Latest news with #Ghana
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bournemouth refuse to budge on Semenyo fee - Saturday's gossip
Bournemouth stand firm with their valuation of Antoine Semenyo, Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite set to sign new contract while Bryan Mbeumo makes Manchester United intentions clear. Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham have all been put off Bournemouth's price tag for 25-year-old Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo with the Cherries demanding £70m. (The I - subscription required) Advertisement Arsenal are hopeful of agreeing a deal to sign 21-year-old Spanish defender Cristhian Mosquera after holding talks with Valencia. (Guardian) Cameroon midfielder Bryan Mbeumo, 25, has informed Brentford and Tottenham of his decision to sign for Manchester United if he makes a transfer this summer. (The Athletic - subscription required) Everton's 23-year-old England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite is set to sign a new five-year contract, with the Toffees also optimistic Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye, 35, will sign a one-year deal. (Times - subscription required) Bundesliga side RB Leipzig are the latest club to have expressed their interest in English midfielder Harvey Elliott, 22, if he is to leave Liverpool this summer, with Brighton and West Ham also among suitors. (Mirror) Advertisement Feyenoord midfielder Antoni Milambo is set to become Keith Andrews' first signing as Brentford boss, with the Bees in advanced talks to sign the 20-year-old Dutch attacking midfielder. (London Evening Standard) Leeds United have opened preliminary talks with Juventus and Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz, 27, over a move to the newly promoted Premier League club this summer. (Calciomercato - in Italian) West Ham are interested in signing 22-year-old United States midfielder Yunus Musah from AC Milan, with Nottingham Forest also holding talks with the former England youth international. (Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian) However, Forest have ended their interest in 25-year-old Juventus winger Timothy Weah after the United States international rejected the club's contract proposal. Forest had agreed a deal of about £19m with the Italian club for Weah and Belgian winger Samuel Mbangula, 21. (ESPN) Advertisement Newcastle are set to increase their offer for Brighton's Joao Pedro after a £50m bid for the 23-year-old Brazil striker was rejected. (Talksport) Aston Villa face competition from Italian duo Juventus and Lazio for 23-year-old Lens midfielder Neil El Aynaoui, a Morocco Under-23 international. (Calciomercato - in Italian) Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze is among the forward players Arsenal are interested in signing, with Tottenham also keen on the 26-year-old England international. (Sky Sports)
ABC News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Walker, Amartey, Quaynor, Idun — the rise of Ghanaian-Australian players in the AFL
When Collingwood's Isaac Quaynor went to his father's hometown in Ghana for the first time as a 10-year-old, he was welcomed with love and warmth by his extended family, instantly connecting to his cultural roots. He was also greeted with something he wasn't expecting, being called 'obrouni'. Obrouni is a term in Ghanaian language Twi that directly translates to those who come from over the horizon. But colloquially, it refers to a white person. It isn't intended as a derogatory remark, simply a way to signify difference. But for a Melbourne-born kid who considered himself Ghanaian-Australian, it was a jarring experience. "Growing up I didn't really know that I was different, but I kind of did at the same time. It was an awkward one," he told ABC Sport. "I was like, maybe this will be the place I feel like I really fit in ... I was so naive to what was going on. "When I was over there all the village kids were coming past and standing at the gates (looking at me) like I was a zoo animal." While his trip overall was a great experience, it's representative of a lifelong journey Quaynor has dealt with. The 25-year-old grew up with a Ghanaian born dad, and white mum, in a household surrounded by Ghanaian culture. He went to church on Sundays like many kids growing up in Ghana would. His family was a regular to Ghanaian community events. His story is familiar to many people who grow up biracial, not knowing exactly where they fit. In Australia — seen as not 'Australian enough', in Ghana perceived as an outsider. But Quaynor has embraced the positives in his story, helping him form connections throughout his life. "I can relate with lots of different types of people as a result," he said. It was a life changing experience for Quaynor to spend time with his grandma before she died, gaining perspective that he has grown to appreciate the older he has gotten. In recent years, Quaynor has found a place where he feels he fits perfectly, the AFL. It's the same for Joel Amartey of the Sydney Swans, Connor Idun of GWS and Brandon Walker of