General News of Friday, 2 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comSeveral shops at Circle, one of the busiest areas in the nation’s capital, Accra, have reportedly caught fire. Video from the scene showed the fire blazing and clouds of smoke billowing from the buildings. Additionally, the security services, including the Ghana National Fire Service, are yet to comment on the incident. Several shops torched down by raging fire at AchimotaWatch the video below:JUST IN: Fire has gutted shops at Circle in Accra. Firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service are currently at the scene working to bring the blaze under control.

General News of Saturday, 3 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe government, through the Ministry of the Interior, has declared Friday, January 9, 2026, a public holiday. “The general public is hereby informed that Wednesday, 7th January 2026, marks Constitution Day, which is a Statutory Public Holiday. ), in accordance with Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act (Act 601), as amended, declared Friday, 9th January 2026, as a Public Holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country,” the statement reads. All midweek holidays moved to Friday – See full holiday calendar changes/a>Under the new Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, statutory holidays which fall on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays are moved to be observed on Fridays. Additional holidays that fall on a weekend, either a Saturday or Sunday, will be observed on the following Monday.

Regional News of Friday, 2 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comA joint team of personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service took control of the Ho Central Mosque in the early hours of Friday, January 2, 2026. According to a report by gbcghanaonline.com, the team swooped on the Ho Central Mosque around 2:00 a.m. on Friday to enforce the temporary closure of the mosque as ordered by the Volta Regional Security Council following last week’s shooting incident. The report indicated that upon arriving at the mosque, the officers drove all the people there away before taking control of the area. The personnel, the report indicated, guarded the mosque with a significant number of police vehicles, including a mobile cell. The Volta Regional Security Council ordered the closure of the mosque to allow security authorities to investigate the shooting incident, which led to at least seven people sustaining injuries.

Entertainment of Friday, 2 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comRenowned Ghanaian filmmaker Socrate Safo has issued a stern warning about the state of Ghana's creative industry. According to him, the industry is dangerously repeating the mistakes that led to the collapse of the once-vibrant film sector. He recalled how free access, tolerated piracy, and the erosion of value eventually caused the film industry's noise to fade, investors to vanish, and the sector to collapse quietly. According to him, the music industry is going down the same path. Forgetting lessons is," Safo concluded, urging the industry to understand the painful lessons of history before it is too late.

The newly-released fee structure shows that both fresh and continuing students will pay substantially more in the upcoming academic year, sparking concerns among students and parents about the growing financial burden of tertiary education. Continuing students in the same college will pay GH¢2,253, representing a 27 per cent increase from the previous GH¢1,777. Continuing law students will also be affected, with fees rising from GH¢1,890 to GH¢2,396. For fresh students, these fees have more than doubled, rising from GH¢255 in the 2024/25 academic year to GH¢767 in 2025/26. Continuing students will pay GH¢455, up from GH¢255.

Health News of Friday, 2 January 2026Source: GNAThe Ghana HIV and AI)DS Network (GHANET) has renewed calls on Government to urgently resource the National HIV and AIDS Fund, warning that dwindling donor support threatens Ghana’s ability to curb new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths. More than 15,000 new HIV infections and 12,000 AIDS-related deaths were recorded in the country in 2024, according to data from the Ghana AIDS Commission. Doomsday 'scammer' Ebo Noah arrested“The National HIV and AIDS Fund was established in 2016, but as we speak, the fund is still empty. Ortsin cautioned that by 2030, donor funding for HIV and AIDS programming could significantly decline or end altogether, making domestic financing critical to sustaining Ghana’s HIV response. Ortsin cautioned against the perception that familiarity or physical appearance could determine a person’s HIV status, warning that unprotected sex without prior testing was extremely risky.

“Ebo Noah is in custody and we will send him to court tomorrow. The police further clarified that investigations disclosed Ebo Noah did not construct any boat, contrary to widely circulated videos and images on social media. Doomsday 'scammer' Ebo Noah arrestedProviding further details about the suspect, the police revealed that Ebo Noah is not a pastor and does not operate any church, as was earlier speculated by some members of the public. Chief Supt Sewornu disclosed that Ebo Noah admitted his actions were purely for online engagement. Ebo Noah to appear before court today after his arrest for deceiving the public and causing fear and panic pic.twitter.com/1k42NDne6E — Kobe Boujee (@kobe_boujee88) January 2, 2026FG/AE

Entertainment of Friday, 2 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comYoung and promising Ghanaian Afrobeats singer, Jubed, has shared his thoughts on the rising costs of living in the country, particularly in the nation’s capital, Accra, during December. Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb’s Joseph Henry Mensah at King Promise’s PromiseLand concert on December 30, 2025, Jubed noted that living in Accra has become increasingly expensive. He explained that although the government is making efforts to stabilise the economy, the cost of living in Accra remains high. Jubed announces 'From The Soil–Deluxe Edition'"I feel like if prices are being increased, there must be a reason, but where I even stay is really expensive,” he said. According to the “Ruwa” singer, the concert will not be limited to Ghana but will extend to audiences across the globe.

