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EU to sanction Cote d'Ivoire - Africa - Al Jazeera English

About this time last year, many American families were sharing Thanksgiving leftovers and curious conversations about a traffic accident involving the world's most famous golfer. Almost a year has passed since the Tiger Woods' car accident outside his Florida home that spiraled into a sex scandal that dominated headlines, ended his marriage and caused him to take a break from golf. While his story last year was filled with scandal, talk around the Thanksgiving table this year may be more about redemption. "Obviously, this has been a very difficult year for me and my family, on and off the golf course," Woods wrote this week on his official website. The Thanksgiving-weekend accident last year outside the couple's home in Florida shattered Woods once tightly-controlled image and led to the golfer's admission that he had engaged in multiple affairs during his nearly six-year marriage. Authorities were alerted of the crash near Woods' Orlando-area hom...

The National Service Scheme (NSS) has deployed a total of 50 000 personnel to serve in various sectors of the economy as part of their national service. Mr. Vincent Senam Kuagbenu, Executive Director NSS disclosed this yesterday at a press conference to officially announce postings for the 2010/2011 service year. He said over 32,375 personnel have been posted to the educational sector, 5,135 to the health sector, 200 are to go into promotion of tourism, and 2,281 are to provide support in the private sector. Mr. Kuagbenu continued that 10,278 personnel have been posted to government institutions to provide support for governance institutions, 400 personnel are to go into forestry, 170 personnel are to provide support services for Persons with Disability (PWD), and 200 have been posted to the Ghana highway authority. According to him, 400 national personnel have been posted to various houses of chiefs to provide support for the chieftaincy institution. The Executive Director...

Babies in the Kasina-Nankana district of the Upper East Region with disabilities till this day suffer at the hands of clansmen who deprive these children of their lives with the belief that the children are spirits sent by the gods to harm them. In the Kasina-Nankana district indigenes hold the belief that children born with physical deformities or with complex medical conditions are ‘kinkirogo’ or ‘spirit children’ who have been sent to bring calamity on the family to which the child is born. These revelations were contained in a report submitted to the Ghana Federation for the Disabled (GFD) by the Network of Journalists for the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa-Ghana chapter (PROMOAFRICA) yesterday in Accra. The report contains findings of research on abuses against persons with disabilities in Upper East and Volta regions. The report continued that when such a child is born the family of the child sends that child to a fetish priest who gives ...

Vice-President John Dramani Mahama has called on the Energy commission to allocate more of the energy fund towards applied renewable energy research. This, he said would help address the deficit in energy supply and provide sustainable energy to drive the nation’s development. Vice President Mahama made this call yesterday when he launched the book, “Energy- My Vision” in Accra. The book is a culmination of presentations made by flag bearers in the 2008 General Elections at the Flag bearers on Energy (FoE) special seminar held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). “Energy-My Vision” is a 91 page book compiled by the Energy Center of KNUST and was published by the University Printing Press, KNUST. The Foreword of the book was written by Prof. Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, Vice-Chancellor of KNUST. The book features the submissions made by the various political aspirants; Dr. Edward Mahama, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, John Dramani Mahama who represented th...

Bonaventure Anane-Queba, former Treasurer of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) who allegedly forged the signature of Mr. Wonder Madilo, President of the union to withdraw money has been granted bail by an Accra Circuit court. He will appear again on September 23. The court, presided over by Mrs. Patience Mills-Tetteh, granted him the bail in the sum of GH ¢50 000 with two sureties and he is to report to the police every Friday morning until the disposed of the case. Giving the facts of the case, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Margaret Awuni Ayidaana, said between Auust 25 and 30 this year, Mr. Madilo together with the Financial Controller of the NUGS went to the Agricultural Development Bank, Wa, branch to withdraw money from the Union’s account to pay for expenses incurred during the congress only to be told that one of the signatories had written a memo placing an embargo on the operations of the account. Investigations revealed later that the accused wro...

The second edition of Gyandoh and Griffiths Sourcebook of the Constitutional Law of Ghana was launched in Accra on Thursday. The book which encapsulates all of Ghana’s legal history from 1824 is the second edition after the first edition was published over 40 years ago. The book is written by Emeritus Prof. S.O Gyandoh Jnr. and John Griffiths. It is edited by Prof. Kofi Kumado and S.O Gyandoh Jnr. Mr. Julius Ansah, Justice of the Supreme Court in a speech on behalf of the Chief Justice, Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood, said the constitutional history of Ghana dates as far back as 200 years, however most of that has been told through the voice of foreigners. She added that in the process some of the history has been distorted. This she continued has occasioned the need for home-grown story tellers who will be able to tell the nation’s story accurately. The Chief Justice said this need fuelled the collaboration between Prof. Kofi Kumado, former student of the Legon Law Faculty and Eme...

