AFRIKASOURCES

Plunging foreign reserves pose new threat ... JPost - Middle East

2011-12-20T15:43:00.000+04:00

By DAVID ROSENBERG / THE MEDIA LINE 12/04/2011 Danger level approaching faster than elections will yield new government.Egypt’s political and economic clocks are running on dangerously different speeds: While Egyptians make repeat visits to the polls over the next three months to elect a new government and debate the future of their country under Islamist rule, the country’s foreign currency

3eTI Launches New High-Speed Crypto Device to Secure Sensitive Data Links for Military Operations

2011-12-16T02:26:00.000+04:00

Ethernet Encryption Delivers Enhanced Security and Performance for Five Times the Throughput of Legacy EncryptorsDecember 14, 2011 ROCKVILLE, Md. | 3e Technologies International (3eTI), an Ultra Electronics company and leading provider of highly secure wireless networks that enable critical systems security and infrastructure assurance, has unveiled its new EtherGuard HSE (3e-636N) product.

Kratos Receives New Contract Awards for Specialty Mil-Spec Products for C4ISR and Warfighter Support

2011-12-16T02:22:00.000+04:00

December 14, 2011 SAN DIEGO | Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., a leading National Security Solutions provider, announced today it has recently received new contract awards approximating $4.4 million for specialty Mil-Spec products to support certain Warfighter and C4ISR related programs. The specialty products will be produced at secure Kratos manufacturing facilities, and certain of

Salafis in Egypt Have More Than Just Religious Appeal - NYTimes.com

2011-12-15T20:23:00.000+04:00

Salafis in Egypt Have More Than Just Religious Appeal - NYTimes.com: "TWITTER"'via Blog this'Ten months after a broad popular uprising overthrew President Hosni Mubarak, the Salafis’ new brand of religious populism has propelled Al Nour and its allies to claim more than a quarter of the vote in the first round of parliamentary elections, surprising even the most seasoned Egyptian analysts and

SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLVES TO ENHANCE UN’S PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY EFFORTS

2011-12-11T23:31:00.001+04:00

New York, Sep 22 2011 The Security Council today voiced its determination to enhance the effectiveness of the United Nations in defusing potential and ongoing conflicts, and encouraged the world body to use all the <"http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/undpa/main/issues/preventive_diplomacy/main_preventive">preventive diplomacy tools at its disposal. During a high-level meeting chaired by

Quote | David Cameron: ARAB SPRING SHOWS ‘NEW WAY OF WORKING’ NEEDED AT UN

2011-12-11T23:29:00.001+04:00

New York, Sep 22 2011 The conflict in Libya and the broader Arab Spring pro-democracy movement demonstrates that the United Nations must act with vigour to ensure people everywhere are able to enjoy important freedoms and opportunities, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom said today.“The UN needs a new way of working,” David Cameron <"http://gadebate.un.org/sites/default/files/

QUOTE: EVENTS IN NORTH AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST PROVE DEMOCRACY A UNIVERSAL YEARNING

2011-12-11T22:21:00.001+04:00

New York, Sep 15 2011 This year’s dramatic popular support for political change in North Africa and the Middle East showed that democracy is a governance model that people of all cultures yearn for, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, noting, however, that it cannot be imposed from abroad.“The world saw the truth of the saying that countries do not become fit for democracy – they

UN WORKING ON WAYS TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE’S IMPACT ON AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

2011-12-11T22:12:00.001+04:00

New York, Sep 14 2011 The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today it is working with African leaders to help the continent adapt agricultural approaches that are more resilient to the impact of the climate change and scarcity of natural resources.“Africa needs increased productivity in its agriculture and higher incomes in its rural areas, and rural communities and

CITING SUCCESSES, BAN URGES MORE PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY TO DEFUSE DEADLY CONFLICTS

2011-12-11T22:05:00.001+04:00

New York, Sep 9 2011 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on the world community to reinforce preventive diplomacy which, through a system of early warnings and skilled interventions, can pre-empt conflicts before they erupt, saving both lives and national resources.“Preventive diplomacy today is delivering concrete results, with relatively modest resources, in many regions of the world,

UN-BACKED MEETING IN KIGALI FOCUSES ON ROLE OF YOUTH IN GETTING AFRICA ONLINE

2011-12-11T22:03:00.001+04:00

New York, Sep 9 2011 With much of Africa still unconnected to the Internet, broadband commissioners and representatives of governments, the private sector and civil society met in Rwanda’s capital to examine how to get the continent wired to high-speed networks, including the role of young people in getting Africa online. The forum focused on the role of youth in defining new information and

