Apple releases two versions of the new iPhone 6

Apple has announced its newest smartphones:
two different versions of the iPhone 6. They're both bigger, ridiculously thin and, of course, beautiful.
Rumors have been swirling for months about the phone’s features and what it looks like. Today we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief because we’ve got all the details for
you.

First up is the iPhone 6, measuring 6.9mm. The phone’s screen has one million pixels and measures 4.7 inches.
Next up is the “bigger” iPhone 6, or iPhone Plus, which measures a mere 7.1 mm wide.
The iPhone 6 Plus’s screen has two million pixels. Its Retina HD display ushers in a new generation of visual technology and measures
5.5 inches.

Apple has moved the power button on both iPhones to the side, so it’s easier to reach.
The phones also include a one-handed mode that enables users to swipe between windows.
The new phones are 50 percent faster than the original generation.
Apple’s pretty proud of its latest achievement.
In a statement, CEO Tim Cook said,

We are launching the biggest

advancement in the history of iPhone… It is truly the most beautiful phone you have ever seen.

-elitedaily

Source : 233times

Okaitei to receive World Poetry Theatre Ambassador Award in Canada

Ghanaian poet and playwright, Oswald George
Okaitey, has been selected to feature and receive a World Poetry Theatre Ambassador Award at the
fourth World Poetry Canada International Peace Festival.

In a letter to Okaitey informing him about the award, Ariadne Sawyer, host and co-founder of
World Poetry Festival said: “We are honoured to invite you to be a featured poet and receive a
World Poetry Theatre Ambassador Award at the fourth World Poetry Canada International peace
Festival.

“You are also invited to be a featured guest on the World Poetry Café Radio Show on CFRO, read
at other World Poetry events and present to other community events during the festival.”
Okaitey, who is responsible for works like In the Bag of a Woman, Nkrumah Might Be Right, Who Stole the Casket and In Man’s Libido would also take the opportunity to launch his latest book, Mandela; The Soul of His Earth at the festival.

Each selected poet will present their poetry, launch book and present their film to be part of a panel discussion.

This year’s event is scheduled for October 6 to October 26 at the University of British Columbia,
will bring together international poets and local multicultural poetry groups.

Source : Ghanaweb

Just in: Daley Blind now a Man United player!

PHOTO: Chicharito completes loan move to Real Madrid

Farewell Shinji Kagawa!

Borussia Dortmund have announced the
signing of Shinji Kagawa for £6.3m from
Manchester United on a four-year contract.
The Japanese was deemed surplus to
requirements by the new Manchester United
manager, Louis van Gaal, and has struggled
to find a place in the XI ever since arriving
from Dortmund in 2012 for around £14m.
Manchester United are keen to offload high-
earning fringe players after the purchase of
Ángel di María for £59.7m and the futures of
Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley and Javier
Hernández hang in the balance on Monday
while Van Gaal is already working on targets
to sign in January as the manager believes
the squad requires further rebuilding.
Van Gaal has not ruled out a late move for
Juventus’s Arturo Vidal or any further
strengthening before 11pm on Monday
despite high-ranking sources at United
claiming there is a “very low probability” of
more signings. Daley Blind’s confirmation as
a United player, assuming he passes a
medical and agrees personal terms, for
around £15m from Ajax will take the summer
spend to £145.7m, with Luke Shaw, Ander
Herrera, Marcos Rojo and Ángel di María
having already joined.
Tottenham Hotspur are the favourites to sign
Welbeck, with Arsenal’s need for a striker
following Olivier Giroud’s long-term injury
potentially tempting them to consider the 24-
year-old. However Welbeck may remain at
United, as may Cleverley, who is wanted by
Aston Villa. The midfielder’s contract expires
in May and, although he earns a basic
£30,000 a week, considerable add-ons make
his United deal lucrative so he is considering
whether to stay and leave as a free agent in
May, should he still be out of favour.
Hernández is of interest to Juventus.
Despite United sources saying that Van Gaal
is “pleased” with the summer recruits, the
Dutchman is already thinking about January
and the next summer window. As reported
by the Guardian in June Kevin Strootman ,
who is recovering from a serious knee injury,
is the prime target for the winter window,
with the Roma midfielder keen on a move to United.

Source : The Guardian

FALCAO TO UNITED...

More on the big signing of the day: FALCAO
Here's so more detail regarding the Radamel Falcao deal:

- Wages are yet to be finalised but that isn't expected to be a problem.

- Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck will both be sold TODAY.

- United have moved for Falcao after fears of persistent niggling injuries that have been bothering Robin van Persie.

