis to help convey the context of the message, it is always better to hear the voice of the person that we are communicating with in order to effectively understand the message being sent." 12. We're More Honest Over The Phone "Communicating through a call is more authentic than is texting," Dr. Jason Whiting, researcher of deception and conflict in relationships, tells Bustle. "When emotions, tone, and pace are included in the conversation, people are more likely to be real and be honest. One study found that when people were trying to convince another person to buy something, they lied more often when communicating through texts compared to phone calls. It is easier to lie with the distance and slower reaction times of texts." 13. Calling Is More Intimate Than Texting "Calling is a more intimate form of communication than texting,"Susan L. Edelman, Psychiatrist and Author of Be Your Own Brand Of Sexy , tells Bustle. "Email and texting, although common, will never be as personal as a telephone call, and that feels safe to people who are afraid to be vulnerable... A phone call isn't as intimate as a face-to-face conversation because you can't tell facial expressions. Even a video chat experience just isn't the same as being in the same room with someone. When you're communicating by text, you can't detect facial expressions or tone of voice. Are they really angry, or just joking with you? As a result, when you're texting, it's much easier to misunderstand the other person's meaning. If you decide they're angry, you might react in an angry way, escalating the tension and the misunderstanding." Story by: Michelle Toglia

Business magnates within the telecommunication and data industry have underscored the need for Ghana to safeguard its data space in order to leverage on its predictability to spur economic growth. This was revealed at the Ghana Internet Conference 2021, headlined by the Ghana Internet Service Providers’ Association (GISPA) as part of efforts to highlight ways by which Ghana’s data space can be harnessed. The event which has always made waves for assembling seasoned individuals in the cyberspace, is the third in succession, following the maiden edition organized in 2019. This year’s conference hosted by the Academic City University College was on the theme; Ghana’s Data space: Localisation, Protection and Economisation. In his address, the President of GISPA, Ing Richard Densu said the increase in the use of the internet for social interaction and business commerce has occasioned the need for proper understanding of our data space and how to protect it against exploitation. He added that, averagely every individual spends 2 hours, 20 minutes surfing the internet daily. The figure he says, means in a day, millions of data is shared between people within the internet space. He stated that with the right infrastructure in place, Ghana can tap into its data space, first by ensuring it is well protected against external use then maximize its economic use. Delivering his Keynote address, the Chief Executive Officer of Afrifanom, Nana Osei Kwasi-Afrifa said the value of data is essential to today’s world, adding that people who understand the power of mining data have made fortunes overnight as a result of this knowledge. He stated that sadly for Ghana, the lack of trust in Ghanaian ICT firms to undertake ICT projects continues to militate against the growth and capacity development of our local industry. “The biggest government contracts on tech development are seeded to foreign brands and sadly, of the 20 plus banks in Ghana, none is using a bank software system developed by a Ghanaian”, Nana Afrifa said. He added that, the advocacy from several local tech companies led government to rethink its position on local competencies and owing to that, today several local companies are efficiently producing great results and have developed technological software for projects like the Ghana School Placement system, Mobile Money Interoperability, Ghana Card Registration and Ghana Post GPS. He further called for more support for local technology industries, highlighting that “it is impossible to protect the data we generate if we do not have a stake in where and how it is stored”. The keynote speaker recalled how, the technology power play between China and the US led to the proscription of Hauwei from the google platform. Ee said the hindsight of this should serve as foundational guide for the reconfiguration of our data protection policy to be locally sovereign. He concluded saying, a lot must be done to reduce the cost of data hosting as it is a worrying situation for tech businesses. Panellists, including Amerley Ampofo; Advocate - Data as a Force For Good, Ing. Alfred Gaise, Chief Manager for Regulatory - National Communication Authority, Ing Dr. Keneth Ashigbe; CEO - Ghana Chamber of Telecommunication and Dr Patrick Adonoo; Director of Regulatory and Compliance - Data Protection Commission shared their thoughts as well. Dr. Ken Ashigbe argued that personal data is the most valuable data and needs to be protected. He added, that currently, the protectors of our data system have not had a full grit of what data can do and how to protect it. He believes Ghana’s subscription to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) presents an opportunity for data not only to be protected and localized but also how it should be maximized to penetrate multinational businesses. He stressed that the decision to localize data should not be interpreted as to have data stagnant in our country, but to use it for business developments even outside the shores of the country. Madam Amerley Ampofo added that harnessing digital information for economic growth is also important to the conversation on privacy. She believes there is a lot of offline data activity going on even without the use of the internet, stressing that it is time for the country to start investing in digital platforms to ensure that our data records are localized and protected in order for us to think of how we can economise it. "We all saw the panic that engulfed the country when WhatsApp shutdown for some few hours. That should be a concern to be worried about. Hence, we must begin to patronize social apps developed by our own Tech enthusiasts and break the monopoly enjoined by the social platforms like Whatsapp and twitter, that are foreign own”. Ing. Alfred Gaise observed that, there are not enough regulations to give security to how our data space is protected. “As we ensure our data is protected, we need to look at the details in our laws that can be revised to ensure that there is sufficient regulation to ensure privacy”, Mr Gaise said. Dr. Patrick Adonoo said if the country wishes to forecast its technological development to that of the Asian tigers of the world, it must first see data protection and localization as an integral step towards this vision rather than a passive one. Participants were admonished to prioritize the need to safeguard their personal data, rather than leave it only in the hands of government and its allied agencies. The conference also advised against the use of software that have the implication of prowling on the personal data of people and compromising their personal security. Below are some pictures: Story by: African Entertainment

