South Africa’s Eskom may need more bailouts by end-March – Treasury

National Treasury’s director general, Dondo Mogajane PRETORIA, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The South African government may be forced to inject more money into state power firm Eskom by the end of March next year, should the struggling utility fail to meet its borrowing plan, a National Treasury presentation to parliament…

Amid safety fears, Burundi to repatriate 200,000 refugees from Tanzania

There are approximately 200,000 Burundian refugees in Tanzania BUJUMBURA, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tanzania says it has reached an agreement with neighbouring Burundi to begin sending back all 200,000 Burundian refugees from October, adding that the repatriation will take place in collaboration with the United Nations. However, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a statement…

Japan to drive Africa investment with enhanced trade insurance -Abe

TOKYO, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Japan will offer enhanced trade insurance to boost private sector investment in Africa, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said as his country competes with rival China for influence in the resource-rich continent. “Let me make a promise,” Abe told the Tokyo International Conference on African Development…

Kenya anti-graft body EACC suspends planned merger of Telkom Kenya, Airtel Kenya

NAIROBI, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Kenya’s anti-graft Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has suspended a planned merger of Telkom Kenya and Airtel Kenya pending a probe into misappropriation of funds at Telkom, an EACC spokesman said. India’s Bharti Airtel had said in February its unit Airtel Networks Kenya Ltd had…

Zoo trade in African baby elephants banned internationally

 GENEVA, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) —A near-total ban on taking baby African elephants from the wild and selling them to zoos has been approved at a meeting in Geneva. Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) decided to tighten the rules after days of debate. The European Union decided to back…

Berlin Chechen shooting: Russian assassination suspected

BERLIN, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) —A Chechen exile shot dead in a Berlin park had fought against Russian troops and may have been assassinated by a Russian agent. German police arrested a 49-year-old Russian man soon after the shooting on Friday, and found the suspected pistol and bike used in the attack. The victim was…

Mexican gov’t settles dispute with private gas pipeline firms

MEXICO CITY, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Mexican government has resolved its dispute with private companies over what it considered to be abusive contracts for natural gas pipelines, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said. The agreement avoided a lawsuit in international courts stemming from existing pipeline construction and operation contracts, and will save the government…

Brazil Defends Agribusiness Expansion Amid Global Pressure On Amazon Fires

SAO PAULO (Brazil), Aug 29 (NNN-XINHUA) — Brazil will keep developing its agribusiness sector with lower usage of water and land to maintain production sustainability, Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias said. “Brazil is a powerhouse in food production, but also a power in environmental protection. We make everything we produce…

Sudan to name cabinet as tough challenges loom

KHARTOUM, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Sudan is to announce the members of a new cabinet faced with a mountain of challenges after months of unrest, including rebuilding the economy and ending internal conflicts. Newly-appointed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok will name his key picks from nominees put forward by the Forces…

Archeologists find remains of 227 sacrificed children in Peru

LIMA, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Archeologists in Peru say the 227 bodies they have unearthed from a site used by the pre-Columbian Chimu culture is the biggest-ever discovery of sacrificed children. Archeologists have been digging since last year at the huge sacrificial site in Huanchaco, a beachside tourist town north…