REPORT: GLOBAL TOURIST NUMBERS CONTINUE TO INCREASE

2011-12-11T22:01:00.001+04:00

New York, Sep 7 2011 International tourist numbers surged by nearly 5 per cent in the first half of this year as the industry continues its recovery following the global dip in the wake of the recent financial crisis, new United Nations figures reveal.The latest <"http://media.unwto.org/en/press-release/2011-09-07/healthy-growth-international-tourism-first-half-2011">update of the World

UN REPORT - WEAK DEMAND, FISCAL TIGHTENING IMPEDE RECOVERY IN DEVELOPED ECONOMIES

2011-12-11T21:57:00.001+04:00

New York, Sep 6 2011 Economic recovery in developed economies may grind to a halt because of weak domestic demand and the replacement of stimulus packages with fiscal austerity measures as governments try to regain the confidence of the financial markets, according to a United Nations <"http://www.unctad.org/Templates/WebFlyer.asp?intItemID=6060&lang=1">report unveiled today.Conversely,

UN NEWS - UN REPORT OUTLINES INVESTMENT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE WATER SCARCITY

2011-12-11T21:46:00.001+04:00

New York, Aug 25 2011 An annual investment of $198 billion, or 0.16 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP), in the water sector could reduce water scarcity and halve the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation in less than four years, the United Nations said today. In the water chapter of its Green Economy Report, the UN Environment

PAPER: SAD HISTORY OF SLAVE TRADE CAN HELP MANKIND LEARN COMMON HUMANITY – UN OFFICIAL

2011-12-11T21:42:00.001+04:00

New York, Aug 23 2011 The head of the United Nations agency tasked with conserving the world’s cultural heritage today exhorted mankind to learn the history of the dehumanizing transatlantic slave trade to discover their common humanity and intensify the fight against prejudice and racial discrimination.“Each of us must be empowered to learn about this past and to reclaim it, as a necessary

U.S., U.K. Cheer Africa Growth, Call for Good Governance

2011-11-30T15:09:00.001+04:00

Economic growth, job creation and better livelihoods are improving the quality of life in many African nations, and U.S. and U.K. officials say good governance and leadership must be in place for the pattern to continue. Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair issued a joint statement November 28

Reading: The Oil Pipeline - A Chord of Neo-colonization

2011-11-29T15:27:00.001+04:00

By Martin Garang Aher If you were tuned to the world media in the recent weeks, Sudan came up top on international criticisms over attacks on South Sudan, not certainly verbally but apparently militarily. In this same week, bloodletting of the Arab Spring has neither certainly abated but increased in Syria and Yemen nor did the everlasting hostility stop the Palestinians Freedom Riders

RT @PAPER: Sudan’s bid to join EAC quashed by Uganda & Tanzania

2011-11-29T15:21:00.001+04:00

November 27, 2011 (KHARTOUM) The Sudanese government faced a diplomatic setback after two countries rejected its application to join the East African Community (EAC), a newspaper reported today. EAC is the regional intergovernmental organization comprised of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. The Kampala-based Daily Monitor

Statement: State's Pyatt on U.S.-India Ties, Next Steps on "New Silk Road"

2011-11-16T12:56:00.001+04:00

U.S. Department of State - Remarks by Geoffrey PyattPrincipal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian AffairsChennai, India - November 15, 2011Next Steps on the Silk RoadThank you, Mr. Murari, for such a warm introduction. I'd also like to thank the members of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry for asking me to speak today. For me, it's a real treat

Paper: Mobile Phone: Convenient Communication or Tracking Device?

2011-11-16T12:32:00.001+04:00

By Stephen Kaufman [US State Department]This article is the second of two. The first article ( http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/article/2011/11/20111108152310nehpets0.1700403.html ) discussed threats shared by online users and how the State Department is working to make users aware of those threats and ways they can protect themselves. The computer age has come and gone. We are now

News: Kenya warns Eritrea over the supply of arms to al Shabaab

2011-11-10T21:12:00.001+04:00

The Eritrean Ambassador to Kenya, Beyene Russom, was on the 4th November summoned to the Foreign Affairs Ministry over reports that Asmara was arming al Shabaab rebels battling the Kenyan military in Somalia. The Foreign Affairs Minister, Moses Wetang'ula, summoned Mr Russom and delivered a strongly worded protest that Nairobi will view the arming of al Shabaab by Asmara in a very serious

News: 20 DRC armed soldiers seized in Tanzania

2011-11-10T21:10:00.001+04:00

(The Citizen - Dar es Salaam) A group of 20 heavily armed soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) travelling by boat, and docked at Kigoma Port on the shores of Lake Tanganyika totally unannounced on Saturday the 5th November, much to the amazement of Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF) officers and regional administration officials. The soldiers said their mission

