Juba — The South Sudanese government has
downplayed the prospect that vice-president James Wani Igga may be
dumped in order to pave way for the appointment of a new face with a
large popular following.
Part of the plan will involve dissolving parliament after the signing
of the peace agreement with rebel fighters allied to former
vice-president Riek Machar.
The agreement will also provide for general elections in which
president Salva Kiir will seek new mandate as the candidate of the
governing Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).
Speaking to Sudan Tribune at the
Tuesday 30 September 2014
Nigeria: Why I Leased My Jet, By Ayo Oritsejafor
By Christiana T. AlabiKaduna — President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Ayo Oristejafor yesterday reiterated that he is not a party to the $9.3 million arms cash saga even though he owns the jet that ferried the money to South Africa earlier this month.
He also explained that he leased the jet in "order to ameliorate the cost of maintenance of the aircraft."
Oritsejafor was speaking at an emergency meeting of the expanded National Executive Council (NEC) of CAN in Abuja, but his speech was emailed to reporters in Kaduna through the Secretary General of CAN, Reverend Musa Asake.
"So far, I have refrained from making any direct public response pending the time I will brief the leaders of the church and explain my
Nigeria: U.S.$9.3 Million Arms Deal - Oritsejafor Opens Up
By Luka Binniyat, Emman Ovuakporie, Levinus Nwabughiogu and Laide AkinboadeKADUNA --President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday for the first time spoke on the controversial $9.3m cash allegedly smuggled into South Africa by two Nigerians and an Israeli using his private jet. The money which has been confiscated by a South African court was meant for the purchase of arms for the Nigerian Intelligence Services. This is just as the #BringBackOurGirls# campaign group, has said it will soon drag the CAN president and
West Africa: Rains Complicate Delivery of Ebola Supplies in West Africa
Nancy Powell, newly appointed as the U.S. State Department's envoy to coordinate its Ebola response, said the top priority is to isolate as many people as quickly as possible. But that faces significant logistical hurdles.
"Infrastructure challenges in the rainy season is one of the biggest difficulties. And you add the rain and getting materials out of
West Africa: Ebola Crisis - Is the World Up to the Challenge?
September has been a month of US action on Ebola. President Barack Obama announced he was sending 3,000 troops to Liberia, where they would set up a regional command, build treatment facilities and help train medical workers. The Department of Health & Human Services awarded a $25 million contract to fast-track the development of a promising experimental treatment, ZMapp. And the US called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council - the first ever to be held on a public health crisis.
UN firsts
There was also a first from the United Nations itself in the form of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response. Never before had
Mozambique: Renamo - a Three-Sided Coin?
The government of Mozambique and the former rebel organisation RENAMO finally signed a ceasefire agreement on 24 August 2014. This agreement which was subsequently ratified by the Mozambican President Armando Guebuza and RENAMO's president Afonso Dhlakama and passed into law by the country's national assembly on 8 September 2014 is likely to put an end to the political and military instability which started in 2012.
In 2012, after 20 years of peace and
Africa: Digitising Maps of Malaria Hotspots to Save Lives
Malaria is one of the world's biggest killers. In 2010, an estimated 660,000 people lost their lives to the disease - most of them children in Africa, where a child dies from malaria every minute. [1]
Until recently, however, it was difficult to access information about the locations of Africa's malarial hotspots or how they are influenced by the weather there. Information about the continent's malaria distribution was scattered across published and unpublished documents, often gathering dust in libraries.
But now, thanks to a digitised malaria mapping database that brings together all available malaria data, the disease no longer has the
Africa: Church Disaster a Test for Relations Between Africa's Big Powers
Recently, however, the already strained relations between Africa's two biggest economies have once again been tested after the collapse of a guesthouse belonging to the Nigerian charismatic preacher, TB Joshua.
Altogether 84 South Africans died in the incident in Lagos - the biggest number of South Africans ever killed in such a tragedy in a foreign country.
The reaction of the Nigerian government provoked the ire of many South Africans - the main complaint being that lives could have been
Kenya: Who Owns Kenya?
