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President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fiscal discipline, assuring the newly sworn-in Governor and Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) that his government will avoid reckless money printing to finance public expenditure. Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of Dr. Johnson Asiama and his deputy, Dr. Zakaria Mumuni, at the […]

The post I won’t ask you to print more money – Mahama to new BoG governor appeared first on MyNewsGh.

A BRIT BBC worker was murdered in her hotel room by an intruder who fell or jumped to his death from an eighth-floor window, an inquest heard.

Kate Mitchell suffered a head injury and was strangled in November 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya.

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Kate Mitchell was murdered in her Kenyan hotel room[/caption]

The 42-year-old had worked for BBC Media Action as a project manager in Ethiopia, South Sudan and Zambia.

The charity, formerly known as the BBC World Service Trust, works in international development and promotes democratic reporting.

Newcastle Coroner’s Court heard how Kate had been deployed to the Kenyan capital for safety after leaving Ethiopia due to the civil war.

She was discovered in the room of her Ibis hotel after an intruder gained entry and attacked her, the inquest was told.

Coroner Karin Welsh said: “That man either fell or jumped from the eighth floor bedroom window and he also was found deceased.

“That’s the totality of the information we have been able to glean from Nairobi.”

A post-mortem in the UK found that Kate died from a head injury and pressure on the neck.

Ms Welsh concluded that she was unlawfully killed.

Speaking after the verdict, Kate’s brother Pete Mitchell said the family is putting pressure on the Kenyan police to reveal more.

Kate’s loved ones have also pushed for an inquest in Nairobi that might confirm further details about her death.

Pete revealed the family still have not been given his sister’s personal effects – including her laptop.

He added: “The Kenyan police have just stone-walled any inquiries. They have refused to do anything about it.”

The historian also paid tribute to his sister, who he said was “the smartest person I have met”.

Pete said: “She was lush. She had worked in Africa for years. She was madly in love with where she lived and the people she worked with.

“She was professional and she was really brave. She would go to refugee camps, go to prisons and get people out of trouble.

“She did the work of international development and trying to empower people to create media organisations.

“She was also great craic, she loved a drink and was famous in Whitley Bay.”

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Kate’s family paid tribute following the inquest[/caption]

MYSTERIOUS smelly white blobs have been spotted on a popular UK beach with dog owners told to “keep away”.

Locals at Bournemouth beach found the “sticky” substance from Alum Chine all the way to Hengistbury Head. 

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Mysterious smelly white blobs have been spotted on Bournemouth beach[/caption]

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Many have speculated that it may be white paint, while others have suggested it could be palm oil[/caption]

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Beachgoers in Bournemouth have been advised to avoid the mystery substance and to keep children and dogs away[/caption]

The baffling find has seen many residents speculate on what the white blobs could be.

Multiple visitors to the beach have reported the find and have even shared snaps online.

Most people seem to believe that it is either clumps of white paint or palm oil.

Palm oil is a vegetable product that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees.

It’s used in food and cosmetics but, once in the sea, it can form solid lumps that then, potentially, washes up on shore.

Others said it smells like PVA glue. 

Meanwhile, some speculated that the substance – compared by some to dough – might be a fungus, mould, or wax.

However, Richard Herrett, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP) Council’s cabinet member for destination, leisure and commercial operations, said the council now believes it knows what the mystery substance is.

He said: “We have collected samples of the white substance which washed up along some of our coastline over the weekend, and our initial assessments suggest this to be white paint.

“Many of the deposits have now dispersed, but remnants could remain in some locations.

“We are continuing to actively monitor the situation and ask that beachgoers continue to avoid contact with the substance, keep children away and dogs on leads should they come across any remaining deposits.”

Resident Patricia Heath said she reported it to the Environment Agency on Saturday, February 22 after spotting it on a walk at Alum Chine.  

She said: “We came back and we had to wash our clothes.

“We have no idea what it is, but it’s sticky and my daughter got it all on her feet.