Reading various papers on: "The Arab Uprisings "

2011-11-10T20:00:00.004+04:00

On October 23, 2011, Tunisians voted for an assembly to draft a new constitution, paving the way for long-awaited presidential elections. Moderate Islamist party al-Nahda claimed a plurality of the vote, leading some to wonder about the future of economic and social reforms. Observers around the world continue to gauge the outcome of the landmark vote and whether it will augur well for the

Reading: Enhancing U.S. Diplomatic Engagement with Nonstate Armed Groups

2011-11-10T19:59:00.000+04:00

A CPA Working Paper by Payton L. Knopf, International Affairs Fellow in Residence, 2010-2011 OVERVIEW In this CPA Working Paper, Payton L. Knopf, a former Council on Foreign Relations fellow and current Foreign Service officer, discusses the importance of developing innovative diplomatic strategies for evaluating U.S. engagement with nonstate armed groups (NSAGs). He argues that

Reading: African Democracy: Elections Despite Divisions

2011-11-10T19:55:00.000+04:00

A Markets and Democracy Brief Authors: John Campbell, Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies Asch Harwood, Research Associate October 2011 Hopes are running high for Liberia's second presidential elections since the end of its brutal civil war. The first round of polling appears to be

Scientists begin exploration of Indian Ocean’s depths to study effect of deep-sea fishing - The Washington Post

2011-11-08T03:18:00.000+04:00

Scientists begin exploration of Indian Ocean’s depths to study effect of deep-sea fishing - The Washington Post: 'via Blog this'

Activists Use Info Tech to Dodge Oppressors, US Official Says

2011-10-26T11:58:00.005+04:00

Democracy activists in some repressive countries are protecting themselves from harassment with technology training they received from the U.S. Department of State. The U.S. assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor offered a few insights into the programs in a speech October 24. Speaking at the University of Southern California's Annenberg Center in Los Angeles

The Puppet Masters: How the Corrupt Use Legal Structures to Hide Stolen Assets and What to Do About It

2011-10-22T17:23:00.001+04:00

Most large-scale corruption cases involve using legal entities to conceal ownership and control of corrupt proceeds, and policymakers should take steps to improve transparency to reduce opportunities for wrongdoing, according to a study released today by the Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative of the World Bank and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “We need to put corporate

USAID, Swiss Re Partnership Targets Hunger, Natural Disasters

2011-10-22T17:12:00.001+04:00

USAID and Swiss Re have announced a three-year partnership to help vulnerable communities in the Americas, Africa and Asia. The new partnership will help fight hunger, build resilience to climate change, and reduce the costs of natural disasters, USAID said in an October 20 press release. The partnership combines the expertise of Swiss Re, a global reinsurance provider, with two initiatives

22 Essential Tools for Testing Your Website’s Usability

2011-10-01T12:39:00.000+04:00

22 Essential Tools for Testing Your Website’s Usability A recommend reading this paper published by The Web Design Usability Series on Mashalble.--------------A site’s ease of use, or its usability, is an integral part of its success, especially with websites becoming more and more interactive, complex and packed with features. User-centered design is all about building websites that fulfill

READ: USAID Fact Sheet: Horn of Africa Drought, September 23 2011

2011-09-27T11:29:00.002+04:00

KEY DEVELOPMENTS . On September 23, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced approximately $42 million in new U.S. Government (USG) funding for humanitarian assistance to drought-affected populations in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. With nearly $650 million in FY 2011 commitments to date, the U.S. is the largest bi-lateral donor to the Horn of Africa drought response. . The

AGENDA: Malawi To Host the 7th COMESA Business Forum and COMESA Summit

2011-09-27T11:22:00.000+04:00

Malawi will on October 11th – 12th host the 7th COMESA Business Forum, being one of the Policy Organs meetings preceding the 15th COMESA Summit of Heads of State on October 14th - 15th 2011. The 6th COMESA Business Forum took place in Swaziland last year. Running under the COMESA annual theme, Harnessing Science and Technology for Development, the Business Forum will be a high level

Suggest reading: The Terrorism Issue That Wasn’t Discussed

2011-09-25T11:38:00.002+04:00

by Gareth Porter In the commentary on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the news and infotainment media have predictably framed the discussion by the question of how successful the CIA and the military have been in destroying al Qaeda. Absent from the torrent of opinion and analysis was any mention of how the U.S. military occupation of Muslim lands and wars that continue to kill Muslim civilians

Reading: East Africa Could Match Japan In Ease Of Doing Business

2011-09-25T11:35:00.000+04:00

The business regulatory environment in East Africa would be comparable to that of Japan if the best of East African regulations and procedures were implemented across the board.This was revealed during the recent launch of The Doing Business in the East African Community 2011 report which draws on data from the annual global Doing Business study and takes a detailed look at business regulations