When Kenya's attorney general told the International Criminal Court in July this year that there were no records to indicate that President Uhuru Kenyatta owned any land in the country, his comments offered a reflection of the mysterious nature of landownership in Kenya.
It is well known that the family of Kenya's first president, Jomo Kenyatta, father to the current president, owns large tracts of the
West Africa: In West Africa, UN Launches Strengthened Response As Ebola Shatters Lives, Orphans Children
"Thousands of children are living through the deaths of their mother, father or family members from Ebola. These children urgently need special attention and support; yet many of them feel unwanted and even abandoned," Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said in a news release.
"Orphans are usually taken in by a member of the extended family, but in some communities, the fear surrounding Ebola is becoming stronger than family ties," he added.
Since its outbreak earlier this year, Ebola has
Tracy Morgan Update 2014: Walmart Claims Comedian Is Partially To Blame For Injuries
Passengers' injuries were caused "in whole or in part" by their "failure to properly wear an appropriate available seatbelt restraint device," which it said constitutes unreasonable conduct, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said in a federal filing Monday, the AP wrote.
Brooke Buchanan, spokesperson for Walmart, issued a statement late Monday, via USA Today: "Wal-Mart filed its official response to the plaintiffs' lawsuit earlier today, and the
BlackBerry Passport Factory Unlocked Handset Priced At About $810 In India
BlackBerry
Ltd.’s most exotic phone yet, the square-screen Passport, is now
available in India, with Amazon Inc. booking orders on its Indian portal
at 49,990 rupees ($811) for the fully unlocked handset.
BlackBerry had set Sept. 29 as the release date for India, where people buy factory-unlocked mobile phones at retail stores, and opt for carriers and plans of their choice separately. BlackBerry Passport is expected to be available across stores in the country from Oct. 10. BlackBerry is betting that the company's traditional strengths of building software and hardware for productivity and security will win it back corporate customers. The Canadian company reported better-
BlackBerry had set Sept. 29 as the release date for India, where people buy factory-unlocked mobile phones at retail stores, and opt for carriers and plans of their choice separately. BlackBerry Passport is expected to be available across stores in the country from Oct. 10. BlackBerry is betting that the company's traditional strengths of building software and hardware for productivity and security will win it back corporate customers. The Canadian company reported better-
Apple iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus Get Regulatory Approval From Chinese Government
Apple
can at last begin selling its flagship iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
handsets in China after an industry watchdog approved their use on the
country's telecom networks, after being convinced the company had done
enough to safeguard users' privacy. China, the world's largest
smartphone market, is a crucial one for Apple, and one where it lags
behind rivals.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or MIIT, posted an update on its website announcing that the new iPhones would be allowed on China’s wireless networks because Apple had addressed several security issues, which could jeopardize users' personal data, in its mobile operating system. The Cupertino, California-based technology company built
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or MIIT, posted an update on its website announcing that the new iPhones would be allowed on China’s wireless networks because Apple had addressed several security issues, which could jeopardize users' personal data, in its mobile operating system. The Cupertino, California-based technology company built
RBS Frees Up $1.3B Of Provisions As Economy Improves
(Reuters)
- State-backed Royal Bank of Scotland will release 800 million pounds
from provisions it had set aside to cover losses on bad loans after an
improvement in economic conditions, especially in Ireland.
RBS said on Tuesday it also expected losses from bad loans to be "significantly" lower than its previous guidance of 1 billion pounds this year, helped by improving asset prices.
Its shares jumped 4.2 percent to 376.5 pence by 0705 GMT, the strongest performer in a flat European bank index .SX7P.
RBS, 80 percent owned by the UK government, is selling assets from its "bad bank" quicker and at better prices than it had expected. That means it does not need to set aside as much for the assets in its RBS Capital Resolution (RCR) unit, which was set up
RBS said on Tuesday it also expected losses from bad loans to be "significantly" lower than its previous guidance of 1 billion pounds this year, helped by improving asset prices.
Its shares jumped 4.2 percent to 376.5 pence by 0705 GMT, the strongest performer in a flat European bank index .SX7P.
