For over five years, Larry has been seriously working behind closed doors on its 10-track album which, according to his management, would meet the demands of music fans. They added that Larry has already recorded two good music videos in South Africa.

A source close to his management told BEATWAVES that although the he is not new on the music scene, his main aim is to work extra hard to meet the challenges ahead of him.

Most of the songs on the album are mid-tempo with funky beats. The instrumentation as well as the backing vocalists makes the songs unique.

Larry’s contribution to the music industry in Ghana would undoubtedly add to the rich repertoire of musical collections that the country already has. He promises his fans, “it is a promise I will keep; expect a great piece of musical work.”

Source: George Clifford Owusu-Daily Guide

The President, in jest, told a congregation in Accra at the inauguration of the Revival Restoration Centre of the Assemblies of God Church at Roman Ridge, Accra, on Saturday that Ghanaians easily forget how far, how much progress has been made in the country vis-à-vis their present circumstances.

Using the energy crisis that hit the country this year to buttress his point, Mahama said: “The energy crisis is solved. We don’t remember the darkness we were in and so we’ve put that behind us and we’re looking at what the other challenges are”.

According to him, while the crisis persisted, Ghanaians were constantly on his case and ridiculed him by creatively replacing the traditional way of greeting with a coined phrase (“y3 ma mu dumsor ooo”) that elicited a response (“yaa Mahama”) that directly blamed him for the crisis.

The Akan phrase, “y3 ma mu dumsor ooo” can loosely be translated as “have an erratic-power-supply-filled day” and the response “yaa Mahama” loosely means “by courtesy of Mahama”.

President Mahama said it is important for Ghanaians to appreciate how far the country has come as far as addressing development issues is concerned.

He said despite the difficulties of his first year in office, he was nonetheless grateful to Ghanaians for standing by him.

“…I want to use this opportunity to thank all Ghanaians for the cooperation we’ve had in a very challenging year. We’ve had strikes, we’ve had problems with the economy; the deficit, and above all, we’ve had an election petition for almost eight months of the year; the economy slowed because everybody was focused on what was happening in the Supreme Court, but God in his faithfulness has seen us through all these”.

Source: radioxyzonline.com

The device, left in a holdall bag, exploded at about 7 p.m. local time Friday in Belfast’s busy Cathedral Quarter, near St. Anne’s Cathedral, police said. No one was hurt.

First Minister Peter Robinson described the attack as “despicable,” while Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said it showed a “complete disregard for life.”

IRA dissidents are widely suspected of being behind the attack.

A warning was telephoned through to a Belfast newspaper, but the wrong location was given for the device, police said.

It was left on a sidewalk by a busy restaurant and the explosion occurred as police were still clearing buildings in the area, which included a hotel, a bar and an arts center.

Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum said anyone nearby when the device went off could have been killed or maimed.

“This was an attack on the people of Belfast going about their normal lives on a busy night for socializing in the city,” he said. “Those who carried out this attack have nothing to offer except disruption and destruction.”

McCrum appealed for the public to be vigilant in the run-up to Christmas against the threat of further attacks.

More than 1,000 people were affected by the bomb threat and subsequent evacuation efforts, police said.

Police are also investigating reports of fire damage to an office of the Alliance Party. The party last year backed a controversial decision by the Belfast city council to stop flying the Union flag every day, angering loyalists.

‘Mindless minority’

In their statement condemning Friday’s explosion, Robinson and McGuinness urged anyone with information to contact the police.

“Once again we are witnessing the work of a mindless minority who are intent on taking the heart out of the city and wreaking havoc on the lives and businesses of the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland,” said Robinson.

“Their cause will not be progressed in any way by acts such as this.”

Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister David Ford also condemned those behind the explosion.

“Yet again we see a reckless attempt to kill and injure innocent people in Belfast,” he said.

“The people carrying out these attacks have set out no reason and explained no cause for their acts of senseless violence. Their only aim seems to be to injure and disrupt.”

Gerry Kelly, a Sinn Fein member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, also condemned what he called an “indiscriminate” attack on the people of Belfast.

“Those that voice support for these groups, (whose) only allegiance is to violence, need to come forward and explain to the people what they aim to achieve by this reckless action,” he said.

“They are visionless and opponents of change who will not stop the people of Belfast and beyond from moving forward to a more equal and peaceful society.”

Belfast is home to the elected Northern Ireland Assembly, which was established by the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. The agreement largely ended three decades of violence between mainly Protestant loyalists, who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, and largely Roman Catholic nationalists, who want it to be reunited with the rest of Ireland — though distrust between the sides remains.

(CNN)

“He took the name of a humble saint and then called for a church of healing,” Time wrote in its announcement. ”The septuagenarian superstar is poised to transform a place that measures change by the century.”

Following him in the top five were NSA leaker Edward Snowden, gay rights activist Edith Windsor, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

The top 10 also included Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, singer Miley Cyrus, U.S. President Barack Obama, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services.

The new pope “comes at a time when the church seemed to be needing a huge burst of new energy,” Time contributor Howard Chua-Eoan said in a video announcing the magazine’s decision.

The magazine’s international editor, Bobby Ghosh, said Francis’ contributions in his short time in office have changed the church’s image as well as its substance.

“He’s changed perceptions of the church from being this out-of-touch institution to one that is humble and merciful,” Ghosh said. “He’s changed the focus of the church from being focused on doctrine to becoming more about service. And he’s changed the tone in which the church speaks to one of compassion. It’s all about the poor. This is the church as it used to be in its — arguably its best period in the past. And Francis seems to be bringing that back.”