Source : Daily mail 

TRANSFER : Micah Richards set to move to Fiorentina

Micah Richards to Fiorentina looking good...

The latest from Sami Mokbel:

'Micah Richards has landed in Florence and all going well should complete his loan move to Fiorentina in the next few hours.

'It's a loan with a view to a permanent.'

Source: Daily mail

EBOLA DRUG ZMAPP 100% EFFECTIVE IN MONKEY TRIAL

Experimental ebola drug ZMapp has cured all of
the infected monkeys it was tested on, lifting
hopes it could be used to fight West Africa's
deadliest ever outbreak.
Scientists reported the drug healed all 18
monkeys who were given a lethal dose of the
virus.
According to the study, published by the journal
Nature, the monkeys were treated with ZMapp
three to five days after they were infected and
when most were showing symptoms.
Even those suffering advanced symptoms like
rashes, liver dysfunction and haemorrhaging and
were just hours from death survived.
No other experimental ebola drug has ever shown
success in primates so long after infection, with
five days equal to between nine and 11 days after
infection in humans.
Three monkeys who were not offered the
treatment, produced by San Diago-based Mapp
Biopharmaceutical, died by day eight.
"The level of improvement was utterly beyond my
honest expectation," said one study leader, Gary
Kobinger of the Public Health Agency of Canada in
Winnipeg.
In a commentary published by Nature, virologist
Thomas Geisbert of the University of Texas
Medical Branch, described the results as a
"monumental success."
It was the first time the drug was tested on
primates.
Although it is not known whether the success will
be replicated on people, who can take up to 21
days to show symptoms, Mapp has already begun
producing more of the drug ready for scientific
human testing.
The company has no more doses of ZMapp, which
is grown in tobacco plants and takes several
months to produce.
The final doses were given to seven people
infected with the virus in recent weeks.
Two American aid workers were among five people
who survived after being given the drug.
Their physicians do not know whether it was
instrumental in their recovery as roughly half of
those infected during West Africa's recent
outbreak have recovered naturally.
A Liberian doctor infected with the virus died
this week despite being given the drug, as did a
Spanish priest.
It comes after researchers revealed the outbreak
may have started at a funeral in Sierra Leone.
According to the World Health Organisation
(WHO), 1,552 people of 3,069 confirmed ebola
cases have died.
WHO says there could be as many as 20,000 cases
before the virus is brought under control.
There is no approved vaccine or treatment beyond
keeping patients hydrated and nourished.
The virus spread to a fifth African country on
Friday, with Senegal reporting that a university
student who had travelled from Guinea was being
treated.

Source: Sky News

Happy New Month!

One (1) Month gone already, we thank God for his grace, love and protection. He didn't remove His subsidy so we are grateful. May you enjoy the best of the next 30 days! 

DEADLINE DAY BROUHAHA

Deadline days for me are the best days in the transfer window. It is that day where the impossible transfers happen and without doubt the fever of moving to a new club is fathomed greatly. It is that day that football agents and football players get busy the most. But it is also a time where some newspapers also try to seek attention and not only that but to seek more followers of the great game by creating rumours. How ironic!

On that note, a few players are on the verge of a move during the past week. Radamel Falcao is a player that has been linked to Real Madrid since last week. A few clubs in England (Arsenal and Man City)  are reported to  be linked also.
Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez is reported to have favoured a move to Real Madrid, whether a loan move or a permanent one is yet to be known.

Daley Blind is also having medical at Man United and announcement awaits today. A few rumours are going round also with Man United trying to obtain the signature of these list of players : AC Milan's Niger De Jong, Juve's Arturo Vidal and Willy Carvalho from Sporting Lisbon. By the end of the transfer window (23:00 GMT)  one of these players will be a United player.

Chelsea triggered the release clause for QPR's striker Loic Remy and have signed him for £10.5 million after offloading Fernando Torres to AC Milan on a two year loan deal.

According to Sky sports Jermaine Dafoe is set for a move to Newcastle.

All these and more will come to an end this evening. Watch this space!

OUR ROADS NEED EXPANSION AND PROPER INFRASTRUCTURE

Where Should We Park....?

This is a one of few questions that citizens who own private cars ask the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) City guards and National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) who tow their car just because they unlawfully parked their vehicle at opposite side of the designated markings on the roads. An extract from modernghana.com as of 11th December, 2013 with the headline "Operation Let the Traffic Flow"

The Mayor of Accra gave the warning a year ago during the official launch of the "Operation let the traffic flow", he said, “It is unlawful for any person, as owner, operator, or driver, to cause or permit any vehicle to be parked in the overtime or beyond the lawful period of time in any applicable resolution, or to remain parked in any parking space unless a signal showing legal parking is displayed by the applicable adjacent parking meter".