RBS, 80 percent owned by the UK government, is selling assets from its "bad bank" quicker and at better prices than it had expected. That means it does not need to set aside as much for the assets in its RBS Capital Resolution (RCR) unit, which was set up
UK Economy Grows Strongly In Second Quarter
(Reuters) - Britain's economy is
bigger than previously estimated and stood at 2.7 percent above its
pre-crisis peak at the end of the second quarter, according to new
official figures on Tuesday.
The data from the Office for National Statistics, which reflect new methods of calculating gross domestic product (GDP), and showed Britain's economic output exceeded its peak before the 2008-09 recession in the third quarter of 2013.
Previously, it was thought Britain achieved this only in the second quarter of this year, when it was estimated to have exceeded the peak by just 0.2 percent.
The new estimates are part of European Union-wide changes to national accounts designed to better measure the size and scope of its
The data from the Office for National Statistics, which reflect new methods of calculating gross domestic product (GDP), and showed Britain's economic output exceeded its peak before the 2008-09 recession in the third quarter of 2013.
Previously, it was thought Britain achieved this only in the second quarter of this year, when it was estimated to have exceeded the peak by just 0.2 percent.
The new estimates are part of European Union-wide changes to national accounts designed to better measure the size and scope of its
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Offers Indian Customers Local Data Centers By End 2015
Microsoft
Corp. will offer Indian customers the company’s cloud computing
services from local data centers by the end of 2015, CEO Satya Nadella
said Tuesday, on the second day of his two-day visit to India.
Cloud computing refers to renting computer processing, storage and software applications located on the Internet for a subscription fee, instead of purchasing them outright. Large companies the world over are moving to this model to save money, and improve their products and services. And, local data centers would help meet legal regulations on data security and
Cloud computing refers to renting computer processing, storage and software applications located on the Internet for a subscription fee, instead of purchasing them outright. Large companies the world over are moving to this model to save money, and improve their products and services. And, local data centers would help meet legal regulations on data security and
Zalando SE
priced its initial public offering near the top end of its range,
valuing Europe’s largest online fashion retailer at as much as 5.35
billion euros ($6.8 billion), kicking off the biggest week in German
technology stock sales in a decade. The shares were priced at 21.50 euros a piece, raising 605 million euros by selling as much as 11.3 percent of share capital, the company said late yesterday. The offering is one of Germany’s most significant e-commerce IPOs to date.
Zalando’s start of trading Oct. 1 and the Frankfurt debut of Rocket Internet the following day marks a coming of age for Europe’s startup industry and a coup for the Samwer brothers, the Berlin entrepreneurs who control e-commerce holding
Ericsson Ads Break From Past With Maersk Line Wireless Projects
Ericsson AB (ERICB) is looking to break
from its mobile-networking past with a series of ads that
showcase projects such as remote tracking for a Maersk Line
shipping vessel and video conferencing at schools in Bhutan.
As part of its marketing campaign dubbed “Capturing the Networked Society,” the 138-year-old Swedish company has released 61 mini films on its website and a branded YouTube channel. The shorts were produced in 25 countries this summer with the help of advertising agency House of Radon.
The efforts mark a shift for Ericsson as it expands beyond networks and into new businesses such as cloud computing and targets partnerships with automotive, utilities and public safety industries. The ads, portraying stories about innovations such as diapers that
As part of its marketing campaign dubbed “Capturing the Networked Society,” the 138-year-old Swedish company has released 61 mini films on its website and a branded YouTube channel. The shorts were produced in 25 countries this summer with the help of advertising agency House of Radon.
The efforts mark a shift for Ericsson as it expands beyond networks and into new businesses such as cloud computing and targets partnerships with automotive, utilities and public safety industries. The ads, portraying stories about innovations such as diapers that
Rupiah Weakens Most in Asia This Month as Fed Triggers Outflows
Indonesia’s rupiah fell the most in Asia this month as foreign funds pulled money from local stocks in preparation for an increase in U.S. interest rates.
Overseas investors sold $542 million more shares than they bought in September, the biggest outflow since June 2013, exchange data show. The U.S. central bank raised its end-2015 median estimate for the fed funds rate by 25 basis points to 1.375 percent this month. Indonesia had $111.2 billion of foreign reserves in August, enough to cover 6.5 months of imports, compared with 11 months for the Philippines, central bank figures show.
