The Biden administration is quickly invoking an authority to shut off access to asylum for migrants who cross the US-Mexico border illegally,  a significant attempt by President Joe Biden to address head on one of his biggest political vulnerabilities.

Biden unveiled the sweeping executive action Tuesday afternoon at the White House, attempting to use executive action to affect the situation on the border after a bipartisan measure failed earlier this year. The action marks the administration’s most dramatic move on the US southern border as Biden tries to gain the upper hand on immigration just weeks from the first presidential debate – by using the same authority former President Donald Trump tried to use in office.

The White House announced the action would take effect at midnight.

In a speech at the White House, Biden said Republicans in Congress who blocked a bipartisan border deal left him no choice but to take executive action.

“I’m moving past Republican obstruction and using the executive authorities available to me as president to do what I can on my own to address the border,” Biden said.

The new executive action bars migrants who cross the border illegally from seeking asylum – a departure from decades-long protocol – once a daily threshold is met. Unless they meet certain exemptions, migrants will be turned away to Mexico or returned to their origin country.

Border authorities encountered around 3,500 migrants crossing the border unlawfully on Monday, according to a Homeland Security official, above the threshold needed for the executive action to take effect.

Members of the Texas National Guard stand guard near a razor wire fence to inhibit the crossing of migrants into the United States, seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on June 4. Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters

Homeland Security officials have recently been arresting just under 4,000 migrants daily at the US-Mexico border, a brief reprieve from record numbers late last year. The number of people crossing the US southern border has consistently been a challenge for the Biden administration as officials grapple with record migration across the Western Hemisphere.

The measure could be turned on and off. Senior administration officials told reporters Tuesday it would be lifted when there’s a daily average of less than 1,500 encounters in between ports of entry.

Unaccompanied children, victims of a severe form of trafficking, those who present an acute medical emergency or an imminent and extreme threat to life and safety – among select others – are exempt. Migrants can also still request an appointment through the Customs and Border Protection mobile application, known as CBP One, to present their asylum claim at a port of entry.

Biden and his administration made clear that they would have rather had bipartisan legislation to sign that addressed the crisis at the border.

“Frankly, I would have preferred to address this issue through bipartisan legislation because that’s the only way to actually get the kind of system we have now that’s broken, fixed. To hire more Border Patrol agents, more asylum officers, more judges. But Republicans have left me no choice,” Biden said in the speech from the East Room of the White House.

Critics have blasted the move as akin to steps taken under Trump. As a candidate, Biden blasted the Trump administration as “inhumane” on the border. On a call with reporters Tuesday previewing the new action, one official defended the steps as separate and apart from Trump’s, while acknowledging they’re prepared for legal challenges, “frankly, from both sides of the political spectrum.”

“The Trump administration attacked almost every facet of the immigration system, and did so in a shameful and inhumane way,” one official said Tuesday. “The action will not ban people based on their religion, it will not separate kids from their mothers. There’re also narrow humanitarian exceptions to the bar on asylum, including for those facing an acute medical emergency or an imminent and extreme threat to life or safety – the Trump administration’s actions did not include these exceptions.”

The president responded to criticism from progressives and others who have likened the move as similar to steps taken under Trump.

For those who say the steps I’ve taken are too strict, I say to you that be patient and the good will of the American people is wearing thin right now. Doing nothing is not an option. We have to act. We must act consistent with both our law and our values. Our values as Americans. I take these steps today, not to walk away from who we are as Americans, to make sure we preserve who we are for future generations to come,” he said.

Biden also directly repudiated the former president.

“I will never demonize immigrants, I will never refer to immigrants as poisoning the blood of a country. And further I’ll never separate children from their families at the border. I will not ban people from this country because of their religious beliefs. I will not use the US military to go into neighborhoods all across the country to pull millions of people out of their homes and away from their families, to put detention camps while awaiting deportation, as my predecessor says he’ll do if he occupies this office again,” Biden said.

Senior administration officials acknowledged that federal resources are strained, which could pose a challenge, but they maintain that the measure will help them remove people more quickly. Migrants who don’t claim a fear may be removed within days or hours, while those that do will be screened and, if found ineligible, removed.

Homeland Security officials have been preparing for an anticipated rise in border crossings, consistent with previous years when numbers tick up in the summer, including shifting resources to meet a potential surge and getting personnel in place. Senior administration officials Tuesday cited the measure as a tool to help head off that potential increase.

The action also relies heavily on cooperation from Mexico, who previously agreed to accept up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela as part of an effort to cut down on illegal migration in the hemisphere and has significantly ramped up immigration enforcement as part of ongoing efforts.

Officials declined to say Tuesday if any new agreement had been reached with Mexico around Tuesday’s executive action.

Source: CNN, Author: Priscilla Alvarez and Donald Judd

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Visitors to the Barbican centre in London will see swathes of pink and purple across the building this spring rather than the usual concrete exterior thanks to the Ghanian artist Ibrahim Mahama.

His large-scale public art piece, Purple Hibiscus—made of 2,000 square metres of woven cloth—covers the lakeside façade of the brutalist structure, creating a vivid contrast against the grey building and sky.

The work was sewn together by more than 1,000 weavers and seamstresses at the Aliu Mahama sports stadium in Tamale, Ghana (an accompanying film gives an idea of the scale of the work, showing a plethora of craftspeople knitting the piece together on the football pitch).

“The period for the commission was quite short—roughly seven months to produce the entire work so we had to get a lot of people in order to get the work. I had to rent the stadium also; the days when they weren’t playing football games, we were playing [art] games!” Mahama tells The Art Newspaper, outlining how the commission helped bolster the local economy. “There is a lot of unemployment; we had to use the money that came from the commission to pay these people over seven months.”

When the work is deinstalled in August, the entire piece will go back to Ghana. “There are certain projects I did such as the National Theatre [the venue in Accra was covered in a blanket of jute sacks]… so I think it might be interesting to use the material to wrap this building.”

Mahama has also incorporated into the fabric more than 130 traditional Ghanaian robes known as batakaris, which are handed down through families across numerous communities. These garments reflect “Mahama’s deep interest in the life cycles of textiles and what can be learnt from the historical memories embedded within them”, a statement says.

“I’ve never made a work in this colour and on this scale,” Mahama says. “When I came here, Shanay [Jhaveri, head of visual arts at the Barbican] was telling me about the history of the site; they used to sell rags here [in the Cripplegate district] before the Second World War.

I’ve always believed materials contain spirits and souls. So I thought, if they were selling rags here, then historically the site still contains those spirits in a way. I thought why not work with these materials from Ghana which have been worn over the body and contain the sweat of the body.”

He highlights the global, geo-political aspect of the Barbican project. “The threads [for the covering] are coming from China… I was interested in what [the work] represents on a global scale in terms of politics… art has that responsibility and power—[we are] able to take something that seems very local and then open up the connections within it on a global stage.”

Mahama’s piece forms part of the exhibition Unravel: The Power of Politics & Textiles in Art (until 26 May) which has sparked controversy after two collectors, and the artists Yto Barrada and Cian Dayrit, removed works from the show over the Barbican’s decision to cancel a talk on Palestine and the Holocaust.

Asked about the boycott, Mahama says: “I am coming from ground zero… a lot of these histories [linked to the Global South] are tied to debt and these debts all come back to Europe. I would say that we should have boycotted Europe a long time ago because the politics in Europe has put the Global South in a bad way [condition]… I want to further understand; art is not about withdrawal but about re-inserting yourself, even as problematic as things are, and then within that go much deeper into the politics.”

Mahama is having a moment; last month he won the inaugural Sam Gilliam Award, a prize created last year by Dia Art Foundation and the Sam Gilliam Foundation in honour of the late artist’s legacy (Mahama will receive US$75,000 and feature in a public programme at Dia in autumn of this year). Meanwhile, Mahama will present a new body of work at the Fruitmarket gallery in Edinburgh later this year (22 June-6 October).

Source : asaaseradio.com, Author: Fred Dzakpata

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President Joe Biden’s proclamation recognizing Easter alongside the ‘Transgender Day of Visibility’ has ignited controversy and drawn criticism from Christian leaders across the nation. The juxtaposition of these two events in a single proclamation has sparked debate regarding the intersection of religious observance and LGBTQ+ rights.

The proclamation, issued by the White House, aimed to acknowledge both Easter Sunday, a significant religious holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the ‘Transgender Day of Visibility,’ which celebrates transgender individuals and raises awareness about discrimination they face.

However, many Christian leaders have voiced their disapproval of the proclamation’s framing. They argue that Easter, a cornerstone of Christian faith symbolizing hope, redemption, and renewal, should not be overshadowed or diluted by the recognition of another event, especially one that some view as conflicting with their religious beliefs.

Prominent figures within the Christian community, including clergy members, theologians, and conservative politicians, have condemned Biden’s proclamation as a misrepresentation of the values and priorities of the nation’s majority religious demographic.

Some critics argue that while acknowledging the rights and struggles of transgender individuals is important, doing so within the context of Easter diminishes the religious significance of the holiday for millions of Americans.

Others perceive the proclamation as part of a broader political agenda aimed at advancing LGBTQ+ rights at the expense of religious freedoms. They contend that the Biden administration’s emphasis on inclusivity and diversity has alienated traditional religious communities and undermined their moral convictions.

Amidst the controversy, voices advocating for understanding and dialogue have emerged. Some religious leaders have called for respectful engagement and empathy towards transgender individuals while affirming the importance of religious freedom and expression.

The debate surrounding Biden’s Easter proclamation highlights the ongoing tensions between religious traditions and evolving societal norms. It underscores the challenges of navigating a diverse and pluralistic society where competing values and beliefs often collide.

As the discussion continues, it remains to be seen how policymakers, religious leaders, and the public at large will reconcile the tension between religious observance and social progress in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.

Related videos:

Transgender Day of Visibility???

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“This is an unbelievable blessing. I’ve lived a blessed life, but this is just a start for some big things.”

Kansas State’s, Jerome Tang, is the reigning college basketball coach of the year, after taking the Wildcats to the Elite 8 in his first year as head coach. His journey is unique, marked by faith in God, a love for basketball, and the bible.

TANG: “At one point in time, I could quote up to close to sixteen books of the Bible.”

DAWSON: “In their entirety?”

TANG: “Yeah.”

In 1989, while on a bible quiz scholarship at North Central Bible College, Jerome became the bible quiz coach and in multiple years took his team to nationals. “That was the foundation of my coaching and God knew what He was doing because it also really established me as a man of God,” recalled Tang.

Still, his desire was to coach basketball, an opportunity he would receive in 1993 as the head coach of Heritage Christian High School in Cleveland, Texas. While he led the team to four state titles in ten years, financially, times were tough. “Making ends meet,” said his wife, Careylyen, “I don’t know how I stretched money for us for the week.”

In 2003, the couple was expecting their second child and learned their insurance had lapsed. His wife, Rey, called Jerome to tell him the news. “I just remember sitting in the car, just crying and I called and told him,” Rey recalled, “and he said, ‘Don’t worry about it. God will provide.’”
 
DAWSON: “Were you ever worried about your life situation or did you just have a faith that you knew everything was going to be okay?”
 
TANG: “I have this like crazy faith. I always believed that I was God’s favored. And I tell people they should feel the same way because Scripture says that we’re the apple of His eye. Your faith just grows as God shows Himself faithful to us.”
 
Just a few days later, Jerome was offered an assistant coaching role at Baylor University under Christian head coach, Scott Drew. With it came a significant raise and insurance, affirming Jerome’s faith. Jerome recalled, “He said, ‘The job is yours.’ That was incredible.”

Baylor was a basketball program, not necessarily known for their winning tradition. However, Jerome was convinced that they would not only succeed, but that they would eventually win it all.

“I didn’t know how long it was going to take,” said Tang. “But I knew we were going to win because we just had great people around us, hard workers, and we followed the direction of coach being led by the Lord and the Holy Spirit.”

Under Coach Drew and Coach Tang, Baylor lost nearly 70% of their games in their first four years. Slowly they began turning things around and in 2021, after 19 years together, Baylor won the national championship.

DAWSON: “How special was it when the final buzzer sounds and you’re the national champions?”

TANG: “Oh my goodness. You know, God is so good and His timing is perfect. It’s never perfect for us in our minds, but it’s perfect for us and our journey. And had we won it before that, I think that would have been the pinnacle for me. When we won it, it was nice, but I had already come to a point in my life where my walk with God and who I am in Him was fulfilling and satisfying.”

The next season, Jerome was offered his first head coaching position at Kansas State. In the media’s mind, Jerome had an uphill climb.

DAWSON: “You were doubted. Kansas State was picked dead last in the preseason Big 12 standings. Did that deter you at all?”

TANG: “No. I saw our team when we put the collection of guys together, I saw them. I was like, ‘If this is the last team in the Big 12 then all ten teams are going to the NCAA tournament.’ I felt we had an NCAA tournament team.”

Not only did the Wildcats make the NCAA tournament, that first season, Tang took them to the Elite 8, and just three points shy of the final four. He was unanimously voted, by the Associated Press, the national coach of the year.

“I realize that it’s another platform that God’s given me in order to bring honor and glory to Him,” says Tang. “But also to really be able to talk about the great men that I live life with.”

DAWSON: “What is the rest of this journey look like for Jerome Tang? What would it take for it to be a success for you?”

TANG: “We’re going to win the national championship.”

DAWSON: “Do you believe that?”

TANG: “Yeah. Yeah. That’s going to happen. We’re going to win a national championship. And more importantly, I believe Jesus is really clear when He says, ‘By this all men will know that you’re My disciple. If you have love towards another.’ Not if you love those who look like you and those who vote like you, those who dress like you, but just love people. And I believe that the ministry that God has really stirred in my heart that He wants us, me as a follower of Jesus, to show what it’s like to love everybody.”

Source: cbn

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This Sunday we will stand together, an imam and a rabbi, at the vigil Building Bridges, Together for Humanity. We will stand alongside religious, civic and political leaders from different faiths and parties and with bereaved families scarred by the Israel-Hamas conflict.

With us will be representatives of the Parents Circle – Families Forum, a grassroots organization of more than 600 bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families working together for a shared future of justice, peace and hope for everyone. Their leadership and their bravery humbles us. But so does their insight. Robi Damelin, whose son was killed in the conflict, said this week: “As bereaved Palestinian and Israeli families we urge you not to import our conflict into your society and create further hatred. As families who have lost loved ones we refuse to give in to vengeance and retribution. Instead, we choose to work side by side in partnership to build a better future for everyone.”

In our work as an imam and a rabbi we have each stood alongside grieving parents, witnessed in heartfelt silence countless tears, and endeavoured to bring whatever comfort human kindness and faith in God can offer.

We have seen the misery and anguish the death of loved ones brings in the ordinary days of peacetime. This is all the more terrible amid the uncertainty, fear and terror of war. We are deeply distressed by the horror being suffered, even as we write, by so many civilians in both Israel and Palestine.

At moments like this it is easy for that pain to spill over into anger and for that anger to blind us to the plight of others. We too feel deep ties of loyalty to our respective faiths and communities. But we also feel the bond of universal humanity that unites us. We share the belief that every person is of infinite value and that every life is an entire, unique and irreplaceable world. Therefore, we are resolved to pray and work together for a future that brings dignity, security, enduring peace and hope to everyone.

As spiritual leaders in the UK, we are witnesses to the shocking rise in attacks on Jews and Muslims in this country. Many in our communities feel isolated, surrounded by walls of silence, harassed and afraid. Sadly, this applies in many schools, universities and workplaces, as well as on the streets of London and other cities. Such division and hostility only exacerbate our traumas.

Alongside civil and political leaders of all faiths and none, we are determined to do our utmost not to bring the conflict in the Middle East into this country. Rather, we are united in our commitment to upholding the values of respect, inclusion and the honoring and celebration of diversity that form the basis of our shared society.

We do not have to see eye to eye in order to treat one another with decency and consideration. We do not have to agree with each other for us to acknowledge each other’s hurt. We do not need to hold identical views to reach out and take responsibility for one another’s safety and wellbeing.

Amid the anger and anguish of these cruel times, we call instead for compassion, understanding and love. We know the difference that ordinary acts of kindness and decency can make.

That is why we call on you to stand with us and join the vigil on Sunday if you can. But even if you are unable to, we ask you to take your own small steps to bring us together. That can be as simple as reaching out to someone you disagree with or acknowledging someone else’s pain.

Despite, perhaps even within, the very trauma of the current situation, we seek to find opportunity. We see in this moment a key time to recognise each other’s anguish, express our solidarity in the face of suffering, and work alongside one another for a more compassionate world.

• Imam Monawar Hussain is the Muslim tutor at Eton College, Windsor. Jonathan Wittenberg is rabbi of New North London Synagogue

Source: The Guardian

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“Gay people are humans with deviant conduct who should either be treated medically or subjected to spiritual deliverance. The ideas, believes, norms and values that Ghanaians hold about Homosexuality still stronger,” the speaker stated at the maiden Speaker’s Breakfast meeting in Parliament, in Accra Wednesday.

He also noted no part of the Bible or Quran supports homosexuality.

“There is no chapter or verse in the bible or Quran that support Homosexuality”.

Professor Ocquaye who is noted for the dislike for homosexuality however said gays must not be abused.

“Of course, it doesn’t mean they must be killed, it doesn’t mean your arm must be amputated. We don’t do any such thing here. We try to handle the matter; either we treat you medically, or we also handle it psychologically”.

he comments come in the wake of the discussion over the controversial Comprehensive Sexuality Education.

President Akufo-Addo has however assured his government will not allow any “inappropriate” content in the curriculum.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM

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The unveil comes three years after the Charismatic Evangelistic Ministry, Reverend Steve Mensah and partners launched its flagship program Dubbed Day of Help in Accra.

The Day of Help program over the years has seen the church and its partners providing Persons Living with Disability some support to get them going. On the 27th of August 2016, Persons Living with Disability converged at the independence square to receive Free Medical Care, Food Supplies, Clothes, Home supplies and many more. A similar event was held at the same venue in 2017, and in 2018 the Day of Help program was organized in Tamale in the Northern region.

It has been the long standing dream of Rev Steve Mensah to expand the help given to Persons Living with Disability to a more strategic and long term solution.

This led to Reverend Steve Mensah envisioning a community where Persons living with Disability get to live in decency among others.

The launch of CEM Ability Village over the weekend has been in the offing of CEM for the past three years and those who attended the event were excited and marveled about the size and scale of the dream and what it will take to achieve it.

The First phase of the CEM Ability village is estimated at $85 million and will be a community which provides Persons with Disability with Free and/or heavily subsidized medical care, education, vocational training, housing and many more.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Ghana National Council for Persons Living with Disability, Mr Yaw Debrah was full of praise for Reverend Steve and the church and indicated the commitment of the council to support the project through to its execution. He called on well meaning Ghanaians to reach out to support persons with disability and the project.

On her part, Ms Farida Bedwei a Ghanaian software engineer and co-founder of Logiciel, a fin-tech company in Ghana charged the state to stop ticking boxes in its approach to dealing with issues relating to Persons with Disability. She stresses the point that Persons living with Disability have a lot to offer if the right environment is created. Getting this right will take more than understanding the plight of PWDs, it will require the financial and non-financial support of both the state and the private sector.

The occasion was also graced by the Minister of State in charge of Gender, Children and Social protection, the Honourable Cynthia Morrison. The minister who doubles as the Member of Parliament for the Agona West Constituency charged parents dealing with Children living with Disability to be guided by faith knowing that a lot can be done by each individual despite the challenges. She stated government’s commitment to ensuring that persons living with Disability are given the needed help to enable them succeed in life.

Taking his turn at the Program, The former president of the Republic of Ghana. H.E John Mahama encouraged citizens to support Persons with Disability. He indicated that Persons living with disability are to be supported and not pitied. He stated his willingness to support the idea and the vision of Reverend Steve Mensah of creating a modern community for Persons with Disability.

As part of his message for the unveil, Reverend Steve Mensah re-stated his commitment to supporting Persons living with disability. In an emotionally delivered message, he charged the church and the government to ensure that no one was left behind. He used the occasion to invite the investor community, private companies, charities, NGOs to join hands with CEM to ensure that the vision sees the light of day.

Other invited guest who graced the occasion include 
Mr. Benjamin Amenumey, MD of UMB, 
Mr. James Orraca-Tettey, Business Head SME Fidelity Bank, 
Mrs. Nelly Abotchie, UMB Director of Corporate, 
Madam Innocentia Dogbe, Head of Credit Cards & Country Champion of Diversity Inclusion-Standard Chartered Bank, 
Madam Emefa Agyonyo, SSNIT, 
Mr. George Osei-Ware, Manager MASLOC CEO Secretariat, 
Mr. Yaw Antwi-Dadzie, BOST Government Relations Manager, 
Mr. Senyo Hosi, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distribution Company (CBOD)

Source: CEM

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The Head of Financial Markets at the central bank, Mr Steven Opata, told the Daily Graphic that the accumulation of more dollars would help increase the net international reserve (NIR) to around $4 billion, enough to provide confidence in the system and help stabilise the free fall of the local currency

Since January this year, data from the central bank show that the cedi has lost some 3.6 per cent of its value to the US dollar as the international investor community sold some of their investments in local securities and moved their funds overseas, partly causing the cedi to slide.

That caused some apprehension among the business community, prompting various private sector associations to urge the central bank to find a solution to the depreciation to help abate the impact on their operations

In an interview on how the BoG was addressing the turbulence in the currency market, Mr Opata said one of the strategies it was adopting “is rebuilding reserves to face more systemic shocks that may come”.

“I am very optimistic that it will not be long before we see stability and some recovery in the cedi,” he said.

Cause of depreciation

He explained that BoG research indicated that the recent depreciation would normalise in days, as it was not caused by weak fundamentals and external shocks but by local sentiments that tended to correct with time.

“In this first quarter, the movement in the cedi is not caused by external factors because the external sector has been quiet,” he said, citing recent signals by the Federal Reserve (Fed) of the United States of America that it would be increasing its rates, a situation that usually negatively affected the currencies of emerging and frontier markets such as Ghana.

Last year, the BoG blamed the cedi’s increased vulnerabilities on hikes in Fed rates, which it said reduced non-resident investor appetite in government bonds, causing them to repatriate their coupons and maturities in ways that posed shocks to the local currency.

Mr Opata was confident that rebuilding the reserves was the best option to help assure the international community that the central bank was ready to respond through increased dollar sales whenever the need arose.

Measures to build reserves

Asked how the bank intended to build the reserves, he said “there are a number of transactions in the pipeline that should approximately add about $800 million or more by the end of the first quarter”.

“As you know, as you are building, you are also spending, but what we are trying to do is at least build our reserves so that the NIR remains at the same levels at the first quarter as it was as of December 2018,” he stated.

IMF exit

Commenting on developments on the currency market, an economist and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), Dr Said Boakye, observed that the cedi was suffering the consequences of heightened repatriation of bond proceeds, as foreign investors feared the health of the economy would not remain intact after the exit of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in two months.

He said although the government was emphatic that Ghana would not extend the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) with the IMF when it ended next month, “people are not having a clear picture about the fiscal stance” in the absence of the fund.

uncertainty around the government’s ability to maintain fiscal discipline without the IMF was now causing some of the investors to exit the domestic bond market, leading to increased shedding in the value of the local currency against its foreign counterparts, he told the Daily Graphic.

Given that investors normally converted their funds into foreign currencies to be able to repatriate, he said, the “panic withdrawals” were increasing the pressure that the local currency normally endured in the first quarter of every year.

However, Mr Opata said the central bank did not have any evidence to support that assertion.

“What I can assure you is that we are not going to sleep after the IMF is gone,” he stated.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

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The fighting between indigenous Konkombas and Chokosis sparked on Monday and intensified in violent spillovers causing total disorder and widespread state of fear.

The violence has led to an imposition of curfew with nearly 50 armed security forces sent to the area in a move by the Regional Security Council to ensure ceasefire, but on Friday, fighting raged into day four when several villages were attacked, forcing a mass exodus of residents from the district to neighboring Togo.

“The curfew is not helping us move”, the Chief of Wenchiki told Starr News, adding: “The soldiers are only in Chereponi town and if the president doesn’t come in the killings won’t stop”.

Chief Abubakri observed that the only strategy to quell the violence is to shut down the district to curtail the movement of people and motorbikes. He reported on Saturday the area was tensed and that possibilities of outbreaks were high.

After nightfall on December 31, armed men descended on one another in the village of Naduni, made up largely of people of both konkomba and chokosi ethnicities, and burned down houses.

The following day, fighting spread to several villages in a deadly tit for tat attacks, resulting in massive casualties.

By Friday morning, about seven more villages were attacked and burnt, despite the curfew and presence of the joint troops. The fatality toll is said to be around 16.

Both warring factions are accusing each other of starting the violence.

According to the Konkomba Youth Association, 10 Konkombas have died so far and about the same numbers injured, and are at the Saboba hospital. The figure has not been independently verified.

Both factions are accusing the security of avoiding conflict villages. There are also reports of militias dressed in military uniforms engaging in indiscriminate burning and shootings.

Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Eliasu Tanko

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The in-form Newcastle United star brought the high-flying Frenchman down to earth, putting the ball through his legs to the amusement of the crowd amid social media buzz.

Atsu, 26, was the star man for the Magpies at St James’ Park as Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford bagged the goals for the Red Devil.

Pogba got into a tangle on the byline with three Newcastle defenders trying to win the ball off him.

But when they did the Ghanaian winger Atsu went past the World Cup winner by putting the ball through his legs to team-mate Matt Ritchie.

The move prompted massive whoops and cheers from the St James’ Park faithful.

And social media was not left out of the excitements.

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

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