Foreign

BURKINA Faso’s military-led government plans to withdraw mining permits from certain foreign companies and boost its own gold production, the country’s junta leader Ibrahim Traore announced on Saturday. However, he did not specify which permits would be revoked. In a radio address marking two years since he took power in …

COMPANIES bringing solar power to some of the poorest homes in Central and West Africa are now among the continent’s fastest-growing enterprises. These often locally-owned firms are thriving where governments have struggled to provide infrastructure and address climate change, offering hope and electricity to millions disconnected from the national grid. …

DUBAI-based airline Emirates has banned pagers and walkie-talkies on board its planes following sabotage attacks in Lebanon, and extended flight cancellations for Middle East destinations due to regional escalation. “All passengers travelling on flights to, from or via Dubai are prohibited from transporting pagers and walkie-talkies in checked or cabin …

Choi Soon-hwa, an 80-year-old woman from South Korea, recently shocked the world by qualifying as a finalist in the annual Miss Universe Korea competition. Choi, a grandmother of three who turns 81 next month, never dreamed of being in the running to represent her country in the Miss Universe beauty …

THE IMF and Ghana have reached an agreement on the third review of the country’s $3bn loan programme, the Fund announced on Friday. This marks a key milestone in Ghana’s ongoing efforts to stabilise its economy amidst significant financial challenges. Ghana, a leading producer of gold and cocoa in West …

THE Zimbabwean government will this month begin paying $20 million in compensation to foreign white and local Black farmers who lost their land during farm invasions at the turn of the century under former leader Robert Mugabe. The finance minister, Mthuli Ncube, announced on Friday that this initial payment is …

Ghana has announced the successful restructuring of more than 90 percent of its external debt since launching its debt restructuring process in December 2022. Finance Minister Mohammed Amin Adam shared the update during a monthly briefing on Thursday, where he also confirmed the completion of the Eurobond debt exchange and …

A breakdown in law and order and a wider humanitarian emergency across Haiti have displaced more than 700,000 people – one in two of them children, the UN migration office, IOM has said. New data from the International Organisation for Migration, on Wednesday indicates, a 22 per cent spike in …

Old graves could be reused under new recommendations put forward to manage the shortage of burial space in Britain. Under the proposed changes put forward by the Law Commission, graveyards declared “full’’ during the Victorian era could also be reopened. The commission has warned the urban areas across England and …

THE UN has said new estimates from humanitarians in East Africa indicate that nearly 67 million people in the region are now in need of assistance. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric made this known on Wednesday while briefing reporters in New York. “That is more than 20 per cent of the …