DonkorsBlog.Com

Disney has just added another film to the Billionaires' Club, as their live action remake of "Beauty and the Beast" became the 29th film -- and the 14th from the House of Mouse -- to gross more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office on Thursday.
Released back on March 17, the film reached the billion-dollar target in 26 days, starting with a domestic opening weekend total of $174.7 million that has since ballooned to a $435 million cume, more than the animated original's $425 million worldwide total.
Overseas, the film has enjoyed strong results from all major markets, including $85 million in China, $72 million in the U.K., and even $14 million in Russia, where the film got a 16+ rating for the gay undertones given to Gaston's buddy, LeFou.
It has also managed to beat out some major recent titles with its $217+ million total in Europe, outgrossing some major comic book movies like "Deadpool," "Captain America: Civil War," "B…

The United States has dropped a massive GBU-43 bomb, the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, in eastern Afghanistan on a series of caves used by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), according to the Pentagon.
The bomb was dropped on Thursday from a MC-130 aircraft in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, close to the border with Pakistan, Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said.
Also known as the "mother of all bombs," the GBU-43 is a 21,600 9,797 kg GPS-guided munition and was first tested in March 2003, just days before the start of the Iraq war.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a press release that the strike was designed to minimise the risk to Afghan and US forces conducting clearing operations in the area.
General John Nicholson, the head of US and international forces in Afghanistan, said the bomb was used against caves and bunkers used by ISIL in Afghanistan, also known as ISIS-K.
"As ISIS-K losses have mounted, they are usi…

Multichoice Ghana operator of pay TV service DStv in Ghana warns the public of the sale of illegal DStv decoders purportedly sourced from Nigeria on sale in Ghana.

According to Cecil Sunkwa Mills, General Manager, Multichoice Ghana, “we have not authorized the importation and sale of DStv decoders from Nigeria and warns persons who procure these illegally imported decoder, do so at their own risk. Adding that the National Communications Authority is the only body that approves all decoder imports into Ghana”.

He confirmed that Multichoice Ghana is aware of the current developments where phony DStv agents sell pre-registered decoders from Nigeria and conduct transactions on behalf of these unsuspecting customers in Ghana as Nigerian subscribers. Mr. Sunkwa Mills added, these illegal decoders are being sold by unauthorized persons who smuggle them into the country, flouting various laws and denying the Government of Ghana the requisite tax revenue by way of import duties on t…

Supermodel Maria Borges has tweeted that she is honoured to be the first African woman to feature on the cover of the American version of Elle magazine this century.
In an interview with Elle, the Angolan emphasised the importance of diversity in the fashion industry. She said the industry was for everyone, regardless of race. 
The previous African woman to appear on the magazine's front cover was Sudanese model Alek Wek in 1997. "It's an honour to be on the cover of the American Elle, feeling beautiful and rocking my afro!" she said on Instagram.
'All about inspiration'
Borges also won acclaim in 2015, when as a Victoria's Secret lingerie model she became the first black woman to display her natural hair "in its Afro state" without being made up, Buzzfeed reported.
She said that hoped her latest success on the front page of the May US edition of Elle would inspire other women from Africa to follow her example.
"When I was growing up, I never …

A 48-year-old man, Francis Kwofie, has been arrested by the police in the Western Region for allegedly killing his wife at Windy Ridge in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis.
The suspect, a private security officer, is said to have beaten his wife, Akoley Klotey, to death after accusing her of infidelity.
Confirming the story in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, ASP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer, said that yesterday at about 5:00 am, one Fuseina Ali of Windy Ridge went to the police station and reported the incident.
Fuseina Ali, a neighbour to the deceased, indicated in her report to the police that Francis Kwofie brutally assaulted the wife until she became unconscious.
ASP Adiku claimed that the police rushed to the scene and met the woman, aged about 48 years, lying naked unconscious in an uncompleted building.
She was rushed to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival.
According to the …

Three persons have been arrested by the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) for illicit drug trafficking  at the Kotoka International Airport.
According to a  Statement by NACOB, the suspects, Madugu suraku,Maxwell Momo Golafale and Daniel Njoku Egbuta were arrested on different occasions for unlawful possession and trafficking in narcotics while going through arrival/departure formalities at the KIA.
Madugu Suraka, a Ghanaian was arrested on March 29,2017 on his return from Nairobi,Kenya,  when a urine test conducted on him proved positive for narcotics. The suspect, upon interrogation confessed having ingested 35 pellets of a powdery substance suspected to be speedball.
Forensic analysis confirmed the substance as Speedball, a combination of cocaine and heroin, both illicit narcotic substances. Golafale, a Liberian, was also arrested on March 21, while going through departure formalities to China. The suspect had concealed in his luggage two slabs of compressed dried leaves suspe…

