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REUTERS/Ali Khara/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKABUL, Oct 14 (Reuters) - The Taliban will attend China's Belt and Road Forum next week, a spokesman said on Saturday, underscoring Beijing's growing official ties with the administration, despite its lack of formal recognition by any government. Taliban officials and ministers have at times travelled to regional meetings, mostly those focussed on Afghanistan, but the Belt and Road Forum is among the highest-profile multilateral summits it has been invited to attend. China has been in talks with the Taliban over plans, begun under the previous foreign-backed government, over a possible huge copper mine in eastern Afghanistan. Officials from China, the Taliban and neighbouring Pakistan said in May they would like Belt and Road to include Afghanistan and for the flagship China Pakistan Economic Corridor to be extended across the border to Afghanistan. China has boosted engagement with the Taliban, becoming the first country to appoint an ambassador to Kabul since the Taliban took power, and invested in mining projects.

Persons: Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Wang Yu, Ali Khara, Xi, Haji Nooruddin Azizi, Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, Azizi, Akhundzada, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Charlotte, Joe Cash, William Mallard Organizations: Afghan, REUTERS, Rights, China Pakistan Economic, Taliban, Thomson Locations: China, Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan, Kabul, Rights KABUL, Beijing, Pakistan, China Pakistan, Charlotte Greenfield, Islamabad

☆ Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa appoints son as deputy finance minister in new cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Nyasha Chingono | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks during his inauguration at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe September 4, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHARARE, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday appointed his son as the deputy finance minister and retained Mthuli Ncube as the finance minister as he battles to rescue the country's ailing economy. Mnangagwa appointed his son David Mnangagwa to be Ncube's deputy as part of the parliament's youth quota, while also announcing Soda Zhemu to head the mining ministry. Mining generates more than half of Zimbabwe's foreign export earnings and Mnangagwa has said the sector, which is attracting investors in lithium mining, will anchor future economic growth. The ruling ZANU-PF party's national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri was re-appointed as the Defence Minister.

Persons: Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mthuli Ncube, Mnangagwa, Ncube, David Mnangagwa, Zhemu, Winston Chitando, Oppah Muchinguri, Kashiri, Nyasha Chingono, Bhargav Acharya, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Zimbabwe, National Sports, REUTERS, Philimon, Rights, Mines Minister, of Energy, Power Development, Mining, ZANU, PF party's, Defence, Thomson Locations: Harare, Zimbabwe, Philimon Bulawayo, Rights HARARE

A shareholders' agreement is being reworked to make the commitments from both shareholders legally binding, Kabuswe added. The legal details of the agreement and reinstatement of the KCM board, would be finalised within the next three months, the minister said. The forced takeover nearly paralysed operations at the KCM and triggered protracted battles, with Vedanta mounting legal battles including approaching an arbitration court in London to recover the copper assets. The government, which seeks to triple copper output over the decade, is also searching for a new investor for Mopani Copper Mines. Reporting by Chris Mfula; Writing by Felix Njini; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, David Evans, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Paul Kabuswe, Kabuswe, Anil Agarwal, Edgar Lungu's, Hakainde Hichilema, Vedanta, KCM, ZCCM, Chris Mfula, Felix Njini, Olivia Kumwenda, David Evans, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Vedanta Resources, IH, Vedanta, Mopani, Mining, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Zambia, LUSAKA, KCM, ZCCM, London, Lusaka

☆ Zambia seeks to deny bail to five Egyptians, 6 nationals charged with spying
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LUSAKA, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Zambia sought to deny bail to five Egyptians and six Zambians charged with espionage for entering a restricted zone of Lusaka airport, two weeks after Zambian authorities said their plane had been seized along with guns, bullets, cash and fake gold. "The state must give reasons as to why accused persons whose liberties to freedom are being taken away must be denied bail," defence lawyer Martha Mushipe told the court. That fuelled speculation in Zambian media that some of the suspects might have sought to swindle gold buyers in a fake bullion scam. Two Egyptian security sources said the plane seized in Zambia had been inspected by authorities before leaving Cairo, but that bags with one of the arrested Egyptians were not searched, and this was currently under investigation. Reporting by Chris Mfula; additional reporting by Cairo Newsroom; writing by Tim Cocks; editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Davies Chibwili, Martha Mushipe, Zambian Mines Minister Paul Kabuswe, Chris Mfula, Tim Cocks, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Drug Enforcement Agency, Zambian Mines Minister, Cairo Newsroom, Thomson Locations: LUSAKA, Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka's, Cairo, Egyptian

☆ Uranium price ticks up after Niger coup, more gains expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

French nuclear fuels company Orano, which operates uranium mines in the West African country, said last week its activities were ongoing despite the coup. The spot price is little changed also because Orano sells uranium on long-term contracts and the summer months are slow in the spot market, said Jonathan Hinze, president of UxC. "All indications would be that this would be a catalyst for upward moves in the uranium price given the overall tight supply/demand balance in uranium at this time." Niger was the second-largest supplier of natural uranium to the EU last year, Euratom said. On Monday, the junta that seized power in Niger last week detained senior politicians, including the mines minister, defying international calls to restore democratic rule.