“Indonesia remains among the most vulnerable in the region to any risk-off moves due to the foreign-reserves ratio,” said Gundy Cahyadi, an economist at DBS Group Holdings Ltd. in Singapore. “The main thing the market is watching for is the reform prospects under the new government.”
The rupiah declined 4 percent this
North Sea Oil Costs Threaten $1.6 Trillion Needed for Goals
North Sea oil operators’ surging costs risk scaring away the more than 1 trillion pounds ($1.6 trillion) of investment needed to meet their production goals, according to industry lobby Oil & Gas U.K.
The country needs that investment if it hopes to recover the equivalent of more than 20 billion barrels of oil, the group said today in a statement. Unit operating costs are about 60 percent higher than as recently as 2011, it said.
“The U.K. has to compete for each and every pound of that investment,” Malcolm Webb, chief executive officer of the industry group, said today in the statement. “If the current trend of rising cost continues, the U.K. Continental Shelf will cease to provide a healthy return on investment.”
Energy resources were central to the debate over Scottish independence, with those supporting a split claiming almost all the oil as
North Korea’s Kim Said Hospitalized After Ankle Surgery
This undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on... Read More
Kim cracked bones in his ankles after neglecting an injury sustained during field supervisions in June, the Chosun Ilbo said, citing a recent visitor to North Korea it didn’t identify. The person said Kim had surgery and is recovering at Bongwha Clinic, an exclusive hospital for high-ranking party members, according to the newspaper.
Kim has not been seen in public in almost a month and missed a session of parliament on Sept. 25 for the first time since coming to power almost three years ago. In an unusual acknowledgment, North Korean state television said he was
Merkel Evokes Cold War in Warning of Long Ukraine Crisis
German Chancellor Angela Merkel waits for Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb to... Read More
Merkel, who grew up in former East Germany, signaled determination to uphold EU sanctions on Russia in comments in Berlin yesterday that underscored the fraught relationship with President Vladimir Putin, whose actions in the Ukrainian crisis she says are rooted in a Cold War mentality.
“I don’t see any change at the moment regarding Russia’s position,” Merkel said. “We needed 40 years to overcome East Germany. Sometimes in history
Islamic State Onslaught Deepens Lira Bond Investor Gloom
Turkish Armed Forces dispatch tanks to the Turkish-Syrian border as clashes intensified... Read More
The yield on 10-year government bonds climbed above 10 percent for the first time since April yesterday amid speculation Turkey will soon join the U.S.-led military campaign against the al-Qaeda breakaway group. The lira weakened to the lowest level in eight months, making it the worst performer among 10 developing-nation currencies in the region tracked by Bloomberg.
Turkey deployed tanks along the border with Syria as fighting between the Islamists and Kurdish groups intensified. The nation’s bonds and
Hong Kong Is Losing Premium Over Shanghai’s Stock Market
Riot police disperse demonstrators during a protest near central government offices in... Read More
The Hang Seng (HSI) Index’s retreat to a three-month low today has eliminated the gap between dual-listed shares after it reached 12 percent in July. The Hang Seng has now dropped 1.1 percent this quarter, versus a 15 percent surge for the Shanghai Composite Index (SHCOMP), the biggest performance difference since 2009.
While Hong Kong equities have been held back by clashes between pro-democracy protesters and riot police in the city’s central business district, speculation of Chinese government stimulus has propelled shares in Shanghai. The divergence signals a growing preference for mainland shares before the start of a trading link next month that allows a net 23.5 billion yuan ($3.8 billion) of daily cross-border purchases.
“With the situation unfolding in Hong Kong, it is
Bitcoin Is Growing Up: Now You Can Hedge Your Investments
Attendees wait on line to enter the Inside Bitcoins conference in New York, U.S., on April 7, 2014.
“Everyone else is 25 and good-looking,” Nuara says.
