A quick catch up on today’s top stories…
1) At least 13 confirmed dead, casualties of the Apiate explosion skyrocket to 179
The Ghana Police service have said that 13 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the massive explosion at Apiate with 179 casualties. The police speaking following the incident confirmed that there have been 45 referrals to Tarkwa Government hospital, “among the referrals, 3 have been sent to Komfo Anokye teaching hospital”.
They further indicated that though there were lots of casualties and people moving towards the accident scene, they were able to handle the situation. “With the help of the tricycles (Pragya) we were able to convey a lot of them, and then the Ghana Ambulance Service also came. As we speak now, they have been sent to three hospitals and medics; that is Aseda Specialists Hospital; Prestea Health Centre; and Inner City Clinic,” he added.
2) Twitter debuts hexagon-shaped NFT profile pictures
Twitter announced the launch of a tool through which users can showcase non-fungible tokens (NFTs)as their profile pictures, tapping into a digital collectibles craze that has exploded over the past year.
The feature, available on iOS to users of the company’s Twitter Blue subscription service, connects their Twitter accounts to crypto wallets where the users store NFT holdings. Twitter displays the NFT profile pictures as hexagons, differentiating them from the standard circles available to other users. Tapping on the pictures prompts details about the art and its ownership to appear.
3) Italy rescues more than 300 migrants from boat in distress
The Italian coastguard rescued 305 migrants who were trying to reach Europe aboard an overloaded boat that ran into difficulty off the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, a statement said on Friday.
Two coastguard units reached the boat about 20 miles from the Italian coast. Those rescued included 17 women and 6 minors. The operation was particularly complex due to the small size of the vessel and worries it could capsize due to the excessive number of people on board, the coastguard statement said.
4) Grammy Awards set to hold on April 3 in Las Vegas
The Grammy Awards ceremony honoring top performances in music has been rescheduled for April 3 in Las Vegas, the Recording Academy and broadcaster CBS said in a statement.
The awards had been set to take place on Jan. 31 in downtown Los Angeles, but organizers scrapped that date as the Omicron variant sparked a new wave of COVID-19 infections. Comedian Trevor Noah will host the ceremony, which will be televised and streamed live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
5) Champion Osaka flushed out by big-hitting American Anisimova
American Amanda Anisimova, ranked 60th in the world, saved two matchpoints and smashed winners at will to beat reigning champion Naomi Osaka 4-6 6-3 7-6 (10-5) in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday.
Anisimova produced a superb display to knock out the Japanese and disappoint those who had been salivating at the prospect of a fourth-round showdown between the four-times major winner and Australian world number one Ash Barty. “I just want to soak in this moment,” Anisimova told reporters. “I’m just extremely happy. It was an amazing match. It was very close.”
