Zimbabwe: Ruling Zanu PF party divided on succession

Young people in Zimbabwe, including many first-time voters, could determine the election winner. But is Jamaican dancehall music enough to win them over?

As Zimbabweans head to the polls this Wednesday, we take a look at the dire economic straits the country finds itself in. Inflation has gone from the single digits in 2017 to 77 percent this month, the currency has crashed against the US dollar, and high unemployment has led many to emigrate. While incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa has played up improved infrastructure on the campaign trail, his opponent Nelson Chamisa detailed a plan that he says will build Zimbabwe into a $100 billion economy.

Zimbabwe's opposition is seeking to unseat President Emmerson Mnangagw's ZANU-PF party, which has ruled since the country's independence in 1980.

The profound disillusionment gripping Zimbabweans since the 2017 coup has left them questioning their fight for democracy. Experts say military juntas in West Africa may face the same challenge if they don't change.

Zimbabwe's opposition blasted a "fundamentally flawed" electoral process, saying that delays, intimidation and other irregularities meant the ballot was "unable to produce a free and fair electoral outcome."

The German economy emerges from recession, but is still in a phase of weakness. From April to June, it recorded zero growth compared to the previous quarter.

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa decried the Zimbabwe election as a case of "blatant" fraud, disputing the reported victory of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Europe's largest economy has flatlined recently, showing no signs of recovery from a winter recession. The International Monetary Fund has predicted Germany will be the only major advanced economy to shrink in 2023.

As a group of senior Gabonese military officers announce they have seized power and placed President Ali Bongo under house arrest, we take a closer look at Gabon's economic situation. The Central African nation is the fourth-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa, but a third of its population lives below the poverty line. One particular source of frustration lies in the high levels of corruption: the country ranks 136th in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.

The Greek island of Paros, in the Cyclades, is a popular tourist destination during the summer season, when around 450,000 visitors flock to the picturesque island of 12,000 inhabitants. But locals have become exacerbated by this huge influx of tourists and the illegal privatisation of certain beaches. Protests have even erupted on Paros under the banner of "Reclaim the beach".

Among those hurt were 30 police officers and three protesters hit by police fire.

Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said Germany remains a "highly attractive location" for investors. But the statistics agency said industrial output fell for a third straight month, and that wasn't the only negative news.