From TeleSUR, Caracas
Thursday, July 9, 2026

Burkina Faso on July 9 inaugurated its first state-owned gold mine, marking a major milestone in the government's strategy to expand public control over the country's natural resources and strengthen its economic sovereignty.

Located in the municipality of Yako, in the Yatenga region, the project will be operated by the state-owned Societe de Participation Miniere du Burkina and is expected to produce more than seven tons of gold over the next 15 years while creating more than 1,200 direct and indirect jobs.

By Chelsea Yang
South China Morning Post, Hong Kong
Thursday, July 9, 2026

China's "big four" state-run banks are the largest in the world in terms of asset scale, a new report has found, underscoring Beijing's rising ambitions to build the country into a global financial powerhouse.

The ranking, released by The Banker magazine on Wednesday, was topped by the four Chinese banks -- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, and Bank of China -- with JPMorgan Chase following in fifth place.