US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that aims to overhaul US federal elections, including by requiring voters to show proof of citizenship and limiting when states can receive mail-in ballots.

Experts warn the move could disenfranchise millions of Americans who do not have easy access to a passport or other legal documents proving they have the right to vote.

It is unclear how enforceable the order is, given US states have wide legal leeway to determine how they run their elections. It is expected to be challenged in court.

The order, titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections”, was signed by Trump on Tuesday at the White House.

“Election fraud. You’ve heard the term. We’re going to end it, hopefully. At least this will go a long way toward ending it,” Trump said as he signed the order on Tuesday.

The order says that the US has failed “to enforce basic and necessary election protections” and calls on states to co-operate with the the White House or risk losing access to federal funding if they do not require proof of citizenship.

It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in elections.

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections.

Every state is required to use a common registration form that requires people to confirm they are US citizens, under penalty of perjury for false claims, but does not require documentary proof.

Experts say there have been very few cases of immigrants voting illegally in US elections.

The order also seeks to bar states from accepting postal ballots received after election day. Currently, 18 states allow ballots to be received after election day as long as they were mailed on or before the day of the vote.

The order would withdraw federal funding for US states that do not comply.

Trump has been accused of spreading election misinformation, including by claiming that “millions” of illegal immigrants voted in his first election campaign. He also continues to deny that he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.

Previous efforts to pass a voter ID law in Congress have failed.

Democrats who have criticised similar past reform attempts have pointed to statistics showing that a large number of Americans do not have an enhanced drivers licence or passport for ID.

The legal basis for the order is expected to be challenged in court.

“The president cannot override a statute passed by Congress that says what is required to register to vote on the federal voter registration form,” Wendy Weiser, from the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, told the Washington Post.

UCLA law professor Rick Hasen said on his blog that elections are largely run by each individual state government, and that if allowed to stand, the order would radically shift power to the federal government.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Francis Asenso-Boakye, former minister for Roads and Highways

Francis Asenso-Boakye a former minister for Roads and Highways, has rejected assertions by Roads and Highways minister-designate, Kwame Governs Agbodza, regarding the scope of road construction under the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, Asenso-Boakye contested Agbodza’s claim that only 673 kilometres of new roads were constructed during the previous government’s eight-year tenure.

“Honorable Speaker, let me put on record that as of December 2024, per the transition report, the Akufo-Addo government had constructed 13,624 kilometres of road. This figure is significantly higher than the 4,630 kilometres constructed by the previous government over eight years,” citinewsroom.com quoted him to have said.

The Bantama Member of Parliament described the 13,624 kilometres as a record-breaking achievement, emphasizing that the total included various road infrastructure projects, such as asphalt overlays, gravelling, reconstruction, and the construction of bridges.

Asenso-Boakye argued that Agbodza’s focus on the 673 kilometres of newly constructed roads was misleading and failed to reflect the broader scope of work undertaken by the Akufo-Addo administration.

He underscored that while constructing new roads was important, other aspects like asphalt overlays and gravelling played a crucial role in improving the nation’s road network.

“Many of us represent rural communities and understand the importance of gravelling in linking people and improving accessibility in these areas. These projects are crucial and cannot be dismissed simply because they are not classified as new road constructions,” he remarked.

The former minister further outlined the administration’s efforts in road reconstruction and upgrades, revealing that 1,665 kilometres were rebuilt or improved during the eight-year tenure.

AM/KA

You can also watch as roads and highways minister-designate says there was no contract for the e-gates at the airport

Golfer Tiger Woods has announced he is dating Vanessa Trump, the former daughter-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

Vanessa, 47, was married to Donald Trump Jr for 13 years. The pair, who have five children, divorced in 2018.

On Sunday, Woods, 49, posted pictures of Vanessa and himself on social media saying: “Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together.”

“At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts.”

It is unclear what prompted the public announcement, but rumours of their relationship had been reported in gossip magazines in recent weeks.

Woods, who has won 15 major championships, is known for being guarded about his personal life after exposure of his marital infidelities and sex scandals damaged his public standing in the 2000s and affected his playing career.

He admitted himself into a sex addiction rehab clinic, and went through an acrimonious split from his first wife Elin Nordegren months later after six years of marriage. The couple have two children together.