Mel B has reportedly stopped Stephen Belafonte from accessing their bank accounts.
According to BANG Showbiz, the former Spice Girl has cut off Stephen's cash flow after she filed for divorce last month - and the decision has apparently left Stephen in a precarious financial situation, with an insider claiming it has hit him "hard."
The source explained: "Mel has finally pulled the rug out from underneath him and that seems to have left him a bit lost."
Stephen, 41, is reported to have reconnected with his ex-girlfriend Nicole Contreras and told her of his desperate financial situation. 
The source told The Sun newspaper: "He's even been back in touch with Nicole moaning about it - insisting it has left him struggling to get by. He has had instant access to a fortune for such a long time that he doesn't seem to know what to do."
Mel was granted a restraining order against Stephen last week after she accused him of abusing her, getting their nanny p…

A rainstorm is expected to hit the entire country on Thursday evening. Mr Michael Padi, Senior Meteorologist at the Ghana Meteorological Agency told the Ghana News Agency in an interview, that by weather indicators, the storm was expected at about 1900 hours.
He urged the public to take all necessary precautions to ensure, that no unpleasant incidents occurred during the storm.
Mr Padi reminded the public on the need to avoid seeking shelter from underneath trees during such periods.
“Thundery activities easily get attracted to structures such as trees, and the risk of lightening is very high within tree shades,” he said.
Mr Padi said weak structures should be avoided when one was seeking shelter, since they were easily blown down by strong winds.
The senior meteorologist urged motorist to be extra cautious during the period.

More than $43m (£34m) has been seized from a flat in Nigeria's main city, Lagos, the anti-corruption agency says. 
Officials raided the flat after a tip-off about a "haggard-looking" woman in "dirty clothes" taking bags in and out of it, the agency added. 
The money was believed to be from unlawful activity, but no arrests have as yet been made, the agency added. 
This is the latest in a series of raids which uncovered bundles of cash in Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy. 
In March, the agency said it had found "crispy" banknotes worth $155,000 (£130,000) at the airport in northern Kaduna city. 
Apart from US notes worth $43.4m, investigators found nearly £27,800 and some 23m naira ($75,000) at the four-bedroom flat in Lagos's affluent Ikoyi area, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said in a statement. 
The "neatly arranged" cash was stashed in "sealed wrappers" in wardrobes and cabinets in the seventh-floo…

Chelsea's star midfielder N'Golo Kante, Chelsea winger Eden Hazard and Man U supremo Zlatan Ibrahimovic, headline the stellar names of premier league stars nominated by the English Professional Footballers Association (PFA) for the 2016/017 player of the year award.
The six man shortlist includes Alexis Sánchez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, N'Golo Kante and Harry Kane.

N'Golo Kante, nominated for the same award last year could actually win it this year after his snub last year in Leicester City's glorious fairy tale Premier league win. Eden Hazard won the award two years ago under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and could also scoop it this year.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the true definition of 'fine wine getting better with age' as his 17 premier league goals for Man United has seen the club maintain a push for the top four spot even though he is at the ripe age of 35.

The winner will be announced at Grosvenor House in London on Sunday, 23 Apr…

Popular gospel singer and preacher Reverend Josh Laryea has been suspended by the International Central Gospel Church over an alleged immoral conduct, senior officers of the church have confirmed to StarrFMonline.com.
According to the sources, the preacher is being investigated for breaching some principles  connected to his calling as a pastor.
A statement by the church announcing the disciplinary action called on Rev. Laryea to work with  the committee that has been established by the church to investigate him.
In the meantime, the church is replacing him as pastor at the Doxa Temple in Accra.
“The Presbytery has authorised the Disciplinary Committee to look into the allegations levelled against Rev. Laryea.
“Rev. Josh Laryea is being withdrawn from the pulpit and thereby the Doxa Temple with immediate effect. This is to allow the Committee carry out its work uninterrupted,” the statement said.

Former Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba has joined United Soccer League side Phoenix Rising as a player and co-owner.
Drogba, 39, has not played since leaving Major League Soccer club Montreal Impact in November.
He will start out as a player but has also joined Phoenix's "MLS expansion franchise ownership group".
"To own a team and be a player at the same time is unusual but it's going to be very exciting," Drogba said.
"It's a good transition because I want to carry on playing but I'm almost 40 and it's important for me to prepare for my later career."
Phoenix have just started their fourth season in the Western Conference of USL, which forms part of the second tier of the American league system.
The Arizona club hope to become one of four planned expansion teams in MLS over the next three years.
"I had offers from China, from England - in both the Premier League and even the Championship - but they were only as a …

Entries are being accepted for the 3rd annual Golden Movie Awards Africa (GMAA) to be held in the last week of June in Accra, Ghana.

The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2017. The annual GMAA is an initiative by NMJ Ghana and its Ghanaian and international partners to reward excellence in filmmaking on the Africa continent and among Africans in the diaspora.

GMAA gives the opportunity to African filmmakers from around the world to receive praise, recognition and be awarded for their efforts at telling the African stories to both Africans and the rest of the world during the period under review.

The scheme is accepting films of all genres and lengths with any official language or subtitled in any official language. All films presented shall be watched and shortlists made based on the awards’ criteria for the consideration of the jury.

