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LONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The pound rose slightly on Friday after data showed UK growth beat expectations  in July, continuing a string of relatively upbeat readings for the British economy. British gross domestic product ​grew 0.4% in July, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed, far ‌outstripping economists' forecasts that the economy would flatline. Sterling rose 0.1% to $1.352 and climbed a similar amount against the euro.  The euro zone's currency was down 0.1% against the pound to 85.84 pence. Growth was driven by the ​services sector, which expanded 0.4% month-on-month, the figures showed. Britain's economy expanded 1% in the ​first half of the year, the fastest growth in the G7, although some ⁠economists think issues with seasonal adjustments could mean the figure is overstated.  That means it ​could beat the Bank of England's forecast of 1.1% growth in 2026, although some analysts think ​the data could be revised lower. Investment ...

In a historic move last week, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to encourage the use of new world maps  which more accurately depict continents with their true sizes. The move followed months of lobbying by the African Union, which itself adopted a new map earlier in February. A total of 164 countries  voted  in favour while six abstained. The United States was the only member to oppose it. US representative Yaryna Ferencevych said before the vote that the resolution was “the reason this institution is losing its credibility”. “Instead of focusing on genuine problems … this body is debating map projects from the 16th century,” she said. But since the resolution was approved, at least three other countries have voiced concerns about the changes: India, Ukraine and Japan. None are explicitly opposed to adopting a new projection. However, they are raising concerns about how certain disputed territories should be depicted. Here’s what we kno...

Vice President Kashim Shettima gave the assurance during a meeting with the Director-General of the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the sidelines of the ongoing BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India. Shettima said Nigeria would continue to support the WTO in strengthening multilateralism and promoting a global system built on cooperation rather than isolation. “I believe the world is greater than one nation. We will continue to support the WTO in championing the cause of multilateralism. We are essentially one human family and interconnected. You cannot divorce yourself from the global community,” he said. The Vice President also made a case for migration as an important driver of development, innovation and economic growth, noting that immigrants have historically contributed to the development of nations and cities around the world. “Nations are built by immigrants. Even cities are built by people who came from outside, not just by the locals. That goes to show that we h...

ABUJA, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Nigeria's parliament has suspended official visits to South Africa and ordered lawmakers to boycott South African-hosted legislative activities, ​citing reports of attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants ‌there. The decision reflects growing concern in Nigeria over the safety of its citizens in South Africa  and signals rising frustration over a problem that has ​periodically strained relations between the continent's two largest economies. Nigerian ​officials have cited persistent anti-immigrant violence in South Africa, ⁠with Nigeria's minister of state for foreign affairs having said 98 Nigerians have died  in mob and hate-related incidents there since 2022. This ​year, 1,695 Nigerians have been voluntarily evacuated amid  xenophobia-related tensions , according to Nigeria's acting high commissioner in Pretoria. The directive, announced by a spokesperson to the parliament, ​bars legislators from official travel to Sou...

Cuba says it is not currently negotiating with the United States, as the Trump administration continues its campaign of economic pressure  on the island. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said on Monday that Havana and Washington are not negotiating, and that there is no agenda for future talks. His comments came during a media conference, as he laid out Cuba’s latest estimate of the damage caused by the decades-old US embargo, imposed since former leader Fidel Castro's communist revolution in 1959. The Cuban government says the US embargo cost its economy $8bn between March 2025 and February 2026, the highest figure yet recorded and seven percent more than in the previous reporting period. The total does not include some of Washington’s more recent sanctions , including restrictions on the island’s energy supply imposed in January and secondary sanctions imposed in May, said Rodriguez. In a post on X, Rodríguez called the policy one of “economic asphyxiation” and d...

LONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Fuel shortages ‌are expected to persist long after the U.S. war with Iran due to the damage inflicted on refineries and the need to replenish stocks, the chief executive officer of Nigeria's ​Dangote oil refinery told Reuters. Dangote is set to double its capacity to ​equal the world's largest, the Jamnagar Refinery in India, and plans ⁠a second refinery in Kenya. "We went in (to the Iran war) at high ​refinery utilisation (rates), and there's been deferred maintenance and damages to Middle East refineries - that's ​just to meet current demand," CEO David Bird told Reuters. "Plus inventories have to be rebuilt, plus a lot of countries are talking about supply security and increasing stocks." Nigeria's Dangote refinery has ​emerged as a winner this year as wars involving the United States and ​Iran and Russia with Ukraine have damaged refining capacity and disrupted exports, creating global shortages ‌of ⁠fue...

Africa has only ever had one Ballon d'Or winner, and the wait for someone to emulate George Weah is likely to be extended further after this year's nominations were revealed. Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi and Senegal forward Sadio Mane are the continent's two names on the 30-strong list. Both players have previously recorded top-six Ballon d'Or finishes but, after a year in which Spain lifted the Fifa World Cup and Kylian Mbappe netted 10 goals to become the tournament's all-time top scorer, the chances of the Paris St-Germain right-back or the Al-Nassr winger lifting the coveted trophy appear slim. And it is not the first time that Africa has failed to make a big impact. Part of the reason for the historic lack of success is down to the fact the award, which was first handed out by France Football magazine in 1956, was not open to players representing non-European nations until 1995. That was the year that Liberian striker Weah scooped the prize after h...

Bakers and millers say their customers are asking why folic acid is now being put into their products. The government is giving manufacturers until the end of 2026 to conform to the new legal requirement, announced in 2024, that folic acid should be added to non-wholemeal wheat flour. Shipton Mill, in Tetbury, said it had been receiving "20 emails a week" about the issue while Hobbs House Bakery, which has stores in Gloucestershire and Bristol, has had questions about it on social media. The government said the move could prevent about 200 cases of issues such as spina bifida in newborns every year. What is folic acid? Folic acid is a man-made version of vitamin B9, which is also known as folate. A person's body requires folate to make DNA and other genetic material. The human body cannot synthesise B9 in sufficient amounts, so it must be obtained from the diet and folic acid is considered essential. It is found in leafy green vegetables as well as eggs and be...