Fremantle. Four players with different stories but with shared heritage rooted in Ghana. Walker spent the early part of his life in Ghana raised by a white-Australian dad and a Ghanaian mum. Quaynor, Amartey and Idun all grew up in Victoria with Ghanaian fathers, and white mothers. For Idun, discovering his cultural heritage has been an ongoing process, but one that has progressed more in recent years. His dad Zac was born in the UK, to Ghanaian parents who had immigrated to the country before his birth. The 24-year-old was also born in the UK and moved to Australia with his mum at a young age, growing up in Geelong, a city with a very small African population. "At times it was embarrassing, I didn't know my heritage and I wasn't able to be proud of where I come from, but that's what makes this journey so special," Idun told ABC Sport. "I have a Ghanaian middle name Kwamena which I never really said, I just said Connor Joshua Idun. But (now) I'm very proud to be Connor Joshua Kwamena Idun." The rekindling of his relationship to his culture came when he saw his UK-based dad and brother for the first time in 10 years, when they came to watch him play last year. The weight of the moment was clear to see with both men describing the emotional toll heading into the game. The reconnection with his dad has opened Idun's eyes to another "realm of family" he never knew before. "I'm in a WhatsApp with the Iduns, there's 30 or 40 in a group chat that does not stop," he said. "(It means a lot) knowing I'm playing for something bigger than myself, and it's going to be Ghanaians in West Sydney that are watching me. "Giving them someone to look up to and be proud of and hopefully I can help them discover their passions early and be proud of their heritage earlier than I was. "Meeting other Ghanaians, they're all pretty similar to me. I always wondered why I'm so bubbly and loud." For Fremantle's Brandon Walker, his early childhood memories are filled with the noise of the busy streets of Kumasi, Ghana, after spending the first five years of his life in the country's Ashanti region. Walker and his twin brother Chris would make their way to school in the early morning enjoying a Ghanaian doughnut called a puff puff. The family eventually relocated to Perth, where Walker was surrounded by a wide range of different cultures. "When you go to school you lean to different cultures, you've got your mates that are from the same place ... I've had a lot of mates (who are) mixed-race people as well." With a mum that is "very protective, very strict, with very good morals", Walker credits her for ensuring that he was raised to be a good person. Even though his mum didn't know much about Aussie Rules when arriving in Perth, she's now a vocal supporter on game day. "She tries to stay home to watch most of the games because she's very extroverted. She'll be yelling at the screen and stuff like that, she's funny, she enjoys it," he said. In Ghana, soccer is a way of life and is a great connection between dads and sons, something which Sydney's Joel Amartey relates to. Amartey and his dad Clemente shared in the 'traumatic experience' watching Ghana lose to Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals. Amartey's dad may have wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become the next Asamoah Gyan, but those dreams were dashed when Amartey traded one football game for another. "I don't think he talked to me for about two months when I outgrew soccer," Amartey joked. "He played for the professional league in Ghana growing up, so he was very adamant I played soccer." Amartey also absorbed valuable insights from his dad by osmosis. "I don't speak the language but hearing my dad on the phone growing up shouting from the other room. I don't know how a man can call so many people during the day," he laughed. The youngest of three siblings, his sisters helped teach him what it is to be Ghanaian. "I've only really started to learn these little things (about the culture) the last few years. It's tough to learn but that's the beauty in it." Although the Ghanaian community is small in the AFL, the support and guidance of other African players like Port Adelaide's Aliir Aliir, who has South Sudanese heritage, have been influential in Amartey's journey. "He's so expressive in himself about where he's from and I think I looked up to that and tried to take a few things he did and move on forward with it," Amartey said. "What all the Indigenous boys do with their culture and their heritage and the way they grow up and how they've come together there is so many of them, I think as African players we look to those guys and see what they have done for their people and I think we can do the same for us." A game so easily identified with Australian culture found its way into the home of first-generation Australians finding a love and skill for the game. That eventually extended to their parents, who found new ways to bond with their sons. "(Dad's) the biggest fan ever, loves watching football ... comes to all the games,' Quaynor said. "Someone was telling me he had his phone out recording for