Author: THE NEW REPUBLIC

By Lawrence Odoom/Phalonzy The Ghana Education Service has issued an uncompromising edict to candidates preparing for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination: examination malpractice, colloquially known as “apor,” will not be countenanced. Addressing the media on Thursday, April 30, GES Director-General Ernest Kofi Davis admonished candidates to anchor their success solely in diligent preparation, affirming that the Service has instituted “stringent measures to clamp down on cheating across all examination centres.” Mr. Davis sought to allay anxiety among candidates, assuring them that “the examination questions would be drawn strictly from the approved syllabus,” while urging composure and self-reliance. He issued…

By Lawrence Odoom/Phalonzy Ghana’s electricity generation architecture has been fortified with the successful restoration of a fifth unit at the Akosombo Dam, as engineers press ahead with phased efforts to stabilize power supply following recent system-wide disruptions. Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, confirmed that the unit “has been fully commissioned and is now operational,” marking a critical milestone in the recovery process. In a Facebook update on Thursday, April 30, Mr. Jinapor lauded the flawless recommissioning exercise. “A while ago, the 5th unit at Akosombo was successfully commissioned and is now fully operational. The startup was carried…

By Lawrence Odoom/Phalonzy Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman has launched the Students Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development Programme, SEED, at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, in a bold intervention to cultivate a new vanguard of student entrepreneurs and confront Ghana’s youth unemployment crisis head-on. The landmark initiative, unveiled on Wednesday, April 30, at UPSA, crystallizes President John Dramani Mahama’s pledge to “address youth unemployment, one of Ghana’s most pressing challenges,” through structured, high-impact enterprise incubation. SEED emerges as the natural successor to the Adwumawura Programme, which “attracted numerous applications when it opened, demonstrating the readiness of Ghana’s youth to…

Former Black Stars player Albert Adomah has declared he has no plans to retire from professional football, insisting he will continue playing until his body forces him to stop. The 38-year-old Ghanaian winger, currently playing for League Two side Walsall, made the defiant statement after becoming the first player in EFL history to make 100 appearances for six different clubs, a landmark that has cemented his place in English football’s record books. “I want to play till I can’t walk. I want to stop playing football on my own terms. When I can’t manoeuvre properly on the pitch, then I…

Jihadist fighters in Mali have called for a nationwide uprising against the country’s military rulers, escalating tensions as they tighten pressure on the capital, Bamako. The appeal comes days after coordinated attacks on junta positions and coincides with the start of a blockade on key roads into the city, raising fears of further instability in a country already grappling with years of conflict. The call was issued by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked alliance, which urged a broad coalition of Malian society to unite against the military leadership that has been in power…

The Tiwa Savage Music Foundation (TSMF) has awarded more than $2 million in fully-funded scholarships to 18 emerging Nigerian artistes to pursue undergraduate studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Organisers announced the awards on Sunday, April 26, 2026, at the grand finale concert of the Berklee in Nigeria: Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Program held at the National Theatre in Lagos. The five-day programme, which ran from April 22 to 26, represented Berklee College of Music’s first institutional on-the-ground initiative in Nigeria and the broader West African region. It drew over 2,100 applications, from which organisers selected 120 aspiring…

Just hours before its wide theatrical release, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is generating massive buzz as one of the most anticipated sequels of the year. The film, which reunites the core cast nearly two decades after the 2006 original became a cultural phenomenon, hits theaters on May 1, 2026, from 20th Century Studios. It premiered on April 20 at Lincoln Center in New York, with subsequent glamorous premieres in London and other international cities drawing red-carpet frenzy. Directed once again by David Frankel and written by Aline Brosh McKenna, the sequel brings back Meryl Streep as the formidable Miranda…

The highly anticipated “No Man of God” Concert and Book Launch, a groundbreaking live cinematic experience blending powerful music, dramatic performances, and compelling storytelling, is scheduled to take place this Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Auditorium. Organized by Kornerstonez Productions, the event promises to bring the essence of the forthcoming Christian-based feature film No Man of God to life on stage in a unique format that fuses theatrical reenactment with live musical elements. Promoters describe it as “a whole different experience” that will immerse audiences in themes of faith, leadership, redemption, and the…

In the early 2000s millions of Africans who never had landlines went straight to mobile phones. In the 2010s just as many passed up bank accounts for mobile-money wallets. These days, more than half the world’s mobile-money users are in Africa. Now, the African fintechs whose technologies helped drive the trend are looking for new ways to serve these customers, and make money from them in the process. Lately they have focused on making it easier to move money into, out of and around African countries. Demand for international payments is increasing, both from businesses and from the continent’s increasingly…

By Emmanuel Nii Sackey Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has intercepted a 40-foot trailer carrying a staggering 5 million tablets of Tapentadol 250mg in a major anti-drug operation. The consignment, which was enroute to the Niger Republic, was seized following a carefully coordinated intelligence-led exercise. The bust serves as a huge pharmaceutical drug interceptions in recent times. Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the shipment and are currently in custody assisting with investigations. The suspects are believed to be part of a broader trafficking network involved in the movement of controlled substances across borders. Tapentadol, a powerful opioid…