THE HEALTH status of the Volta Lake Transport Company (VLTC) is in shambles, as liquidity challenges continue to stare in the face of the once viable company. The workers have expressed the fear that the company may soon fold up if immediate steps are not taken to revamp its operations.

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has caught on like a whirlwind. Under the ongoing nationwide biometric registration exercise, registrants have to wake up at 3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. to queue up if they hope to get registered in a single day. In many districts, only a 100 people are attended to daily.

MADAM JOANA Nyame, Executive Director of the Global Cervical Charity Foundation (GCCF), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has said most diseases like breast and cervical cancer are preventable and can be treated, if detected early. She has, therefore, advised women to attend hospitals and health centres for regular checkups to help reduce cases of the diseases. Madam Nyame was addressing over 160 women at a Breast and Cervical Cancer screening and education at Offinso in the region.

THE YOUNG chap who was born as Derrick Mills, but popularly known by his stage name as Odartey a.k.a Lil Grilz, is a Ghanaian recording artiste, songwriter, performer, journalist, and an entrepreneur. A vibrant Afrobeats and Hiphop emcee from Motown, Odartey is one of the unique hip hop artistes emerging in the Ghanaian music industry.

IT'S CERTAINLY a good time for Ghanaian Reggae and Dancehall music, as well as artistes, who have for the last year dominated the Ghanaian music space, headlining almost all the major shows, from concerts to awards shows.

The Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) is battling the management of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) over plans to further lay-off 600 of its workers. According to the union, so far, more than 3,500 employees have exited the mining industry in the country in the name of redundancy, out of which 400 are from the Newmont Ahafo operations.

THE JUDGEMENT Debt Commission was yesterday told how the inaction of the Attorney General's Department led to the payment of nearly GH¢4 million as judgment debt to some retired police officers in 2003.

Ghana's Minister of Trade and Industry, Haruna Iddrisu, has asked the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) not to reduce investment promotion to Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to the neglect of the domestic ones. His call comes at the time when there is drop in FDIs into the country.

TECNO Mobile, the leading dual Simmobile phone manufacturer, swept two awards for the Mobile handheld device categories at this year's edition of the Ghana Telecom Awards. TECNO's flagship phone, Phantom, won the Smartphone of the Year award, while its distributing outlet, Mobile Zone, won Distributor of the Year award for the third straight year.

The Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF) has commissioned three projects at Yamfo in the Tano North District, which were implemented in collaboration with the community, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Library Board, Ghana Health Service, and the District Assembly. The projects commissioned are a multi-purpose community library, nurses' quarters, and a recovery ward for the Yamfo Health Centre, which cost GH¢344,998.82.

Mr. Nat-Khing Tackie, the Volta Regional Director of the Social Welfare, has commended the Keta Municipal and the South Tongu District Assemblies for their exceptional support to the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.LEAP focuses on the extremely poor households with people 65 years and above without support, orphans, vulnerable children with disabilities.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture has held a Press Conference in Accra to update the media on its intention to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the fishing industry.

A ten (10) member Council for the Ghana Investment Promotion Council Board (GIPC) has been inaugurated in Accra.

The Ministry of Health in Ghana in collaboration with Sanofi Aventis Groupe has agreed to set up training sessions with the aim of enhancing the skills of all Parties in the Supply Chain at both National and Regional levels.

TWO MEMBERS of the Aduana Royal families have registered their opposition to the acceptance of Dr. Yaw Sarfo by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Asanteman Council as the Kumawuhene-elect for subsequent installation. Abusuapanin Kwaku Gyekyei, alias "Wanonwi", of the Odumasi Aduana Royal family and Opanin Kwabena Kodua, Principal Member of the Anananya Aduana Royal family of Kumawu have since, February this year, gone to court for an order to quash the decision of Otumfuo and the Asanteman

THE SOLE Commissioner, Justice Yaw Appau, has expressed shock over how the Bank of Ghana (BoG) paid a staggering GH¢780,000 Adaklu and Abotia lands compensation into an account named Government None Road Arrears Account, without details of the beneficiaries involved.

THE DECISION of the newly-elected chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Afoko, to relieve the party's Director of Finance, Opare Hammond, of his post is not only leading to a power struggle in the party, but also fast dividing the party's front, ahead of congress to elect a flagbearer.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Alhaji Inusah Fuseini has described the menace of illegal mining (Galamsey) with its attendance destruction and degrading of lands, forest cover and water bodies, as a security concern that continues to disturbe the peace and smooth of the country.

London -Football analysts in the UK on Tuesday rated Nigeria's Super Eagles and the Black Stars of Ghana as Africa's favourite teams for the World Cup.

A significant moment has arrived in West Africa that cannot be overlooked. At least six countries in the sub-region are currently undergoing constitutional review processes, including Benin, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.