Veteran Ghanaian gospel musician Bernice Offei has been found safe after being reported missing for about 24 hours, bringing relief to her family, colleagues and fans.

The 63-year-old singer, best known for hits including Hold On and Life Is Short, was last seen on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, on Nyaho-Tamakloe Street in the Agbogba area of Accra. A missing-person notice circulated widely on Wednesday, September 2, after her family appealed for public help. Contact numbers and a request to report information to the nearest police station were included in the alert.

Fellow gospel artists including Diana Hamilton, Empress Gifty and Fiifi Folson amplified the search on social media. Hamilton shared the flyer with the message, “Please help us find our mother.” Radio stations such as Citi 97.3 FM also publicised the appeal.

Hours after the alert gained traction, a “Found Person Notice” confirmed that Offei had been located and was safe. The notice thanked the public, stating: “Thank you to everyone who helped share and support. Your vigilance and prayers made a difference!” She has been reunited with her family. Authorities and family have not released details of where she was found or the circumstances of her disappearance.

Offei is a long-standing figure in Ghanaian gospel music. Born in Accra, she was mentored early by Rev. Owusu Afriyie of YAFCA and later combined music with a banking career at Standard Chartered Bank. She has released albums including Hold On, By Grace, Grateful, Life and Me Ko So, and won Best Female Vocal Performance and Songwriter of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards.

The swift public response and her safe recovery have been widely welcomed across Ghana’s gospel community.

NASHVILLE — In the glittering world of country music, where fairy tales often end as quickly as a chart-topping hit, Dolly Parton’s marriage to Carl Dean stands as a remarkable anomaly. For over six decades, the icon and her husband have maintained a private, enduring partnership that began not at a gal or a concert, but in the unglamorous setting of a Nashville laundromat.

The story, now a staple of Parton’s biography, dates back to June 1964. The 18-year-old Parton had just moved to Nashville from her hometown of Locust Gap, Tennessee, with dreams of singing on the Grand Ole Opry. On her second day in the city, she stopped at the Desert Inn Laundromat on Gallatin Pike to do her laundry.

It was there she spotted Carl Dean, a 21-year-old asphalt paving contractor from nearby Ringgold, Georgia. Dean, who was in town to buy a new truck, was immediately struck by Parton’s distinctive style and bright personality.

“I saw her walking down the street and I just knew I had to meet her,” Dean recalled in a rare interview years later. “She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.”

A Courtship of Contrasts

Their courtship was defined by a striking balance of public adoration and private seclusion. While Parton’s career skyrocketed, making her one of the most famous women in the world, Dean famously shunned the spotlight. He rarely attended her award shows, avoided red carpets, and was seldom photographed with her.

Parton has often joked about their dynamic, noting that their differences were their strength. While she lived in the chaos of fame, Dean provided a grounding, normalcy.

“We’ve been married a long time because we’ve never lived together,” Parton once quipped, referring to the fact that for many years, they maintained separate residences to preserve their individuality and avoid the friction of constant proximity.

The Wedding and the Long Haul

The couple married on May 30, 1966, just two years after their meeting. The ceremony was a private affair held at the Dean’s mother’s home in Ringgold, Georgia, with only immediate family in attendance. True to his nature, Dean did not want a public spectacle.

Despite the length of their marriage, the couple has faced challenges, including the intense scrutiny of the media and the pressures of Parton’s global stardom. Yet, they have remained steadfast. In recent years, they have celebrated their 50th and 55th anniversaries, with Parton frequently attributing their success to mutual respect, giving each other space, and a shared sense of humor.

A Legacy of Quiet Devotion

As of 2026, their love story remains one of the longest and most stable marriages in the entertainment industry. While Dean has largely retired from the public eye, his presence remains a constant anchor for Parton.

“It’s not about the big gestures,” Parton explained in a recent reflection. “It’s about the little things. It’s about knowing someone is there, loving you for who you are, not who they want you to be.”

From a chance encounter among spinning washing machines to a six-decade union, the love between Dolly Parton and Carl Dean proves that sometimes, the most extraordinary stories begin in the most ordinary places.