The graybeards are trying to help bitcoin grow up. Their company, TeraExchange LLC, runs the first regulated trading platform where
German Unemployment Unexpectedly Rises as Risks Increase
Visitors are seen entering a job center in Hamburg. The number of people out of work... Read More
The number of people out of work climbed a seasonally adjusted 12,000 to 2.92 million in September, the Nuremberg-based Federal Labor Agency said today. Economists forecast a decline of 2,000, according to the median of 27 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. The adjusted jobless rate was unchanged at 6.7 percent, the lowest level in more than two decades.
The German economy, Europe’s largest, contracted in the second quarter and the strength of its rebound is key to reviving growth and inflation in the 18-nation euro area. Data today showed inflation in the currency bloc running at the weakest pace in
U.K. GDP Grows 0.9% as Strength of Recovery Revised Up
The data may also bolster the argument of Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne... Read More
Gross domestic product rose 0.9 percent in the three months through June, the fastest pace in nine months and above the 0.8 percent previously published, the Office for National Statistics said today. A separate report showed the nation’s current account deficit widened.
Revisions showed the recession that started in 2008 was shallower than initially estimated and the bounce-back stronger, with
Sumitomo Losses Prompt Biggest Drop Since ’96 Copper Scandal
The 12 percent drop is the most since June 1996, the month Sumitomo announced its chief copper trader Yasuo Hamanaka had lost about $2.6 billion in illicit trades of the metal in one of the largest commodity-trading scandals.
Sumitomo’s writedown could see it slash its second-half dividend to a fifth of the payout it forecast in May, according to Nomura Holdings Inc., as one of Japan’s oldest traders hunkers down after another miscue in its resources investments. Chief Executive Officer Kuniharu Nakamura had said in May that Sumitomo planned more forays into commodity assets.
“Japanese trading houses often overpay in
Turkish Troops Head to Syria Border as Options Weighed
Military chief General Necdet Ozel is expected to brief the cabinet today on possible military steps to protect the border and create a secure zone within Syria for refugees fleeing the violence, A Haber television said, without citing anyone. The government, meanwhile, is drafting legislation that would extend its mandate to deploy troops abroad for military operations, Hurriyet newspaper reported today, without saying where it got the information.
The border area heated up
Turkish Troops Head to Syria Border as Options Weighed
Military chief General Necdet Ozel is expected to brief the cabinet today on possible military steps to protect the border and create a secure zone within Syria for refugees fleeing the violence, A Haber television said, without citing anyone. The government, meanwhile, is drafting legislation that would extend its mandate to deploy troops abroad for military operations, Hurriyet newspaper reported today, without saying where it got the information.
The border area heated up
Islamic State Draws U.A.E. Into Fight Against Extremists
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, told... Read More
In a country known more for building glitzy shopping malls and trophy skyscrapers than battling terrorists, the United Arab Emirates is involved in the fight against Islamic militants like never before. It took part last week in U.S.-led airstrikes against Islamic State, underlining the scale of the perceived threat from the extremists after they took cities in Iraq and this month gained ground in Syria.
“This is more than a red line for them and that is why they are pro-actively taking part in those strikes,” said Ghanem Nuseibeh, founder of Cornerstone Global Associates, which advises clients on risk in the Middle East. Islamic State has “the ability to
Norway Buys Kroner for First Time From Oil Revenue Account
Norway receives oil revenue in two ways. It gets income in kroner from taxes on... Read More
The Nordic country will buy 250 million in kroner a day ($39 million) in October, the Oslo-based central bank said today. It last purchased foreign currency a year ago and flagged earlier this year that it may need to start buying its own currency. The krone jumped 0.7 percent against the dollar.
“The amount that they will buy is even bigger than we expected,” said Kjersti Haugland, an analyst at DNB ASA. “It could imply that the spending of oil money has turned out to be actually bigger than budgeted.”
Krone buying marks an historic shift for western Europe’s biggest oil and gas exporter, which has built an $860 billion sovereign wealth fund from its
Sechin Says Arrested Billionaire’s Sistema Not Blood-Stained
Related
“Evtushenkov never eliminated his competitors, and that was a practice at Yukos,” Sechin said in an interview last week on a research ship in the Arctic, where OAO Rosneft, the state-run crude producer he heads, just struck oil. “Evtushenkov doesn’t have blood on his hands. And this, at a minimum, is a very important fact.”
