BLANTYRE (Reuters) -Malawi heads to the polls on Tuesday in an election pitting President Lazarus Chakwera against his predecessor Peter Mutharika, with sky-high inflation and fuel shortages likely to be at the top of voters' minds.

Malawi is to hold a presidential election this week as the impoverished African nation grapples with an economic crisis and food and fuel shortages.

Financial markets dealt Argentina a harsh blow after President Javier Milei's coalition suffered a major defeat in midterm elections in Buenos Aires province.

Malawi holds elections Tuesday to choose a president, lawmakers and local government councillors, the first national vote since a 2019 presidential election was nullified and redone a year later because of widespread irregularities.

The decision by the country’s top court to overturn the last presidential race was hailed as a victory for democracy. But there are fears corruption will taint the vote on Tuesday.

The Democratic candidates in this fall’s top statewide races have chosen a relentless focus on one word: affordability.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, when Moore took office in January of 2023, Maryland's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.3%, the 5th lowest in the country. In July of 2025 it was 3.4%, 14th lowest of the 50 states.

Republicans insist that the "Big, Beautiful Bill," plus President Donald Trump's tariff and immigration policies, could energize the U.S. economy. But a nonpartisan scorekeeper reports Friday that this claim is not true,

Heading toward fall, Americans are continuing to rate the U.S. economy negatively, as most pick "uncertain" and "struggling" to describe its current state. Ratings dipped again slightly over the last month.

Ghanaian President John Mahama used his first press conference since his election to take a victory lap, celebrating faster growth, slower inflation and a stronger currency.