Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has intervened to halt the planned shutdown of 64 radio stations across the country by the National Communications Authority (NCA), following allegations of regulatory violations.

In a public notice issued on June 12, the NCA had directed the affected stations to suspend broadcasting, acting on a directive from Sam Nartey George, Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation.

The NCA cited a series of non-compliance issues under the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775) and the Electronic Communications Regulations, 2011 (L.I. 1991).

The breaches fell into four main categories:

1. Operating with expired authorisations after being ordered to stop;

2. Broadcasting despite licence revocation for failing to commence operations within the required timeframe;

3. Incomplete payment of authorisation fees despite provisional approvals; and

4. Inability to fulfil the full conditions for final authorisation after partial payment.

However, the closure directive sparked national concern about press freedom, prompting President Mahama to order an immediate reversal.

In a statement released by his spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the president stressed the importance of protecting the media landscape.

“President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Ministry for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation to liaise with the National Communications Authority to immediately restore the broadcasts of the 64 radio stations affected by the regulator’s action.”

“The president believes that regulatory compliance must be balanced with the need to uphold and promote media freedom, and that requiring radio stations to shut down while awaiting regularisation of their authorisation could limit the space for expressing such freedoms,” the statement added.

Mahama’s decision has received applause from media advocates, including the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), which issued a statement on Friday commending his swift intervention.

The GJA acknowledged that while the stations may have breached regulations, the blanket shutdown would have had significant ramifications.

“The association warned that shutting down the affected radio stations, regardless of their offences, would have had grave social and economic consequences on the country.”

Furthermore, the GJA underscored that such action would be a serious blow to media freedom and freedom of expression, core tenets of Ghana’s democratic framework.

As part of its recommendations, the association urged the NCA to disclose the identities of the affected stations publicly:

“The association encouraged the affected stations to take advantage of the moratorium to regularise their operations.”

“It also appealed to the NCA to publicly disclose the names of the affected stations to ensure transparency and accountability in the compliance process.”

Tragedy struck on Wednesday evening when a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport, claiming at least 290 lives, authorities have confirmed.

The aircraft was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport with 242 people on board.

According to the airline, 241 passengers perished, leaving only one known survivor, a British national, who is currently being treated at a hospital.

Local police say the casualty count includes both passengers and people on the ground where the aircraft went down.

The Washington Post cited senior police official Vishaka Dabral, who stated that at least 269 bodies had been taken to the Civil Lines hospital in Ahmedabad.

“We are still verifying the number of dead, including those k!lled in the building where the plane crashed,” said Vidhi Chaudhary, a senior police officer, in a statement to Reuters.

The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, was seated in 11A, near an emergency exit, which may have contributed to his escape.

Speaking from the general ward of Asarwa Civil Hospital, he recounted the chaos in a deeply emotional account to the Hindustan Times.

“It all happened so quickly,” Ramesh said. “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me.”

“Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”

Ramesh, who suffered impact injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet, added that his brother, Ajay, was also on the flight, though seated in another row.

He said he has been unable to locate him since the crash.

“He was travelling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,” he pleaded.

Emergency crews continue to recover bodies and search for any possible survivors as investigations into the cause of the disaster are underway.

Authorities say more updates will follow once casualty identifications and forensics are complete.

Tensions in the Middle East escalated dramatically on Friday as Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for a massive Israeli airstrike campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and top military leaders.

The counterattack came after Israel confirmed that its earlier strikes had killed several high-ranking members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including most of the senior leadership of its aerospace force.

Reports also indicated that key nuclear facilities, including the uranium enrichment site at Natanz, were hit in the air raids.

In response, air raid sirens blared across Israeli cities as explosions rocked parts of the country.

Smoke was seen rising above Tel Aviv, and emergency services reported that several people were trapped inside a high-rise building damaged during the missile onslaught.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard confirmed it had struck dozens of targets within Israel.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a televised address, vowed a harsh response.

“The armed forces of the Islamic Republic will inflict heavy blows upon this malevolent enemy,” he declared.

As the exchange of attacks intensified, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, warning of “several waves of Iranian attacks” and promising continued operations targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

He said the Israeli military had struck “at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme”, targeting both facilities and scientists.

“The strikes will continue as many days as it takes,” Netanyahu added, citing intelligence suggesting Iran was nearing a “point of no return” in its nuclear programme.

Among the casualties, Iran’s state media confirmed the deaths of IRGC Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri and Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami.

A senior adviser to Khamenei was reportedly injured, and the country’s nuclear agency confirmed that six nuclear scientists were also killed.

According to the Israeli military, the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace command had convened in an underground command centre in Tehran to plan an attack on Israel.

