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Adults and children found chained to their beds in a US home

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Twelve siblings ranging in age from two to 29 have been found shackled to their beds in their homes with chains and padlocks.

A 17-year-old girl managed to escape and tell police her 12 brothers and sisters were being held captive by their parents.

Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigated, ABC News reported, and found the rest of her siblings in a dark and foul-smelling room.

The children's parents were unable to provide a logical explanation as to why the children were restrained in the house, in Muir Woods Road, Perris, California.

One neighbour told ABC news: "They were very very pale-skinned, like they had never seen the sun. It was mostly girls, they were tiny, they looked a little malnutritioned [sic]."

David Allen Turpin, 57, and 49-year-old Louise Anna Turpin were interviewed and taken to a detention centre.

Police said the victims, six adults and seven children, appeared to be malnourished and very dirty.

They were given food and water after telling police they were starving.

The six children were eventually taken to the Riverside University Hospital System (RUHS) and the seven adult children were moved to Corona Regional Medical Centre, according to reports.

The parents were detained under violations of torture and child endangerment.

Their bail was set at $9m (£6.5m) each.

In a statement, police said: "Deputies located what they believed to be 12 children inside the house, but were shocked to discover that seven of them were actually adults.

"The victims appeared to be malnourished and very dirty."

Sky News

One village, one dam ready to commence – Bawumia

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The Northern Development Authority will in the coming weeks advertise in the national dailies for would-be applicants to bid for projects under  the One Village, One Dam policy.

The Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, who announced this at the 69th Annual New Year School and Conference in Accra Monday, January 15, 2018 assured of transparency in the bidding process and called on all qualified companies to put in their bid for a successful project.

The Year’s New Year School and Conference was on the theme: “Job Creation for Accelerated National Development: The Role of the Private Sector.”

Acknowledging the importance of the theme, the Vice President noted that, the high unemployment is the key and most pressing issue of our time and the government is putting in measures to deal with it.

According to him, unemployment is a national security issue, assuring the government will not look on for it to escalate into a time bomb.


“This is why the President has placed job creation as the number one priority of government. It goes without saying, however, that the government’s role is to put in place the enabling environment for the private sector to drive job creation,” Vice President Bawumia stated.

Dr Bawumia said the country needs to do things differently, since the same things cannot help us achieve the needed results.

“After 60 years of independence, it is clear that we have to do things differently because you cannot do the same things and expect different results. Countries such as China, South Korea, Malaysia, UAE, etc. have shown that transformation can be achieved in one generation and therefore it is possible for Ghana to do same,” he said.

The New Year School is under the aegis of the School of Continuing and Distance Education under the College of Education. The 69th Annual New Year School and Conference is under the theme: “Job Creation for Accelerated National Development: The Role of the Private Sector” from Monday, 15th January 2018 to Friday 19th January 2018.


Ghana | Atinkaonline.com

Ghana's Akwasi Frimpong qualifies for 2018 Winter Olympics

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Former Utah Valley University track and field sprinter and Dutch-Ghanaian skeleton athlete Akwasi Frimpong has earned himself a spot in the 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the first male West-African skeleton athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics.
 
A 2013 graduate of UVU, Frimpong will represent Ghana in the skeleton in the PyeongChang Winter Games held from Feb. 9-25. Ghana's first-ever athlete to qualify for the Winter Olympics, Frimpong will begin competition in the male skeleton events set to start on Feb. 15.
 
"To me, the Olympic Games are about giving people like myself the opportunity to go against the best in the world," said Frimpong. "I'm grateful to have Cocoa from Ghana step into my life as an athlete when it was needed the most. Their support has definitely helped me focus on qualifying for the Games and becoming a better skeleton athlete. I'm now ready to represent Ghana for the first time in history in the skeleton event at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games."
 
On the road to the Winter Olympics, Frimpong can count on both Dutch and Ghanaian support in the form of Cocoa from Ghana – a Dutch initiative that aims to raise awareness of Ghanaian cocoa. Cocoa from Ghana recently entered into a sponsorship agreement with Frimpong.
 
"We are incredibly proud that Akwasi has qualified for the Winter Olympics," said Joost Bellart, spokesperson for Cocoa from Ghana. "He is a phenomenal athlete with the willpower to succeed even in the face of setbacks."
 