The U.S. Embassy in Ghana will provide limited passport acceptance services next week for American citizens in Cape Coast and Takoradi, according to an official notice issued to U.S. nationals in the two cities.

The first session will be held in Cape Coast on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Ridge Royal Hotel. A second session will take place in Takoradi on Wednesday, September 2, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Western Serene Atlantic Hotel.

Embassy officials said eligible U.S. citizens may submit passport renewal applications using Form DS-82. The outreach is intended for people who already hold a U.S. passport and meet the requirements for renewal, rather than first-time applicants.

The embassy described the service as limited and advised applicants to confirm eligibility before attending. Additional information, including eligibility rules and required documents, is available on the embassy website at https://ow.ly/yEGN50ZFYB2.

The announcement is directed at U.S. citizens living in or traveling through Takoradi and Cape Coast who would otherwise need to travel to Accra for routine consular services. Applicants were urged to arrive during the published hours and to bring the documents specified for DS-82 renewals.

A Ghanaian student, Mercy Yaaba Bredu, has died in China just two days after arriving to begin a master’s degree programme.

Bredu left Ghana on Monday, August 24, 2026. Her flight departed at about 1:30 p.m. During the journey she complained of heart pain. Shortly after landing in China, while receiving a bouquet of flowers at the airport, she suddenly collapsed and was rushed to hospital.

She died on Wednesday, August 26, according to her former university classmates. Medical staff had tried to stabilise her, but she did not recover.

Bredu graduated with first-class honours and had secured scholarships for postgraduate study in both the United States and China. She chose China, where she planned to further her education and also explore opportunities in the import business.

She previously served as Vice President of the Association of Students of English (ASSENS) at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) in 2024. News of her death has left former classmates, friends and the wider ASSENS community in shock and mourning.

Family members had seen her off at Accra International Airport before her departure. Within 48 hours of leaving home, they received the devastating news of her passing.

A 21-year-old British-Ghanaian man, Carsten Kyei, has been convicted for his role in a plot to smuggle cannabis worth £13.8 million into the UK through Birmingham Airport.

Kyei, from Newham in East London, was one of 11 couriers arrested by Border Force officers in August 2024 after the Class B drugs were discovered packed into 22 suitcases. The group had travelled from Thailand via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that each courier carried two large suitcases, each containing around 20kg of vacuum-packed cannabis hidden beneath a thin layer of clothing. The total haul weighed approximately 460kg. The bags were so heavy that the group had to pay excess baggage charges at Bangkok Airport to place them in the aircraft hold. Eight of the suitcases also contained Apple AirTags linked to the same Apple ID account.

Kyei and Nathan Vitorino, 26, from Welwyn Garden City, were convicted on 26 May 2026 following a three-week trial. Other members of the group either pleaded guilty or were found guilty at later hearings. The National Crime Agency (NCA) investigated the case.

NCA senior investigating officer Paul Boniface said a “huge amount of planning” went into the sophisticated attempt to bring hundreds of kilos of cannabis into the UK.

Kyei is due to be sentenced on 3 September, along with several other members of the group. The remaining defendants are scheduled for sentencing later.

The convictions form part of ongoing efforts by UK authorities to disrupt cannabis smuggling routes from Thailand, where production has increased following changes in local drug laws. The NCA has also launched a social media campaign warning young people of the risks of acting as drug couriers on such routes.

Sergei Indeikin, a Russian operational manager and delegate for the International Chess Federation (FIDE), has died at the age of 36 after developing a severe form of malaria following a work trip to Nigeria, according to his family and Russian media reports.

Indeikin travelled to Abuja in early August for the FIDE World Amateur Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, held from August 1 to 8. He was listed among the officials overseeing the event. After the tournament, he travelled to Uzbekistan, where he began feeling unwell, before returning to his hometown of Perm in Russia.

His condition deteriorated rapidly. He was admitted to hospital in Perm, but doctors were unable to save him. He died on or around August 23.