I have read a lot of comments and complaints from the members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) regarding the unpatriotic behaviour of the Speaker of Parliament and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) members of Parliament in relation to the unconstitutional rejection of the 2022 Budget. I appreciate the comments and complaints of these members regardless of my reservations about some of the issues they raised. My concern is we could have avoided today’s display of the Speaker if some of us had behaved well when we had the opportunity to vote to select the Speaker some months ago. We failed woefully! Yes, we failed to select the Speaker of our choice. Some thought it would ultimately benefit President Akufo-Addo and selected a few party members. It is unfolding today. It is important that collectively we correct some of our mistakes that make the party unattractive. We take delight in undermining, destroying and sabotaging each other. Some of us are happy at destroying the credibility of any rising star in the party. In some extreme situations, others spend productive hours, days, months and even years just to bring down personalities in the party, who hold divergent opinions or views on a particular issue. These personalities are disliked for no apparent reason. As a party that believes in the progress of this nation, we often than not appear to be more enemies to each other than even the opposition party. Some of us are quick to tell the past history of converts of the party as if they are not worthy human beings. The utterances of some party members automatically put people off and make the party completely unattractive for neutrals and members of other political parties to join us. Some of us sometimes behave as if only the core membership of the NPP can win us general elections. For these reasons and others, some of us cherish internal sabotage more than externally sabotaging the opposition party. How do you break the 8year cycle curse with these attitudes? Absolutely not unless all of us change our mindset towards each other. I quite remember, after the 2007 Presidential Primaries of the NPP at Legon, some supporters of the losing candidates gang-up against Nana Akufo-Addo in 2008, 2012 and 2016 general elections. Some never campaign for Nana Akufo-Addo and others too hide behind some people in the Ashanti region to form smaller political parties, the stronghold of NPP against the bid of Nana Akufo-Addo. Except for LPG (formerly IPP), these parties such as RPD, UFP, UPP, PAP, GFP, DPP, etc. were formed in Ashanti region by people who were once members or sympathizers of NPP with the sole objective of undermining the electoral fortunes of Nana Akufo-Addo and NPP, especially in the Ashanti region. It has to take some of us, Razak Kojo Opoku, to strategically infuriate these smaller political parties and suppress their agenda against Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 general elections. Through my efforts and others, sizable members and executives of APC led by someone who was an ardent critic of Nana Akufo-Addo threw their weight behind Nana Akufo-Addo for the 2016 general elections. Politics is about a comprehensive strategy to conquer. If we stop sabotaging each other, there is no way the NDC can defeat NPP in any general elections. Thumbs up to Peter Mac Manu (finest Campaign Manager ever), John Boadu (classy General Secretary), Chairman Wontumi, myself Razak Kojo Opoku and our allied Kofi Akaploo for helping the NPP to bridge the gap between the party and minority political parties as well as establishing good relationships with the leaders of smaller political parties, something that NDC was doing well than us. Credit: Razak Kojo Opoku, Columnist NB: Views expressed in this write-uo are solely that of the author. Thinknewsonline.com cannot be sued for contempt or defamation