The president of the Regent University, Ghana, Rev. Prof. Kingsley Larbi, has called on the nation’s universities to provide education that is not localised to the Ghanaian work environment. “Since the world has become a global village, students must be trained in a way that will enable them work both locally and internationally”, he said at the launch of the Regent University’s alumni association held in Accra. Prof Larbi said the time has come for Africa to nurture leaders who would be more compassionate about the problems confronting the continent. “The African condition becomes more pathetic and urgent when we consider the fact that only few continents are as endowed as Africa when it comes to natural resources” he added. Prof. Larbi said “Ghana is where it is at the moment principally because of poor leadership and certain cultural practices that have become endemic in the society”. Mr. Alex Gyabah, a director at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, w...

The Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) Prof. Edward Akaho has called on the government to ban the use ethylene oxide for medical sterilization as it predisposes man to cancer. Prof. Edward Akaho said it has been long proven that exposure to ethylene oxide used in the sterilization of medical products predisposes man to cancer. He urged the government to adopt the safer method which is radiation which is approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) He made this call during the commissioning of the upgraded gamma irradiation facility of the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute in Accra. Prof. Akaho said GAEC is in consultation with the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) to implement a program which shall see the establishment of a Food Safety Laboratory in the commission. He explained that the laboratory shall monitor the nation’s food control systems by anal...

Rev. DCOP David Ampah Bennin, Volta Regional Police Commander yesterday made a passionate appeal to all Commanders across the country to take God seriously in order to successfully carry out their assignments. “God is the source of success in all endeavors therefore we as the Police must worship him with zeal if we want to achieve anything and be successful in life” he said emphatically. Preaching a sermon entitled “Living for Eternity” at the Police Church in Accra yesterday, Rev. DCOP Ampah Bennin, who was a member of the church before his transfer to the Regions said “there is the need to know God as Christians rather than worrying about what to wear to church and what not to wear. We should have faith in God instead doing things with our own strength” Quoting copiously from the Holy Bible, he charged Christians to identify their purpose in life in order to lead a meaningful life full of strength and vitality and pleasing to God. “We can’t live life without knowi...

The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Shirley Aryittey, has disclosed that government is preparing to set up a mini-telescope for remote observation in the country to boost space research and astronomy.  Ms. Aryittey made this disclosure during the 5th Square Kilometer Array Telescope (SKA)  African Partner countries working group meeting held in Accra yesterday.    The Minister went further to explain that in demonstration of government’s commitment to support astronomy, the government is assisting key universities in the country to initiate Bachelor of Science and Master of Science programmes in Astronomy and Astrophysics aimed at building human capacity. “All these astronomy programmes are aimed at preparing the ground for the main SKA project to be implemented in Africa” she added. The Square Kilometer Array Telescope (SKA) project is a project aimed at building the world’s largest scientific research facility in the world. The Minis...

Rusted taps cause lead poisoning which can result in epilepsy, Miss Agnes Sam; Psychiatric Nursing officer at the Kaneshie polytechnic has revealed. She said when people fetch water from taps that are rusty, they end up imbibing large volumes of lead which can lead to epilepsy. Miss Sam made this revelation during a community durbar on mental illness in Accra yesterday. The durbar was held in partnership with BasicNeeds, a nongovernmental organization that provides health care for the needy on the theme “Creating awareness on Mental illness and epilepsy for increased membership”. The Psychiatric Nursing officer said for many years epilepsy has been attributed to spiritual causes leading to stigmatization of victims. She however cleared that misconception saying that epilepsy is a medical condition that can be managed when medical care is sought. Miss Sam said many people have the misconception that people having seizures should not be touched, “others say if you touch them ...

The Energy Commission will from next month embark on an exercise to confiscate used refrigerators from the market. The Commission said all second hand fridges being brought into the country will be seized at the points of entry, notably the habours and ports. The Commission will however, compensate those whose goods arrived in the country before the period. These are part of measures being adopted to save the consumption of energy in the country. Speaking at a press briefing on the exercise, Mr. Kofi Agyarko, principal programme officer of Energy Commission said research indicates that obsolete or used gadgets consume more energy. He said there is, therefore, the need to make the country energy preserving for the future. Adding used refrigerators most of the times cause fire outbreaks due to the high amount of energy they consumes. The principal programme officer urged the public not to consider the beauty of an electric gadget but its energy efficiency rating. This ratin...

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly yesterday surprised squatters within the metropolis with three demolition exercises. The areas affected by the exercise were Apenkwa interchange, new Fadama, and Achimota behind the new bus terminal as well as the main Achimota gutter. There was a heavy police presence to deter any act of resistance from the squatters. Squatters looked on helplessly as graders destroyed wooden structures which served as their homes and stores. When this reporter got to the scene onlookers had gathered to witness the exercise. The heavy police presence however prevented them from taking any action. Some of the squatters said they had not been given any notice of the demolition exercise but the Accra Metropolitan Assembly said they had been served eviction notices for some months. Abena kwesiwaa Kyei, director of Okaikoi North said the Assembly was to going to ensure that the exercise was successful. She therefore said police personnel were going to be placed...