Author: Xaevan Matthews

For many years, Tajikistan has been gravely affected by drug trafficking. At least 15-20 tons of opium and between 75 and 80 metric tons of heroin are smuggled into the country each year from Afghanistan either for local consumption or for transfer to Russia and Europe. Despite an official Tajik government policy to fight illicit drug trafficking in cooperation with foreign governments and international organizations, trafficking continues to increase. The volume of drug transit through Tajikistan is now equivalent to 30 percent of the country’s GDP. So far, the success of domestic Tajik policies and international assistance has been minimal. Trafficking is a product of numerous complex…

The Niger State Government has solicited the partnership of the Niger Delta Development Commission in tree planting across the 25 local government areas of the state to address challenges arising from climate change. The state governor, Mohammed Bago, made this known at an event organised on the sidelines of the ongoing Conference of the Parties Climate Summit in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. According to Bago, afforestation will check the high emission of greenhouse gases. The governor said the state has 76,000 square kilometres of arable land which affords it vast expanse of space for tree planting to balance…

For some years, South Africa’s mining industry has been in decline. Diminishing reserves, a drop in commodity prices, currency fluctuations, energy reliability, and deteriorating infrastructure have all played a part. From a GDP contribution of over 20% in 1980, the sector contributes just 8% today. This doesn’t spell the end of the industry, but rather opens up space for ingenuity and transformation. If mining companies are to stay relevant, take advantage of the opportunities that still remain, and contribute to adjacent sectors, they need to be implementing systems and processes that will help drive future growth. One of the critical…

Valencia, Turin, Madrid (28/11 – 25) Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia retained his MotoGP world title with many records; there are nevertheless signs that the Ducati rider will face sterner competition next season. The Italian rider won the 2023 season-ending MotoGP Grand Prix in Valencia on Sunday to clinch his second world title in a row. The protege of Valentino Rossi becomes the third rider to take back-to-back MotoGP titles since the introduction of the class in 2002. Only Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez previously managed to do that. Bagnaia is the first rider to successfully race and defend #1 in the…

ROME – It is essential for the European Union to help Tunisia stop migrant boat departures, Italy’s interior minister said on Tuesday, calling on the bloc to enact a deal signed with Tunis in July. Sea migrant arrivals to Italy have almost doubled in 2023 compared to the same period last year, with around 140,000 people coming ashore so far. Some 91% came from Tunisia, with the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa bearing the brunt of landings. “The aim is, first and foremost, to stop departures by taking action through a strong international and European initiative,” Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi…

Tunisia – “Tunisia has indeed managed to repay almost 74% of its external debt service, contrary to the forecasts of the rating agencies and the financial markets, but to achieve financial stability, the country must rely on self-financing through the implementation of structural reforms,” said economic expert Mohsen Hassan. In an interview with TAP news agency, the economist pointed out that Tunisia’s success in meeting its commitments was due to a number of factors, the main one being remittances from Tunisians living abroad, which had reached TND 3,915 million by the end of June 2023. Expat remittances have become an important…

Tanzania’s Zanzibar authorities have praised China Railway Jianchang Engineering Company (CRJE) (East Africa) Limited for bringing Zanzibar to new heights and making it a new place. Speaking at an event Saturday to commemorate the company’s 20 years of operations in Zanzibar, Zanzibar’s Minister for Health Nassor Ahmed Mazrui said in the last two decades, the CRJE has successfully completed 35 projects in Zanzibar, including hotels, schools, hospitals, office buildings, and other infrastructure projects. “I commend CRJE as it moves towards creating a brighter future for Zanzibar,” said Mazrui, noting that the government of Zanzibar was inviting other investors to invest…

Kenya’s refugee reform programme is still awaiting donor funding to kick off months after Nairobi detailed the planned shift from encampment to settlement towns. And donors, The EastAfrican understands, have demanded an elaborate strategy of more direct benefits to refugees as the basis for committing funds that could see Kakuma and Dadaab Refugee camps turned to formal towns whose residents will no longer be restricted in movement. And although Kenya has asked other countries to expand the proportion of refugees they resettle from Kenya, development partners also want Kenya to adopt the idea of resettling more of the refugees it…

Zimbabwe’s biggest diamond producer has shifted almost all of its sales to Dubai, targeting cutters, polishers and traders and eliminating middlemen. Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Co. has auctioned 4 million carats of stones so far this year in the emirate, up from 850,000 carats for the whole of 2022. The state-owned miner is targeting revenue of $1 billion by 2030, according to Sales and Marketing Manager Enock Moyo. Three auctions held in Dubai have attracted an average of about 150 buyers, at least five times the number for sales in Zimbabwe, said Moyo, adding that better quality diamonds have also helped.…

The 14th Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi, says reduced dependence on petrol will be the long-term solution to the petrol subsidy removal crisis. “In the short term, the most effective measure to offset the removal of fuel subsidies is cash transfers. “The design of individual cash transfer programmes varies considerably in reach and coverage. “The long-term solution is to reduce dependence on PMS,” Mr Sanusi said on Thursday in Lagos. He made the assertion at the Distinguished Lecture Series of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos. The lecture…