Ghana Minute.
Sunday, 23 August 2026
Ghana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Sunday, 23 August 2026
Accra—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Ghanaian press · Person

Emmanuel Macron

Also known as: French President Emmanuel Macron · President Emmanuel Macron · President Macron · Mr Macron

French President who met with Ghana's Mahama in Paris, addressed reparations at UN conference in Accra, and called crisis cabinet meeting during Bordeaux wildfires.

2026-04-272026-08-23

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. August 2026
  2. Joy Online

    Friday’s ruling by the Constitutional Council overrides the ban, which Emmanuel Macron had pledged to introduce in stages starting in September.

    France’s top court blocks social media ban for under-15s
  3. Joy Online

    Responding to the French government, a Reform spokesperson said: “We will always stand up for British interests and protect our people, whether Emmanuel Macron likes it or not.” The spokesperson added: “Humanitarian missions do not violate maritime or international law.” Under th

    France hits out at Reform UK plan to return migrants using Navy
  4. July 2026
  5. Joy Online

    President Emmanuel Macron, visiting the fire-ravaged area in the Gironde region, said the country was facing a “completely unprecedented wildfire” – the “toughest since World War Two”.

    Wildfire now nine miles from French city of Bordeaux, mayor warns
  6. Joy Online

    French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday as wildfires closed in on the south-western city of Bordeaux.

    Macron calls crisis meeting as wildfires threaten Bordeaux and heatwave looms
  7. Joy Online

    On Thursday night, she received a phone call from French President Emmanuel Macron, who congratulated her on receiving the medal.

    Two Chinese win world’s top Maths prize for solving century-old problems
  8. Joy Online

    French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday night the wildfire situation in the country was “very tense” – especially in the Gironde region.

    France orders evacuation of tourist spot as hundreds flee wildfires by boat
  9. Joy Online

    French lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favor of the bill, which was strongly backed by France’s President Emmanuel Macron.

    France becomes the first EU country to ban social media for children
  10. Joy Online

    French President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants the ban to ​be in force by the start of ​the school year in early September.

    French Parliament’s committee approves social media ban for under-15s
  11. Joy Online

    Ms Dimé-Labille stressed that key engagements over the past year, including the co-chairing of the One Health Summit in Lyon on April 7 by France and Ghana, and the official visit of President John Dramani Mahama to Paris on April 8 for talks with President Emmanuel Macron on hea

    France, Ghana reaffirm strong partnership at Bastille Day celebration
  12. Joy Online

    Visiting the area on Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron said there would be no leniency for arsonists.

    Volunteer firefighter suspected of starting devastating France forest fire

Sunday 16 August

  1. France's constitutional court strikes down under-15s social media ban

    France's Constitutional Council has overturned legislation banning social media for under-15s, finding it violated freedom of expression and lacked necessary legal safeguards. President Emmanuel Macron has asked his Prime Minister to prepare a revised draft with the court's concerns in mind.

    16 August 2026 · Joy Online

Monday 3 August

  1. France condemns Reform UK's plan to intercept migrants at sea

    France has criticised a Reform UK proposal to use the Navy to intercept migrant boats in the English Channel and return them to French ports without French consent, saying it would violate sovereignty and breach international law. Reform UK said the plan would protect British interests and that humanitarian missions do not violate maritime or international law.

    3 August 2026 · Joy Online

Tuesday 28 July

  1. French wildfire spreads to within nine miles of Bordeaux

    A major wildfire in southwestern France has advanced to within 15km of Bordeaux, prompting the mayor to prepare for possible mass evacuations. President Macron described it as France's "toughest since World War Two," with over 220,000 people evacuated in France and more than 100,000 in Spain as fires spread uncontrolled across the region.

    28 July 2026 · Joy Online

Monday 27 July

  1. Wildfires near Bordeaux prompt Macron crisis meeting

    French President Emmanuel Macron called a crisis cabinet meeting as wildfires closed in on Bordeaux, with the blaze about 15km from the city and another heatwave threatening to complicate firefighting efforts. More than 330,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain over the past week.

    27 July 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 24 July

  1. Two Chinese mathematicians win Fields Medal for solving century-old problems

    Hong Wang and Yu Deng became the first Chinese to win the Fields Medal, regarded as mathematics' equivalent of the Nobel Prize, for solving problems that have baffled mathematicians for more than a century. Wang, 35, is only the third woman to receive the honour.

    24 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. France evacuates tourist peninsula as wildfires spread

    French authorities have ordered evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula with hundreds fleeing by boat as a wildfire consumes 8,700 hectares in the Gironde region. Spain has also declared a national emergency as wildfires burn near Madrid, while a separate major fire in France's Landes region has prompted evacuation of more than 23,000 people.

