Messi says ‘pain is immense’ after losing World Cup final

July 21, 2026

• The Accra Declaration, issued by female parliamentarians and leaders across West Africa, calls for violence against women and girls (VAWG) to be treated as a legislative emergency.
• The declaration commits to sweeping legislative and policy reforms, emphasizing survivor-centred legislation and stronger parliamentary oversight to combat VAWG.
• It highlights weak implementation of existing laws due to inadequate enforcement, insufficient funding, deeply entrenched social norms, and political harassment of women.
• Participants advocate for increased budgetary allocations for survivor support services, sustainable national financing, and active engagement of men and boys in challenging harmful gender norms.
• Key regional proposals include establishing a Ministerial Summit on VAWG, a West African Female Parliamentarian Solidarity Movement, and an ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol to harmonize legal protections.

July 21, 2026

• A US immigration judge ruled that Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) failed to provide persuasive evidence of criminal wrongdoing by former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
• The ruling was made on June 15, 2026, during Mr. Ofori-Atta’s application for adjustment of status in the United States.
• The Department of Homeland Security had opposed his application, citing pending criminal charges filed against him by the OSP in Ghana.
• Judge David Gardey found no convincing evidence that Mr. Ofori-Atta engaged in criminal activity or personally benefited from his public role, after reviewing the OSP's affidavit.
• The court also noted Mr. Ofori-Atta's credible denial of receiving benefits and referenced a KPMG review that identified SML contract inefficiencies but no criminal wrongdoing by him.

July 21, 2026

• Five aspirants for various executive positions within the NPP-USA branch have been disqualified from upcoming internal elections.
• The NPP-USA Election Committee cited non-payment of membership dues as the reason for their disqualification.
• The affected aspirants deny the claim, insisting they paid their dues and possess documentary evidence, including receipts.
• Despite the presentation of evidence, the Election Committee maintained its decision to disqualify the aspirants.
• The development has sparked concerns among party members about electoral fairness and unity, with calls for intervention from the NPP's national leadership.