As a sprinter, Frimpong became the Dutch National Junior Champion and won four bronze, four silver, and eight gold medals at several national and international sporting events. After suffering an injury, Frimpong began focusing on bobsledding. He made his debut as a skeleton athlete in 2016 and is now going to the Olympic Games.

Frimpong joins Chris Fogt as one of two former Utah Valley student-athletes heading to PyeongChang, South Korea, for this year's Winter Games.

"I'm excited for him to go to the Games," said UVU track and field head coach Scott Houle, who coached Frimpong throughout his collegiate career. "Adding Chris [Fogt] and Akwasi [Frimpong] to the list of our former athletes continuing to have success in Winter Olympic sports, along with Noelle [Pikus-Pace] in the past, is great for our program. More importantly, it is a great cause for celebration for all of UVU athletics."


About Akwasi Frimpong

Born on 11 February 1986 in Ghana
Moved to the Netherlands at the age of eight
Lived in Amsterdam's Bijlmer district
Trained at the Johan Cruyff Academy to hone his sprinting skills
Obtained a residence permit thanks in part to the efforts of former Dutch football player Johan Cruijff
Now lives in the United States, where he sold vacuum cleaners to help finance his Olympic dream


gouvu.com
 

GBC Director General asked to proceed on leave 

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The Director General of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, (GBC), Dr. Akuffo Annor-Ntow has been asked to proceed on leave with immediate effect.

According to the governing board of GBC, the decision follows the Director-General’s handling of the TV license issue.

The directive according to the Board Chairman of GBC, Reverend Professor Emmanuel Addo-Obeng, was agreed upon on Monday, January 15, 2018.

He said the National Media Commission, has been duly notified of the directive.

Dr. Annor-Ntow had come under fire for getting the Chief Justice to set up some 11 courts nationwide to prosecute defaulters of TV license fees.

The expected prosecution of defaulters was subsequently suspended following an earlier directive by the GBC board.

When asked how long the Director General is supposed to be on leave, Professor Addo-Obeng said “All this will depend on consultation with NMC.”

“We are going to immediately engage NMC to discuss a whole lot of issues affecting GBC and the future of the state broadcaster,”he said in an interview with Radio Ghana.

He further explained that, one board member and two directors of the GBC are supposed to steer the affairs of the corporation until the issues are ironed out.

“We have put an interim management committee in place with a board member and two directors of GBC to hold the fort while this consultation goes on,” he added.

Also speaking on the same issue, on Radio Ghana’s Current Affairs Program, "Behind the News" the Divisional Union Chairman of GBC, Michael Allotey, called for calm among the workers.

“As a Union we need to engage our people urging them to take it calm because it is a board decision but we will meet properly to tell the world our position. I also take this opportunity to urge workers to remain calm.”
“Except that sometimes it is challenging because the question is after DG what next? GBC has a problem and it has to be solved. I think it is time the nation decides what to do with the national broadcaster. It is either they keep it as a private entity or we continue to keep on the focus as a national broadcaster,” he added.

Concerns over the TV license regime followed the Chief Justice’s setting up of special TV license courts across the country to prosecute people who refuse to pay the mandatory TV license fees in line with the TV licensing Act.

Domestic TV users are to pay between GHc36 and GHc60 for one or more TV sets in a household, while TV set repairers and sales outlets are to pay an annual sum of between GHc60 to GHc240.

Following the setting up of the special court, it was expected that defaulting TV owners or operators will be prosecuted per Section 1(a) of the TV licensing Act 1966 (NLCD 89) with defaulters facing a fine or a prison term not exceeding one year.

But a statement from the Board stopped the prosecution even before they occurred.

The board also urged the National Media Commission (NMC) to explore a more sustainable funding module for the GBC.

Several pressure groups and civil society organisations kicked against the TV license regime, particularly the threat to use the court to ensure compliance.


GBCONLINE

Steven Seagal denies Bond girl sexual assault

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Actor and producer Steven Seagal has denied an allegation of sexual assault at a film rehearsal in Sofia 2002, made against him by Bond girl Rachel Grant.

Mr Seagal's lawyers also deny another allegation by the actress that he attempted to indecently expose himself.

She later lost her job on the film, Out For A Kill.

Ms Grant, speaking exclusively to the BBC, said: "I want to share what happened to me, so people will hear it and others might come forward."

These claims follow other allegations made against the Hollywood actor, some of which he has denied.

Lawyers for Mr Seagal say that he unequivocally denies Ms Grant's allegations in their entirety: "Our client denies having such contact with Ms Grant and further vehemently denies any alleged assault at all, in particular, the alleged assault occurring in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2002."

At the weekend, CBS News reported that the Los Angeles Police Department was investigating a separate sexual assault claim against the actor.

The 65-year-old, who was given Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin in 2016, is best known for his action roles in the 1980s and 1990s, including the Under Siege films.

Ms Grant, who played the character Peaceful in James Bond film Die Another Day in 2002, says she was emboldened by women sharing their stories of sexual harassment as part of the #MeToo campaign.

The British actress, who was 26 at the time, claims she was flown to Sofia to rehearse lines in September 2002 after auditioning for a role in Out For A Kill. She says she was excited to meet Mr Seagal, who had been a childhood hero.

She claims she met the actor in a hotel suite with the film's director, but when left alone in the room with Mr Seagal, she alleges he asked her to take her top off several times, which she refused.

"I stood up to try to distract him. But he was able to tug down my top, which was strapless. My breasts were completely exposed and I was forced to cover myself," she claims.

"He pushed me on to the bed with force. Then he said, 'I suppose you want to see my private parts' – though he used a different word.

"I was looking up and he started to pull down his zip," she alleges.

Ms Grant then "burst into tears", at which point Mr Seagal stopped and began to apologise, she says.

She says Mr Seagal told her that he liked to date actresses he worked with to improve the "on-screen chemistry".

"It was horrible – I was upset, embarrassed and hurt.

"What actress should be brought to someone's bedroom on the first meeting and then be told to take their top off?"

Ms Grant says she has been the victim of sexual harassment on other occasions but that she has refused to let the incidents affect her career.

"I lost a job and I cried a lot but I'm a positive person – I tried to take it with a pinch of salt," she explains, acknowledging that not all victims of sexual assault are able to recover.

She wants to end the culture of questioning why many victims of sexual harassment only share their experiences years after the event.

"When it happens to you, you're ashamed, you're embarrassed, nobody needs to know, nobody. You hope it gets covered in dust and no one will ever know.

"I want people to know that it actually makes more sense for people to talk about it a long time after it happens – you get over it and then you can talk about it."

She says she hopes campaigns like Time's Up and #MeToo will help bring an end to sexual harassment in the industry.

BBC

EOCO officers invade EC; sack interdicted Deputy EC boss

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Officials of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) have invaded the offices of the Electoral Commission with an objective to force the Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission Georgina Opoku Amankwa out of her office.

Mrs Amankwaa is said to have defied an order of interdiction by the EOCO and reported to work, Monday.

She has been the subject of an investigation after several allegations of financial impropriety were made against her.

But she is not the only one. Two others, the chairperson of the EC, Mrs Charlotte Osei and Deputy in charge of Operations Amadu Sulley are all subjects of investigation and possible impeachment.

Mrs Amankwaa who has been on interdiction for several months now started work, Monday claiming she cannot be singled out for interdiction.

Three operatives from EOCO made their way into the premises of the EC to force her out of office.

But she has resisted, insisting, the action by the EOCO is unconstitutional.

She said only the president has the power to interdict her. Mrs Georgina Opoku Amankwa locked herself up in her office daring the EOCO officials to break in.

She has vowed to break into her own office on Tuesday even if the EOCO officials decide to put it under lock and key.

Myjoyonline

Akufo-Addo announces electricity tariff reduction for non-residential users

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The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has announced that, as from January this year, non-residential users of electricity in the country would enjoy an average of 14% reduction in electricity tariffs.

According to President Akufo-Addo, not only has Government succeeded in normalising the power situation in the country, “we now want to boost private business in our country.”

Thus, the President indicated that “from January this year, the non-residential tariff rate, which is the rate which includes all of you here, is being reduced by an average of 14%. For barbers, it is being reduced by 18%; for hairdressers and beauticians, 15.7%, and for tailors, 9.8%.”

President Akufo-Addo continued, “An average bill last year was GH¢562 a month. With this reduction from January, it is coming down to GH¢473 a month, which means GH¢88 has been taken from the electricity tariff that you pay. We want to encourage private business, and make business stand on its feet.”

The President made this known on Monday, 15th January, 2017, at the opening of the 8th Salon Academy of the National Association of Beauticians and Hairdressers, held at the Mensah Sarbah Hall, University of Ghana, Legon.

Expressing his appreciation to the Association for their support of his candidature in the run-up to the 2016 elections, President Akufo-Addo noted that one of the pledges he made to them, the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy, is now a reality.

“By the grace of God, Free SHS, which some said was not possible or would be possible only after 20 years, is now a reality in our country. Free SHS has come to stay. It is going to be a central feature of the education architecture of our country. We are not going to go back on it. By 2020, all students in form 1, form 2 and form 3, would enjoy the free SHS policy,” he said.

This statement was met with a rapturous round of approval from the hundreds and hundreds of beauticians and hair dressers at the packed Mensah Sarbah Hall.

In response to the request by the President of the Association, Mrs Joyce Lamptey, for tax exemptions for start-up businesses, the President stated that in the 2018 budget, there is a provision which ensures that young entrepreneurs, up to the age of 35, will enjoy a tax holiday for the first five years of operation, before being taxed in the subsequent years.

Touching on the provision of skills training, he revealed that, up until now, all the institutions responsible for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the country, were under so many organisations.

“My government has made the decision to centralise all of them (TVET) under the Ministry of Education, so we can scale up TVET training, and make it better and more robust for you. The demand for an industrial park in every region is part of the NPP manifesto, and you know that all the pledges I have made to the Ghanaian people, I am going to fulfil each and every one of them,” he said.

In conclusion, President Akufo-Addo appealed for the continued support of the Association, stressing that “this government is your government; it is the government of the private sector. Whatever we can do to strengthen the private sector, we will do it. We have come to do a job to raise Ghana up, and, with your support, we will raise Ghana up. The Black Star is going to shine and shine and shine again.”

Ghana | Atinkaonline.com 

Woman marries ghost after getting fed up with dating humans

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Are you sick of dating humans, only for your romantic escapades to end in inevitable, crushing heartbreak? Well, maybe you should follow Amanda Teague’s lead by ditching living, breathing people and getting hitched to a ghost instead.

In some ways, the relationship between the 45-year-old and her husband Jack is fairly normal. After all, they go on dates together, sometimes have arguments, and have a healthy sex life. The fact that Jack died almost 300 years ago barely affects their marriage at all.

Amanda, a female Jack Sparrow impersonator, had five children with her human ex-husband, but said she has never been able to connect with anyone like her husband Jack. Although she has never seen Jack’s physical form, Amanda said he was a Haitian pirate, who told her he is black with jet black hair, and was executed for his crimes in the 1700s.

Amanda, from Downpatrick in Northern Ireland, believes their pirate connection is what brought them together – first as friends before she developed ‘strong loving feelings’ towards him. She said: ‘We became really close, the more I learnt about him, the more I liked him. ‘One day he said to me ‘We can actually be together you know’ but I had never heard of an intimate relationship between a spirit and a human before.

‘I did some research and found out that it is a real thing and there are lots of people in spiritual relationships, but not many people like to talk about it.’ Jack, who never married during his life according to Amanda, is a powerful spirit who can turn steroes and lights on and off, and move things.

Amanda claimed her family has been entirely supportive of their relationship, which took the next step when Jack proposed, she said. She added: ‘I told him I wasn’t really cool with having casual sex with a spirit and I wanted us to make a proper commitment to each other. ‘If I am going to be in a long-term relationship with somebody I have the right to be married.

‘I wanted the big traditional wedding with the white dress, it was very important to me.’ For their wedding, the couple ventured into international waters where their union would be legal, on a boat that allowed 12 of their closest friends and family on board for the ceremony.

They used a medium to allow Jack to say ‘I do’, and used a skull and crossbones flag to represent him. And if you’re still on the fence about finding a ghost lover, Amanda explained that sex with a spirit is surprisingly similar to sex with a human. She added: ‘It is well known that people often feel a spirit touch their hands, their face or their hair. ‘The only difference with having a sexual relationship with a spirit is obviously that sense of touch goes a lot deeper. ‘You can literally feel the physical act of what the spirit is doing to you, and the spirit can feel it too.’