The Akufo-Addo led administration has declared December 2021 as the month for covid-19 vaccination. According to Government, the move will not only ensure the taking of the jab but also a means of protecting the lives of the citizens. Addressing Journalists on Sunday , the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said "Government has declared the month of December to vaccination rump up exercises. It will also be effecting some vaccine mandates from January 2022" He further disclosed that the country's case count is on the low following the adherence to taking the covid jab. However, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye also stressed that the the few cases recorded likewise death are from persons who are refusing to take the jab. “Our case count as against November 2020 last year is rising. This can be seen in some cases we are continuing to record at the airport and also around busy events. That is why we are proposing some vaccine mandates from next year,” He hinted that from 2022 persobs without the vaccination cards will not be allowed entry some services and public places such as schools, restaurants, beaches and pubs. "We are going to make sure that students get vaccinated before going back to school next year. School authorities will demand verification of vaccination so as will close-spaced restaurants and beaches, some public gallery, churches and so on. This is part of efforts to increase our vaccination drive and ensure a safe public space,” he told Journalists. Responding to the Covid-19 protocols at the Kotoka International Airport, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye said "Proof of negative PCR Test and even pre-arrival testing still remains" Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Late Kofi Shabo's preference were five-string fretted electric bass and whether music at stake was highlife,  soul, R&B,  reggae, blues or jazz. Last Bassist, Emmanuel Koomson, better known as  Shabo, was always ready to thumb, pluck, tap and slap his  strings with his own kind of swag. Late Shabo, a past winner of the Instrumentalist of the Year honour at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA), was a leader of the King Shabo Band which had played at numerous functions across the country for over six years. At the launch of the 3 FM radio station on the TV3 premises in Accra, Shabo fronted his King Shabo Band to thrill the many guests at the event. “It is great to be a versatile player. I can handle all kinds of music and that inspires the other guys in the band to also open themselves up for new challenges,” King Shabo said. Before starting his band, the big-boned bassist played with bands such as EX 93 Dance Band, Musical Box, Takoradi Air Force Band, We Highly respected in music circles for the command he wielded over his instrument. Shabo was part of a bunch of bass players in this country with a deep understanding of the bass player’s role in modern popular music. “The bassist used to just stay in the background and keep time but the craft has gone beyond that. I hear several bass players around now doing very interesting things on their instruments,” states Shabo. The bassists being referred to by Shabo included Philip Acquah, Dan Grahl, Emmanuel Ofori, Kwesi Arko and PK Ambrose. They are all diligent soloists who approach their work with a lot of creativity. The bassist seen by many as probably the world’s best at the moment is Richard Bona is from Cameroun. He played in Ghana on a number of occasions and he believes the next great bassist to conquer the world could again come from Africa. Perhaps, the wish in music circles here is to see that player come from among the several imaginative players in this country, Shabo included. Late Shabo passed away on on Sunday November 28, 2021. He will be remembered by many as the best. He graced 'Sakwan', a musical concert organised by Kasapreko and powered by Think Media Expert at SCC, a community in Kasoa. Story by: News Desk Report

Information reaching Thinknewsonline.com indicates that one of Ghana's finest ace bassist, Kofi Shabo is dead. According to sources, the late Bassist passed on Sunday. Thinknewsonline.com has gathered that the Late Bassist took ill in 2019. Although sick, the Late Ace Bassist took to various stages thrilling patrons to good tunes. The cause of his death is yet to be known. Late Shabo played a lot of songs in Ghana. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Executive Chairman of KGL Group, Mr. Alex Apau Dadey, has been conferred the board chairman of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, GIPC. This comes off after he was in January 2018, appointed onto the Governing Board of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) by the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in recognition of his contribution towards the promotion of investment in Ghana. Mr. Alex Apau Dadey has over 30 years’ experience working across multiple industries and sectors such as Fintech, Logistics, Agric, Property Development and Commerce around the globe, with major focus of his practice in the United Kingdom and Ghana. As part of his responsibilities as Board Chair, he will be responsible for leading the Board and focusing on strategic matters, play a pivotal role in overseeing the Centre’s business as well as setting high governance standards. Most recently, Alex Dadey established the KGL Group – a wholly owned Ghanaian group, consisting of six subsidiaries operating in several jurisdictions and multiple sectors including Fintech, Logistics, Agric, Property Development and Commerce, where he serves as Executive Chairman. Underpinning Alex’s three-decade track record of success is his commitment to building an inclusive financial environment that provides high-value partnerships for small business to thrive and succeed across Ghana. Mr. Alex Apau Dadey is married with 3 beautiful kids, a proud product of Mfantsipim School, Cape Coast, and holds a BSc. (Admin) degree from the University of Ghana Business School, Legon. Alex’s formative career began in the United Kingdom in 1986 where he progressively moved up the ranks from Export Sales Supervisor to Export Sales Director at the Gordon Richman Textiles Limited overseeing key accounts in ten countries spread across Europe, Middle East and Africa. In 2001, Alex set up a joint venture - Qualitexx Limited, with DCD Finance Group PLC., based in the city of London. As Executive Director, he was instrumental in developing the company’s trade finance and venture capital businesses across the globe. This included providing financing for several local Ghanaian businesses through the DCD Finance Group. Since then, Alex has become renowned as a strong advocate for the inclusion of the Ghanaian diaspora in the political and socio-economic transformation of Ghana. He functions in various c-suite capacities and serves on boards of multiple institutions including Ecom Agro Industrial, Premier Textiles Group in the United Kingdom, Birchfield Investments Limited in Jersey, Channel Islands and Dubai, KGL Capital (UK) Limited and Dominion Direct (UK) Limited to name a few. He is credited with initiating the Ghana Diaspora Homecoming Summit in 2017 and the Ghana Investment and Opportunities Summit UK in 2018, both of which are now held biennially. Among his many achievements, the ones that stand out are. *Excellence in Organizational Leadership*, 2017, awarded by the Ghana Diaspora Homecoming Summit Committee for the successful Execution of the Ghana Diaspora Homecoming Summit. *Diaspora African Forum Excellence Award*, 2017, awarded at the Ghana Diaspora Summit for his prominent role in ensuring a successful summit. Below are some pictures: Story by: News Desk Report