Greater Accra like any other region is a busy place where business activities take place. Lots of businesses (stores) are scattered all over the place, especially the Accra-Central area with some businesses being owned by foreign nationals and Ghanaians. No one is disputing the idea of the operation 'let the traffic flow' slogan. But with the current roads we have in Greater Accra, and with the number of vehicles being owned by private and business persons increasing by the year, these laws are bound to be broken.

My concern is that the Mayor must embark on expansion of roads to accommodate these situations. Adequate road plans must be implemented to take care of these difficulties. I have personally witnessed the verbal exchanges that go on in that area due to the size of the road and with the parking spaces which gets filled. Some of the vehicle owners who fall prey to the law are left no choice because there are no parking spaces left because they want to purchase a particular commodity and wouldn’t spend more than ten minutes. This sometimes ends up in a fight with injuries incurred by both parties. These towing officers pounce on these drivers without listening to the pleas as to why they parked there. Some of the drivers are being sent by store owners in that area to unload their goods. Therefore, they are forced to park at an illegal space because there is no parking space for them to unload their goods.

This problem must be tackled with stern actions because it is becoming a worry to citizens and passersby and drivers as well. The country is undergoing economic problems at the moment. But I hope Dr. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije is placing adequate measures to solve this problem. It’s been a year now and no preparation has been put to practice to solve this issue. Let’s make Greater Accra a better place and free from accidents and unnecessary fights.  

Extract taken from: m.modernghana.com 

Extract credited to : Prosper Agbenyega 

POETRY PLAY- IN THE BAG OF A WOMAN

Tonight's play promises to be a good one I must admit. I've been to a couple of Oswald's plays and I can testify that there is this uniqueness about this individual. How he thinks, sense of awareness, and a hunger to resurrect poetry performance in Ghana. I see him to be a perfectionist. Not by his physical being, but by his works. I'm talking of a winner of the WORLD POETRY CANADA INTERNATIONAL PRIZE. And his latest work in poetry is dedicated to the late African-American writer Maya Angelou.

There are lots of poets like him but the system is not paving way for most of them. But they are striving hard, which is a good thing. Don't want to delve into the hustle of a young and upcoming poets, playwright's and spoken artists for now.

In the bag of a woman as the title depicts is basically the contents in a bag of women and the hassle they go through to keep those stuff in their bags. This play is a must watch and I personally will be there.

"In the world
Of the guiltless, where everyone is guilty;
A world created
In a world of a woman that exposes treachery
hidden in darkness...
In the world
Kept in the arm...or pit of a woman
And enough
To run its own affairs...
In The Bag Of A Woman... "

By: Oswald Okaitei

This evening @ 7pm, the bag of a woman shall be
exposed @ the National Theatre...

"LONG VACATION"

So I've been off this blog for quite some number of months. It's been close to seven months I last blogged. That's a lot of time. But it's just amazing how time flies!
Obviously I need to brief you all on what has been on the news but most of you probably know them.
Concerning sports, football/soccer to be precise, my team has had a terrible season last campaign. Thanks to David Moyes for that horrendous period. It's quite unfortunate he was sacked after causing so much damage to my beloved team Manchester United. We now have a new Manager in the person of Louis Van Gaal. Great manager by all standards. 

That been said, there has also been lots of stuff that has passed during my 'seven month vacation' concerning arts, celebrity stuff (not my thing really), economic hardship, bizarre deaths/loss of famous people in Ghana and of course the World cup! Who forgets that?!

Football (friendlies and preseason) is also on going and the season is close to commencement this weekend(EPL). Other leagues across Europe are also gearing up for the new season ahead. Some of the football heavy weights have paid huge sums of money to acquire the best players at the moment. Talk of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, PSG etc. Transfer window is still opened and various clubs are getting deals done before the window is shut.

I'm also looking forward to the great league games that will be played across Europe. And I have a feeling that Spain and probably the  German league matches will be a surprise aside England.

So a brief of what has been the headlines in the football world are firstly, Chelsea offloading David Luiz to PSG, and bringing in top quality players like Fabregas, Diego Costa and his former counter part at Athletico, Felipe Luis.
Real Madrid have also brought in World cup stars in James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos. They also offloaded their Goal keeper Diego Lopez. What a bummer!
Barcelona managed to snatch Luiz Suarez from Liverpool making their side a palatable attacking force if the front three in Neymar, Messi and Suarez are on the same pitch.
Bayern Munich also got Lewandowski from Dortmund for free. Dortmund also signed Adrian Ramos and Ciro Immobile to fill the void left by Lewy. Manchester United have also acquired the services of Lake Shaw and Ander Herrera.
City have also completed the signing of French international Eliquiam Mangala, Fernando from FC Porto.