Evtushenkov, who says he’s innocent, was put under house arrest on money-laundering charges on Sept. 16. The case revolves around the privatization of a regional oil producer, OAO Bashneft, that the billionaire’s AFK Sistema later acquired. Last week, prosecutors asked for Bashneft to be returned to the state. Khodorkovsky drew parallels with
Apple’s Irish Tax Deal ‘Engineered’ to Boost Employment, EU Says
Apple’s Irish tax arrangements drew scrutiny in the U.S. last year.
The methods for determining Apple’s costs “appear to have been reverse engineered” to arrive at a taxable income that “does not have an economic basis,” the European Commission said in a letter to Irish officials dated June 11 and posted on the EU website today.
“Overall, it looks like Ireland is caught,” said Alex Cobham, a researcher at the Center for Global Development in London, who
Inflation at 5-Year Low Primes ECB for Deflation Debate
ECB President Mario Draghi told lawmakers in Brussels on Sept. 22 that policy makers... Read More
Consumer prices rose an annual 0.3 percent, the European Union’s statistics office in Luxembourg said today. That’s in line with the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey and follows a reading of 0.4 percent in August. Unemployment (UMRTEMU) held at 11.5 percent in August, Eurostat said in a separate report.
ECB President Mario Draghi told lawmakers in Brussels on Sept. 22 that policy makers remain “fully determined” to shore up inflation, which has
Job Woes Linger in 29 States as U.S. Recovers Unevenly
Nevada, Arizona and Florida are among those furthest from their peak employment during... Read More
“It has been a very slow climb back,” said Yearout, 51, co-owner and chief executive officer of Yearout Mechanical Inc. “The economy went very south, very quickly.” With his commercial construction business hobbled by government funding cutbacks, “I never see the local economy getting back” to justify the prior level of jobs.
Even as the U.S. economy reached a milestone in May with employment exceeding the prerecession peak, 29 of 50 states have yet to match that
IPO Markets Don’t Need Alibaba for Best Quarter Since 2010
Leave it out of the total raised, though, and the three months through September were still the busiest for IPOs in four years. From German online retailer Zalando SE to WH Group Ltd. (288), the world’s largest pork producer, companies raised $41.8 billion through yesterday, data compiled by Bloomberg show. In the U.S., it was the busiest third quarter in more than a decade -- also without Alibaba included.
Record stock prices are drawing sellers to the
UBS Said to Pay $1.4 Billion Bail in France Tax Probe
UBS is proceeding with the payment due today after a Paris appeals court last week upheld a July order by French prosecutors, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. The deposit covers a potential criminal penalty.
“UBS doesn’t comment on procedural steps,” said Dominique Gerster, a UBS spokesman. UBS, based in Zurich, plans to appeal the bond demand at France’s highest court and it’s also challenging the judicial process, including the right to a fair trial, the bank said on Sept. 22.
Any further appeal by UBS to France’s highest court, the
Europe Stocks Rise as Euro Extends Drop; Gold Declines
Demonstrators gather near the central government offices in the business district of... Read More
The Stoxx Europe 600 Index advanced 0.6 percent at 7:11 a.m. in New York and Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures gained 0.3 percent. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index climbed 0.4 percent and the euro declined 0.7 percent to $1.2592. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes jumped four basis points to 2.52 percent. Gold declined 0.7 percent.
Consumer prices in the euro region rose an annual 0.3 percent in September, following a reading of 0.4 percent in August, the
Hong Kong Economic Resilience Forged in Crises Faces Test
Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Pro-democracy protests swelled in Hong Kong on
the eve of a two-day holiday that may bring record numbers to rallies
spreading throughout the city as organizers pressed demands for free
elections. Bloomberg’s Andrew Davis reports on “Bloomberg Surveillance.”
