Who needs the pressure to pack all your love (and flowers and chocolates) into one day in February? This is the perfect year to ditch Valentine’s Day and lean into a less pressure-filled holiday. It’s time to embrace Galentine’s Day.

On Valentine's Day, there's the temptation to believe that somewhere out there is "The One": a soulmate, a perfect match, the person you were meant to be with.

Across history, humans have always been drawn to the idea that love isn't random. In ancient Greece, Plato imagined that we were once whole beings with four arms, four legs and two faces, so radiant that Zeus split us in two; ever since, each half has roamed the earth searching for its missing other, a myth that gives the modern soulmate its poetic pedigree and the promise that somewhere, someone will finally make us feel complete.

It has been 14 years since Mark Essien launched his first startup, Hotels.ng. He is, by all accounts, an OG tech bro in Nigeria, having raised $1.2 million for the company at the time.

Hotels.ng has not just survived; it has thrived over the years, recording about 20,000 orders a month.

“Hotels.ng is doing great. I would consider it a stable, profitable business. It helped me understand the African travel space and build the required relationships,” Essien says.

This keen understanding of the African travel space is why his new startup, Tripdesk — an AI-driven travel management platform, has already generated $2.3 million in revenue just four months after launch.

Interestingly, about 30% of this revenue is profit.

The world is entering an era of "global water bankruptcy" with rivers, lakes, and aquifers depleting faster than nature can replenish them, a United Nations research institute said on Tuesday.

It argues that decades of overuse, pollution, environmental destruction, and climate pressure have pushed many water systems so beyond the point of recovery that a new classification was required.

"Water stress and water crisis are no longer sufficient descriptions of the world's new water realities," read a new report by the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH).

These terms were "framed as alerts about a future that could still be avoided" when the world had already moved into a "new phase", it said.

Our brains age along with the rest of our bodies, and as they do, they produce fewer new brain cells. Now, researchers have found a key mechanism through which the typical age-related decline in neuron production might be slowed.

In later life, the neural stem cells (NSCs) that turn into fully fledged neurons become more dormant – almost as if they're going into retirement after a long lifetime of service. As that happens, cognitive decline creeps in.

A major reason why NSC activity fades with age is the wear and tear on telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of DNA. Telomeres fray a little more each time a cell divides, and over time, this impairs cells' ability to grow and divide, leading to increasing cell death.

People are more likely to act helpfully when they are surrounded by fewer and less attractive options, challenging assumptions that generosity flourishes in richer environments, according to new research published in Nature Communications.

A nursery worker, Nathan Bennett has been found guilty of sexually abusing children in a horrific case that was “every parent’s nightmare”.

He was caught on CCTV displaying predatory behaviour toward young children, including putting his hands down the trousers of a child, as he worked at the Partou King Street nursery in Bristol.

After his arrest following a six-month police investigation, a trial at Bristol Crown Court was told Bennett showed a “jealous attachment” with five children and would “take control of them”.

Yesterday, the most common word associated with marriage was love. Today, it is divorce. Global studies indicate that about 60 per cent of marriages break down, cutting across age, tribe, profession, academic qualification, length of marriage and even religious faith.

Marriage today has, therefore, become a risky investment—one that shows no respect for status or background.

It is also estimated that about 88 per cent of adults who divorce or lose a spouse remarry at least once and some many times. The late actress Elizabeth Taylor, for instance, married seven times. 

KHABY LAME, the most popular person on TikTok, has been making headlines recently.

The 25-year-old Senegalese-Italian sensation has signed a whopping US$975 million deal with Rich Sparkle Holdings, giving the company exclusive rights to his brand.

But what's more impressive is how he got here.

Lame's rise to fame began during the COVID-19 lockdown when he started making videos mocking overly complicated "life hacks". His authenticity and humour resonated with millions, earning him 160 million followers on TikTok and 360 million across platforms.

DEAR Mirror Lawyer, I rented a three-bedroom house at Madina, a suburb of Accra, for three years and paid all three years' rent in advance.

Two months to the end of the three years, the landlady wrote to me that at the expiration of the tenancy, her cousin would come and occupy the house so I should move out by 8 a.m. on the anniversary otherwise she would come and forcefully eject me from the premises.

Mirror lawyer, do I not have any rights to opt for a renewal of the tenancy?

Every honest hustle carries a story of perseverance, dignity and quiet ambition.

For Wisdom Amehame, a commercial driver in Accra, the taxi is more than a means of survival. It is a moving classroom, a library on wheels and a personal statement about the power of self-development.

