Author: newsfilegh

The government has extended the validity of an ordinary Ghanaian passport from 5 years to 10 years, effective March 31, 2019. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in a letter dated February 6, 2019 and addressed to all heads of Missions notified them of the government’s decision. “MISSIONS ARE HEREBY THAT GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO EXTEND THE VALITY OF ORDINARY PASSPORT BOOKLETS ISSUED TO QUALIIED GHANAIANS APPLICATIONS FROM FIVE TO TEN YEARS (5-10 YEARS) WITH EFFECT FROM 31ST MARCH 2019″, a letter signed by the deputy minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Habibu Tijani said. Despite the extension in…

The Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Area, Tongraan Kugblisong Nalebteng, has said small-scale mining in the Gbane mining community, which recently witnessed a bloody blast, will not be of any benefit to the people of the area. He said small-scale mining degrades the environment yet offers little to the overall development of the area and would rather advise small-scale miners to invest in deep shaft mining. Speaking to the media in his palace at Tongo in the Upper East Region, the Tongraan called on the small-scale miners to consider partnering bigger companies that have the muscle to do deep-shaft…

The CEO of WASK Group of Companies, Dr. Williams Anarfi Sarpong, will be delivering an address at the 4th Annual Water & Energy Congress in UAE. The Congress, scheduled to take place February 12, is being organized by Dr. Rashid Alleem, the Founder and Executive Chairman of Alleem Investment Centre and Chairman of Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority. Dr. Alleem is also the Knowledge Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates. The theme for the congress is ‘Water & Energy’ with about 350 delegates expected to attend. The Congress is a platform which will give participants and delegates the opportunity to…

The Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Osei Bonsu Amoah, has expressed disappointment in the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) for organising a press conference earlier in the week to refute accusations by the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) that it had peddled falsehood in its close-of-polls report on the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections. According to the deputy minister, CODEO and the EC should have been able to reconcile their differences behind-the-scene before coming out publicly with any further communiques. He particularly wished that CODEO had contacted the EC on the matter rather than organising the press conference…

Bawumia swears-in the Commission of Inquiry to begin workA private legal practitioner, Bobby Banson, is of the view that the terms of reference for the Commission of Inquiry set up to look into the violence at Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency fall short of allowing it to look at the general phenomenon of vigilantism. According to him, the terms of reference only limit the Commission to probe the acts of violence which occurred during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election on Thursday, January 31. A former Commissioner of CHRAJ, Justice Emile Short, was appointed Wednesday together with two others to investigate the…

The South African Tourism Authority has had to reschedule this year’s Travel Indaba to a later date. This follows a State of the Nation address by President Cyril Rampahosa, who confirmed that May 8, 2019 will be the date for the national elections. Indaba was scheduled to have taken place from 6th to 8th May at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban. The ICC also serves as the nerve centre for elections in the KwaZulu Natal province and takes priority over all other events. “We are currently exploring all viable alternative options in light of the…

A US teenager who discovered a security flaw in Apple’s FaceTime video-calling system has been given a bug bounty. Apple has not revealed the exact amount it is giving 14-year-old Grant Thompson but it is believed to include money to help pay for his education. The teenager found a bug that meant he could briefly eavesdrop on recipients to a group FaceTime call. The reward comes as one security researcher refused to tell Apple about a bug because no bounty was on offer. Cash call Information about the bug first emerged in late January and revealed that some Apple users could secretly listen…

A female MP in Tanzania has called for checks to determine whether or not her male colleagues have undergone circumcision – a procedure known to reduce the risk of HIV transmission. Jackline Ngonyani said any MPs found not to have been circumcised should be required to undergo the procedure. Her suggestion divided opinion among her colleagues. HIV is seen as a major threat to public health in Tanzania. Around 70% of the male population is circumcised. Around 5% of Tanzania’s adult population is believed to have been infected by HIV – giving it the 13th highest rate of infection in…

UNDP has awarded a 200,000-dollar grant to five Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to implement various projects towards the elimination of mercury in gold mining and promotion of sustainable artisanal and small-scale mining in Ghana. They are Tuning Point of Advocacy, Moaduri Women Development Projects, Ghana Institute of Sustainable Development, Zintang Healers Association and Firm Health Ghana Foundation. Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP Ghana, Louis Kuukpen, emphasized their commitment to support Ghana in the formalization of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector. This he indicated, will be through training, technology transfer and knowledge management to promote mining without mercury in the…

Ebony’s father says he is yet to come to terms with the loss of his daughter. Nana Opoku Kwarteng told Owusu Worae he still feels as though his daughter were alive. “I am not myself. It is going to take a while, because the closeness between myself and the queen was something else. The bond was thick so I am still traumatized if you should ask me; I am not myself but I am coping.I can feel her presence around,” he stated. As part of plans to mark the late Ebony’s one year anniversary, he said, two of the dancehall queen’s recorded…