AGOA: Trade forum to showcase Trump’s Africa policy Lome, Togo | AFP | US President Donald Trump barely mentioned Africa or trade with the continent during his whirlwind campaign and has been mostly silent about the region since taking office. But the annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum …
Read More »McDonald’s to nearly double outlets in China
Beijing, China | AFP | Fast food giant McDonald’s said Tuesday it would almost double the number of restaurants in China over the next five years as it refocuses on international markets amid slowing US sales. The Illinois-based burger chain will add 2,000 stores to its current 2,500 in China and …
Read More »Cash crisis pushes Libyans to virtual payments
Benghazi, Libya | AFP | When a cash crisis struck the war-torn North African country of Libya, many people were forced to queue for days to withdraw their savings. But electronic payments systems set up to tackle the dearth of cash have struggled to gain credibility amid accusations of abuse. Said …
Read More »Bank of Uganda denies hiding cash in Germany
BOU denies hiding cash on foreign account in Germany Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Bank of Uganda (BOU) has dismissed as untrue reports that it has hidden Sh10.7 billion in a bank in Germany, an issue that has been widely spread on social media in the past week. In …
Read More »Trouble brewing in Nigeria swamps threatens economy
Warri, Nigeria | AFP | Months have passed since the Niger Delta Avengers have launched an attack on Nigeria’s oil pipelines, yet leaders in the region are warning trouble is brewing in the southern swamplands. A charm offensive led by Nigeria’s acting president Yemi Osinbajo has kept the uprising at bay, …
Read More »S.Africa’s vexed land reform scores a rare success
Hoedspruit, South Africa | AFP | It was a hard-fought victory for South Africa’s black community seeking to reclaim land, and for the Moletele ethnic group it has become a surprising model of wider racial cooperation. After a 10-year legal battle, the Moletele have taken back the land from which …
Read More »Kenya may be growing but ‘You can’t eat GDP’
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The timing was perfect. Two months before Kenya’s August 8 vote, President Uhuru Kenyatta inaugurated the nation’s biggest infrastructure project: a railway connecting the capital Nairobi and the port of Mombasa. With pomp and ceremony Kenyatta touted the railway as proof of his campaign promises …
Read More »Leading S.African retailer Pick n Pay sheds 3,500 jobs
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | One of South Africa’s largest retailers Pick n Pay on Monday said it had cut around 3,500 jobs — 10 percent of its workforce — in a bid to curb costs in an economy battling a recession. “The voluntary severance programme is one of several …
Read More »IMF urges US to ‘protect’ gains won under Obamacare
Washington, United States | AFP | The International Monetary Fund on Thursday waded into the US health care debate, urging the Trump administration to “protect” gains achieved under President Barack Obama. As the US Senate continues the heated debate over repealing the Affordable Care Act implemented under Trump’s predecessor, the IMF …
Read More »Adama Barrow: how do you solve a problem like The Gambia?
Adama Barrow: how do you solve a problem like The Gambia? Banjul, Gambia | AFP | Six months ago, businessman and political novice Adama Barrow took power in Africa’s smallest mainland country after delivering a stunning defeat against ex-leader Yahya Jammeh, who had ruled brutally for 22 years. When Barrow …
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