He has also opened up church finances and addressed controversial issues other popes have shied away from discussing publicly, Ghosh said.

“He’s talking about homosexuality, about giving women a bigger say in the church. These are things that are very, very important. They’re not just words. He’s actually following them up with action,” Ghosh said.

The Vatican welcomed Time’s selection, while making it clear the man so widely recognized for his humility didn’t seek the award and didn’t want its light to shine on him but on the mission of the church.

“We think that the declaration of the Pope as the man of the year is a positive sign. because it is a very prestigious declaration, given to a man that announces the love of God and the peace for all,” the Rev. Federico Lombardi told reporters. “And the Pope does not look for honors, but he is happy if his message — his message of the love of good — is received and understood. And then, in this sense, he can be happy of this declaration.”

A pope of many firsts

Francis, formerly known as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, is known as a humble man, a capable administrator and — as expected of a new pope — a man of great faith.

He is also a man of many firsts: the first non-European pope in the modern era, the first pontiff from South America, and the first Jesuit to be elected head of the Roman Catholic Church.

In his first public act, the new pope broke with tradition by asking the estimated 150,000 people packed into St. Peter’s Square to pray for him, rather than blessing the crowd first. He later controversially washed the feet of a young woman at a juvenile prison in Rome in a ceremony that’s traditionally been restricted to men.

In a recent letter to the church, he admonished leaders to focus on helping the poor and broken above all else.

“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security,” he wrote.

And he has revitalized an ancient church office dedicated to aiding the poor. Francis appointed a new head of the office of the Vatican Almoner, instructing him to spend his time outside the Vatican looking for people to help.

“You can sell your desk,” Francis told the new almoner, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, Time reported. “You don’t need it. You need to get out of the Vatican. Don’t wait for people to come ringing. You need to go out and look for the poor.”

Francis has also stirred controversy among some conservatives for trying to steer the church away from focus on social issues such as contraception, abortion and same-sex marriage. In what has been seen as a conciliatory tone toward homosexuals, he has said he was in no position to judge gays.

Pope’s past

Francis, 76, was born in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936. The son of an Italian immigrant, he trained as a chemist before deciding to become a priest.

He was ordained by the Jesuits in 1969 and became co-archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1997, then sole archbishop of that city one year later. He was made a cardinal in 2001 and was president of the Argentine bishops conference from 2005 to 2011.

As cardinal, Francis clashed with the government of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner over his opposition to same-sex marriage and free distribution of contraceptives.

He was runner-up in the 2005 papal conclave, behind then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, according to a profile by CNN Vatican analyst John Allen published by the National Catholic Reporter.

The new pope brings together the first and the developing worlds, Allen wrote. Besides his Italian roots, Francis studied theology in Germany.

His career coincided with the so-called Dirty War in Argentina, which lasted from 1976 to 1983. It is estimated that as many as 30,000 people were killed or disappeared during the country’s military dictatorship.

The church was seen by some as not having done enough in that period. In a complaint filed three days before the 2005 conclave, Francis was accused of complicity in the 1976 kidnapping of two liberal Jesuit priests, Allen wrote. Francis reportedly denied the charge.

He is known for his simplicity and has a reputation of being a voice for the poor.

Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah was until his retirement Head of Treasury Operations at the National Investment bank (NIB).

In a citation read ahead of his investiture, Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah was acknowledged for his years of meritorious service to the banking fraternity and the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Ghana. The citation also acknowledged his many years of service and teaching during which he trained scores of bankers and executive management teams of financial institutions in Ghana.

Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah had previously worked as Head of Foreign Exchange Operations at Barclays Bank. He later served as a Treasury Consultant at the Ghana Commercial Bank and several other financial institutions.

He was recently appointed Managing Director of OVAL Microfinance, and has committed his years ahead to supporting the microfinance industry to improve on its Treasury and Risk operations.

Also honoured was Mr. Alhassan Andani (Honorary Fellow). The honours were administered by the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Henry Wampah, with the support of the CIB president and executives.

The honours were conferred on the individuals by the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Henry Wampah with the support of the CIB President and executives.

In a post on his personal Facebook page, Mr. Kyerematen urged members to engage in a clean campaign devoid of insults for a formidable front in the 2016 general elections.

Alan Cash, as popularly known, said the NPP is on a journey to restore hope into Ghanaians noting that it “can only achieve victory when the party has a united front, battle-ready to face the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the next elections.

Mr. Kyerematen will be vying for the NPP’s flagbearership for the third time and he is hoping to win the bid this time round.

His rival, Nana Akufo-Addo described by political pundit as the most popular person in the party is yet to declare his bid despite intense lobbying to get him to run.

By Myjoyonline.com

Mandela stood as a symbol of resilience, fortitude, patience and tolerance. He also exhibited exceptional leadership qualities, which will shape and inspire generations to come.

I had deep respect for Mandela the man, the institution, because he rose from decades of fruitless persecution and sowed a unifying seed for South Africa.

I have on occasion remarked on how he stood against the politics of retribution and worked with Frederick de Klerk to further the cause of a unified post-apartheid South Africa.

Madiba was a man of great spiritual elegance, a man of towering moral height. His moral compass pointed out to millions around the world a moral mandate strong enough to prompt defiance of leaders bent on propping up the apartheid regime.

What will now be lost to the world is the unifying effect of a man who held to his sense of purpose in the face of Western governments who branded him for years as a terrorist, when he was a dignified freedom fighter.

We have lost not only a statesman, but also a grand pillar of sincerity in global affairs, originality and one who demonstrated a pure sense of humanity.

My sincere condolences go to the family, government and people of South Africa on the passing of our dear father, brother and friend.