US media outlets report that Tiger Woods’ children attend the same school as Vanessa Trump’s.

As the former wife of Donald Trump’s eldest son, Vanessa had been a regular attendee at official events involving Trump’s extended family during his first term in office.

Woods, the former world number one, is also known to have played golf with President Trump on several occasions, including last month. Trump loves golf and owns more than a dozen courses.

In February, Woods attended a meeting with Trump and Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) heads at the White House about the future of the sport’s tournaments and current division with the Saudi Arabia-LIV league.

Woods wore his Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was bestowed on him by Trump in 2019 during the president’s first term.

Woods announced an Achilles tendon injury earlier this month that has sidelined him from professional competition. He has not suggested a timeline for when he might return to the courses.

He has not competed in a PGA Tour event this season, following the death of his mother, Kultida, in February.

The new couple both have children who are junior golfers.

Kai Trump, 17, has announced her commitment to playing collegiate golf at the University of Miami in 2026.

She and Charlie Woods both played at a junior invite-only tournament in South Carolina last week.

Woods has previously announced relationships with World Cup champion ski racer Lindsey Vonn and Erica Herman, his former restaurant manager.

That relationship ended badly – Herman filed law suits against Woods and his trust in 2023, which she later withdrew.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is Ghana’s former Vice President

Former Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has cautioned that using tariffs to address trade deficits is a flawed approach, describing it as historically ineffective.

Speaking at the 2025 International Democracy Union Forum in Brussels, Dr Bawumia stressed that trade imbalances stem from deeper macroeconomic challenges and cannot be resolved through tariff measures.

“There are clearly trade imbalances across continents and countries, but what we know from economics is that you cannot fix a trade deficit with tariffs, it just doesn’t work. Tariffs cannot correct macroeconomic imbalances, and any attempt to do so is bound to fail, as history has shown,” he stated.

He further noted that ongoing trade wars, particularly between major economies such as the United States and China, are largely driven by mistrust.

“The biggest challenge in all these negotiations is mistrust,” he said, urging global leaders to prioritize building confidence and transparency in trade discussions.

Dr Bawumia’s remarks come at a time when global trade tensions have fueled a rise in protectionism, with several nations imposing tariffs to protect domestic industries.

The Brussels forum brought together leaders and policy experts from around the world to deliberate on critical global issues, including the evolving dynamics of international trade and ongoing trade wars.

Dr. @MBawumia Shares Recovery Strategy at Brussels Forum

Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia outlined ideas for restoring economic stability amid global trade uncertainty at the International Democracy Union Forum in Brussels.#ChannelOneNews pic.twitter.com/Wtmu8hW7jM

— ChannelOne TV (@Channel1TVGHA) May 17, 2025

SP/MA

Watch the latest edition of BizTech below:

Click here to follow the GhanaWeb Business WhatsApp channel

Garfield, Puss in Boots, Aristocats’ Toulouse – cultural icons, maybe, ginger most certainly.

And now scientists across two continents have uncovered the DNA mystery that has given our furry friends, particularly males, their notable colour.

They discovered that ginger cats are missing a section of their genetic code, which means the cells responsible for their skin, eye and fur tone produce lighter colours.

The breakthrough has delighted the scientists and the thousands of cat lovers who originally crowdfunded the research.

The scientists hope that solving the puzzle could also help shed light on whether orange coloured cats are at increased risk of certain health conditions.

It has been known for decades that it is genetics that gives orange tabby cats their distinctive colouring, but exactly where in the genetic code has evaded scientists till now.

Two teams of scientists at Kyushu University in Japan and Stanford University in the US have now revealed the mystery in simultaneous papers published on Thursday.

What the teams found was that in the cells responsible for giving a cat its skin, hair follicles and eyes their colour – melanocytes – one gene, ARHGAP36, was much more active.

Genes are made up of pieces of DNA which give instructions to a cat’s cells, like other living creatures, on how to function.

By comparing the DNA from dozens of cats with and without orange fur, they found that those with ginger colouring had a section of DNA code missing within the ARHGAP36 gene.

Without this DNA, the activity of the ARHGAP36 is not suppressed, i.e. it is more active. The scientists believe that the gene instructs those melanocytes to produce lighter pigment.

