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Ancient community banking enters digital age in Cameroon
Ancient community banking enters digital age in Cameroon
Economy
by  AFP

Joseph Ngono's face lights up with a smile as he looks at his smartphone, where a payment worth $830 has just appeared in his digital wallet. Shunned by banks, many people in Cameroon turn to their communities for help in the form of tontines, such as the one Ngono uses via the smartphone app Djangui.

Unemployed Afghans risk death and debt in hunt for gold
Unemployed Afghans risk death and debt in hunt for gold
Economy
by  AFP

Tearing off a piece of mouldy flatbread, Homayon gulped tea in a brief reprieve from the din of the machines he and a dozen other men were using to dig for gold on a mountainside in northeastern Afghanistan. Despite the risks, the men continue digging.

Watchdogs probe 'technical' failure on Boeing-made LATAM plane
Watchdogs probe 'technical' failure on Boeing-made LATAM plane
Economy
by  AFP

Airline watchdogs were on Tuesday investigating why a Boeing-made LATAM plane bound for New Zealand suddenly lost altitude mid-flight, dropping violently and injuring dozens of terrified travellers. Data from airline tracker FlightAware showed the plane began losing altitude about two hours into the three-hour flight.

Most Asian markets push higher as US inflation data looms
Most Asian markets push higher as US inflation data looms
Economy
by  AFP

Asian markets mostly rose Tuesday following the previous day's sell-off, with focus on the release of US inflation data that could play a key role in the Federal Reserve's decision-making on cutting interest rates. The prospect of US interest rates coming down this year has played a role in pushing bitcoin to new record highs, with the cryptocurrency peaking at $72,880.