So in conclusion, next season is going to be a great campaign in terms of football wise. Looks like top teams have been busy this summer. The transfer window is still opened and watch this space for the transfer deadline!

I'm out!

BIG TEST FOR DAVID MOYES...as transfer deadline draws closer

Big Test for David Moyes… as transfer deadline draws closer.

Its 19 days into the January transfer window and Ed Woodward and co. are yet to sign a midfield player. A few people/fans might know getting a certain player from the lot that will fit into the United team is difficult during this period. I agree with worried fans that a midfield class is needed right now. All I can say is patience is the key. And certainly David Moyes needs time, regardless of the matches we lose and draw via poor performance on the pitch.

Today sets to be a big test for David Moyes as his side travel to London for the second leg fixture in the Barclays Premier League. The two sides have met at the Stamford Bridge 76 times out of which Manchester United  have won 33 times while Chelsea have won 23 times.

                                           Jose Mourinho's first #BPL win at home to Manchester United in August 2004

Jose Mourinho puts his long unbeaten home league run on the line today as the Blues host the Red Devils. This match promises to be scintillating game as it represents a side in the worst form in their history as a football club and a side in fine form and dangerous form and with a great manager to top it.

This match for Moyes might be a survival as the Red Devils look to regain their form at the expense of the Blues to kick starts their title challenge to premier league considering how his squad plagued with injuries to his big stars RVP and Wayne Rooney.

In a recent press conference ahead of the Chelsea game, the Chosen One said “A lot of the work (scouting) we’re doing now is for the summer, what we’re going to do in the summer and what we’re getting ready for. But if we can do any business now, we’ll certainly try to do it. That’s n o question. I’m sure all the supporters, those who understand the level of players we’re looking for, will know a lot of them might not be available until summertime.”

With injuries to United’s major stars; RVP and Rooney, this match looks a struggling one for United, and with the boss claiming he is scouting for players makes me wonder if the January transfer window is meant for signing or scouting. Only Ed Woodward 

and David can answer this question. Time is running out for United as there is 12 more days to the deadline. As I keep saying, let’s hope Moyes and co. will get a player for United. 

Match starts at 16:00 GMT.

MANCHESTER UNITED MUST STRENGTHEN MIDFIELD

UNITED MUST STRENGTHEN MIDFIELD NOW!!!  

Personally, I think United need to strengthen their midfield; a world class midfielder is desperately needed if United want to salvage a spot in the league and thereby qualifying for champions league next season. Not only do I think so, but I can bet my last cedi that every United fan in the world share the same sentiments. Except the 'Moyes Out' band wagons. I don't agree with them but I understand them. Moyes needs time I agree but the right thing must be done. 

Our midfield play has been shambles this season. Forget the transitional period, what must be done must be done! With the calibre of players we have, I'd say they are average players. We need fresh bloods. And it should be now. 

Technically we need at least two players in every department of the team except the striking department. There are enough talent there for the next five years. 

One thing I don't agree with David Moyes is the fact that he keeps playing through the wings. Don't get me wrong, I know traditionally, United play through the wings. Wing play has been the backbone of United for decades. Moyes in my opinion should avoid playing through the flanks considering how poor our wingers have been this season. Injuries may be a factor, but I understand most of them are a result of  Moyes' hard training. That issue will be settled at the end of the season. 

Our wingers have failed us terribly. Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia and Nani have been terrible this season. With the exception of Adnan Januzaj the rest must step up their game. Yesterday's match against Sunderland in the Capital One Cup Semi-final at The Stadium of Light first leg was a testament to how our midfield needs strengthening. And I need not point out the on and off form of Antonio Valencia. I feel United should try playing through the middle. I don't have to give a formation to Moyes on playing through the middle.

With the likes of Shinji Kagawa, the return of Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick, Cleverly and possibly Ryan Giggs and not forgetting Adnan Januzaj can make a strong midfield squad. Agree?  These guys can minimize the ever-needed midfield problems United are currently facing. Until a world class or a creative midfielder has been signed, David Moyes should adopt this type of play. 

But frankly speaking, he doesn't look like signing anyone in this transfer period. There are rumours going on about Fabio Coentrao. But it seems Moyes is denying it that nothing concrete has been agreed upon yet. A player of Fabio  Coentrao is not a bad deal, but a midfield enforcer is much more pressing than a left back.
The transfer market is still open, let us hope Ed Woodward and Moyes sign someone.