GHANA @ 58

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

The Egyptian Football Association have announced the appointment of ex-Valencia manager Héctor Cúper as the new manager of the Egyptian national team.

Following a Monday afternoon board meeting, EFA media chief Azmy Megahed announced Cúper as the new national team manager.

“An agreement has been reached for the appointment of Cúper as the new national team manager,” Megahed explained in a press conference.

Ghanaian actress Nadia Buari has given birth to twins, Myjoyonline.com can confirm.

The actress, who has been absent from the
entertainment
scene for some time now, was delivered of two bouncy baby girls last week. The delivery probably explains her hiatus from the movie and the media scene.

Father of the actress Alhaji Sidiku Buari confirmed the news to Myjoyonline.com Monday morning.

He said “It’s true. She brought forth twins alright, that is true. I’m confirming [it] as the father.”

The $5m (£3.2m) award is given each year to an elected leader who governed well, raised living standards and then left office.

But the previous award was the fourth in five years to have gone unclaimed.

Mr Pohamba, a former rebel who fought for his country's independence, has served two terms as Namibian president.

He was first elected in 2004, and again in 2009. He is due to be succeeded by President-elect, Hage Geingob.

Mr Pohamba was a founding member of the South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo), an armed movement that waged a decades-long campaign against South African rule.

Since the country won independence in 1990, Swapo has dominated politics, usually winning huge majorities in elections.

Ivory Coast's former first lady, Simone Gbagbo, has denied wrongdoing for her alleged role in the violence that followed the 2010 elections.

Ms Gbagbo was giving evidence for the first time at her trial in Abidjan.

Her husband, former President Laurent Gbagbo, is awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He refused to accept defeat in the presidential elections, sparking months of violence that claimed more than 3,000 lives.

"I don't know exactly what the concrete actions are that I am being accused of," Mrs Gbagbo said at the hearing, according to the AFP news agency.

Family and friends of victims of the violence protested outside the court

She also insisted her husband was the legitimate winner of the elections instead of his rival, Alassane Ouattara, who was declared the winner of the poll.

Police had to separate supporters and opponents of the Gbagbos as scuffles broke out outside the court.