Ginger cats mostly male

For decades, scientists have observed that cats with completely ginger colouring are far more likely to be male. This tallies with the fact that the gene is carried on the X chromosome.

Chromosomes are larger sections of DNA, and male cats, like other mammals, have an X and a Y chromosome, which carry different numbers of genes.

As it is a gene only on the X chromosome, in this case controlling the pigment production, then one missing piece of DNA is enough to turn a cat fully ginger.

In comparison, female cats have two X chromosomes, so the DNA needs to be missing in both chromosomes to increase lighter pigment production to the same extent – it means a mixed colouring is more likely.

“These ginger and black patches form because, early in development, one X chromosome in each cell is randomly switched off,” explains Prof Hiroyuki Sasaki, geneticist at Kyushu University.

“As cells divide, this creates areas with different active coat colour genes, resulting in distinct patches.”

Although couched in science, the study originally started off as a passion project for Professor Sasaki.

He had retired from his university post, but as a cat lover said he wanted to continue working to uncover the orange cat gene in the hope it could “contribute to the overcoming of cat diseases”.

He and his team raised 10.6m yen (£55,109) via crowdfunding for the research from thousands of fellow cat lovers across Japan and the world.

One contributor wrote: “We are siblings in the first and third grades of elementary school. We donated with our pocket money. Use it for research on calico cats.”

The ARHGAP36 gene is also active in many other areas of the body, including the brain and hormonal glands, and is considered important for development.

The researchers think it is possible that the DNA mutation in the gene could cause other changes in these parts of the body linked to health conditions or temperament.

The ARHGAP36 gene is found in humans and has been linked to skin cancer and hair loss.

“Many cat owners swear by the idea that different coat colours and patterns are linked with different personalities,” said Prof Sasaki.

“There’s no scientific evidence for this yet, but it’s an intriguing idea and one I’d love to explore further.”

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Two assembly members in Jomoro Municipality confirmed dead

Two assembly members in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region have been confirmed dead after being knocked down by a 4×4 vehicle.

The incident occurred at Nyamenle Kwame on the deplorable Nuba-Tikobo Number One road on Saturday, April 26, 2025, around 5 p.m.

The deceased assembly members are Ransford Nana Otu Darko of the Elubo West Electoral Area and Francis Armoh of the Alaboale Electoral Area.

According to some assembly members who spoke to GhanaWeb’s Western Regional Correspondent, Daniel Kaku, on condition of anonymity, the two were returning to Elubo on a private motorbike after attending a meeting at Nawule in Jomoro when they were struck by a 4×4 vehicle traveling from the Samenye barrier toward Tikobo Number One.

They claimed that the driver of the vehicle veered off his path after swerving to avoid a pothole and crashed into the assembly members, killing them instantly.

Following the incident, the driver reportedly turned himself in to the police.

The bodies have since been deposited at a private morgue in Nyamenle Kwame for preservation and autopsy.

Some residents of Jomoro have described the incident as tragic and unprecedented, and they have called on the police to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that the driver is held accountable.

“A home away from home” is how Ghanaian students describe their experience studying at the University of Nottingham, UK.

Indeed, data shows that the University of Nottingham has been a popular destination among Ghanaian students for decades, with notable alumni including the distinguished Professor Nana SKB Asante who obtained his LLB (Hons) Degree in 1956 just a couple of years prior to Peter Ala Adjetey, a former Speaker of Parliament graduating with the same course. More recent alumni include the most recent first Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Maxwell Opoku-Afari who completed a PhD in Economics. Others are leading the way in their respective fields, with some taking the entrepreneurship route – Mildred Akotia completed MSc Food Production Management and is the founder of the popular Akwaaba Fine Foods snacks selling high quality cashew and other snacks.

The University of Nottingham prides itself on opening up opportunities for students from different backgrounds and has run its flagship masters scholarship programme, developing Solution, for over 25 years. In recent years, a Memorandum of Agreement between the University of Nottingham and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has also introduced automatic partnership scholarships for KNUST alumni headed for masters’ programmes in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham.

