Author: Constance Awunor

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on major international institutions to support the growing global movement for reparatory justice, describing it as a vital step towards addressing the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. Speaking virtually at the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice in Accra, Macron urged organisations such as the United Nations, UNESCO, the African Union and the Caribbean Community to play a more active role in advancing historical accountability and redress. Call for Global Action Macron said governments and international bodies must work together to develop a shared approach based on knowledge, dialogue and justice. “States, regional…

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is reviewing Ghana’s laws on the age of consent and the legal age of marriage. The move aims to strengthen child protection and address concerns about teenage pregnancy and child abuse. Reviewing Legal Differences Under Ghana’s current laws, the Children’s Act sets the legal age of marriage at 18 years. However, the Criminal Code allows individuals aged 16 and above to consent to sex. Many child rights advocates have raised concerns about the gap between the two laws. They argue that some people exploit this difference, putting young girls at greater risk.…

South Africa coach Hugo Broos has launched a strong defence of his methods, telling critics to “shut up” as Bafana Bafana prepare for a crucial Group A clash against Czechia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The veteran Belgian manager has come under heavy criticism following South Africa’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Mexico in their opening match, where his side adopted a cautious approach and failed to register a meaningful attacking threat. The defeat was made worse by two second-half red cards, leaving Bafana Bafana with nine men by the final whistle and facing an uphill battle to qualify for…

Nigeria’s government has announced plans to evacuate more than 742 citizens from South Africa before June 30 as concerns mount over ongoing anti-migrant attacks targeting foreign nationals. The assurance was given by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who said the government remains committed to protecting Nigerians abroad and ensuring the safe return of all citizens who have expressed a desire to leave South Africa. According to the minister, the evacuation exercise is already underway. The first batch of 258 Nigerians was airlifted from South Africa and received in Lagos on June 11 by the Minister of State…

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says growing international support for reparatory justice is vindicating Ghana’s efforts at the United Nations, insisting that critics who once dismissed the initiative as an academic exercise are now being forced to rethink their position. Speaking at a gathering of heads of state, foreign ministers, scholars and members of the African diaspora, Mr Ablakwa said the global conversation on reparations for the trans-Atlantic slave trade has evolved into a serious policy issue that demands practical action. According to him, the United Nations resolution declaring the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans as…

Ghana risks deepening inequality among children if it fails to invest more evenly across health, education, social protection and child welfare, according to a new UNICEF-backed study. The report, Unlocking Potential Early: Rebalancing Public Spending for Children in Ghana, found that children aged between zero and five years account for about one-third of Ghana’s child population but receive only 13 percent of public spending targeted at children. The study, described as the first age-based analysis of public spending on children in Ghana, examined investments from pregnancy through age 17 and assessed disparities based on household income and location. Lead researcher…

Apple plans to raise prices across parts of its product lineup as soaring memory chip costs continue to put pressure on the technology giant’s margins. Outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company can no longer absorb the sharp increase in component costs, describing the current situation in the memory chip market as “unsustainable.” In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Cook said Apple had worked hard to shield customers from rising costs but acknowledged that price increases have become unavoidable. “We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been…

Severe flooding in the Aowin Municipality of the Western North Region has left one person dead, another missing, and displaced more than 4,000 residents following days of continuous rainfall. The floods have submerged several communities, forcing families to abandon their homes and seek safety elsewhere. Schools have also been affected as rising waters continue to disrupt daily life across the municipality. The Municipal Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Karim Ndego, confirmed that three people were swept away in separate incidents linked to the flooding. One of the victims, 52-year-old Joseph Dwamena Boateng, lost his life after attempting…

The Tamale Circuit Court has granted bail to two midwives accused of involvement in the disappearance of a newborn baby at the Salaga Government Hospital. The suspects, a male and a female midwife, were each granted bail of GH¢150,000 with two sureties. They are expected to reappear before the court on July 9, 2026. The pair were arrested by police in Salaga on June 10 following reports that a newborn baby had gone missing from the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The infant has not yet been found, nearly a week after the incident sparked public outrage in the…

Accra High Court has granted a request by the Attorney-General and lawyers for Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to begin plea bargain negotiations in the ongoing EXIM Bank loan fraud case. The decision was taken on Thursday, June 18, paving the way for discussions between prosecutors and the defence under Ghana’s plea bargaining framework. The development follows a formal notification filed by the Office of the Attorney-General, informing the court that Chairman Wontumi had expressed interest in pursuing a plea agreement in relation to the charges against him. According…