Author: Constance Awunor

An Austrian man has been found guilty of grossly negligent manslaughter after leaving his girlfriend behind to freeze to death on Austria’s tallest peak, authorities confirmed. The 37-year-old, identified in local media as Thomas P., was climbing with his 33-year-old girlfriend, Kerstin G., on Grossglockner in the early hours of January 19, 2025, when the pair ran into trouble on their ascent. Court testimony revealed that Kerstin was significantly less experienced than Thomas escribed by the judge as being “galaxies” behind him in climbing skill, and had relied on him to take responsibility for their safety. Conflicting accounts emerged during…

Prof. Willian Kwasi Peprah, Associate Professor of Finance at Andrews University in the US, says Ghana’s Gold Board is a good policy idea, but its biggest risk is not gold supply or prices; it is how the scheme will be financed. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, he said the Gold Board law appears solid, but the real test will be in how it is operationalised and funded. “The gold board idea is very good,” he said. “The law is good; the operationalisation is where we must watch it carefully.” He warned that, without a robust financing structure,…

A 16-year-old girl, identified as Deborah Dede Ama, who went missing on Valentine’s Day, has been found dead in a stream at Tinkong in the Eastern Region. Deborah reportedly left home on the evening of February 14 to attend a Valentine’s Day party in the Tinkong township while her mother was away. However, she never returned home, raising concerns among family members. The lifeless body of Deborah Ama Dede was discovered on Tuesday in a stream near their house. According to a family member, Kofi Sammy, the body was found naked and already decomposing, with visible marks suggesting possible foul…

President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday formally passed the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill, 2025, during a brief ceremony ahead of the 13th cabinet meeting. Speaking after signing, President Mahama said, “Cabinet colleagues, I just appended my signature to give assent to the 24-Hour Authority Bill. This Bill, which Ghanaians have been waiting for, was one of our flagship strategies for economic transformation.” He noted that the process had taken time to ensure due diligence, giving the policy initiative full legal effect. “Now we must move from strategy to implementation. The business sector is waiting, Ghanaian investors are waiting, foreign investors…

Some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have begun adjusting fuel prices at pumps starting the morning of February 16, 2026, following industry projections indicating that petroleum product prices could increase by between 1% and over 3% per litre. Checks conducted on February 16 show that GOIL has raised its petrol price to GH¢10.24 per litre, up from GH¢9.99. Diesel prices have also increased, moving from GH¢11.90 to GH¢12.83 per litre. GOIL noted that these figures reflect discounted prices offered at 200 service stations nationwide, suggesting that prices at other stations could be higher. The move indicates that GOIL has complied with…

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, known as Africa’s Global Bank, has introduced a new diaspora banking and investment platform aimed at connecting Africans living abroad and across the continent with tailored financial and wealth-building opportunities. The platform, launched in collaboration with leading ecosystem partners including United Capital, Africa Prudential, UBA Pensions, Afriland Properties, Heirs Insurance Group, and Avon Healthcare Limited, represents a major step in redefining diaspora banking beyond remittances toward structured wealth creation and long-term investment. At the unveiling, which took place at UBA’s global headquarters in Lagos under the theme: “Beyond Banking: Powering the Global African Lifestyle,…

The Executive Director of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA), Samuel Amegayibor, is all for the government’s plan to cap rent advance at just one year under the new Rent Bill, and he says it’s only fair. Weighing in on the ongoing rent reform debate, Mr.  Amegayibor didn’t hold back. He pointed out that while many landlords currently demand two years’ rent upfront and sometimes even more when they can, that practice puts serious financial strain on tenants. “For me, I think the one-year rent advance is fair. Landlords normally take two years’ advance now and more if they…

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Meta Platforms, took the stand in a California courtroom on Wednesday to defend his leadership in a landmark case examining whether social media platforms are addictive for children. It marked Mark Zuckerberg’s first appearance before a jury following years of scrutiny directed at Meta Platforms, the parent company of WhatsApp and Facebook, which he co-founded. Meta’s legal team contends that the lead plaintiff, identified by her initials K.G.M., suffered harm due to other circumstances in her life rather than her use of Instagram. The closely watched trial also names YouTube, owned by Google, as a…

The Food and Drugs Authority has escalated its actions from issuing warnings to taking firm enforcement measures, closing down 16 food service establishments in the Greater Accra Region on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, for operating without valid Food Hygiene Permits. The crackdown comes exactly two weeks after the Authority issued a public notice stating that, effective February 1, all non-compliant facilities would face immediate closure. In a statement posted to its official Facebook page, the FDA confirmed that it has now taken action against businesses that failed to meet the regulatory deadline. Among the 16 establishments shuttered during the exercise…

The Minority inThe Minority in Parliament has indicated that it is prepared to take steps to compel the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, to appear before the House over mounting concerns about delayed payments to cocoa farmers. Parliament has indicated that it is prepared to take steps to compel the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, to appear before the House over mounting concerns about delayed payments to cocoa farmers. Addressing the matter on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, February 17, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin described the situation as urgent, noting that the government has yet to fully settle payments…