Civil societies play significant role in any democratic dispensation with a view of shaping policies for the betterment of the ordinary people. The beauty of civil society groups is their influence on policies and their willingness to offer alternative views to shape critical policies.

Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, has won a competitive process to provide currency benchmarks for three of Africa's most vibrant and dynamic economies - Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia.

As part of activities marking this year's Ramadan festivities, the Islamic Library for Reading and Recording, a Muslim-based non-governmental organisation, has presented assorted items valued at several hundreds of Ghana cedis to inmates of both the Central and Manhyia prisons in Kumasi.

AN EXCAVATOR was berthed in the marshy ground, scooping mud from the water-way that once provided water for communities downstream at Boete in the mining town of Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.

Ghana's big sister to the East, Nigeria, discovered its first commercial oil well - Oloibiri 1 - in 1956 and in 1958 or thereabouts, which achieved a daily production of 5,100 barrels for export.

The Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Sylvester A. Mensah, says the "future is bright" for the younger generation of the country. According to him, "this is truly an exciting time to be growing up in Ghana."

THERE ARE fears that Ghana may not be in position to effectively contain and manage the deadly Ebola disease, should there be an outbreak, mainly due to financial constraints. Ghana is currently contending with an outbreak of Cholera.

Christopher Bell, Interactive Intelligence's Channel Manager for Africa, has called for the creation of a call centre association for Nigeria and other African countries, as a way of promoting a standard for call centres.

Hundreds of deprived children and orphans in Zongo communities had something to cheer about during this Ramadan Sala festivities, after being treated to meals and provided with clothes by a Kumasi-based radio station, Zuria FM.

The Kingdom Power Family International (KPFI) was established 15 years ago, and to mark the anniversary, the church is organising a series of programmes and events.

People can become homeless almost anywhere in the world, but they are differences in the way the rest of society treats them. A visiting young Ghanaian journalist wanted to find out how they fare in Bonn, Germany.