Award winning films in the various categories of the scheme will be chosen based on merit and the content of the films by a jury made …

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 100th European goal on Wednesday to give holders Real Madrid a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinal, first-leg.
Arturo Vidal headed Bayern into a first-half lead, but then skied a penalty attempt on the stroke of half-time before Ronaldo volleyed the defending champions' level.
Bayern played the last half an hour a man down after centre-back Javi Martinez was sent off for two fouls on Ronaldo within three minutes of each other.
Four-time world player of the year Ronaldo then slotted in the winner between goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's legs for the winner 13 minutes from time.
Security was tight at the Allianz Arena in the wake of Tuesday's attacks on the Borussia Dortmund team bus and both teams arrived with a heavy police escort.
There was a large police presence and inside the stadium there was polite applause before kick-off when the announcer made reference to Dortmund's ordeal in the preceedin…

Inflation rate for March has declined to 12.8 percent from the 13.2 percent in February.
This rate is the lowest since December 2013. This means prices of goods and services were fairly stable during the review period.
The year-on-year non-food inflation rate for March 2017 was 15.6% compared with the16.4% recorded in February 2017.
The year-on-year food inflation rate for March 2017 was 7.3%, compared with 7.1%recorded in February 2017.
The year-on-year non-food inflation rate (15.6%) is more than two times that of the food inflation rate (7.3%).
In March 2017, the year-on-year inflation rate for imported items (15.5%) was 3.8 percentage points higher than that of locally produced items (11.7%).
The year-on-year food inflation rate for March 2017 was 7.3%, compared with 7.1%recorded in February 2017.
The year-on-year non-food inflation rate (15.6%) is more than two times that of the food inflation rate (7.3%).
Four regions (Greater Accra, Upper West, Brong Ahafo and Ashanti) recorded infl…

US President Donald Trump has said Nato is "no longer obsolete", reversing a stance that had alarmed allies.
Hosting Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House, Mr Trump said the threat of terrorism had underlined the alliance's importance.
He called on Nato to do more to help Iraqi and Afghan "partners". 
Mr Trump has repeatedly questioned Nato's purpose, while complaining that the US pays an unfair share of membership. 
The Nato U-turn wasn't Mr Trump's only change of heart on Wednesday.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he said he would not label China a currency manipulator, despite having repeatedly pledged to do so on his first day in office.
At a joint press conference with Mr Stoltenberg, Mr Trump said: "The secretary general and I had a productive discussion about what more Nato can do in the fight against terrorism.
"I complained about that a long time ago and they made a change, and now they do fight ter…

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has taken delivery of the first of three customized four-wheel drive vehicles  from the Kantanka car manufacturers in Kumasi today, Wednesday, April 12, 2017.
The remaining two of the vehicles which cost GHC150,000 each is expected to be delivered soon.
The Asantehene who inspected the vehicles in a short ceremony said the vehicles named, ’Onantefo’, was his way of encouraging the inventor, Apostle Kwadwo Sarfo and  also rally Ghanaians and  the government to patronize the cars.
The vehicles, manufactured by the head  of the Christo Asafo Mission of Ghana is one of many innovations and inventions the industrialist-cum-preacher  has produced in recent times.

The Vitamilk Girl Talk birthday hangout team celebrated the Gingam queen and the face of the Girl talk concert, Efya, on 10th April. The singer was at her residence when the team visited her to celebrate her new age with her.

The singer was at her residence when the team visited her to celebrate her new age with her.
Girl Talk had a number of items to offer her for support and hardwork over the years. She was presented with drinks from Vitamilk who are the sponsors of the occasion and cake from Oriental. Her beaded cape was made by Aphia Sakyi and the pencil art of Efya was made Aewura arts.

Jane Fara Fauzzier Afia Boafowaa Yahaya Awindor better known as Efya has been one of Africa’s most talented singers and she is signed to Starboy worldwide records.

See More Photos After The Cut....

Sheila Abdus-Salaam, an associate judge on New York State’s highest court and the first African-American woman to serve on that bench, was found dead on Wednesday in the Hudson River, the authorities said.
Officers with the New York Police Department’s Harbor Unit responded about 1:45 p.m. to a report of a person floating by the shore near West 132nd Street in Upper Manhattan. Judge Abdus-Salaam, 65, was taken to a pier on the Hudson River and was pronounced dead by paramedics shortly after 2 p.m.
The police were investigating how she ended up in the river, and it was not clear how long Judge Abdus-Salaam, who lived nearby in Harlem, had been missing. There were no signs of trauma on her body, the police said. She was fully clothed.
A law enforcement official said investigators had found no signs of criminality. Her husband identified her body.
Since 2013, Judge Abdus-Salaam had been one of seven judges on the State Court of Appeals. Before that, she served for about four years …

Oprah Winfrey became a force in the entertainment industry after helping everyday people tackle problems in their lives on her very popular daytime daily talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. However, her audiences weren’t the only ones getting help, as it also impacted on her life, along with millions of others who watched on TV.

“I had never gone to a therapist, ever. But I had so many therapists sitting in the chair across from me that I just sort of took it in. 
The Oprah Winfrey Show was my greatest therapy. It was the greatest teaching. It was the greatest classroom and it was my greatest therapy. I came out of it a better human being having listened to everybody’s stories.”