The United States (US) has announced the suspension of air travels from eight southern African countries due to the outbreak of the ‘Omicron’ Covid-19 variant. President Joe Biden announced the latest travel restrictions in a statement sighted by African Entertainment on his official Instagram handle on Friday, November 26, 2021. According to the US President, “This morning I was briefed by my medical advisor, Dr Tony Fauci, and the members of our covid response team, about the Omicron variant, which is spreading through Southern Africa.” He added that “As a precautionary measure until we have more information, I am ordering additional air travel restrictions from South Africa and seven other countries.” Mr Biden noted that “These new restrictions will take effect on November 29, 2021.” The eight countries are: South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique. US citizens and lawful permanent residents are to be exempt from the restrictions. However, they will still need to test negative before flying. The World Health Organization designated the new highly mutated strain of Covid a “variant of concern”, giving it a Greek name Omicron. The Omicron variant has been identified in South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong. One case of the Omicron variant has been confirmed in Belgium. Earlier, the United Kingdom restricted travel from the eight African nations despite the WHO cautioning against travel bans. Canada has also announced that it is closing its borders to all foreign travellers who have been to South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Mozambique in the past 14 days. Story by: Melvin Tarlue

The Government of Ghana will on Sunday 28th November 2021 announce additional measures as part of its COVID 19 response to control the risk of escalated spread of the virus ahead of the Christmas festivities. The measures will focus on securing Ghana’s ports especially the airport in the wake of a possible fourth wave in Europe and South Africa. Government will also use the opportunity to update the country on the progress of its COVID vaccination program. The media engagement will be telecast live on Ghana Television and the Facebook page of the Ministry of Information. Story by: News Desk Report

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Trashy beauties, a company that converts trash to useful products, Mrs Rebecca Otuo Serebour, has advised Ghanaians to refrain from the practice of throwing waste anyhow but instead value them. According to her, trash means a lot more, adding that “they are treasures.” “I am pleading with Ghanaians to pay more attention to the trash/waste we generate in our homes and environment—they are not trash but treasures and we must therefore, keep and value them,” she appealed. Mrs Otuo Serebour gave the advice on Friday, November 26, 2021, when her company unveiled some finished products made from waste. Some of the products included wall clocks, mirrors, centre tables, flower pots, vases, cupboards, dining tables, sofas, and trash bins. An environmentalist, Madam Emma Osei Appiah Adwoa Duah, who was present at the event, heaped loads of praise on the CEO of Trashy beauties. She said the operations of companies like Trashy beauties will go a long to reduce the volume of waste that are sent to the dumpsites. “…you know, land is increasingly becoming scare, so as we are able to put some of the waste to another use, we are reducing the volume of waste, and it will help us to manage our waste properly,” she said. While recommending the business to the creative arts industry, she encouraged Ghanaians to patronise products of Trashy beauties, adding that “we should not only look at the value but also the intent and energy that has gone into the production.” “…and you are buying her products with the mind that you are saving the earth, you are saving the environment, you are helping reduce waste so that we all together help make Accra a clean city,” she averred. Furthermore, Madam Duah stressed the need for Ghanaians to improve their attitude towards the environment, adding that “we shouldn’t just consume and trash, we should add value to the waste by taking, for instance, our empty water bottles to her shop to buy,” she said. According to her, there are “three Rs” in the management of sanitation, stating that these are reduce, reuse and recycle. She said the work of Trashy beauties fits the reuse and recycle chains of waste management. Mr Isaac Sarpong from the African Environmental Sanitation Consult said artefacts made from waste by Trashy beauties help divert waste which otherwise would have landed at the landfills. He added that when the operations of Trashy beauties become national, more waste would be converted into very useful products. He, therefore, encouraged players in the creative arts space to come on board and lend their support, insisting that environmental sanitation is the business of every Ghanaian. Trash beauties is a private company that uses waste products or trash like used plastic bottles ,cotton bud, cardboards, old car tyres, and old newspapers to create useable products. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith