Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift boost music industry revenues to $20bn
The recorded music industry made $20bn (£16.1bn) last year, the first time the figure has been reached since 2005. Streaming sites like Spotify and Apple Music drove the success, accounting for more than half (56.1%) of all revenues – a total of $11.4bn (£9.2bn). Billie Eilish had the top-selling single, with her goth-pop smash Bad […]
Coronavirus: 10 positive results from top two flights in Germany
Clubs in the top two German divisions have returned 10 positive results from 1,724 coronavirus tests, says the German football league. Clubs have been training in groups, with the tests taken before a planned return to training as teams. Measures including “the isolation of the affected person” have been taken, said the DFL. Top-flight side […]
Singer Idir, an ‘icon of Algeria’ and defender of Kabyle identity, dead at 70
Algerian singer Idir, an icon of Berber and Kabyle culture, has died aged 70. The artist, whose real name is Hamid Cheriet, was taken to hospital in Paris on Friday but died the following evening with lung disease. His children confirmed the death with a brief statement on his Facebook page, which said: “We regret […]
Coronavirus: Scientists may never find the ‘missing link’ species
An “intermediate host” animal passed the coronavirus from wild bats to humans, evidence suggests. But while the World Health Organization says that the research points to the virus’s “natural origin”, some scientists say it might never be known how the first person was infected. It remains unclear whether this host animal was sold in the […]
Commonwealth lauds Ghana for tremendous fight against coronavirus pandemic
The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Patricia Scotland has commended Government on measures put in place to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking on GBC’s Current Affairs programme, ‘Talking Point’ Madam Scotland mentioned measures such as government building hospitals in all districts to augment existing ones, empowering local industries to produce PPE’s as well as […]
Nigeria begins unlocking Africa’s biggest economy
Nigeria will from Monday begin relaxing coronavirus lockdown measures in the capital, Abuja, and the biggest city, Lagos, in an attempt to limit the damage to Africa’s largest economy. The government says the reopening is the first phase of a six-week process of easing the lockdown. It says the situation will be assessed in the […]
Anfoega Youth Association donates PPEs to Anfoega Catholic Hospital
The Anfoega Youth Association has donated assorted medical consumables and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the management of the Anfoega Catholic Hospital in the North Dayi District as part of efforts to support frontline health staff fighting the Coronavirus pandemic. The items worth over GHC20,000 include several hundreds of surgical and N95 face masks, gloves, […]
Billboard featuring President Akufo-Addo without face mask to be pulled down
The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says a billboard communicating the importance of wearing a face mask which also features the president without a face mask will be pulled down. The Minister, however, asked persons wanting to help in educating Ghanaians on the coronavirus to engage the government to avoid mishaps. In a tweet, […]
Togo’s Gnassingbé sworn in for fourth term
Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé was sworn for a fourth term on Sunday (May 3, 2020) at a subdued ceremony in the capital, Lome. Mr Gnassingbé won re-election in February but opposition leader Agbéyomé Kodjo has rejected the results. The president’s office denies allegations of widespread fraud. He has led Togo’s population of eight million people […]
GJA to celebrate Ghanaian Journalists with flag hoisting ceremony
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), will today (May 4, 2020) hold a brief Flag hoisting ceremony to celebrate Ghanaian Journalists and demand that they are protected and allowed to do their work in freedom. The ceremony to be attended by about 25 people in compliance with social distancing, will have the Minister of Information Kojo Oppong […]
CLOGSAG calls for restructuring of SSNIT
The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has appealed to President Akufo-Addo to direct Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to restructure its management and administrative system to assure workers of income security in retirement. According to the Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, Isaac Bampoe-Addo, SSNIT was to reduce its administrative cost, high […]
Kenya’s mass testing met with public defiance
A coronavirus mass testing campaign by Kenya’s health ministry has recorded a low turnout after encountering unwillingness among members of the public. The government had targeted to test thousands of people in two hotspots in the capital, Nairobi, but only hundreds turned up. Most of those who spoke to local media said they fear exhibiting […]
Coronavirus: Tanzanian president promises to import Madagascar’s ‘cure’
The president of Tanzania, John Magufuli, is sending a plane to Madagascar to fetch a herbal tonic touted as a cure for Covid-19 even as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned there was no proof of any cure. Congo-Brazzaville’s president has also promised to import the drink. It is produced from the artemisia plant – […]
Coronavirus latest: Cases in Europe surpass 1.5 million as lockdowns eased
As of Sunday, global deaths from coronavirus were approaching a quarter of a million, with more than 247,000 deaths confirmed. In Europe, the region most affected by the virus, the number of cases surpassed 1.5 million. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) figures show the daily case rate has remained between 70,000 and 90,000 new cases […]