Persons: UxC, Orano, Jonathan Hinze, Euratom, Eric Onstad, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters Connect, Nigerien, Reuters, European Union, EU, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, West, France, Europe

It has yet to disburse a $131.5 million loan to Niger that was approved on July 5, it added. The interior minister, transport minister, and a deputy had already been detained, it added. The arrests confirm the "repressive and dictatorial" nature of the coup leaders, the party said in a statement, calling on citizens to come together to protect democracy. The arrests were announced a day after Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby arrived in Niger to try to mediate between the coup leaders and the ousted government. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, last week welcomed the coup in Niger, and said his forces were available to restore order.

Persons: Niger's, Mohamed Bazoum, Mahamane Sani Mahamadou, Issoufou Mahamadou, Mahamat Idriss Deby, Deby, Bazoum, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Abdourahamane Tiani, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia's Wagner, Antonio Tajani, Boureima Balima, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Anait Miridzhanian, Bate Felix, Nellie Peyton, Sofia Christensen, Alexander Winning, Bernadette Baum, Andrew Heavens, Nick Macfie Organizations: International Monetary Fund, IMF, CFA, West, African Union, European Union, Islamic, Junta, Nigerien Party for Democracy and, Chadian, ECOWAS, EU, REUTERS, Twitter, French Foreign Ministry, Paris, White, Thomson Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, West, Central Africa, United States, France, Islamic State, al Qaeda, EU, U.S, Nigerien, Niamey, Mali, Burkina Faso, Russia, Niger's

☆ Troubles of Indian tycoon Anil Agarwal's Vedanta mount as Foxconn ditches JV
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Tanvi Mehta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He then expanded his empire across India, Zambia, Namibia, Ireland and South Africa and later entered the oil and gas sector. London-headquarted Vedanta Resources controls the India unit, Vedanta Ltd. Agarwal took Vedanta Resources private in 2018. Vedanta's gross debt stood at $6.8 billion as of April end, after the company completed 75% of its debt reduction commitment. FOXCONN JVVedanta-Foxconn had sought incentives from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and several Indian states for its Foxconn JV to manufacture semiconductors. Relations between Zambia and Vedanta broke down several years ago and culminated in the state appointing a liquidator for the KCM assets in May 2019.

Persons: Foxconn, Anil Agarwal, VEDANTA, Agarwal, Agarwal's, Akarsh Hebbar, Moody's, Narendra Modi's, Paul Kabuswe, Vedanta, Tanvi Mehta, Aditya Kalra, Sonali Paul Organizations: Vedanta, Resources, India's, Forbes, JV, Reuters, Thomson Locations: DELHI, Mumbai, India, Zambia, Namibia, Ireland, South Africa, London, Tamil Nadu, Odisha

SummarySummary Companies Mines minister says agreement with Vedanta Resources imminentVedanta says both parties want to sees mines in productionNAIROBI/LUSAKA, July 5 (Reuters) - Zambia is close to resolving a dispute with Vedanta Resources (VEDJB.UL) over its Konkola Copper Mines, with a deal over the future of the partly state-owned unit "imminent", its mines minister said. KCM has battled to attract investment since relations between Zambia and Vedanta broke down several years ago, culminating in the state's take-over of the KCM assets and forced liquidation in May 2019. The move triggering protracted legal battles, with Vedanta approaching an arbitration court in London to fight off the seizure of the copper assets. "The negotiations are advanced and an announcement is imminent," Zambia's Mines Minister Paul Kabuswe told Reuters. "We are concerned with the levels of deterioration of not only the mines but also socio-fabric of the workers," the spokesperson told Reuters.

Persons: KCM, Vedanta, Paul Kabuswe, Kabuswe, Situmbeko Musokotwane, Hakainde Hichilema, Anil Agarwal, Felix Njini, Chris Mfula, Jan Harvey Organizations: Mines, Vedanta, Vedanta Resources, Zambia's Mines, Reuters, Mining, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, LUSAKA, Zambia, London, Africa's, Nairobi, Lusaka

☆ Botswana, De Beers agree 'in principle' to new diamond sales deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Brian Benza | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An interim sales agreement is in place until the new pact is finalised, the two partners said in a statement. "The transformational new agreements between Botswana and De Beers reflect the aspirations of the people of Botswana, propels both Botswana and De Beers forward, and underpins the future of their Debswana joint venture through long-term investment," the statement said. Botswana, the world's second largest diamond producer after Russia by output, supplies 70% of De Beers' rough diamonds. Diamond sales, almost entirely from Debswana, account for two-thirds of Botswana's foreign currency receipts and a fifth of its gross domestic product. Debswana's diamond sales hit a record $4.6 billion last year, compared to $3.5 billion in 2021.

