A quick catch up on today’s top stories…
1) UG-UTAG to embark on indefinite strike from January 3
The University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UG-UTAG) has declared its intention to embark on an indefinite industrial action from January 3, 2022 to press home their demands for better conditions of service.
In a statement signed by its president and general secretary, UG-UTAG explained that it was not in support of the decision by national UTAG to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with government that pegged Research Allowance to USD 1600 payable in 2024 and a proposal for Government to complete a Labour Market Survey Report to determine the review of the Interim Market Premium by December 2021 for implementation in 2022.
2) Foreign Affairs Ministry imposes 2-week travel ban on South Korea, Israel arrivals
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has in two separate press releases imposed a two-week temporal travel restriction on travelers arriving from Israel and South Korea.
The restriction takes effect today Monday December 20, 2021. According to the statement, travelers from Israel would only be admitted into the country after obtaining permission from the ministry on “exceptional humanitarian cases or during official travels.”
3) Big Sean drags Kanye West for refusing to pay him his ‘millions’
Big Sean is calling out his mentor Kanye West for failing to pay him for his work, saying that the Donda rapper owed him ‘millions’, reported The Daily Mail. The “Blessings” hit-maker opened up about his strained relations with Kanye during a lengthy chat on the show Drink Champs, detailing how his record deal with Kanye’s G.O.O.D Music label, which he ended this year, was ‘unfair’.
“If you up billions and you owe me this money that probably ain’t nothing to him. That’s life-changing money for me,” said Sean, detailing that Kanye still owes him around $6 million.
Sean added that he decided to run an audit after Roc Nation CEO Jay Brown described his record deal as “worst he’s ever seen.” “I put at least 30 million in this man’s pocket or more and he owes me money and he’s up billions.”
4) Biennial World Cup would raise extra $4.4bn FIFA delegates told
International football leaders were told by FIFA on Monday that a switch to a biennial World Cup would create an extra $4.4 billion in revenues for the world body. FIFA is holding a ‘global summit’ of leaders of national football federations to discuss their proposal to increase the frequency of the World Cup from every four years to every two.
The financial data forms part of an overall feasibility study which FIFA is presenting on Monday. No vote is planned from the event which forms part of FIFA’s consultation process. The upbeat reports are in marked contrast to analysis put forward by critics of the proposals.
5) UK records 12 deaths, 104 people hospitalised
Twelve people have died with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, and 104 are currently in hospital with it, Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab told Times Radio on Monday.
Pfizer Inc said on Friday the COVID-19 pandemic could extend through next year and announced plans to develop a three-dose vaccine regimen for children ages 2 to 16, a move that could delay its authorisation.