“It also smells a little, it’s really off-putting. It makes me so angry seeing this, you just think what are they dumping in our sea now?”

‘CONTAMINATION ON A MAJOR SCALE’

Julie-Anne Houldey has also reported it to the Environment Agency after seeing it at Hengistbury Head.

She said: “Apparently, BCP Council has identified the white stuff on the beaches from Southbourne to Hengistbury as paint.

“If it is, then this is contamination on a major scale and hopefully the Environment Agency will be investigating the source.”

A spokeswoman from the Environment Agency said: “We’re aware of this.

“We are currently waiting for results from samples the council has taken before deciding next steps.”

When similar blobs were washed up in 2014 in Cornwall, dozens of dogs needed treatment and several died.

A blob weighing nearly quarter of a ton and measuring several feet around was found on an Isle of Wight holiday beach in 2014.

It needed three people with a trolley to cart it off the sands at Hamstead beach, near Newtown.

In October 2013 in Cornwall, Zanzi, a miniature schnauzer dog, died after eating some of the palm oil, forcing the council to post signs warning of pollution.

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Some locals are angered at the potential ‘mass contamination’ roots of the mystery substance[/caption]

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BCP council believes the substance is likely to be paint[/caption]

VIRGIN Media customers must take note of some big channel changes coming to their TV boxes this week.

It includes some sad closures too.

Getty - Contributor

Virgin Media routinely adjusts its TV guide[/caption]

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Channel devoted to the Fast and Furious movies is coming[/caption]

As you may have heard, all viewers in the UK will lose access to Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 (channels 521 and 522 respectively).

After 35 years of broadcasting in the UK, the pair will end on Friday.

Much of their content will move to TNT Sports, with some free programmes remaining via the Quest channel.

But that’s not the only change this week.

Some channels are also having a routine revamp – though you’ll only notice the change if you subscribe to them.

Firstly, among the kids channels, both Nick Jr Too and Nicktoons are having a temporary shake-up.

On Friday, they’ll be known as Nick Jr Peppa and Nick Sponge Bob respectively.

They’ll still be available at 716 and 717 on Virgin Media.

And if you’re a Sky Cinema subscriber on Virgin TV, there are a trio of changes there too.

Sky Cinema Awards Season switches to Sky Cinema Ultimate Action on Virgin channel 402.

Meanwhile, Sky Cinema Action will become Sky Cinema Fast, showing all the Fast and Furious movies on number 407.

Finally, Sky Cinema Greats on 404 will become Sky Cinema Award Winners, tying in nicely right before the Oscars 2025 on March 3.

MANY British footballers keep to themselves and refuse to embrace local culture when they move abroad.

But not Jesse Lingard. The former Man Utd midfielder was released by Nottingham Forest in 2023, after an underwhelming time at the City Ground.

Rex

Jesse Lingard is living his best life in South Korea playing for FC Seoul[/caption]

Instagram

Instagram

By embracing local culture, Lingard has made himself a fan favourite[/caption]

He was stuck in a football free agent’s abyss, until he surprisingly moved to South Korean side FC Seoul in February 2024 on a two-year deal – taking a huge pay cut on £17,500-per-week. At Forest, he was was earning a whopping £180,000-per-week.

Although it was a tough start professionally, with coach Kim Gi-dong publicly criticising him for his fitness and a subsequent knee injury ruling him of action early on in his career, he soon won over the fans.

However, it isn’t just Lingard’s football skills that have scored him admirers in The Land of Han.

The midfielder has immersed himself in Asian culture – not just indulging in Korean BBQ – but also releasing music.

While, his epic social media posts – in partnership with CGI firm Vertex – have made him and the K League appear cool, as well as drawn millions of eyes through social media to his experience.

Asian football expert and author John Duerden has seen first hand the impact Lingard has had from his home in Seoul.

He told SunSport: “Not many foreign players make the national news in South Korea for actions on and off the pitch but Jesse Lingard has not been any normal signing.

“For a start, he is the biggest name import to play in the 42-year-old K League and, therefore, has had more expectations and pressure than others.

