The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Ministers has unanimously endorsed former President John Dramani Mahama as the sub-region’s sole candidate for the position of Chairperson of the African Union (AU) when the rotating leadership reaches West Africa’s turn in 2027. The endorsement was contained in an official recommendation adopted at the Ninety-Fifth Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers held in Abuja on Friday. The decision follows a request by the Government of Ghana for regional backing for President Mahama’s candidacy. In the resolution, the Council underscored Ghana’s longstanding contribution to ECOWAS and Africa’s integration agenda,...
Ghana, Colombia Deepen Ties as Vice Presidents Meet in Accra
Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on Thursday welcomed her Colombian counterpart, Francia Elena Márquez Mina, to Accra in a visit that underscored the growing partnership between the two nations. It was the second official trip to Ghana by Colombia’s vice president since assuming office, a sign of strengthening bilateral relations. Professor Opoku-Agyemang described the occasion as a reaffirmation of “deep, longstanding, and mutually respectful relations” rooted in shared values and common aspirations. She praised Márquez Mina’s record as a champion of racial equity, human dignity, and reparative justice—causes that resonate across Latin America and beyond. The Ghanaian vice president highlighted...
Austria Bans Headscarves In Schools For Under-14s
Austria has passed a law banning headscarves in schools for girls under the age of 14. The conservative-led coalition of three centrist parties, the ÖVP, the SPÖ and the Neos, says the law is a “clear commitment to gender equality”, but critics say it will fuel anti-Muslim feeling in the country and could be unconstitutional. The measure will apply to girls in both public and private schools. In 2020, a similar headscarf ban for girls under 10 was struck down by the Constitutional Court, because it specifically targeted Muslims. The terms of the new law mean girls under 14 will...
UNICEF urges action as child humanitarian crisis deepens
UNICEF is sounding the alarm as humanitarian needs for children around the world reach unprecedented levels. The United Nations agency has launched an urgent appeal for $7.66 billion to provide life-saving assistance to 73 million children in 133 countries next year. Escalating conflicts, rising hunger, and deep funding cuts are driving the crisis. According to UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action for Children 2026 report, millions of children, especially girls, children with disabilities, and those caught in emergencies, are facing the highest recorded levels of violence, displacement, and deprivation. Ongoing attacks on schools and hospitals, along with an alarming rise in sexual violence,...
National Sports College certifies over 30 participants in maiden strength and power training
A total of 35 participants have been trained in strength and power under the strength and conditioning module at the National Sports College, Winneba. They were drawn from various sporting disciplines including football, armwrestling, athletics, weightlifting, physical instructors, and the media. Dr Kyle Pierce, the course facilitator from Louisiana State University, Shreveport, thanked the participants for attending the training and urged them to utilize whatever knowledge they had acquired. He assured them of continuous support from his base in the US and applauded their enthusiasm, calling it a positive step towards future achievements. “My passion is coaching education. There is...
Mahama Directs Majority Leadership to Withdraw Bill Seeking to Repeal OSP Act
President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, and the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, to withdraw the Private Member’s Bill that seeks to repeal the Act establishing the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). The directive, contained in an official statement issued by the Presidency and signed by the President’s spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, underscores Mahama’s renewed commitment to strengthening the OSP as a central institution in Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture. According to the statement, the President’s request follows his recent public affirmation of support for the OSP during a meeting with the National Peace Council. He...
Mahama to Receive Constitutional Review Report on December 22
President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that the long-anticipated final report of the Constitutional Review Committee will be delivered to him on December 22. The Committee, chaired by Prof. H. Kwesi Prempeh, has spent several months gathering views from across the country on suggested revisions to Ghana’s 1992 Constitution. According to the President, the team had previously provided him with a briefing, sharing highlights of its initial findings during a meeting held three weeks earlier. “They met me three weeks ago and made a presentation of some of the findings they were going to make. They are quite interesting. They...
Foreign Minister Ablakwa Condemns Israel Over Deportation of Ghanaians
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has strongly criticized Israel’s recent treatment of Ghanaian citizens, following an incident at Ben Gurion International Airport on December 7. Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, Mr. Ablakwa outlined the government’s response to the detention and subsequent deportation of several Ghanaian travelers, among them four members of a parliamentary delegation headed to Tel Aviv for an international cybersecurity conference. The episode, which has sparked widespread concern, saw the delegation held by Israeli authorities, with three of its members ultimately denied entry and placed on the next flight out. The...
Israel Apologises After Deportation of Ghanaians Sparks Diplomatic Tensions
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has confirmed that Israeli authorities have issued an apology following the deportation of three Ghanaian nationals, urging calm in the ongoing diplomatic dispute. Appearing on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, December 12, Mr. Ablakwa stressed that Ghana would continue to respond firmly to any unjustified treatment of its citizens abroad. “The Israeli authorities have now apologised for the action they carried out and have called for de-escalation because we made it clear that if they deported 10 Ghanaians, we will deport 10, 20 will deport 20, 50 will deport 50. We are...
Bawumia Slams EC Over “Indecent Haste” in Kpandai Rerun
Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has taken aim at the Electoral Commission (EC), accusing it of acting with “indecent haste” in announcing a rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary election. Dr. Bawumia argued that the Commission’s decision disregards ongoing judicial proceedings at both the High Court and the Supreme Court involving New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate Matthew Nyindam. He maintained that it is inappropriate for the EC to move forward as though the legal challenges have been settled, when none of Nyindam’s appeals have yet been determined. Citing precedent, Dr. Bawumia pointed to the cases of Dan Kwasi Abodakpi and...