News

In the run up to Ghana’s elections on December 7, the public was repeatedly reminded that its country had come to be seen as a beacon of democracy in a volatile region. In a series of competitive elections, power had changed hands back and forth between two major parties without the violence that has marred polls elsewhere in Africa.

The burden of the message was clear: people would be letting their country down, as well as themselves, if they allowed the elections to go badly.

I am proud to be a Ghanaian, and I am proud of the country Ghana is becoming. It is an honor and a privilege to lead a nation of passionate people through the kind of transformation Ghana is now experiencing. As president, through the many programs we have undertaken in the past four years, we have and will continue to change lives. We are in the midst of creating a Ghana that generations of citizens can be proud of.

A leading African economic think tank expects Ghana to have economic growth of 8.7 percent in 2017, the fastest of 54 countries ranked on the continent.

Cote d’Ivoire (8.3), Congo (8.0), Ethiopia (7.7) and Mozambique (7.5) rounded out the top five, according to the African Economic Outlook (AEO), a partnership between the African Development Bank, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations.

29 November 2016 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged Ghana’s President and the opposition leader to continue their role in defusing tensions towards the holding of peaceful and credible elections in the African country.

According to a readout issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson, the Secretary-General had separate phone calls with John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana, and Nana Akufo-Addo, head of Ghana’s opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), to discuss the general elections scheduled to take place on 7 December.

Former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, is expected in Accra on Tuesday to lead the Commonwealth Observer Mission for the general elections on December 7.

The South African diplomat will stay in Ghana for the next two weeks, returning to his home country on December 13.

Mr Mbeki says he accepted the Commonwealth assignment because “all of us have a responsibility to do everything possible to ensure that Africa continues to consolidate and deepen democracy as one of the central pillars in her Renaissance.”

Chancellor attempts to strike cautiously upbeat tone but OBR warns of extra borrowing over next five years

Philip Hammond conceded that Brexit will blow a £59bn black hole in the public finances over the next five years, as he outlined plans to boost investment in infrastructure and housing to equip the UK economy for life outside the EU.

Olympic megastar sprinter Usain Bolt gets his close-up in this dynamic documentary.

Athletic achievements don’t get much more unbeatable than the records held by Jamaican runner Usain Bolt, who’s won nine consecutive Olympic gold medals and even more World Championship awards.

Considered the fastest sprinter who’s ever logged track time, Bolt is a hero to millions and admired on a level comparable to global sports legends like Muhammad Ali and Pele.

The UK government is considering inviting US President-elect Donald Trump for a state visit, Downing Street has said.

The Republican, who beat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the election earlier this month, is due to take office on 20 January.

Earlier this year, MPs debated the idea of banning Mr Trump from the UK.

But the government has stressed the importance of maintaining the "special relationship" between the countries.

A new survey conducted by the Center for Democratic Development (CDD) shows that a majority of Ghanaians believe the Electoral Commission of Ghana can administer free, peaceful and credible elections December 7.

Ghanaians will go to the polls that day to vote in presidential, parliamentary and local elections.

In an interview with VOA, Kojo Asante, senior research fellow at the CDD and part of the group that administered the survey, said more Ghanaians now have a positive perception of the electoral body and those who organize the elections than in the past.