Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum Receives Nomination Form for NPP Flagbearership
August 14, 2025, marked a significant milestone for Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum as he received his nomination form for the flagbearership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). This development comes as the NPP prepares for its presidential primary scheduled for January 2026, with other notable aspirants, including former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, also vying for the party’s leadership. The nomination form was picked on Dr. Adutwum’s behalf by a group of gifted students from underprivileged backgrounds whom he currently sponsors in Medicine and Engineering programs. These students, along with polling station executives, dedicated teachers, and loyal party faithfuls, demonstrated their unwavering support for Dr. Adutwum’s vision. Led by his campaign chairman, Mr. Oppong Bio, this collective effort signifies a shared commitment to a brighter future. Dr. Adutwum’s vision is centered around eradicating poverty through education, a noble cause that resonates deeply with many Ghanaians. By emphasizing the importance of education, Dr. Adutwum aims to empower individuals and communities, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to break the cycle of poverty. As Dr. Adutwum embarks on this new chapter, he expressed his determination to work tirelessly towards building a better future for all. “May this milestone mark the next chapter of our shared vision to eradicate poverty through education,” he stated. “Let us press forward together with hope, determination, and an unshakable commitment to building a better future for all.” With this commitment, Dr. Adutwum is poised to make a meaningful impact on Ghana’s educational landscape and potentially the country’s political future. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Helicopter Crash Probe Nears Completion as Security Expert Calls for Sector Reforms
Investigations into the recent helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, which claimed the lives of eight security personnel, are well underway and nearing completion, according to security expert and consultant Richard Kumodor. In a media interview on Thursday, Kumodor revealed that about 70% of the investigation report is expected to be ready by tomorrow, coinciding with the scheduled burial and funeral activities for the fallen officers. Kumodor explained that investigators have meticulously examined all relevant aspects of the accident—including technical, operational, and environmental factors, and have sought international collaborations to ensure a thorough and credible process. “The investigators have considered all the parameters and sought international collaborations to unravel the cause of the accident,” he stated. The tragedy involved a Ghana Air Force helicopter that crashed while on official duty in the Ashanti Region, resulting in the deaths of all eight personnel on board. The incident has led to widespread national mourning and sparked conversations about the state of Ghana’s military aviation, emergency response mechanisms, and the adequacy of security equipment. Beyond the immediate investigation, Kumodor urged the government to prioritize the resourcing of the country’s security services, emphasizing the importance of improved logistics, training, and robust rapid response mechanisms. He noted that while identifying the cause of the crash is vital, the tragedy must also serve as a wake-up call to address enduring gaps in Ghana’s security sector. Kumodor pointed out that the crash revealed limitations in the nation’s emergency preparedness and underscored the need for greater investment in aircraft maintenance, crew training, and effective search-and-rescue operations. Proactive, rather than reactive, measures, he stressed, should define the government’s approach to security sector readiness. As the nation prepares to bid farewell to the eight officers—remembered as patriots who died in the line of duty—state officials, security chiefs, and the public are expected to attend the burial. The final investigation report, once completed, is anticipated to outline the causes of the crash and recommend measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Eco-Conscious Citizens Urge State of Emergency on Galamsey After Tragic Helicopter Crash
The Executive Director of Eco-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwah, has called on the government to seize the moment of national mourning, following the loss of eight Ghana Armed Forces personnel in a helicopter crash, to declare a targeted state of emergency in the fight against illegal mining, known locally as galamsey. Serwah’s appeal comes in the wake of the Z-9 Air Force helicopter tragedy in the Ashanti Region, which claimed the lives of all eight officers on board. She emphasized that the sacrifice of the “fallen eight,” as well as others who have died protecting Ghana’s natural resources, must mark a decisive turning point in the country’s efforts to end galamsey. “The deaths of the eight victims, along with others who have lost their lives in the fight against galamsey, should serve as a turning point in combating the menace,” Serwah said. She stressed that the battle against illegal mining could not continue as business as usual, warning that history would judge the current generation harshly if decisive steps were not taken. Serwah urged the government to recognize galamsey as an existential threat, not only to Ghana’s environment but also to its security. She called for the translation of political rhetoric into concrete action, arguing that the moment demands bold, targeted measures to honor the sacrifices made by the fallen and to chart a new course for the nation’s natural heritage. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
International aid groups say new Israeli rules stop them delivering supplies to Gaza
