John Atta Mills, who ran three times for president before being elected in the closest vote in Ghana’s history on a platform vowing to reform the west African country, has died aged 68, officials said.

TULLOW Oil shares soared almost 20% after its French Guiana exploration resulted in an offshore oil discovery, raising the prospect of the opening of a major offshore oil-producing operation in South America.

Emotional scenes are expected tonight as the last Irish soldiers serving in Liberia return home, marking the end of Ireland’s four-year presence in the war-torn African country.

Heterosexual men should undergo circumcision because of “compelling” evidence that it can reduce their chances of contracting HIV by up to 60%, according to UN health agencies.

FOR the first time in 50 years, millions - potentially billions - of locusts have swarmed into Cairo, posing a possible threat to the country’s agriculture industry and prompting authorities to initiate a pesticide-fuelled eradication programme.