insert_link Africa AU summit seeks to raise Africa’s voice on global stage Addis Ababa, Feb 15, 2024 (AFP) - The African Union's annual summit will open on Saturday against the backdrop of coups in Gabon and Niger and a political crisis in Senegal, posing challenges for the bloc as it seeks to amplify its international presence. Set up more than two decades ago, the 55-member bloc has long been criticised for being ineffectual and for taking little decisive action in the […] today15 February, 2024
insert_link Africa Nigerian E-payments eclipse South Africa’s 2022 GDP, in latest surge When the Nigerian Central Bank introduced newly designed currency notes in November 2022 and a month later put a cap on the maximum amount of hard cash that individuals and corporations could withdraw, the idea was to tame money laundering in the country. During that year’s Christmas festive season and in the run-up to the 2023 Nigerian presidential election in February 2023 –– two high spending seasons –– the country […] today15 February, 2024
insert_link World Gaza’s GDP declined by $655 million in 2023 According to the UN Trade and Development Agency’s latest report, Gaza’s Gross Domestic Product declined by $655 million last year, roughly 25 percent, mainly due to the onset of war. Here’s Rami Al Azzeh, an economist with the Assistance to the Palestinian People Unit at UNCTAD. today1 February, 2024
insert_link Business / Economics BRICS bloc dominates global GDP and wealth The BRICS bloc now represents more than 45% of the world’s population and accounts for nearly 36% of global GDP than G7 countries (30%) when adjusting for purchasing power parity. According to investment migration consultancy, Henley and Partners’ BRICS Wealth Report, the total investable wealth currently held in the BRICS bloc amounts to $45 trillion and its millionaire population is expected to rise by 85% over the next 10 years. today1 February, 2024
insert_link Environment Can ‘degrowth’ solve our ecological, social & economic problems? Two people biking in Amsterdam, a city well known for its cycling culture. Image by Sabina Fratila (@momhasapples) via Unsplash. By Mike DiGirolamo, Rachel Donald via Mongabay Research published in the journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications finds that just in the United States, trillions of dollars are wasted on things that do not improve the quality of life for Americans. Podcast guest Timothée Parrique, an economist and researcher at the Lund University School of […] today31 January, 2024
insert_link Africa Will Kenya’s strategic mining reforms catalyse a sector renaissance? By Bonface Orucho, via bird story agency Kenya's mining and extractives sector is flourishing, reaping the rewards of recent reforms that promise to increase sector revenues as the country positions itself for economic gains from the burgeoning industry. From legal and legislative reforms to seamless mapping and surveying of available resources, the East African country is showing increased interest in tapping into new revenue-generating opportunities in the sector. […] today30 January, 2024
insert_link Business / Economics Cooperation only path to protecting humanity from ongoing crises, Commonwealth Secretary-General tells Non-Aligned Movement Summit The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, addressed leaders from 121 Non-Aligned Movement countries, calling for greater cooperation to protect all humanity from overlapping economic, environmental and security challenges. She was speaking at the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement in Kampala, Uganda, on 20 January 2024. Addressing leaders, foreign affairs ministers and strategic partners as an official observer, the […] today22 January, 2024
insert_link Africa AfCFTA to boost regional trade by 80% More than half of African countries will use the rules of a continental free-trade pact this year as the continent moves closer to fully integrating into a single market. According to Bloomberg News, AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene told a World Economic Forum panel in Davos Tuesday that of the 47 countries that have ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area, 31 will join the trade initiative, up from seven in […] today17 January, 2024