New Israeli legislation regulating foreign aid groups has been increasingly used to deny their requests to bring supplies into Gaza, according to a joint letter signed by more than 100 groups published Thursday. “Israeli authorities have rejected requests from dozens of NGOs to bring in lifesaving goods, citing that these organisations are ‘not authorised to deliver aid’,” the joint statement reads. According to the letter, whose signatories include Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), at least 60 requests to bring aid into Gaza were rejected in July alone. In March, Israel’s government approved a new set of rules for foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working with Palestinians. Gaza: families struggle to procure food as the humanitarian disaster worsens To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. The law updates the framework for how aid groups must register to maintain their status within Israel, along with provisions that outline how their applications can be denied or registration revoked. Registration can be rejected if Israeli authorities deem that a group denies the “democratic character” of Israel or “promotes delegitimisation campaigns” against the country. “Unfortunately, many aid organisations serve as a cover for hostile and sometimes violent activity,” Israel’s Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli alleged to AFP. “Organisations that have no connection to hostile or violent activity and no ties to the boycott movement will be granted permission to operate,” added Chikli, whose ministry directed an effort to produce the new guideline. Aid groups say, however, that the new rules are leaving Gazans without help. “Our mandate is to save lives, but due to the registration restrictions civilians are being left without the food, medicine and protection they urgently need,” said Jolien Veldwijk, director of the charity CARE in the Palestinian territories. Eight more people, including three children, have died of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza in the past 24 hours, the territory’s health ministry said Wednesday. The number of people who have died from hunger in the besieged enclave since the war began now stands at 235, including 106 children. Veldwijk said that CARE has not been able to deliver any aid to Gaza since Israel imposed a full blockade on the Palestinian territory in March, despite partially easing it in May. Although Israel has alleged that much of the aid arriving in the territory is being siphoned off by Hamas, which runs Gaza, the UN has repeatedly rejected these claims. An internal US government analysis seen by Reuters found no evidence of systematic theft by the Palestinian militant group of US-funded humanitarian supplies, and Israeli military officials have told the New York Times that they had no evidence to substantiate these allegations. Since May, the government has relied on the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to manage food distribution centres. Israeli troops have shot dead hundreds of Palestinians trying to reach the aid hubs since they first opened, including at least 25 people on Wednesday. (FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
Zelensky meets with UK’s Starmer ahead of high-stakes Trump-Putin summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London Thursday ahead of Friday’s Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two leaders said that the upcoming talks “present a viable chance to make progress” in bringing the Ukraine war to an end, a statement from Starmer’s office said. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to London on Thursday in a show of the UK‘s support for Ukraine a day before a critical US-Russia summit is set to take place in Alaska. The two embraced warmly outside Starmer’s offices at 10 Downing Street without making any comments. Around an hour later, Starmer walked Zelensky back to his waiting car. Starmer’s office released a statement following the meeting saying that Friday’s talks present a “viable chance to make progress” on ending the Ukraine war. The two leaders “agreed there had been a powerful sense of unity and a strong resolve to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” the statement said. “They then looked ahead to tomorrow’s talks between President Trump and President Putin in Alaska, which present a viable chance to make progress as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about peace.” Zelensky’s trip to the British capital came a day after he took part in virtual meetings from Berlin with US President Donald Trump and the leaders of several European countries. Those leaders said Trump had assured them he would make a priority of trying to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Anchorage. Both Zelensky and the Europeans have worried the bilateral US-Russia summit would leave them and their interests sidelined. They fear that any conclusions reached could favour Moscow, leaving Ukraine and Europe’s future security in jeopardy with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine now in its fourth year. Yet some of those leaders, like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron, praised Wednesday’s video conference with Trump as constructive. Speaking after the meetings to reporters, Trump warned of “very severe consequences” for Russia if Putin does not agree to stop the war against Ukraine after Friday’s meeting. High stakes The Kremlin on Thursday said the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska will start at 11:30am local time. Putin’s foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that Trump and Putin will first sit down for a one-on-one meeting. Aside from Putin, the Russian delegation will include Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund Kirill Dmitriev. Following the meetings between Trump and Putin and their delegations, the two leaders will hold a joint press conference, Ushakov said. Starmer on Wednesday said the Alaska summit would be “hugely important,” and could be a “viable” path to a ceasefire in Ukraine. But he also alluded to European concerns that Trump may strike a deal that