Daily SumUp

Ghana has banned all foreigners from trading in its local gold market as part of efforts to boost national revenue and streamline the country's mining sector.It follows the enactment of a new law earlier this month that grants exclusive authority of gold mining to a new state body, the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod)."All foreigners are hereby notified to exit the local gold trading market not later than 30th April, 2025," said GoldBod spokesperson Prince Kwame Minkah in a statement.Ghana is Africa's largest gold producer and the sixth largest in the world, but it is struggling to address widespread illegal gold mining, locally called "galamsey".The mineral-rich West African country has been facing harsh economic times with a high cost of living. It is the world's second largest cocoa producer but sees little of the profits from chocolate.Fuelled by rising gold prices and youth unemployment, illegal gold mining has been growing in Ghana, despite military operations to shut down galamsey activities. It was a big campaign issue in the lead up to last December's elections. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carriers also asked to stop purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from US firms, report saysChina has reportedly ordered its airlines not to take any further deliveries of Boeing jets, the latest move in its tit-for-tat trade war with the US.The Chinese government has asked carriers to stop purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from American companies, according to a Bloomberg News article, which cited people familiar with the matter.The order was reported to have come after the country raised its retaliatory tariffs on US goods to 125% on Friday in response to Donald Trump’s levies on Chinese imports totalling 145%. Beijing was also said to be considering ways to support airlines that lease Boeing jets and are facing higher costs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tensions between France and Algeria are growing over the detention of an Algerian consular agent in France, allegedly linked to a kidnapping case. At the same time, France is reshaping its finances to reduce its budget deficit from 5.4% to 4.6% by 2026, requiring notable savings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

: China on Sunday called on the United States to “completely cancel” its reciprocal tariffs after Washington announced exemptions for consumer electronics and key chipmaking equipment.“We urge the US to... take a big step to correct its mistakes, completely cancel the wrong practice of ´reciprocal tariffs´ and return to the right path of mutual respect”, a commerce ministry spokesperson said in a statement.A notice late on Friday by the US Customs and Border Protection office said smartphones, laptops, memory chips and other products would be excluded from the global levies President Donald Trump rolled out this month.Beijing´s commerce ministry said the exemptions were a “small step” by Washington and China was “evaluating the impact” of the decision. It came as retaliatory Chinese import tariffs of 125 percent on US goods took effect on Saturday, with Beijing standing defiant against its biggest trade partner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gayle King will head to space on Monday morning as part an all-female space crew featuring popstar Katy Perry and Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sanchez.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The shallow earthquake, which was centered 2.5 miles (four kilometers) south of Julian in San Diego County, had a magnitude of 5.1. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A popstar, a journalist, a civil rights activist, rocket scientist and filmmaker are heading into space. And the mission is being led by Lauren Sanchez, an author and the fiance of Amazon's Jeff Bezos. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Historians recently unveiled a rare 13th-century document depicting the tales of King Arthur and Merlin – and its survival is considered a miracle. The discovery was announced by the University of Cambridge on March 25. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Republican Trump, 78, has repeatedly boasted about his own vigor since starting a second term, while mocking his 82-year-old Democratic predecessor Joe Biden as decrepit and mentally unfit for office."President Trump exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State," read a physician's letter shared by the White House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SpaceX's Starlink satellite system is now available in Somalia, owner Elon Musk wrote on social media platform X on Sunday, while a Somalia government official confirmed the company has been given a licence to operate in the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel "is committing a horrific crime by targeting Al-Ahli Hospital, which houses hundreds of patients and medical staff", it said. In October 2023, an explosion at the same hospital killed hundreds of people. Palestinian officials blamed an Israeli strike for the blast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were evacuated overnight from the official governor’s residence after someone set fire to the building, police said Sunday.No one was injured and the fire was extinguished, according to authorities.The fire broke out overnight on the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which Shapiro and his family had celebrated at the governor's official residence in the state capital of Harrisburg. Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement that, while the investigation was ongoing, they were “prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China on Sunday called on the United States to "completely cancel" its reciprocal tariffs after Washington announced exemptions for consumer electronics and key chipmaking equipment."We urge the US to... take a big step to correct its mistakes, completely cancel the wrong practice of 'reciprocal tariffs' and return to the right path of mutual respect", a commerce ministry spokesperson said in a statement.A notice late Friday by the US Customs and Border Protection office said smartphones, laptops, memory chips and other products would be excluded from the global levies President Donald Trump rolled out this month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When scrolling through social media, you may have recently seen friends and family appearing in miniature.It's part of a new trend where people use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT and Copilot to re-package themselves - literally - as pocket-sized dolls and action figures.It has taken off online, with brands and influencers dabbling in creating their mini-me.But some are urging people to steer clear of the seemingly innocent trend, saying fear of missing out shouldn't override concerns about AI's energy and data use. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK government is taking control of Chinese-owned British Steel after emergency legislation was rushed through Parliament in a single day. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told MPs the government's likely next step would be to nationalise the Scunthorpe plant, which employs 2,700 people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump tariffs live updates: Cell phones, chips and laptops get a reprieve... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump's administration has exempted smartphones, computers and some other electronic devices from "reciprocal" tariffs, including the 125% levies imposed on Chinese imports.In a notice, US Customs and Border Patrol said that the goods would be excluded from Trump's 10% global tariff on most countries and the much larger Chinese import tax.It marks the first significant reprieve of any kind in Trump's tariffs on China, with one trade analyst describing it as a "game-changer scenario".Late on Saturday, while travelling to Miami, Trump said he would give more details of the exemptions at the start of next week."We'll be very specific," he told reporters on Air Force One. "But we're taking in a lot of money. As a country we're taking in a lot of money."The move came after concerns from US tech companies that the price of gadgets could skyrocket, as many of them are made in China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sudan's Khartoum clean-up campaign aims to restore city after RSF ouster... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The IOC has approved five additional sports for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics: flag football, baseball/softball, lacrosse (sixes), squash, and cricket. These sports will join the existing Olympic program for the LA Games, with each sport featuring six-team tournaments for both men and women.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elon Musk's AI tool is making waves in India by giving what appear to be unusually candid responses on touchy subjects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Due to the escalation of the conflict and famine in South Sudan, 7.7 million people need help. The UN reports that the situation has reached. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pope Francis has made an unexpected appearance at the Vatican's Palm Sunday mass in St Peter's Square, less than a month after his battle in hospital with double pneumonia. The pontiff was seen in a smiling, waving and greeting cardinals without the help of supplementary oxygen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Plane Crashes In South Florida; Casualties Feared: Report... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel cuts off 70% of Gaza's water supply: Municipality Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Edward Simmer emphasized that the state never mandated COVID-19 vaccines, but senators were concerned his promotion of them during the pandemic undermined public trust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Young Voters To Outnumber Baby Boomers In Australian ... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The tech giant reportedly ordered cargo flights to transport 600 tonnes of iPhones from India to the US to avoid tariffs at the end of March. US tech giant Apple discreetly chartered six cargo flights to ferry 600 tonnes of iPhones out of India to the US at the end of March, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ruling by Judge Jamee Comans of the LaSalle Immigration Court in Louisiana was not a final determination of Khalil's fate. But it represented a significant victory for the Republican president in his efforts to deport foreign pro-Palestinian students who are in the United States legally and, like Khalil, have not been charged with any crime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amid campaign for ‘freedom,’ Wendy Williams gets support of stars including Don Lemon and Alec and Hilaria Baldwin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Microsoft rolls out AI screenshot tool dubbed 'privacy nightmare' Microsoft has begun the rollout of an AI-powered tool which takes snapshots of users' screens every few seconds. The Copilot+ Recall feature is available in preview mode to some people with Microsoft's AI PCs and laptops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elon Musk made direct appeals to U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend, urging him to reconsider the sweeping global tariffs announced last week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump impact? Big American companies going bankrupt at fastest rate since 2010, says S&P Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has pledged "a massive testing and research effort" to determine the cause of autism in five months.Experts cautioned that finding the causes of autism spectrum disorder – a complex syndrome that has been studied for decades – will not be straightforward, and called the effort misguided and unrealistic.Kennedy, who has promoted debunked theories suggesting autism is linked to vaccines, said during a cabinet meeting on Thursday that a US research effort will "involve hundreds of scientists from around the world.""By September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we'll be able to eliminate those exposures," Kennedy said. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MPs and peers are currently on their Easter break and were not due to return until 22 April, but both will now go back to Westminster for the hastily convened sitting.It will be only the fifth time since World War Two that Parliament has sat on a Saturday, showing the importance the government is placing on the law.Sir Keir said the government wanted to pass the legislation in a single day, adding the future of the company "hangs in the balance".He said steelmaking was "essential for our future" and that he would always "act in the national interest to protect British jobs and British workers"."Jobs, investment, growth, our economic and national security are all on the line," the prime minister said.The BBC understands from a senior government source the emergency legislation being voted on in Parliament on Saturday would not give ministers the power to nationalise British Steel - another bill would be needed to do that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukraine will receive fresh military support worth 450 million pounds ($580 million), Britain said on Friday, as European allies attempt to ... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Friday as Donald Trump urged the Russian president to "get moving" on a ceasefire in Ukraine.The Kremlin said the meeting lasted for more than four hours and focused on "aspects of a Ukrainian settlement". The talks, Witkoff's third with Putin this year, were described by special envoy Kirill Dmitriev as "productive".Trump has expressed frustration with Putin over the state of talks. On Friday, he wrote on social media: "Russia has to get moving. Too many people ere [sic] DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war."Earlier in the day, European nations agreed €21bn ($24bn; £18bn) in military aid for Kyiv. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer talks about Trump's 'Kiss my A**' comment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran has warned that it could expel UN nuclear watchdog inspectors from the country in response to “external threats” as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States and Iran will hold direct talks in Oman on Saturday to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme.Relations between the two nations have been tense since US President Donald Trump said in February he was re-imposing a “maximum pressure” campaign. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the US president imposed 125% duties on Chinese imports, Beijing says it will restrict American films opening in its lucrative market Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lamented Thursday that Republicans were only able to advance the blueprint for President Trump’s “big, beautiful” agenda because of the “tragic” deaths of two Democratic lawmakers last month.“Passing this initial budget resolution should have been a slam dunk for Republicans,” the Brooklyn Democrat told reporters after the vote. “They had to pull the bill down off the floor last night and barely struggled to pass it today. We had two tragic deaths in the House Democratic caucus.”Moments earlier, Republicans had approved the measure by a 216-214 margin, after postponing the initial scheduled vote a day earlier due to a revolt by fiscal hawks.“Had those deaths not occurred last month, Republicans could not have even passed the bill today,” added Jeffries, referring to the rule that tied votes fail in the House.Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas) died March 5 after serving just two months in Congress, followed eight days later by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.). With special elections not set to replace the two decedents until later this year, the House currently has 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former US first lady carified that her reduced public appearances and absence from political events were intentional... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prada has agreed to buy its smaller rival Versace in a billion dollar deal to unite two of the biggest designer fashion labels.The deal to unite the two Italian brands has an estimated value of $1.36bn (£1.06bn), the Prada Group said on Thursday."We aim to continue Versace's legacy celebrating and re-interpreting its bold and timeless aesthetic," said Prada chairman Patrizio Bertelli.The Prada Group already owns several other designer labels including Miu Miu and luxury footwear brand Church's. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines erupt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new government is about to take office in Germany, and with a fresh coalition agreement it has just presented its plan for the country over the next few years. The new cabinet will have to deal with sluggish economic growth and the prospest of more stagnation. This in a context of rising geopolitical tensions and volatily, exacerbated by the US's announced shift to a protectionist trade policy. We discuss the challenges facing Germany's economy, and the possible solutions offered by the incoming government, with Marcel Fratzscher, President of the German Institute for Economic Research.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tariffs Pause: China is reaching out to other nations as the U.S. layers on more tariffs in what appears to be an attempt to form a united front to compel Washington to retreat. Days into the effort, it’s meeting only partial success with many countries unwilling to ally with the main target of President Donald Trump’s trade war. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China’s 84% tariffs on US products come into force amid market relief after Trump pauses steep tariffs elsewhere Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Douglas Alexander’s unpublicised trip to talk with counterparts coincides with that of Adm Sir Tony Radakin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A federal judge is allowing the Trump administration to move forward with a requirement that everyone in the U.S. illegally must register with the federal government, in a move that could have far-reaching repercussions for immigrants across the country.In a ruling Thursday, Judge Trevor Neil McFadden sided with the administration, which had argued that they were simply enforcing an already existing requirement for everyone in the country who wasn’t an American citizen to register with the government.The requirement goes into effect Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The wreckage of the helicopter is submerged in the river. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two American Airlines jet have had a minor collision on the ground at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport - just three months after a deadly crash near there.The Federal Aviation Administration said the wingtip of one aircraft struck another on the taxiway on Thursday afternoon. At least two members of Congress were aboard one of the jets.Nick LaLota, a New York Republican, said no-one was hurt when the wing of their stationary plane was "bumped" by another jet.Sixty-seven people died on 29 January when an Army helicopter collided in midair with a jetliner as it landed at the same airport.LaLota posted on X: "Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences… like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.