Author: Krobea

The Pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana (PAOG) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to officially commence preparations for the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage. The agreement, signed in Jeddah on Sunday, November 9, formally confirmed Ghana’s participation in the 2026 Hajj season. According to a statement from the PAOG Communications Directorate, the Chairman of PAOG, Alhaji Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim, signed the MoU on behalf of the Government of Ghana. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring a smooth, well-organized, and spiritually fulfilling pilgrimage for Ghanaian Muslims. During the…

In Ghana’s energy landscape, a quiet revolution is unfolding. It is not marked by noise or political fanfare, but by calm, deliberate change. At the centre of this revolution is Afetsi Awoonor, the man steering affairs of the state-owned Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company now BOSTenergies into a new era of innovation, discipline, and purpose. When Mr. Awoonor received his appointment under the new NDC administration led by H.E John Dramani Mhama, in January 2025, it did not spark the usual political uproar. He was not a frontline politician, and so his arrival at the helm of BOST drew…

Black Stars Head Coach Otto Addo has released his squad for the friendly matches against Japan and South Korea. The senior national men’s soccer team takes on the Samurai Blues in the Kirin Cup on Friday, November 14 before facing the Taegeuk Warriors on Tuesday to wrap up the year. Otto Addo’s latest squad is characterised by key absentees among whom are Captain Jordan Ayew and his two deputies, Thomas Teye Partey and Alexander Djiku. Once-upon-a-time captain Mohammed Kudus will also miss the games after missing Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League game against Manchester United. Receiving debut call-ups are Medeama SC…

The investigative report into the deadly helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6 has been made public. The report was first presented to the National Security Council on Monday, November 10 and immediately handed to President John Dramani Mahama by the acting Minister of Defence, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson. On Tuesday, November 11, the investigative team led by Captain (rtd) Paul Forjoe met the press at the Jubilee House to make known key findings during the 30-day investigation. “The investigation determined that the immediate cause of the accident was the sudden loss of altitude and lift due to downdraft,” he…

US media including the New York Times and Fox News are reporting a letter said to be from US President Donald Trump’s legal team sent to the BBC. It gives the BBC a deadline of Friday 14 November at 22:00 GMT (17:00 EST) to make a “full and fair retraction” of the Panorama documentary – or face being sued for $1bn (£760m). It reads: “If the BBC does not comply with the above by November 14, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST, President Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights, all of which…

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been released from jail, three weeks into a five-year prison term for taking part in a criminal conspiracy. He will be subject to strict judicial supervision and barred from leaving France ahead of an appeal trial due to be held next year. On 21 October, the former centre-right president, 70, was sentenced to five years for conspiring to fund his 2007 election campaign with money from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. His legal team immediately filed a request seeking his release. Writing on social media after the release, Sarkozy said his “energy is focused…

The Manhyia Palace has announced Sunday, November 30 and Monday, December 1 as dates to host a concluding session of Asantehene’s mediation of the Bawku chieftaincy conflict. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has led mediation efforts to find a lasting peace in the Upper East Region town. Long-standing chieftaincy disputes have led to loss of lives and properties running into millions of Cedis damaged. The Asantehene, however, praised both sides for a “positive” approach to the process so far. He also appealed to all concerned to avoid any actions likely to affect the progress towards a lasting solution to the Bawku…

The Acting Minister of Defence, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, has taken delivery of the investigative report on the deadly helicopter crash on August 6. He has, consequently, presented the report and its findings to President John Dramani Mahama at a short meeting. The presentation was made following a meeting of the National Security Council. The investigative committee was given 30 days by President Mahama to complete investigations into the cause of the deadly crash. All eight on board the Z-9EH (GHF631) helicopter perished. The report is expected to be made public on Tuesday, November 11.

Ghana’s small-scale mining sector — once a source of livelihoods and local pride — has spiraled into a full-blown national crisis. Across our mining districts, law enforcement officers from the Police, Military, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are being attacked by armed galamsey operators. Our rivers run brown poisoned with mercury, cyanide and arsenic compounds. Our farmlands have similarly become poisoned moonscapes of destruction. The time for half-measures is over. The Government of Ghana must declare a State of Emergency in the small-scale mining sector — now. State Of Emergency Only Solution. A state of emergency in this call is…

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has arrested a Southern African national at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) for attempting to smuggle over 30 kilograms of cannabis into Ghana. The suspect, who arrived on a flight from Thailand, was apprehended by NACOC officials after intelligence led to a thorough search of his luggage. The cannabis was carefully concealed in vacuum-sealed packages hidden within his personal belongings. In a shocking twist, an airline official stationed at KIA was also arrested for allegedly aiding the suspect in bypassing routine security checks. NACOC officials revealed that preliminary investigations suggest a coordinated effort between the…