Ashoka Shivareddy comes from a family of farmers, but it was hard to make a living in their drought-prone district of Kolar in southern India.

"The area receives rainfall of only 60 to 70 centimetres, and farmers dig borewells of up to 1,300 feet - most of their money goes into chasing water," he says.

Amid mounting losses the family gave up farming and in 2005 moved to the city - to Bengaluru - and started a vegetable shop.

Shivareddy became an AI software engineer, but he never lost the farming bug.

Nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide had mental disorders in 2023, reflecting a 95.5% increase since 1990, a new study has found.

In the line of duty at Tamale in the Northern Region, Alfred Agyemang-Badu, then an officer of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), found himself face to face with a life-threatening situation.

Together with three other officers, he had spotted a large truck stuck in the bush and went to investigate, only to discover it was loaded with smuggled goods on which no taxes had been paid.

Suddenly, the officers found themselves surrounded by more than 200 men wielding machetes and threatening them with violence if they did not leave the area immediately.

Dear Mirror Lawyer, I'm a woman with a four-year-old daughter. My child's father does not have a fulfilling job and has not been supporting the child.

He periodically brings gifts, and I have been caring for this girl since she was born. 

I recently got married, and my husband, who lives in the UK, intends to arrange for my child and me to join him there. I spoke with my child's father about this, and he declined to grant his approval because I married someone else instead of him.

When people think about tourism, their minds often go straight to beautiful beaches, ancient monuments, wildlife parks, colourful festivals and luxurious hotels. 

Few stop to think about the person who quietly stands between the visitor and the destination, translating unfamiliar sights into meaningful experiences. 

Yet, without that individual, many tourism experiences would be incomplete. That individual is the tour guide.

One of the many metaphors used to describe marriage, the one that best emphasises the importance of partnership is the image of a bird.

Just as a bird needs two wings to fly, marriage needs the combined effort of two partners to succeed.

A man has his strengths, weaknesses, and unique needs, just as a woman has hers. There are things a man can do best, and there are things a woman can do best. In marriage, we combine our unique abilities to enhance our lives. 

In today’s uncertain economic climate, cultivating good investment habits has become more important than ever.

With rising living costs, unpredictable financial challenges and increasing demands on personal income, many people are beginning to recognise the need to invest wisely to secure their future.

Investment is no longer a concept reserved for the wealthy or financial experts alone. It is a practical tool that can help individuals build wealth, achieve financial independence and prepare for emergencies and retirement. 

Ghana’s Most Beautiful (GMB), TV3’s flagship cultural beauty pageant, has launched activities for its 20th anniversary, with a GH¢200,000 grand cash prize, a car, an educational scholarship, a trip abroad and a fully-funded community legacy project for one selected community.

Some residents of Adenta-Frafraha in Accra are bracing themselves for the rainy season, following repeated flooding over the past few years.

The floods have been breaking walls and destroying household equipment in the area. 

During a visit to the area last Tuesday, one of the residents, Mr Samuel Oko Adjetey, who lives in Adenta-Dodowa, said: “I have rebuilt my fence wall three times because of the floods and now the rains are starting again”.

Some landlords and residents  in Gomoa Budumburam and  surroundings are blaming foreigners for  contributing to rising rent prices, overcrowding and increasing tension between tenants and property owners.

Residents who spoke to The Mirror complained bitterly that the cost of accommodation in the area had become unbearable and attributed this to the influx of foreigners, particularly Nigerians.

A new international study has revealed that beer contains measurable levels of vitamin B6, a nutrient linked to brain function, blood health and the immune system, but nutrition experts insist that reaching for a pint is far from the healthiest strategy for improving vitamin intake.

Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor is the Member of Parliament for South Dayi in the Volta Region and currently serves as the Majority Chief Whip in the 9th Parliament, a strong voice and political position for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“It’s been a wonderful experience. I actually saw the advert in the Daily Graphic and I decided to come and give my mom a treat. We’ve really enjoyed it.

Today, we didn’t want to eat home food; we are tired, so we came to change our taste. Good food, good music, great ambience, it’s been great, well done.”

“In fact, today has been great, celebrating women, it’s really worth it. Women are the backbone of all families as well as the nation. Celebrating women today has lifted our spirits, and in fact, we are relieved of a lot of stress today.

When Regina Ofori completed university and prepared for national service, she was not dreaming about becoming a banking executive or leading marketing operations across regions.

Her immediate goal was simple — complete national service, find stable work and support her family.

“I didn’t have any big ideas. It was just really about getting work, sustaining myself and helping my family,” she told The Mirror in an interview at the Ecobank Ghana Head Office in Accra last Tuesday.

Menstrual cramps, also known as dysmenorrhea, are a common experience for many girls and women during their monthly periods.

They occur when the muscles of the uterus contract to help shed its lining. For some, the discomfort is mild, while for others, the pain can be intense enough to interfere with school, work, and daily activities. 

In recent years, many parents across Ghana and other parts of the world have been trying to adapt to the fast-changing world of their Gen Z and Gen Alpha children by learning social media trends, internet slang and digital culture.

They are making this effort to build and maintain stronger relationships with their children.

From attempting TikTok trends to trying to understand words and abbreviations such as “for real?”, “clock it”, “IDK”, “SMH”, “periodt” and “lowkey”, many parents are gradually stepping into a generation they often struggle to relate to.

Many men are in bad relationships. First, their greatest emotional needs - respect, sex, attractive wife and domestic care (taking care of the home and cooking) are not met by their women.

In addition, their women are selfish and focus only on their personal needs. Their women may be critical, controlling and abusive. Some are dishonest and keep lying to cover up their indecent acts. Some show intolerance and are too busy to make time for their relationships. 

When a man’s emotional needs are not met, he loses his self-esteem and becomes a living dead. Some leave the relationship, some work hard to restore the relationship and some cope with the bad situation.

A waakye seller intentionally sells food that has gone bad. An unsuspecting waakye lover buys it. He is rushed to the hospital after enjoying it. Unfortunately, he passed away. His children grew up without a father.

They fall into bad company, which eventually leads them to hard drugs and prostitution. They are gradually seduced into armed robbery. The children who were victims of yesterday make more victims today, killing anybody who resists their demand. 

Thanks to one waakye seller, a vicious cycle keeps repeating itself. Thanks to one waakye seller, lives are needlessly lost. Children never taste the quality of life they were made to live. Thanks to one waakye seller, homes are broken. 

Dear Mirror Lawyer, three months ago, I married the woman of my dreams. My wife adores high-life music and is a huge admirer of one of Ghana's top Artistes.

I wanted to surprise her on our wedding day because she has supported me through good and bad times.

I planned with the management team of this top artiste, and we decided on the date and amount to be paid. In all, 70 per cent of the total cost was paid as a deposit, and the remaining 30 per cent was due after the performance.

The Trust Hospital staff union celebrated its 10th anniversary last Wednesday in Accra, with management acknowledging the union's role in turning around the struggling health facility while pledging continued support for workers.

Patti Waldmeir returns to the country that forever captured her heart. How it happened! 

In 50 years of travelling the world I have loved many countries – but none more than Ghana. 

Its biggest attractions have always been the warmth, charm and hospitality of its people – and that’s saying something at a time when many of the world’s loveliest destinations have gone off tourists. 

That’s what first seduced me when I landed a Financial Times job there in 1980. And when I visited again recently, after nearly half a century, I found that gracious culture mercifully unchanged.