like half the game the other week and I was like what are you doing? "He's so proud, definitely come a long way." They're not just passing the game onto their parents, with these players' representation also ensuring the game's growth in other communities. "My extended family now start watching," Amartey said. "They still don't really know what's going on, but they know what a goal is and the team wins and that's how it starts." In recent years, the AFL has put a greater emphasis on promoting the game in multicultural communities. Amartey, Quaynor and Walker have been a testament to this, coming through the AFL Next Generation Academy – an initiative between the AFL and clubs to create more opportunities for boys in multicultural and Indigenous communities. "When we do camps with NGA kids seeing how happy they are to be there and the opportunity they get to be involved it's a great opportunity for them and they grab it with two hands," Walker said. The work has extended to clubs working to foster more inclusive environments that celebrate the individual cultures of their players. "The Swans here are awesome. They're very open minded and help put things in place that help you discover your heritage, or don't try and squash it down or put it to the side," Amartey said. "Toby Greene's always wearing the Ghanaian soccer jersey from the World Cup. I got some Ghanaian budgies made-up and things like that for the boys." GWS vice-captain Stephen Coniglio has also played a role in Idun's journey, the club leader who has proud Italian heritage encouraged his teammate to learn more about his culture and be proud of where he comes from. He may have been first in the competition, but that is not where Quaynor wants his legacy to end. "I have this dream ... to organise something through the AFL (with other African players)," he said. "I'd love to be able to take some footies over to some African countries and Ghana being one of them." The return to Ghana could signify an opportunity for Quaynor to introduce a sport that has changed his life, to a community his shared heritage connects him to, potentially changing the life of another.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Corn Seeing Buying Ahead the Weekend
Corn futures are trading with contracts 4 to 6 cents higher at Friday's midday, as traders square up ahead of the Friday USDA reports. The front month CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price is up 5 3/4 cents at $3.92 3/4. Ahead of the USDA Grain Stocks report, analysts estimate a total of 4.625 billion bushels of corn in stocks on June 1. That would be down 372 mbu from the year prior if realized. The range of estimates is at 4.459 to 4.798 bbu. Monday's Acreage report is expected to show 95.4 million acres for corn according to a Bloomberg survey, up ~200,000 acres from March. Coffee Prices Move Higher as the Dollar Falls Cocoa Prices Jump as Ghana Cuts its Cocoa Production Forecast Sugar Prices Tumble on an Expected Global Sugar Surplus Get exclusive insights with the FREE Barchart Brief newsletter. Subscribe now for quick, incisive midday market analysis you won't find anywhere else. Export Sales data has total commitments at 67.574 MMT, which is 99% of USDA's full year projection and slightly behind the 100% average sales pace. Statistics Canada data from this morning showed estimated Canadian corn acreage at 3.732 million acres, up 2.2% from a year ago. Jul 25 Corn is at $4.15 1/2, up 6 cents, Nearby Cash is at $3.92 3/4, up 5 3/4 cents, Sep 25 Corn is at $4.09, up 5 cents, Dec 25 Corn is at $4.25 1/4, up 4 1/4 cents, New Crop Cash is at $3.82 1/2, up 4 1/2 cents, On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on
Times of Oman
14 hours ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
Indian PM Modi to embark on five nation-visit from July 2, attend BRICS Summit in Brazil
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a five-nation visit from July 2, during which he will attend the BRICS Summit and hold meetings with leaders of Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina and Namibia to strengthen bilateral ties. During the visit, PM Modi is expected to address the parliaments of Trinidad and Tobago and Namibia. The Prime Minister will start his five-nation visit with Ghana. This will be the Prime Minister's first bilateral visit to the African country. During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold talks with the President of Ghana to review the strong bilateral partnership and discuss further avenues to enhance it through economic, energy, and defence collaboration, and development cooperation partnership. This visit will reaffirm the shared commitment of the two countries to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen India's engagement with the ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] and the African Union, a Ministry of External Affairs release said. Visit of Indian Prime Minister to Ghana is taking place after three decades. PM Modi will travel to Brazil, during the fourth leg of his visit, from July 5 to 8 to attend the 17th BRICS Summit 2025 followed