(Source: Bloomberg)
Stocks slumped and the near-term economic outlook deteriorated after weekend clashes between police and pro-democracy demonstrators on a scale not seen since the 1960s. Tens of thousands poured back into the streets yesterday evening to press demands for free and open elections and the resignation of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
“If we see an escalation of disturbances to the point where growth is weakened or where confidence in the territory’s basic stability is endangered, then that could be a negative rating trigger,” Andrew Colquhoun, head of Asia-Pacific sovereigns at Fitch Ratings, told Rishaad Salamat on
Hong Kong Protests Grow at Start of Two Day Holiday
With the workday ended and temperatures dropping, thousands of people were returning to the three main demonstration points, blocking some of the city’s roadways. Hong Kong marks China’s National Day tomorrow, the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and Chung Yeung Festival on Thursday, when Hong Kong people honor their ancestors.
“It’s quite possible that at
Monday 29 September 2014
Ethiopia: Hilton Worldwide Unveils New Modular Hilton Garden Inn
Constructed in China by CIMC Modular Building Systems, modular guest room and hallways are built entirely in manufacturing plant conditions - leading to benefits of faster development, streamlined design, efficiencies of cost as well as quality control assurance, according a statement from the Hilton Worldwide.
As an already established technology in
Zimbabwe: U.S. $100 Million Needed to Refurbish Beitbridge Border Post
The minister said the government was working towards engaging the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) to fund the project.
"Beitbridge being the busiest entry point in southern Africa continues to be a major bottleneck to the smooth flow of traffic, both goods and people due to inadequate facilities.
"However upgrading of the infrastructure at the border post is estimated to cost about $100 million," Chinamasa said.
The redevelopment of Beitbridge will encompass the upgrading of the road network to and from the bridge, perimeter fencing and
Nigeria: Lagos Employs 80 Female Lagbus Drivers
This came as it commenced training of 998 drivers of LAGBUS on accident prevention skills.
Managing Director, LAGBUS, Mr. Babatunde Disu, who disclosed this, at the training for the fourth batch of LAGBUS captains at the Public Service Public Service Staff Development Centre, PSSDC Magodo, said the firm is committed to creating a modern, secure and sustainable bus transportation service designed for the special needs of Lagos, while also providing equal opportunities for the female gender.
Explaining the motive for the employment of
Nigeria: 'Lagos Govt Has Technically Taken Over Synagogue'
What actually went wrong with the SCOAN collapsed building?
We need support from stakeholders and everyone. Before now, we have been trying to curtail incidence of collapse building until we had the latest one. I think the problem of Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, brought the issue to the fore again. A lot of institutions are too secretive they will not allow government officials do
Nigeria: South Africans to Sue TB Joshua
The two men, who both lost sisters in the collapse, are appealing for more families to come together in bringing a case against the preacher.
At least 115 people, including 84 South Africans, died when
Kenya Diaspora With Left-Hand Cars to Be Allowed Substitutes for Duty Waiver From November
The President announced this when he met Kenyans living in the US state of New York at a reception on Thursday night.
President Kenyatta had in August made a pledge that Government will facilitate the arrangement but it was delayed because such arrangements concerning importations of vehicles have to be done in consultation with the East African Community.
President Kenyatta said the consultations with the EAC will be held in January next year but a temporary arrangement has
Kenya: Mombasa to Tax Goods Imported Through Port
In this year's 2014/15 Finance Bill, the county government has proposed a Transport Infrastructure Development Levy of US$2 (Sh174) per metric ton to be remitted by all ships calling at the port.
The levies will be collected by Mombasa county through the port managers once the bill is ratified and implemented.
"Transport Infrastructure Development Levy of US$2 per metric ton or US$10 per shipment, whichever is higher, to be levied on all marine cargo through the harbours/port, to be collected through port managers," reads part of the
Nigeria Earns N6.11 Billion From NGL Lifting in One Month
The NNPC, in its Monthly Petroleum Information for May 2014, said the amount lifted was in spite of total NGL production of 140,780 MT. The price of NGL in the international market is about $39.5 per barrel.
Giving a breakdown of NGL production and lifting, the NNPC said a total of 51,210 MT of propane was produced in the period while 45,685MT was lifted.