Entertainment of Friday, 2 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comMedia personality and Public Relations Officer for Stonebwoy, Vida Adutwumwaa Boateng, has explained why the dancehall artiste did not perform at the scheduled 10 PM time during his recent show. According to her, as late as 3 AM, many patrons were still at the gates attempting to redeem their tickets. It’s part of the reason Stonebwoy couldn’t perform at 10 PM as he assured,” she said. According to Vida, Stonebwoy was fully aware of the situation and felt it would be unfair to perform while many ticket holders were still outside the venue. She also urged Ghanaians to buy tickets early to avoid similar problems in the future.

Known for his outspoken views on TikTok, Nana Gyeabour asserted that many people often describe the worship of lesser gods as sinful. Anyone who claims that worshipping lesser gods is wrong is being untruthful. In reality, those who worship lesser gods are truthful, and the gods in turn honour them,” he said. Addressing the gathering, he emphasised that they are in a better place today because their great great ancestors served these lesser gods faithfully. Our great great ancestors served lesser gods, and that is why we enjoy a better place today.

This is a video in which the Rev John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South, is seen offering fervent prayers for President John Dramani Mahama, much to the surprise of some people. He was heard urging the congregation to intercede for Ghana and for President Mahama’s success, stressing the importance of collective prayer for the nation’s progress. However, his prayers have sparked widespread conversations on social media, with many questioning whether they were genuine. Some users pointed out that Rev Ntim Fordjour was rarely seen on the pulpit during the time his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was in power. — Samuel Osei K Kelvin (@realKelvin_gh) January 1, 2026This one dea3 ur man try give Ghana — @Mingus2000 (@mingus2000) January 2, 2026VKB/AE

General News of Friday, 2 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) will officially open its 7th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference on Monday, January 5, 2026, in Accra, with President John Dramani Mahama to perform the opening ceremony. GNAT, NAGRAT condemn Kade SHS teacher assaultPresident Mahama’s participation highlights the importance government attaches to the teaching profession and its role in national development, particularly as the Ghana Education Service (GES) marks 50 years of existence. The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, is the Special Guest of Honour, while veteran statesman Opanin Kwame Pianim is chairing the conference. Delegates are expected to adopt resolutions on teacher welfare, education policy reforms and strategies to strengthen the teaching profession as the sector navigates ongoing reforms and institutional milestones. MRA/AEMeanwhile, watch some 2026 prophecies by Apostle Dr Isaac Owusu Bempah below:

Business News of Friday, 2 January 2026Source: bbc.comThe FTSE 100 index has climbed above 10,000 points for the first time, passing a significant stock market milestone, on the first trading day of the year. But the London index is dominated by large international companies, so is not a direct reflection of the UK economy's performance. The FTSE 100 tracks the performance of the the 100 largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. "The FTSE 100's achievements just go to show what's possible when buying UK shares," he said. "For example, we all need to pay insurance or water bills, or those in the habit are still likely to buy cigarettes or vapes, and the FTSE 100 has plenty of companies playing on these themes on offer."

General News of Friday, 2 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has warned that Ghana’s laws will be enforced rigorously against foreigners who attempt to acquire Ghanaian passports through illegal means. “Ghanaians are concerned that we need to improve security and make sure that foreigners do not acquire our passport and undermine the gains that we have made,” Ablakwa said, assuring all Ghanaians that foreigners who attempt this will have a tough time. The foreign affairs minister was speaking on December 31, 2025, at the commissioning of a Passport Application Centre in the Savannah Region. He noted that additional security measures have been deployed, particularly at the borders, to monitor and prevent foreigners from infiltrating areas such as Damongo to illegally acquire passports. As part of the commissioning ceremony, seven applicants received their passports directly from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his delegation.

At the end of 2025, a number of concerts were organized and held in Ghana, both paid-for and the free attendance ones. In this GhanaWeb article, we take a look at how some Ghanaians and music enthusiasts ranked some major concerts that took place. The list, which has been developed from a poll GhanaWeb held on socials, ranks the concerts from the best to the worst:1. Likor on the Beach by KidiThis chilled-out beach concert with top artistes made it to the 6th position on the rankings. According to the poll, this concert by the reigning Artiste of the Year was the worst of the season.