For students resuming in September 2024, the university awarded over GH¢6.3 million worth of scholarships to Ghanaian students, with awards ranging from £4000 to 100% tuition. It is also a popular destination among students receiving UK government-funded awards such as Chevening and Commonwealth as well as Ghanaian funding bodies such as GETFund and Ghana Scholarship Secretariat.

Emmanuel Tetteh, completed KNUST and is now at Nottingham studying MSc Bioengineering. He received an automatic 20% scholarship due to holding a first-class degree from KNUST.

The good news doesn’t stop there, these students go on to fly the Ghanaian flag high performing strongly in their academics. At the winter graduation ceremonies in December 2024, a number of Ghanaians received prizes for outstanding academic performance.

“Receiving the Developing Solutions scholarship was a transformative opportunity for me, allowing me to pursue world-class higher education at my dream university. It not only acknowledged my academic ambitions but also provided the support I needed to thrive and reach my full potential.” Isaac Ardey, Prize winner for health research, Master of Public Health (Health Research) (2023-2024).

The Graduate Guidance Group (G3 Africa, local representative of the University of Nottingham, is excited to announce a virtual event focused on offering guidance to prospective students and hopeful scholars looking to join the university in September 2025. They will be joined by current students willing to share their experiences as well as academic staff from the Faculty of Engineering, Business school and School of Medicine.

The virtual event will take place on Thursday 20 February, 2025 between 12 and 2pm GMT and will feature a series of presentations and interactive breakout sessions.

“We are thrilled to be running this virtual event specifically for students from Africa and invite all interested Ghanaian students to join,” said Kyri Protopapa, International Relations Manager at the University of Nottingham.

“Our goal is to ensure as many students have all the support needed for a successful application and to have a wonderful student experience.”

G3 Africa is a careers and education consultancy committed to connecting individuals with opportunities. It represents the University of Nottingham in Ghana, providing free assistance with the application process.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Financial analyst and economist Scott Bolshevik

A financial analyst and economist Scott Bolshevik has described the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee Kojo Oppong Nkrumah’s comment regarding potential tariffs on Ghana’s cocoa exports to the US as “fear-mongering”

According to him, these fears allayed by the Ofoase Ayirebi lawmaker are misplaced, stating that Ghana’s cocoa export share to the US is just 10 percent of the total cocoa exports, or about 4.5 percent of Ghana’s overall exports.

Oppong Nkrumah recently raised concerns about the impact of a possible 10% tariff on Ghana’s cocoa exports, claiming it would significantly harm the country’s economy.

This sparked widespread conversations, as experts argue that the lower tariff on Ghanaian cocoa gives it a competitive edge in the US market over its Ivorian counterpart, making his concerns overblown.

In a post shared on his X page, as sighted by GhanaWeb Business, Bolshevik pointed out that Ghana’s cocoa exports are far more heavily reliant on the Netherlands, which takes in 35% of the nation’s cocoa, suggesting that the potential tariff would have a less dramatic impact than suggested.

“Ghana exports cocoa to 8 nations. Netherlands leads with 35%, the US is just 11%. The US takes 4.5% of Ghana’s overall export” he posted.

Comparing Ghana to neighbouring Côte D’ivoire, Bolshevik said, Côte D’ivoire already faces a 21% tariff on its cocoa exports to the US at a much higher rate.

Despite this, Côte D’ivoire has continued to be a strong competitor in the global cocoa market, leaving room for Ghana to absorb a 10% tariff and remain competitive, particularly with its relatively smaller share in the U.S. market.

“Now Côte d’Ivoire has 21% tariffs on cocoa to the US, so a 10% tariff on Ghana cocoa exports is advantageous,” he pointed out.

He, however, asserted that Ghana’s cocoa industry is in a much better position to handle the risks of tariffs than previously suggested, labelling Oppong Nkrumah’s views as misleading.

SP/MA

Ghana exports cocoa to 8 nations. Netherlands leads with 35%, US is just 11%. US takes 4.5% of Ghana overall export.

Now Côte d’Ivoire has 21% tariffs on cocoa to US, so a 10% tariff on Ghana cocoa exports is advantageous.

Kwadjo Oppong’s fear-mongering on tariffs is misplaced. pic.twitter.com/cZB7th0zKr

— Scott (@scottbolshevik) April 9, 2025