When The Mirror caught up with him last Wednesday while he was working in Accra, his car a Nissan Picanto stood out. 

It is recommended that women between 30 and 65 undergo co-testing with Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Pap smear testing every five years or Pap testing alone every three years.

HPV testing for women in their 20s is controversial but recommended if the Pap smear is abnormal in this age group.

It is also recommended that girls from age nine and above are immunised against Human Papillomavirus before they become sexually active. This single intervention is eradicating cases of cervical cancer in some countries.

POLLUTION in any form raises apprehension due to its negative effects on general welfare. Climate change offers adequate proof that pollution can be devastating. Frantic efforts by the UN to mobilise global communities into acts that can combat environmental pollution is warning enough.

Yet, over here in Ghana, we engage in acts that aggravate environmental pollution. There is an urgent need for a national resolution to refine the attitude towards noise.

Across parts of Accra, nkate (groundnut) cake vendors continue to line busy streets, transport terminals and commercial centres selling the popular snack to commuters and passers-by.

Unlike many street trades affected by low patronage, vendors say nkate cake continues to enjoy steady demand.

However, they(vendors) insist the main challenge confronting the business is the very low profit margin, which makes it difficult to earn a decent living despite consistent sales.

A 53-year-old man, Adjei Owusu Afriyie, has been arrested by the police at Akyeremade in the Ashanti Region for allegedly peddling alcoholic drinks suspected to be laced with narcotic substances.

The Drug Law Enforcement Unit (DLEU) of the Ashanti Regional Police Command arrested the suspect at a drinking spot last Thursday during an intelligence-led operation by the command.

Popular American streamer and content creator, Darren Jason Watkins Jr., widely known as IShowSpeed, has sparked widespread online reactions after his biographies on Wikipedia and Google were updated to include Ghanaian nationality and a Ghanaian-associated name, Barima Kofi Akuffo.

The update, which began trending across social media platforms on Wednesday, February 4, showed the 21-year-old streamer now described as “American-Ghanaian”, with Ghana listed alongside the United States in his nationality details. 

Screenshots of the changes quickly circulated online, drawing excitement, curiosity and debate among fans, particularly in Ghana.

As of the time of publication, there has been no official confirmation from IShowSpeed or his management regarding any legal change in nationality. 

Dear Mirror Lawyer, a few months ago, I lent a significant amount of money to a close friend who was in desperate need. We had a verbal agreement that he would pay me back within three months.

However, now that the time has come for him to repay the loan, he is refusing to do so. He claims that, since we are friends and had only a verbal agreement, it was not a binding contract.

I am at a loss. Can I sue a friend to recover my money, even though he claims the agreement we had was not in writing? The situation is straining our friendship, and I am worried about both my financial and personal losses.

Cervical cancer awareness month comes around every January, and this year is no different.

The reproductive health centre at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, in conjunction with Telecel Ghana, held an official campaign launch and seminar on the theme: Protect Her Future: Prevent Cervical Cancer Now. 

This programme was live-streamed on most of the media networks and featured such erudite speakers as Prof. Kwaku Asah-Opoku, who delved into the topic “HPV vaccination: understanding the scope, dispelling the myths”.

Dr James Neequaye went to town on the topic “HPV vaccination to screening: The continuum of cervical cancer prevention”. The programme was ably chaired by Prof. Samuel Antwi-Oppong. 

Millet is a good source of protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and has a unique high content of nutrients.

It is a group of small-seeded grasses, which is cultivated throughout the world, mainly grown in developing countries, but its ability to grow in relatively harsh and dry environments possibly makes it a highly versatile crop.

It can be used as a traditional cereal and can also be used in porridge, snacks, and other types of bread.

Every migrant carries a story of discovery, disillusionment, reinvention and ultimately, identity.

For Dr Jane Osei Pokuaa, the decision to return to Ghana after decades abroad was not triggered by a single event, economic calculation or emotional impulse, but by a slow, honest confrontation with life, purpose and belonging.

Her journey reflects the complex realities of diasporan life: the opportunities seized, the comforts built, the fatigue endured, and the yearning for home that refuses to disappear.

A gynaecologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr Aisha Ali Issaka, has expressed concern that low uptake of vaccination and screening continues to undermine efforts to curb cervical cancer in the country.

In an interview with The Mirror last Thursday, Dr Ali Issaka said cervical cancer was among the most preventable cancers in women, yet many Ghanaians were failing to take advantage of available preventive measures.

She explained that vaccination against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and regular screening could significantly reduce cervical cancer cases, but uptake of both interventions remained low.