forces Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, and warned that Western allies must be prepared to step up pressure on Russia if necessary. During a call Wednesday among leaders of countries involved in the “coalition of the willing” – those who are prepared to help police any future peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv – Starmer stressed that any deal reached on bringing the fighting to an end must protect the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine. “International borders cannot be, and must not be changed by force,’’ he said, adding that robust security guarantees must accompany any ceasefire to “ensure that any peace, if there is peace, is lasting peace and Ukraine can defend its territorial integrity”. Kyiv has long insisted that safeguards against future Russian attacks provided by its Western allies would be a precondition for achieving a durable end to the fighting in Ukraine. Yet many Western governments have been hesitant to commit to engaging their military personnel. Countries in the “coalition of the willing,” which include France and the UK, have been trying for months to secure US security backing should it be required. Following Wednesday’s virtual meetings, Macron said Trump told the assembled leaders that while NATO must not be part of future security guarantees, “the United States and all the parties involved should take part”. “It’s a very important clarification that we have received,” Macron said. Trump did not reference any US commitments to providing security guarantees during his comments to reporters on Wednesday. ‘Human lives are priceless’ With another high-level meeting on their country’s future on the horizon, some Ukrainians expressed skepticism that any breakthroughs would be achieved during Friday’s US-Russia summit. Oleksandra Kozlova, 39, who works at a digital agency in Kyiv, told the Associated Press on Wednesday that she believes Ukrainians “have already lost hope” that meaningful progress can be made on ending the 3 1/2-year-old war. “I don’t think this round will be decisive,” she said. “There have already been enough meetings and negotiations promising us, ordinary people, that something will be resolved, that things will get better, that the war will end. Unfortunately, this has not happened, so personally I don’t see any changes coming.” Anton Vyshniak, a car salesman in Kyiv, said Ukraine’s priority now should be saving the lives of its troops, even at the expense of making territorial concessions. “At the moment, the most important thing is to preserve the lives of male and female military personnel. After all, there are not many human resources left,” he said. “Borders are borders, but human lives are priceless. Therefore, some principles can be disregarded here.” Russian military push comes ahead of Trump-Putin summit To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. As Europe holds its breath on the eve of the Alaska summit, Moscow appears to be pushing ever harder to consolidate its territorial gains in Ukraine’s devastated Donetsk region. Russia said on Thursday its troops had captured two new settlements in eastern Ukraine. The defence ministry said Russian forces captured the village of Iskra and the small town of Shcherbynivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, which the Kremlin claimed
Former Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum Enters NPP Presidential Race
Former Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has officially joined the contest for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidacy, picking up nomination forms to vie in the party’s flagbearer election scheduled for January 2026. Dr. Adutwum, who served under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and is the current Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, is positioning himself to lead the NPP into the 2028 general elections. His candidacy marks yet another addition to the growing field of aspirants seeking to steer the party’s future. Renowned for his leadership in educational reform, Dr. Adutwum is particularly celebrated for championing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) development and expanding access to secondary education. His entry into the flagbearer race is expected to spark considerable discussion within party ranks, with many supporters touting his technocratic expertise and accomplishments in public service. Meanwhile, on August 13, more than 490 constituency youth organisers, both substantive and deputy, picked up nomination forms on behalf of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for the same contest. The group described Dr. Bawumia as the candidate best positioned to secure victory for the NPP in the 2028 elections, citing his “exceptional leadership, proven track record, and vision for Ghana’s future” as the basis for their endorsement. Their support follows a strategic meeting held on July 29, 2025, with participation from youth organisers representing constituencies across the country. The NPP’s upcoming flagbearer election promises to be a closely watched and hotly contested affair as the party prepares for its next chapter. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Accra Circuit Court Denies Bail for Wontumi TV Presenter Over Crash Allegations
The Accra Circuit Court has denied bail to Akyenkwaa Nana Kofi Asare, a presenter with Wontumi TV, following his arrest for making on-air comments linking former President John Mahama to the recent military helicopter crash that claimed eight lives. Kofi Asare was apprehended by police on Tuesday, August 12, after airing statements authorities described as unsubstantiated allegations concerning the tragic August 6 crash in the Adansi Akrofoum District of the Ashanti Region. The incident, which resulted in national mourning, has prompted the government to schedule a state funeral for the victims on Friday, August 15. During proceedings on Thursday, the defence team requested bail for Kofi Asare, but the presiding judge refused the application, ordering instead that the accused be remanded into police custody as investigations continue. Speaking to the media after the ruling, Enoch Anhwere Afoakwah, counsel for the accused, condemned the court’s decision, calling it a miscarriage of justice. He indicated the legal team’s intention to challenge the ruling at the High Court. The case has attracted significant public attention, coming at a time when the nation is still reeling from the loss of military personnel in the Adansi Akrofoum crash and preparing for their state funeral. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Government Releases Full Details for State Funeral of Helicopter Crash Victims
