Russian politician. He held governmental and party posts from 1975 before being brought into the Politburo and serving as prime minister 198590 under Gorbachev. A low-profile technocrat, Ryzhkov was the author of unpopular economic reforms. In August 1996 he became a leading member of the communist-led Patriotic Popular Union of Russia, one of the main left-wing factions in Russia's Duma.
Ghana was the first country to adopt the pan-African colours. The star is known as the ‘lode star of African freedom’. Effective date: 28 February 1966.