    24 July 2026 · Joy Online

Tuesday 21 July

  1. France becomes first EU country to ban social media for under-15s

    French lawmakers voted to ban social media use for children under 15, with the bill set to take effect this school year after President Emmanuel Macron signs it into law. The ban makes France the first EU country to impose such a restriction, following Australia's implementation of a ban for under-16s last year.

    21 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. French Parliament approves social media ban for under-15s

    A reconciliation committee of France's Parliament approved a bill to ban social media access for those under 15, with French President Macron seeking implementation by early September. The measure follows Australia's ban for under-16s and comes as European Commission President Von der Leyen has supported similar limits across the EU.

    21 July 2026 · Joy Online

Sunday 19 July

  1. France and Ghana reaffirm bilateral partnership on health, investment, culture

    France and Ghana have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation in health, innovation, investment and cultural exchange, marking another year of strong bilateral ties. Key engagements cited include the co-chairing of the One Health Summit in Lyon on April 7, President Mahama's official visit to Paris on April 8 for talks with President Macron, and France's participation in Ghana's conference on reparations on June 18 and 19.

    19 July 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 16 July

  1. Volunteer firefighter under investigation for France forest fire

    A volunteer firefighter in France has been placed under formal investigation on suspicion of starting a forest fire south of Paris that burned more than 2,000 hectares and forced about 1,000 evacuations. He is among at least six people questioned over the Fontainebleau blaze; the 18-year-old initially confessed to setting fire to twigs with lighter and petrol before retracting the confession.

    16 July 2026 · Joy Online

Wednesday 15 July

  1. Ghana and France deepen economic partnership through bilateral engagement

    President John Dramani Mahama and French President Emmanuel Macron held high-level discussions in April at the Élysée Palace in Paris covering security cooperation, infrastructure development, regional stability and economic collaboration, with emphasis on maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and Ghana's role as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat.

    15 July 2026 · The Ghanaian Times

Monday 13 July

  1. Ghana, France deepen investment ties through presidential diplomacy

    President Mahama and French President Macron met in April at the Élysée Palace to discuss cooperation spanning security, infrastructure, regional stability, and economic collaboration. Ghana emphasized its commitment to partnerships anchored in stability and reform, with the GIPC leading targeted investor outreach and discussions covering maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and Ghana's role as host of the AfCFTA Secretariat.

    13 July 2026 · Joy Online

Tuesday 7 July

  1. Explosions in Damascus injure 18 during Macron visit

    At least 18 people were injured in Damascus on Tuesday when explosive devices detonated near the Four Seasons Hotel, where French President Emmanuel Macron was meeting Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The blasts occurred approximately 125 metres from the hotel; Syrian security forces identified two devices—one in a parked vehicle and one in a rubbish bin—before they detonated, with four police officers among the wounded and no immediate deaths reported.

    7 July 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 25 June

  1. Africa Forward Summit focuses on risk architecture, not liquidity

    At the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on 11–12 May 2026, Kenyan President William Ruto argued that Africa's development finance challenge is not a lack of liquidity but rather risk architecture. The summit highlighted that Africa holds nearly UA$4 trillion in domestic savings, suggesting the financing problem is about channeling existing capital rather than generating new supply.

    25 June 2026 · Business & Financial Times

Monday 22 June

  1. African states parade grievance, master extraction vocabulary

    An opinion piece argues that modern African geopolitical strategy consists of parading problems before the international community rather than pursuing genuine structural reform. The author critiques the Accra Next Steps Conference commitments as rhetorically magnificent but structurally hollow, claiming Africa has substituted the hard work of statecraft for the theatre of grievance while remaining subservient to the mathematics of extraction.

    22 June 2026 · Joy Online

Saturday 20 June

  1. African and Caribbean nations demand apology, reparations for slavery

    African and Caribbean countries have called for formal apologies and reparations from nations that benefited from the transatlantic slave trade, following a three-day conference in Accra. A 19-point reparations plan was endorsed, calling for debt relief, restitution of cultural property, and establishment of a global reparations fund.

    20 June 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 19 June

  1. Netherlands to return 2,000 artefacts to Ghana amid reparatory justice push

    Ghana has secured commitments from several European countries to return looted cultural artefacts as part of reparatory justice efforts, with the Netherlands announcing plans to return 2,000 artefacts and Germany committing to return cultural artefacts in its possession, according to Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister.

    19 June 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Reparations matter of justice, not charity—Kwesi Pratt

    Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt called for global reparatory justice, arguing that reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism should be treated as political, legal and historical necessity rather than charity. He stated that reparations must extend beyond apologies and financial compensation to include restitution, rehabilitation, institutional reforms, cultural restoration and educational correction.