by a state visit to the South American country. This will be PM Modi's fourth visit to Brazil. The 17th BRICS Leaders' Summit will be held in Rio de Janeiro. During the Summit, PM Modi will exchange views on key global issues, including reform of global governance, peace and security, strengthening multilateralism, responsible use of artificial intelligence, climate action, global health, and economic and financial matters. The Prime Minister is also likely to hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit. For the State Visit to Brazil, Prime Minister will travel to Brasilia where he will hold bilateral discussions with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the broadening of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries in areas of mutual interest, including trade, defence, energy, space, technology, agriculture, health and people to people linkages. In the second leg of his visit, PM Modi will pay an official visit to Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) from July 3-4. This will be his first visit to the country as Prime Minister and the first bilateral visit at the Prime Ministerial level to T&T since 1999. During the visit, PM Modi will hold talks with the President of Trinidad & Tobago Christine Carla Kangaloo, and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and discuss further strengthening bilateral ties. PM Modi is also expected to address a Joint Session of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. The visit of the Prime Minister to Trinidad and Tobago will impart fresh impetus to the deep-rooted and historical ties between the two countries, the MEA release said. PM Modi will visit Argentina in the third leg of his visit on July 4-5. Prime Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Argentine President Javier Milei to review ongoing cooperation and discuss ways to enhance further bilateral partnership in key areas, including defence, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, renewable energy, trade and investment, and people-to-people ties. The bilateral visit of Prime Minister will further deepen the multifaceted Strategic Partnership between India and Argentina, the release said. In the final leg of his visit, PM Modi will embark on a State Visit to Namibia on July 9. This will be the first visit of the Prime Minister to Namibia, and the third ever Prime Ministerial visit from India to Namibia. During his visit, PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, PM Modi will also pay homage to the Founding Father and first President of Namibia, Late Dr. Sam Nujoma. He is also expected to deliver an address at the Parliament of Namibia, the MEA release said.
Zawya
20 hours ago
- Zawya
Ghana uses drone tech, AI to catch wildcat miners
As the afternoon sun beats down on Gold Fields' sprawling Tarkwa gold mine in southwestern Ghana, three men launch a drone into the clear sky, its cameras scanning the lush 210km² tract for intruders. The drone spotted something unusual, and within 20 minutes, a 15-person team, including armed police, arrived on the scene. They discovered abandoned clothing, freshly dug trenches, and rudimentary equipment amid pools of mercury and cyanide-contaminated water. The equipment was left behind by so-called wildcat miners, who operate on the outskirts of many of the continent's official mining ventures -- putting at risk their health, the environment and the official mine operator's profits. The team confiscated seven diesel-powered water pumps and a 'chanfan' processing unit used to extract gold from riverbeds. The high-tech cat-and-mouse game is playing out with increasing frequency as record gold prices, now sitting above $3,300 per ounce, draw more unofficial activity -- intensifying sometimes deadly confrontations between corporate concessions and artisanal miners in West Africa, according to dozens of mining executives and industry experts interviewed by Reuters. "Because of the vegetation cover, if you don't have eyes in the air, you won't know something destructive is happening," explains Edwin Asare, Gold Fields Tarkwa Mine's head of protection services. "It's like you first get eyes in the sky to help you put boots on the ground.' Almost 20 illicit miners have been killed in confrontations at major mining operations across the region since late 2024, including at Newmont and AngloGold Ashanti's sites in Ghana and Guinea and Nordgold's Bissa Mine in Burkina Faso. There have been no reports of official mine staff injured. In some cases, clashes at corporate mines caused production halts of up to a month, prompting companies to press governments for more military protection. 