A quick catch up on today’s top stories…
1) Ofori-Atta’s firing should be the first measure on govt’s list to restore the economy – Amaliba
A member of the legal team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abraham Amaliba, has described the press conference by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, as a waste of time, calling for him to be sacked.
He believes Ofori-Atta’s dismissal should have been at the top of government’s list of solutions for the current economic crisis because for him, all the economic mess the country is currently is due to the ineptitude of the finance minister.
2) Minority notifies Police on picketing at KIA over COVID-19 test
The Minority in Parliament has notified the Accra Regional Police command of their impending demonstrations and picketing at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in Accra if the government does not make COVID-19 test free.
In the notice, the Minority added that the protest is also against what they described as the continuous illegal unconscionable and extortionist COVID-19 antigen testing at KIA. They said the series of protests and picketing will start from 30th March 2022 and they will converge at the precincts of the Airport from 2pm to 6pm each day.
3) Tesla recalls 947 U.S. vehicles over delay in rearview image display, NHTSA says
Tesla Inc is recalling 947 vehicles in the United States because the rearview image may not immediately display when they begin to reverse, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said.
The automaker told the NHTSA the recall covers some 2018-2019 Model S, Model X, and 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles equipped with Autopilot Computer 2.5 and operating certain firmware releases. The vehicles do not comply with a federal safety standard on rear visibility. Tesla will perform an over-the-air software update to address the issue.
4) Oscars ceremony to feature ‘respectful’ moment about Ukraine
As Hollywood’s A-list celebrities gather for their annual celebration of the movies at Sunday’s Academy Awards, the live telecast also will recognize the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Organizers provided few details on Thursday but said there would be a moment during the Oscars ceremony that would acknowledge the invasion, which has killed thousands and driven a quarter of Ukraine’s 44 million people from their homes.
5) [Formula One] Leclerc heads Verstappen in opening Saudi practice
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the pace ahead of Red Bull’s world champion Max Verstappen in Friday’s opening Formula One practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The Monegasque, who took victory ahead of team mate Carlos Sainz in last week’s season-opening race in Bahrain, lapped the 6.1-km Jeddah Corniche track in one minute 30.772 seconds. Verstappen, who was on course for second place in Bahrain before being sidelined by a fuel system problem three laps from the race’s end, was 0.116 seconds adrift with Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas third. Sainz was fourth.