The government has announced comprehensive arrangements for the state funeral of the eight victims of the tragic August 6 helicopter crash in Adansi Akrufuom. The ceremony, which will take place tomorrow, will be conducted with full military honours by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). At a press briefing earlier today, Deputy Chief of Staff Stan Dogbe outlined the three-part structure of the solemn occasion. The day will begin with Bible and Qur’an recitals, setting a reverent tone for the proceedings. This will be followed by the main service, during which the biographies of all eight victims will be read, and heartfelt tributes shared by widows, children, government officials, and representatives from various institutions. The ceremony will conclude with the burial of the victims. The pre-burial programme is scheduled to run from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. The main service, expected to last three hours, will provide an opportunity for the nation to remember and honour the lives lost. Air Commodore Thomas Okai confirmed that the funeral will be military in nature. The Ghana Armed Forces will transport the remains from the morgue to Black Star Square, where the service will be held. Afterwards, the remains will be conveyed to the military cemetery for burial. Military chaplains, supported by civilian ministers, pastors, and imams, will officiate the rites, ensuring the ceremony reflects both military tradition and religious diversity. Superintendent Obeng of the MTTD announced that special traffic regulations will be enforced from this afternoon to facilitate smooth vehicular movement around the venue. Motorists are advised to follow police directions, use designated parking areas, and avoid restricted routes leading directly to the ceremonial grounds unless authorized. The public is urged to arrive early and cooperate fully with security arrangements, as the nation comes together to pay its final respects to the victims of the Adansi Akrufuom tragedy. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
A Swift Community Effort Supported by Security Forces Leads to Arrest in Bunkpurugu Robbery Attempt
The quiet of Kpentoug Junction in Bunkpurugu, North East Region, was shattered by a daring robbery attempt, only to be swiftly thwarted by the courage of a local woman and the collective action of the community, police, and military. Between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., two masked men lay in wait for a female mobile money agent from Jilig No. 2 as she headed home after closing from work. As she approached the junction, the assailants sprang from the shadows, blocking her path and demanding her bag, which carried an undisclosed amount of cash. Despite being physically assaulted, the agent refused to let go of her bag, her determination undimmed by the attackers’ threats. At that moment, a passing tricycle—commonly known as a Motor King—approached. Sensing danger, the driver flashed his lights and sped toward the commotion, startling the robbers and forcing them to abandon their plan. The assailants fled, but the Motor King driver gave chase, even after they threatened him. Realizing he needed backup, he alerted nearby residents, which set off a rapid and coordinated response. Community members, joined by police and military personnel, launched a pursuit that stretched from Kpentoug Junction to Nyamwai. Their efforts paid off: one of the suspects was intercepted and apprehended by residents in Nyamwai, while the second managed to escape and remains at large. The arrested suspect is currently in police custody as authorities continue their manhunt for the fugitive. The swift action of the community and security forces stands as a testament to the power of collective vigilance and courage in the face of danger. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
NPP’s Justin Kodua Apologizes for Party-Affiliated Social Media Comments After Helicopter Crash
The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Kodua, has condemned offensive social media comments made by individuals believed to be affiliated with the party following the recent Z-9 military helicopter crash that claimed eight lives, including two ministers. During a courtesy visit to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) headquarters, Kodua described the comments made by some TikTok users as “unfortunate and condemnable” and not reflective of the NPP’s values. Kodua emphasized the importance of showing solidarity in times of tragedy, stating that “death is something that not even your worst enemy would wish upon you.” He criticized the divisive and insensitive comments that have emerged from both sides of the political divide, warning that politicizing national tragedies undermines Ghana’s democratic culture. On behalf of the NPP, Kodua extended an apology to the NDC leadership and President John Dramani Mahama, assuring them that such reckless sentiments are neither endorsed nor condoned within the party. “If anything offensive or inappropriate has come from our side, I would like, on behalf of our party, to offer an apology,” he said. The NPP’s apology comes as the party seeks to maintain peaceful and respectful political relations with the NDC. Kodua reaffirmed the party’s commitment to this goal, while also expressing confidence in the NPP’s ability to retain the Akwatia parliamentary seat. Source: Apexnewsgh.com