“The senior chain of command…had assembled in an underground command centre to prepare for an attack…Our strikes eliminated most of them,” an Israeli military statement said.

Images published by AFP showed significant damage to buildings in Tehran, including a large hole in a residential structure that was reportedly targeted during the Israeli strikes.

Iranian media reported further attacks throughout Friday evening, including in the northwest, where at least 18 people were killed.

In the midst of the violence, global attention turned to the United Nations.

Iran requested an emergency Security Council meeting, which was scheduled for 1900 GMT. Russia and China voiced support for the meeting, raising the prospect of a diplomatic standoff.

While the U.S confirmed it was not involved in Israel’s offensive, it warned Iran not to target American assets or personnel.

Tehran, however, held Washington partly accountable.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed international calls for restraint, stating:

“Calls for Iran to show restraint in the face of Israeli aggression” were unacceptable.

U.S President Donald Trump, speaking Friday, urged Iran to “make a deal” on its nuclear programme and warned of “even more brutal” attacks if the conflict escalated.

Trump also revealed plans to draw down U.S. staff in the Middle East amid threats from Iran to retaliate against American bases if war breaks out.

Earlier in the week, Trump had expressed cautious optimism about reaching a nuclear deal with Iran, but warned that Israel’s actions might jeopardize ongoing negotiations.

In a dramatic escalation of regional tensions, Israel launched a sweeping air campaign against Iran on Friday, targeting nearly 100 sites including nuclear facilities, military command hubs, and strategic infrastructure.

The strikes killed high-ranking Iranian officials and prominent nuclear scientists, triggering threats of unlimited retaliation from Tehran.

Among those confirmed dead were Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, General Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, two of the most powerful military figures in the country.

Reports also confirmed the deaths of at least six senior nuclear scientists.

The strikes, described as the most extensive Israeli operation in Iranian territory to date, reportedly involved over 200 fighter jets.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the attack targeted the “heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program,” including the Natanz atomic facility.

“The operation will continue as long as necessary,” Netanyahu said, claiming intelligence indicated Iran was nearing the “point of no return” in its nuclear development.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the strikes and vowed a “bitter and painful” response.

The Iranian military declared there would be “no limits” in its retaliation, labeling the Israeli assault as a declaration of war.

Within hours, Iran responded by launching around 100 drones towards Israel.

Israeli air defenses reportedly intercepted them outside its borders.

Meanwhile, Jordanian airspace was also violated, prompting the Jordanian military to intercept multiple drones and missiles. Sirens sounded across Amman, heightening regional alert levels.

U.S President, Donald Trump, speaking to Fox News, confirmed he had advance knowledge of the Israeli operation but maintained that the U.S was not directly involved.

He reiterated Washington’s position that Tehran must not acquire nuclear weapons.

However, Iranian authorities accused the U.S of complicity, stating such a complex operation could not have been conducted “without the coordination and permission” of Washington.

Despite this, U.S officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, warned Tehran against retaliating on American interests or military bases in the region.

Images from AFP showed a massive hole in a high-rise residential building in Tehran, hit by one of the strikes. Iranian state media reported civilian casualties, including women and children.

In the aftermath, Tehran’s main airport halted all flights, and Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria also suspended air traffic amid safety concerns. Gulf carriers cancelled routes into and out of Iran.

Israel declared a state of emergency and closed its airspace, preparing for further Iranian retaliation.

Markets reacted sharply: oil prices surged while global stocks dipped, underscoring fears of broader instability in the Middle East.

Just days before the strike, Trump had expressed optimism about progress in nuclear negotiations with Iran, even saying a new deal was “fairly close.”

However, he acknowledged that an Israeli strike could either derail or hasten talks.

“I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it,” he told Fox News.

“Might help it actually, but it also could blow it.”

The attack casts doubt over a planned sixth round of U.S, Iran negotiations scheduled to take place Sunday in Oman.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the Natanz site was hit and said it was in contact with Iranian officials and onsite inspectors to assess radiation safety.

Director-General Rafael Grossi assured that monitoring was ongoing.

Meanwhile, Israel called on the international community to act, especially following a recent IAEA resolution accusing Iran of non-compliance with nuclear safeguards.

Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, dismissed the resolution as “extremist” and said Iran would establish a new uranium enrichment site in a secure location.

Iran continues enriching uranium to 60% purity, far exceeding the 3.67% limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal and approaching the 90% weapons-grade threshold.

This latest round of direct conflict comes against the backdrop of spiraling tensions since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, widely believed to have been supported by Tehran.

Since then, Israel has faced threats not only from Iran but also from its regional proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.