'Boots on the ground' Sub-Saharan Africa's unofficial mining operations provide critical income for nearly 10 million people, according to a May United Nations report. In West Africa, three to five million people depend on unregulated mining, accounting for approximately 30% of its gold production, other industry data show, serving as economic lifelines in a region with few formal employment opportunities. Like 52-year old Famanson Keita in Senegal's gold-rich Kedougou region, many inhabitants grew up mining gold in their localities. With simple and traditional methods, they earned extra incomes to supplement those from farming until corporate miners arrived, relocating them from their communities and promising jobs and rapid development. "Those promises have not been fulfilled," said Keita. "Many of our young people are employed in low-level, uncontracted jobs with little pay and no stability. Small-scale farming alone cannot sustain our families." While residents have long tried to eke out a living on the margins of corporate mines, much of the illicit activity, particularly in the region's forests and large bodies of water, is now conducted with sophisticated digging and dredging equipment and funding from local cartels and foreigners, including from China. Economic pressures With rising central bank gold buying and broader geopolitical tensions potentially pushing gold to $5,000 an ounce, Sahel-focused security and mining analyst Ulf Laessing warned that more violent confrontations around mining operations could be expected in the coming months. "The more the gold price rises, the more conflicts we will see between industrial and informal miners," said Laessing, head of the Sahel programme at Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Nine wildcat miners were shot dead in January at AGA's Obuasi mine in Ghana when they cut open the fenced 110km² concession to scavenge gold, according to a source in the company who asked not to be identified. At AGA's Siguiri Mine, northeast of Guinea, hundreds of wildcat miners invaded the concession in February, prompting military intervention, according to a source familiar with the mine's operations. At least three wildcat miners were shot by guards while others were injured at Newmont's Ahafo gold mining site in northwestern Ghana in January, police said. In Mali's gold-rich Kayes region, an excavator operator at an illegal mining site in Kenieba told Reuters that operations have expanded rapidly this year, with Chinese bosses deploying more equipment to new sites as gold prices climb. Reuters could not establish who such Chinese operators were, or whether they have any links to companies or official organisations. This year, Ghanaian authorities have been ransacking dozens of informal mining sites, arresting hundreds of locals and foreigners, particularly Chinese nationals, who operate unregulated gold operations in the country's vast forests, including protected areas and bodies of water. "Because of porous borders and weak regulations, the majority of their produce is smuggled," says Marc Ummel, researcher at Swissaid, "depriving the countries of the full benefits." Ghana lost more than 229 metric tons of largely artisanal gold to smuggling between 2019 and 2023, according to Swissaid, which analysed export data within the period. Adama Soro, president of the West African Federation of Chambers of Mines, said artisanal miners also compete with large-scale miners for ore, shortening mines' lives. "We're seeing artisanal miners digging up to 100m and impacting the ore body of the big miners, so we're losing money," he said. Armed military protection Miners are resorting to unconventional methods and increased spending at the expense of investment and community projects, said the head of a mining company in Ghana heavily affected by wildcat miners. The mine spends approximately half a million dollars annually on measures, including drone surveillance to combat wildcat mining, but still experiences frequent attacks, the source said. Nordgold, Galiano Gold, B2Gold and Barrick Gold have all seen incursions recently. Ghana's major corporate miners have intensified their campaign for military protection at mining sites this year. Similar requests have been made in Burkina Faso and Mali, according to three mining executives and an industry analyst, who requested anonymity. "Ideally, we want military presence at all mining operations, but we understand the need to prioritise sites facing consistent attacks while implementing regular patrols at others," said Ahmed Dasana Nantogmah, chief operating officer of Ghana's Chamber of Mines. Industry leaders met government officials in mid-April to press their case, with discussions yielding 'positive' results, said Nantogmah. Ghana's government did not respond to requests for comment. Ghanaian authorities want miners to cover deployment costs, estimated at GH₵250,000 ($18,116) per contingent daily of under 50 personnel, said two mining executives who were part of the negotiations. Ghana's mining sector regulator, the Minerals Commission, is taking a technological leap forward, establishing an AI-powered control room to analyse data from 28 drones deployed to illegal mining hotspots. The system includes trackers on the excavators and a control system that can remotely disable excavators operating outside authorised boundaries. "This is a fight we can win with technology if we allow full deployment," says Sylvester Akpah, consultant for Ghana's mining sector regulator's drone surveillance and AI-powered project.