FIDE announced his death on its official social media channels, describing it as the result of a “sudden illness” without specifying the medical cause. In its statement, the federation said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of our colleague Sergei Indeikin, FIDE Operational Manager, following a sudden illness.” It praised his work since 2021 on major events including World Championship matches, World Cups, Candidates Tournaments, and World Rapid and Blitz Championships, noting that he travelled extensively to ensure events ran professionally.

Russian media, including Argumenty i Fakty, Izvestia, RBC and Lenta.ru, reported that relatives attributed the death to severe malaria contracted during the Nigeria trip, likely from a mosquito bite. Indeikin’s mother, Tatiana, told reporters the illness was “very rapidly progressing” and “the most severe form,” and that by the time he reached hospital in Perm it was too late. His father, Alexander, said colleagues described symptoms consistent with malaria and that the family believed he had been bitten by an infected mosquito in Nigeria.

Medical experts quoted in Russian outlets noted that malaria is transmitted by infected mosquitoes in tropical regions such as Nigeria and that tropical malaria can be fatal if not treated promptly, though survival rates are high with early diagnosis and proper treatment.

Indeikin had also worked as a basketball agent. He is survived by his wife and young daughter. FIDE highlighted his generosity outside work, including support for an orphanage to which he brought chess souvenirs and gifts from his travels.

While family accounts and Russian media have linked the death to malaria acquired in Nigeria, FIDE has not publicly confirmed the specific cause beyond a sudden illness.

Nortey passed away in the early hours of Wednesday, August 26, 2026, while on admission at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) in Accra. Details of the cause of death have not been publicly disclosed. She would have turned 90 in February 2027.

Born on February 1, 1937, Nortey was one of the pioneers of Ghana’s theatre, television and film industries. Her career spanned more than five decades. She earned the nickname “Maame Gyata” (Lion Lady or Lion Woman) for her powerful portrayals of strong-willed, outspoken and fearless female characters who often challenged tradition, patriarchy and social injustice.

She rose to prominence during Ghana’s golden era of television and theatre in the 1980s and beyond, appearing in popular productions including Obra, Osofo Dadzie, Key Soap Concert Party, Cantata, Taxi Driver and Thursday Theatre. Her first major screen role came in the 1986 comic film Juju. She later featured in films such as Nana Akoto, Matters of the Heart, Escape to Love, Ties That Bind, Sinking Sands and the internationally acclaimed Beasts of No Nation (2015), in which she played the Old Witch Woman alongside Idris Elba and Abraham Attah.

Before her screen success, Nortey hosted a Ga-language radio talk show for women, Nyeawokoshie, in the 1970s. She also advocated for the welfare of actors through the Ghana Actors Guild and encouraged formal training for young performers.

Her contributions were recognised with several awards, including Best Cameo Actress at the Ghana Movie Awards (2011) for Adams Apple, Excellence in Arts at the Glitz Women of the Year Honours (2016), a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Black Star International Film Festival (2018), and further honours at the Ghana Actors Entertainment Awards and AshantiFest in 2025.

Nortey was married to Daniel Nortey, who predeceased her. She is survived by five children, including actress Sheila Nortey. In recent years, health challenges including mobility and eyesight issues had limited her public appearances and roles, though she made a rare appearance around her 89th birthday in February 2026.

News of her death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans, colleagues and the Ghanaian entertainment community, who remember her as a trailblazer whose work helped shape generations of performers and storytelling in Ghana.

A Kia truck carrying bags of onions from Dedeso has crashed at the Akrumuso Bridge along the Begoro-Osiem road.

The incident involved a vehicle transporting a load of onion bags originating from Dedeso. The crash occurred at the bridge on the route connecting Begoro and Osiem.

Further details on the cause of the accident, the condition of the driver, any injuries, or the extent of damage to the truck and its cargo were not immediately available. Emergency responders and local authorities are expected to attend the scene to assess the situation and clear the roadway.

Motorists using the Begoro-Osiem road are advised to exercise caution near the Akrumuso Bridge area pending further updates.

https://twitter.com/calebeshun/status/2092210257728557182/video/1?s=46