The quantity of butane produced was
Liberia: Foreign Workers Favored By Mining Sectors
By Winston W. ParleyA
study report has revealed that the Liberian labor force lacks skills to
meet the bulk of the immediate hiring needs of mining companies
operating in the country, while local businesses similarly suffer
significant financial and technical constraints to meet mining
companies' demands.
The report, presented in Monrovia on Thursday, 25 September by Kayla Casavant and Daniel Togba, was authored by Building Markets- a non-profit organization implementing the USAID's sustainable marketplace initiative, with additional support from the Australian Government. Worst in the report concerning the Liberian labor force, is a
The report, presented in Monrovia on Thursday, 25 September by Kayla Casavant and Daniel Togba, was authored by Building Markets- a non-profit organization implementing the USAID's sustainable marketplace initiative, with additional support from the Australian Government. Worst in the report concerning the Liberian labor force, is a
West Africa: Ghana to Host 1st Ecowas Mining & Petroleum Forum and Exhibition (ecomof 2015)
press release
The first West African Regional Mining & Petroleum Forum and
Exhibition, dubbed ECOMOF 2015, has been scheduled to take place in
Accra from the 6th to the 8th of October, next year.The three-day event is being organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, in collaboration with the Government of Ghana, under the auspices of the Ministries of Lands and Natural Resources, and Petroleum and Energy, and the AME Trade Limited.
The main theme for the event is 'Valorising West Africa's Mineral & Petroleum Resource through Regional Co-operation.'
ECOMOF 2015 is expected to feature more than 30 different conference sessions, three workshops and two roundtables with
Africa: Huawei to Invest Over U.S. $4 Billion in Fixed Broadband Technology Over Next 3 Years
Huawei has announced that it will be
investing over US $4 billion in Fixed Broadband (FBB) technology
research and development over the next three years.
The investment will focus on products and solutions which will support their customers with providing an improved service experience for end users. The announcement was made at the Huawei Ultra-Broadband Forum in London which has brought together industry professionals to address hot topics under the theme "Dream Broader, Band Together".
Huawei Products and Solutions President, Ryan Ding said, "Huawei has always been focused on customer needs and adding value through core technologies and innovation. As an information and communications technology leader, Huawei recognizes Fixed Broadband as a key direction for strategic investment and will continue to
The investment will focus on products and solutions which will support their customers with providing an improved service experience for end users. The announcement was made at the Huawei Ultra-Broadband Forum in London which has brought together industry professionals to address hot topics under the theme "Dream Broader, Band Together".
Huawei Products and Solutions President, Ryan Ding said, "Huawei has always been focused on customer needs and adding value through core technologies and innovation. As an information and communications technology leader, Huawei recognizes Fixed Broadband as a key direction for strategic investment and will continue to
Gambia: Top Turkish Investor Explores Gambia Investment Potentials
It could be recalled that during the historic state visit to Turkey early this year, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh Nasirul Deen Babili Mansa extended an invitation to the members of the business community from the trans-continental nation to explore the vast opportunities in The Gambia. Since then the number of Turkish investors visiting Banjul has risen significantly.
The visit to The Gambia of the owner and chairman of the Board of Kuanta Construction Company, Mr. Bulent Kilincarslan is in line with that framework. His Kaunta Company does many construction projects, but its main area of expertise is
Ethiopia: Swiss Companies Assessing Investment Opportunities in Ethiopia
A 12-businessperson delegation representing different Swiss companies is in Ethiopia to assess investment opportunities.
Speaking at Ethio-Swiss Business Forum on Monday Deputy Director of Ethiopian Investment Agency, Mohammed Seid, said Swiss companies will be profitable if they engage in the manufacturing sector which is prioritized by the government.
He particularly pointed out that textile and garment, leather and leather products, agro-processing, agriculture and construction are highly profitable and encouraged by the government.
The government has established pertinent institutions such as Ethiopian Investment Agency, Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency and Ethiopian Agricultural Investment and Land Administration Agency that
Political Opposition Party Lambast SA’s Nuclear Deal With Russia
In an apparent reference to President Jacob Zuma, who struck the multi-billion dollar transaction which was announced last week, Zille said: “Someone is up to no good.”
She said the rush and privacy with which the deal was struck with Russia for the
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