Persons: De Beers, Lefoko Moagi, Debswana, De, Okavango Diamond, Mokgweetsi Masisi, Masisi, Felix Njini, Nelson Banya, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Botswana Mines, De Beers, De, HB Antwerp, Thomson Locations: Botswana, Russia, Nairobi, Harare, Nilutpal

☆ Glencore copper mine in Peru struck by vandals, cars torched
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LIMA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Vandals attacked Glencore's (GLEN.L) Antapaccay copper mine in Peru on Thursday, the country's top mining official said, amid a deepening political crisis marked by violent protests that have broken out near major mines in the southern Andes. Peru is the world's second-biggest copper producer, and is currently in the throes of the worst civil unrest in years. A major tin mine located in the southern Puno region, where some of the fiercest anti-government protests have played out, also announced it temporarily halted its mining operations. The Antapaccay mine is one of the largest in Peru, and has tussled with the local community in the past. Later on Thursday, miner Minsur said it was temporarily suspending operations at its San Rafael mine, one of the largest tin mines in the world.

☆ Key mining route cleared after days of protests, Peru government says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 24 (Reuters) - A key road for mining transportation in Peru was cleared after days of protests, a government minister said, as the country struggles with political tensions following the ousting and arrest of former President Pedro Castillo. The so-called southern mining corridor in the Cusco region was cleared on Friday afternoon after a meeting between local and trade organizations, Energy and Mines Minister Oscar Vera said in a statement. Demonstrators have blocked roads and forced the closure of airports as part of protests after the arrest of Castillo and the designation of Dina Boluarte as president. The southern corridor is key for important mines including Las Bambas, which is one of the world's largest copper mines and is owned by China's MMG Ltd (1208.HK). The road has suffered other blockades this year due to protests by neighboring communities who demanded more benefits from the exploitation of resources.

☆ Zimbabwe bans raw lithium exports to curb artisanal mining
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The southern African country holds some of the world's largest reserves of hard rock lithium, a vital mineral in the production of clean energy technologies. London-listed Premier African Minerals (PREM.L) says it will start shipping spodumene concentrate from its Zimbabwe lithium mine to China from March 2023, after signing an offtake deal with Suzhou TA&A Ultra Clean Technology Co (300390.SZ). "No lithium bearing ores, or unbeneficiated lithium whatsoever, shall be exported from Zimbabwe to another country," read the regulation published in a government notice issued by Mines Minister Winston Chitando. The notice said the ban does not apply to the export of lithium concentrates, which all the major lithium miners in the country plan to produce. Mnangagwa said the raw lithium was being exported through neighbouring countries.

☆ Peru's president Boluarte names Cabinet following Castillo ouster
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Peru's President Dina Boluarte, who took office after her predecessor Pedro Castillo was ousted, poses along with her new Cabinet in Lima, Peru December 10, 2022. REUTERS/Sebastian CastanedaLIMA, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Saturday named her Cabinet, tapping former deputy finance minister Alex Contreras as economy minister and chemical engineer Oscar Vera as energy and mines minister, following the ouster of ex-President Pedro Castillo. Boluarte took office on Wednesday after Castillo was ousted from office and arrested following his failed attempt to dissolve Congress as lawmakers were preparing to impeach him. read moreShe also named former state prosecutor Pedro Angulo as prime minister and diplomat Ana Cecilia Cervantes as foreign minister. Reporting by Marco Aquino in Lima, Writing by Brian Ellsworth in Miami Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ South Africa's ruling party to decide Ramaphosa's fate over 'Farmgate' scandal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Senior officials in South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) were gathering on Friday to decide whether President Cyril Ramaphosa should stay on after an inquiry found evidence of misconduct over cash hidden at his farm. The president's future has been in doubt since a report by a panel of experts was made public on Wednesday. The South African rand stabilised on Friday, after closing 2% weaker against the dollar on Thursday on speculation that Ramaphosa was going to resign. Local media reported widely that he was considering quitting on Thursday but was then convinced by his own supporters within the NEC to stay. "We are quite determined that the president has to stay," Mathole Motshekga, an NEC member, told local Radio 786.

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