Metro

 Two granted bail for allegedly stealing dead body

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Two men who allegedly stole the dead body of an old man at the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital mortuary have been granted bail in the sum of 30,000 Ghana cedis each, with two sureties each by the Tarkwa circuit court.

The accused persons, John Asante, 37, a mortuary attendant at the Tarkwa municipal hospital and Seth Owusu, 48, fridge mechanic at Atonsu-Bokro, a suburb of Kumasi and the third suspect Efo Kwesi is on the run.

They pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime and stealing.

The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Faustina Celestina Anaman, told the court, presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Bart-Plange Brew, that the complainant, John Kofi Tenge, farmer resides at Wassa Tintinum, near Aboso.

She said on May 22, last year, the complainant's father, John Kwaku Tenge aged 112 passed away and the family members deposited the body at the Tarkwa Municipal hospital's mortuary for preservation. 

According to the trusty records, Inspector Anaman said the body was given C-217 as its identification number and the complainant paid regular visit at the mortuary to check on his late father’s body.

The prosecutor said on November 22, the complainant saw his late father's body and paid all the bills incurred for it to be prepared and buried on November 25.

Chief Inspector Anaman said on November 24 at 1300 hours, the complainant and other family members went to the mortuary to retrieve the deceased body but it was missing. 

She said authorities of the hospital were informed immediately and a search was conducted at the mortuary but the body was not found. 

Chief Inspector Anaman said the complainant and hospital authorities reported the case at the Tarkwa police station on the same day and the police proceeded to the morgue with both parties but the missing body was still not available.

She said that the police then arrested John and five of his colleagues who were workers at the same hospitals morgue for questioning.

During interrogation, the prosecutor said John admitted to the offense and mentioned Seth and Efo as his accomplices. 

According to Chief Inspector Anaman, John claimed on November 15, 2017, that Seth promised to give him an ambulance if he provided an old or elderly man's body.


Chief Inspector Anaman said Seth was arrested on November 28 at Asafo market in Kumasi and brought to Tarkwa police station to assist in investigation.


Ghana | Atinkaonline.com 
 

Arsenal optimistic of signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January

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Arsenal are optimistic of signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund for 60m euros (£53.4m) in the January window, according to Guillem Balague.

Aubameyang is Arsenal's first choice to replace Alexis Sanchez if the Chile international leaves, Sky in Italy reported earlier this month, and the 28-year-old was left out of the Dortmund squad for their match against Wolfsburg on Sunday for disciplinary reasons.

Dortmund boss Peter Stoger confirmed the striker missed a pre-game meeting after training on Saturday and was subsequently dropped, and Sky Sports' Balague says Arsenal are working hard on a deal for Aubayemang, along with other January reinforcements

"Arsenal have a few signings they want to confirm in the next few days," Balague said. "One of them they want to close and finalise is Aubameyang.

"They are willing to pay 60m euros. So they hope Dortmund accepts, and are very optimistic that this could be the case. There are other clubs interested but right now Arsenal is ahead of them, but nothing has been finalised yet.

"It would take perhaps longer than Alexis' sale, but they're putting all their efforts on it. They think he would be a perfect replacement to Alexis, and would work really well with Alexandre Lacazette.

"Aubameyang wants a deal, Arsenal want a deal, but we'll have to see what Dortmund say about it. It won't be the only signing Arsenal make, as they are after two more to strengthen this month to reinforce the side. As we saw at the weekend, they need it."

Aubameyang, who has scored 21 goals in 23 appearances for Dortmund in all competitions this season, has routinely been linked with a move to the Premier League after topping the goalscoring table in the Bundesliga last season.

According to Sky in Germany, Aubameyang is not trying to engineer a move away from the club, although his behaviour is understood to have angered some of his team-mates.

Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc revealed the Gabon striker's repeated lateness is a problem and the club are working with the player to improve it.

"Auba is a special player," said Zorc. "He is extravagant and a colourful character. That does a city like Dortmund a lot of good.

"We have only one problem with him – that is punctuality. We have to be very clear about that."


Sky Sports