Zimbabwe could become world’s No. 5 lithium producer, buoyed by $1bn Chinese investment

After spending more than US$1 billion to acquire mining sites in Zimbabwe over the past two years, massive Chinese investment could help catapult Zimbabwe to become the world’s fifth biggest primary producer of the material that’s vital to battery electric vehicles and the green revolution, mining consultancy CRU said. The investments by Chinese companies, including […]

Bank intermediation dominated Mauritanian banks’ activities in 2023

In 2023, banking intermediation was at the heart of Mauritanian banks’ operations, as they leveraged their deposit-taking and lending activities to support growth. According to the Central Bank of Mauritania’s 2023 annual report, this activity accounted for 65.1% of the banking sector’s total consolidated assets. Customer deposits at the 17 banks operating in the country […]

Lebanon: Hezbollah Has Built Airstrip in Bekaa Valley for Iranian Drones?

Lebanese Islamist group of Hezbollah, supported by Iran, has built a remote airstrip in the northern Bekaa Valley, says IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly in its latest release. The airstrip around 10 miles west of the Syrian border was discovered through some satellite images. According to some defence experts, the single unpaved strip is unlikely to […]