    19 June 2026 · The Ghanaian Times

  3. Kwesi Pratt criticizes Macron's presence at Accra reparations conference

    Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt has called French President Emmanuel Macron's participation in the High-Level Consultative Conference on reparations in Accra "totally unacceptable," arguing that the forum should prioritize securing justice for Africans and people of African descent who suffered from slavery and colonial exploitation, rather than serving as a platform for hollow expressions of sympathy from historically complicit countries and institutions.

    19 June 2026 · The Ghanaian Times

  4. Macron: slavery reparations must include truth, education, cultural restitution

    French President Emmanuel Macron told a UN conference in Accra that reparations for slavery should extend beyond financial compensation to encompass historical truth, education, memorialisation, and restitution of cultural heritage, arguing that justice must address the broader legacy of slavery and colonial exploitation.

    19 June 2026 · Joy Online

  5. Ghana hosts reparatory justice conference led by Mahama

    Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa expressed confidence that the global campaign for reparatory justice for Africans is approaching a breakthrough, citing unprecedented international support since a landmark UN resolution on slavery. President Mahama, serving as African Union Champion for Reparatory Justice, convened a three-day High-Level Next Steps Conference in Accra bringing together heads of state, foreign ministers, legal experts, and diaspora representatives to deliberate on the next phase of the reparations agenda.

    19 June 2026 · Joy Online

  6. Mahama hosts delegates from 80 countries on slavery resolution

    President Mahama is hosting a High-Level Consultative Conference in Accra with world leaders from 80 countries to discuss next steps following a UN resolution declaring the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as a grave crime against humanity. Mahama said the conference seeks to heal historical wounds and pursue justice and reconciliation grounded in truth.

    19 June 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 18 June

  1. Macron calls for global effort to return colonial-era stolen artworks

    French President Emmanuel Macron has called for renewed international cooperation to preserve the history of slavery and ensure the restitution of cultural artifacts taken from Africa and other colonised regions. He proposed an international scientific initiative to formulate recommendations supporting the recovery and return of artworks stolen during colonialism, describing restitution as essential for justice, reconciliation, and restoring cultural identity.

    18 June 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Macron urges UN, AU, UNESCO to support global reparatory justice push

    French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the United Nations, UNESCO, and African Union to support the global push for reparatory justice as a necessary step in addressing the historical legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. Speaking virtually at the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice in Accra, Macron proposed launching an international scientific initiative with Ghana and other participating countries and institutions to formulate concrete recommendations.

    18 June 2026 · Joy Online

  3. Macron calls truth-telling first step toward reparatory justice

    French President Emmanuel Macron told the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice in Accra that addressing the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade must begin with honest acknowledgement of the past, emphasizing that "reparation is truth" and calling on world leaders to recognize the suffering and legacies of those enslaved.

    18 June 2026 · Joy Online

  4. Macron proposes international scientific initiative on reparatory justice

    French President Emmanuel Macron called for an international scientific initiative to support global efforts on reparatory justice and the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, urging Ghana and other willing countries and institutions to join France in establishing a collaborative platform of researchers, policymakers and technical experts. The initiative would focus on developing evidence-based recommendations and policy frameworks to guide global responses to historical injustices, including slavery and colonialism, and on returning stolen artworks.

    18 June 2026 · Joy Online

  5. Macron pledges French academic focus on colonial history and slavery

    French President Emmanuel Macron stated that higher education and research institutions in France will continue to support dedicated studies on colonial history and the legacy of slavery, as part of broader efforts to preserve historical memory and contribute to global discussions on reparatory justice.

    18 June 2026 · Joy Online

  6. Macron announces France memorial for slavery and human rights

    French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to inaugurate a dedicated memorial site at Trocadero in 2027 to honour victims of the transatlantic slave trade and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, serving as a place of remembrance and education on slavery's legacy and historical justice.

    18 June 2026 · Joy Online

  7. Ablakwa: UN slavery resolution moving reparations from academic debate to global policy

    Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says critics who once dismissed Ghana's UN resolution on the trans-Atlantic slave trade as merely academic are now reconsidering, as reparatory justice gains global traction through apologies, acknowledgements and policy shifts.

    18 June 2026 · Joy Online

Wednesday 17 June

  1. Macron's Ghana reparations visit criticized as PR stunt

    French President Emmanuel Macron has been invited to Ghana's Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice in Accra on 17 June 2026, but critics accuse him of using the visit as a public relations vehicle given France's history as Europe's third-largest slave-trading nation. President Mahama, the African Union Champion for Reparations, has drawn criticism from other African leaders for inviting Macron to an event intended as a safe space for Africans and Afro-descendants to decide on reparations, and for praising him as an "honest and exemplary" leader on the issue despite France's repeal (rather than nullification) of the Code Noir.

    17 June 2026 · Joy Online

Emmanuel Macron — Ghanaian press coverage · Ghana Minute