Author: Krobea

2017 was the safest year in history for commercial airlines, according to industry research. There were no passenger jets crashes anywhere in the world, separate reports by Dutch consultancy To70 and The Aviation Safety Network found. This was despite more flights being made than ever before. But To70 warned that despite high safety levels on passenger planes, the “extraordinarily” low accident rate must be seen as “good fortune”. Cargo plane crash A report by the Airline Safety Network said there were a total of ten fatal accidents, resulting in 79 deaths last year. That compared with 16 accidents and 303…

South Korea has offered high-level talks with North Korea on 9 January to discuss its possible participation in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. It comes after the North’s leader Kim Jong-un said he was considering sending a team to Pyeongchang in South Korea for the Games in February. He said the two sides should “urgently meet to discuss the possibility”. South Korea’s president said he saw the offer as a “groundbreaking chance” to improve relations. At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Moon Jae-in also said the North’s nuclear programme would be the backdrop of any sporting discussions. “The improvement…

The Minority in Parliament says the findings of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on a complaint filed over the $2.25 billion bond issued in April cites Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta for criminality. The Minority claims CHRAJ’s decision “agrees largely with our stated position from the very beginning”. In a statement issued by leader Haruna Iddrisu on Friday, the Minority said the media got it wrong by reporting that the findings by the state human rights body cleared the Finance Minister. “CHRAJ in its summary of key findings noted several breaches of statutory regulations governing the…

Apple has apologised after facing criticism for admitting it deliberately slows down some ageing iPhone models. The company now says it will replace batteries for less and will issue software in 2018 so customers can monitor their phone’s battery health. Some customers had long suspected the company slowed older iPhones to encourage customers to upgrade. Apple admitted slowing some phones with ageing batteries but said it was to “prolong the life” of the devices. In a statement posted on its website, the firm said it would reduce the price of an out-of-warranty battery replacement from $79 (£58) to $29 (£21)…

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has congratulated president-elect of Liberia George Oppon Weah. Mr Weah was on Thursday confirmed winner of last Tuesday’s presidential run-off, beating Vice President Joseph Boakai. In a statement on Friday to congratulate the former football star, Ghana’s leader commended Mr Boakai “for the maturity of his campaign”. “This election has strengthened the frontiers of democracy in Liberia.” Wishing the president-elect and vice president-elect Jewel Taylor well, President Akufo-Addo expressed hope that the new leadership will help in improving the living standards of Liberians. Warm congratulations to George Oppong Weah on his decisive victory in Liberia’s…

President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo has charged a ten-member inter-ministerial committee to monitor effectively all illegal mining activities in the country and arrest same. Speaking at a ceremony to officially outdoor a new Secretariat of the Presidential Committee on Environment and Natural Resources located at the Office of the President Annex in Cantonments, Accra, President Akufo-Addo said the year 2018 will see increased government support for the fight against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey in the country. The president added that the new secretariat ought to take full advantage of the support and ensure that illegal mining is dealt…

Black Stars lateral defender Daniel Opare may be on his way out of the German Bundes Liga as he has been linked with some English Premier League clubs this January. The Augsburg player has his contract running out in the summer. He has been named by BBC as among players to make a move when the winter transfer window opens. Four Premier League clubs are said to be chasing the former Real Madrid Castilla player. West Ham United, Stoke City, Everton and Swansea City have all been linked to moves of securing the signature of the 2009 FIFA U-20 World…

Five teenagers have been granted bail at a sum of GH¢10,000 with a surety each after appearing in court for allegedly gang-raping a 15-year-old girl in Osu, a suburb of Accra. The boys appeared before the Accra Circuit Court on charges of indecent assault, child pornography and assault. They are said to have fondled the girl on Monday, August 21 and forced her to sleep with them at a dark spot near Osu Salem School in Accra. The oldest among the boys, a Senior High School student, 18, asked the rest, all in Junior High School, to lure the girl…

Republican Roy Moore, who lost a recent Alabama senate election to his Democrat rival Doug Jones, has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to challenge the result. The lawsuit was filed the day before officials were due to certify Mr Jones the winner – two weeks after the vote. Mr Moore was expected to win the election in the deeply conservative state, but his campaign was dogged by allegations of child sexual misconduct. He refused to concede to Mr Jones, who won narrowly by about 20,000 votes. Mr Moore’s lawsuit alleges that there were voting irregularities in 20 precincts and…

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has congratulated Africa’s oldest liberation movement, the African National Congress (ANC), for recently electing Cyril Ramaphosa as its new leader. Mr Ramaphosa, the current Deputy President, beat ex-wife of President Jacob Zuma, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to emerge winner at the 54th Elective Conference of ANC in Johannesburg. In a statement to congratulate Mr Ramaphosa, Ghana’s ruling party said: “We are convinced that Ramaphosa has the wherewithal to transform the country’s economy and to deliver prosperity to the South African people”. The statement signed by Acting General Secretary John Boadu was released on Thursday. Find the statement…