Long hailed as one of Africa’s most stable democracies, Ghana will hold elections in December to elect a successor to President Nana Akufo-Addo, who steps down due to term limits. Ghanaians will go to the polls as their country continues to grind through a deep economic crisis marked by high inflation (20%) and crushing debt. Among other things, a $3 billion IMF bailout hangs in the balance.
Representing the ruling New Patriotic Party is current vice president Mahamadu Bawumia, a former economist who has pledged to streamline the government, simplify the tax regime, and boost gold production.
The opposition National Democratic Congress is going with former President John Mahama, who has lost his last two runs for the presidency but is looking to capitalize on frustration with the current government. He has proposed a “24-hour economy” in which the country’s businesses and labor force are divided into shifts to facilitate non-stop output.
The mystery (un)masked man: There is also businessman Nana Kwame Bediako, a scrap metal and nightclub tycoon who caused a stir with a billboard campaign featuring a masked man. Bediako, famous among other things for a run-in with the authorities over his move to import pet tigers, has crafted a maverick anti-establishment message that may resonate, but probably not enough to carry him to the presidency.
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What is President Trump trying to achieve in Iran, and how does his strategy compare to past US interventions in the Middle East?
The US has paused Russian oil sanctions in a bid to stabilize energy markets rocked by the war with Iran. Administration officials stress that it’s a “tailored” measure, applying only to oil already loaded onto tankers, but it’s still a gift to Russia, which has already been clocking an extra $150 million daily in oil revenues since the war began.
4: The number of crew members aboard a US refuelling plane – out of six total – who died after the aircraft crashed in neighboring Iraq on Thursday, US Central Command said this morning.