“In the early days, it looked as if it wasn’t going to happen at FC Seoul, one of the country’s big clubs that has struggled a little in recent years.

“He took time to settle, leading to a rebuke, of sorts, from the coach but most don’t appreciate how big a cultural difference there is between South Korea and the UK both on and off the pitch.

“Just take the weather, absolutely freezing in winter and very hot and very humid in the summer and then there is the rainy season.”

Culture club

Lingard adapted. After all, he would have been use to a rainy day or two in Manchester, so that wouldn’t have hurt.

But, he seemed particularly enamoured with the local culture and has brought cool to a country that is producing award-winning TV in shows like Squid Game.

No sooner had he made the move to the Far East, he was sharing his dining experiences on Instagram to his nine million followers.

Lingard then realised there was a market for a video diary of his career in South Korea, and he rebooted his YouTube channel last year.

On there, and on his Instagram, he has shared his epic lifestyle. From cruising on a boat to making music and creating epic CGI clips.

One of those clips dropped in December shows ‘J Lingz’ performing some kick ups, before volleying a ball into the sky towards a ribbon that drops a sheet to reveal a gold statue of his famous J-L hand celebration.

Another sees the ex-Three Lions winger show off his dance moves, before Moonwalking out of shot.

The former has been liked almost 4.5 million times, while the latter has drawn almost 240,000 likes since it was uploaded in November.

Lingard even found time to release his first rap single before the end of last year.

Kamsahamnida, which means ‘thank you’ in Korean, was well received by his fans and is incredibly catchy.

Duerden explained: “It is off the pitch though that Lingard has been different to any signing in the past.

“His music single Kamsahamnida was a surprise but his CGI video, released in December, attracted hundreds of millions of clicks, went down very well in Korea and made national news.

“Usual interactions with foreign players have usually not progressed much past questions such as ‘do you like kimchi?’ Or ‘how good is Son Heung-min?’ and comments about chopstick wielding competence. 

“This is not something that has happened in the K-League before, it is a competition that is solid but seen by many, at home and abroad, as lacking a little in the excitement and coolness stakes.

“Officials at Seoul and at league headquarters were delighted. Lingard may not rival some of the megastars in Saudi Arabia in terms of talent and achievements, but he has brought a certain coolness and street cred that wasn’t really thought about when Seoul decided to try and sign him.

“It helps that he is here at a time when there is huge global interest in Korean music, food, television, beauty products, fashion, technology and movies and getting involved in that culture is always going to go down well.

“Too many foreign players stay in their bubbles and rarely experience, let alone embrace, the culture. Lingard has shown what can be done. Like anywhere, the more you put in, the more you get out.”

Playing in the K League

In terms of his football, Lingard is clearly loving life on and off the pitch.

After scoring his first goal of the season, with the K-League running from February to November, he performed FIVE goal celebrations in the 2-1 win over Anyang.

Lingard’s popularity is bigger than ever, but it’s a tough league to adapt to.

Duerden explained: “Few coaches speak English and they have historically tended to be quite conservative tactically, liking to counter-attack and players who work hard, run hard and listen well.

“The league is of a good standard, physical and fast but you have to work for goals and games often only open up in the latter stages. 

“The average league attendance was 11,000 last season but with Lingard Seoul attracted over 27,000.

“The K League does not have the same central place in Korean culture as the Premier League in England but those that go are often hugely passionate and will support their players through thick and thin, if they give their all on the pitch.

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Lingard arrived in Asia to much fan fare and took a pay cut[/caption]

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Ex-England star Lingard suffered a set back when he required knee surgery last year[/caption]

Rex

“There is no doubt that Lingard has done this and his performances have improved. Being made captain in June and then officially getting the nod ahead of his second season was a reflection of that. Seoul coach Kim Gi-dong is not the type to hand out the armband on a whim.

“The new season has started well with a goal in the first home game in front of 40,000 fans. 

 “It looks as if there is more to come.”