We suggest reading: ‘SA investors worried about eurozone, US’

2011-09-20T17:29:00.003+04:00

September 20 2011 - by Business Report, I-Net Bridge A rising concern among South African investors is the growing tension between the members of the eurozone, many of whom are major trading partners, says David Green, chief investment officer at PPS Investments. The indebtedness of Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Italy, and their attendant solvency and liquidity problems have

Book: 'The Non-Linearity of Peace Processes'

2011-09-17T15:23:00.004+04:00

Theory and Practice of Systemic Conflict Transformation Berghof Conflict Research This recently published collection of essays, edited by Daniela Körppen, Norbert Ropers and Hans J. Giessmann, aims to link the most recent debates in the peacebuilding field with various systemic discourses. It is the 'first comprehensive volume analysing the value added by integrating systemic

Advocacy & campaigns: Ethiopia - Land and water grabs threaten half a million lives

2011-09-17T15:20:00.000+04:00

Oakland, CA- A new Land Deal Brief from the Oakland Institute (OI) exposes that the controversial Gibe III hydroelectric project located in Ethiopia's Omo Valley, portrayed as development, is facilitating the take over of 350,000 hectares (ha) of land for sugar cane and cotton plantations and resulting in state-sponsored human rights violations, which have escaped international attention

Book: India–Africa relations in the 21st century

2011-09-17T15:18:00.001+04:00

Edited by Emma Mawdsley and Gerard McCann, 'India in Africa: Changing Geographies of Power' is now available from Pambazuka Press. In this original book, which enables readers to compare India to China and other 'rising powers' in Africa, expert African, Indian and Western commentators draw on a collection of accessibly written case studies to explore inter-related areas including trade,

Read - Is Africa rising or flailing? - by Toby Moorsom

2011-09-17T15:16:00.002+04:00

In the wake of sustained social unrest in many parts of Africa this year, Toby Moorsom considers the extent to which the continent might be said to be ‘rising or flailing’. 2011-09-14, Issue 547 Firoze Manji has rightly argued that the desires for political change being expressed in North Africa and the Middle East are shared throughout the rest of the African continent. While the

Memo: African Visitors Focus on Climate, Food Security

2011-09-16T11:51:00.004+04:00

By Karin Rives - Staff Writer from the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State Rising global temperatures are already affecting food supplies in many parts of the world. A group of African government officials and experts on agriculture and climate change recently participated in a professional exchange program in the United States focused on the issue.

Article: Pourquoi la Chine investit dans la dette publique européenne - in L'Expansion

2011-09-15T19:20:00.001+04:00

mercredi 14 septembre 2011 à 13h28 Pékin a tout intérêt à ce que l'Europe, son premier marché d'exportations, sorte de la crise de la dette dans laquelle elle est engluée. Mais ses rachats d'obligations d'Etats en difficultés ne sont en aucun cas une solution de long terme, explique Bei Xu, économiste pour la banque de financement, Natixis. La Chine a réaffirmé ce mercredi que

Libyans Addressing Differences Through Debate

2011-09-15T11:19:00.003+04:00

By Stephen Kaufman, Staff Writer from The Bureau of International Information Programs -- U.S. Department of State Washington The top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East says the diverse Libyan groups that joined together in opposition to Muammar Qadhafi's regime are peacefully discussing their differences and looking ahead to national elections as the country continues its transition from

Turkey, Egypt to Sign Strategic Cooperation Pact

2011-09-05T19:20:00.003+04:00

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyep Erdogan is set to visit Egypt next week to discuss a strategic cooperation agreement covering military, diplomatic, and economic issues, the Egyptian media reported. The moves comes as the crisis in Israel-Turkey relations grow worse following the leaking last week of a United Nations-commissioned report on the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid, angering

Foreign Special Forces stormed Qaddafi's fortress in Tripoli

2011-08-28T03:41:00.002+04:00

According to DEBKAfile's military sources: ~ British, French, Jordanian and Qatari Special Operations forces Tuesday, Aug. 23, spearheaded the rebel "killer strike" on Muammar Qaddafi's regime and Tripoli fortress at Bab al-Azaziya, Tripoli. This was the first time Western and Arab ground troops had fought together on the same battlefield in any of the Arab revolts of the last nine months and

UN-BACKED PROJECT TO PROVIDE TOURISM MANAGEMENT SKILLS IN AFRICA AND ASIA

2011-08-25T12:57:00.001+04:00

Some 8,000 tourism workers and entrepreneurs from developing countries in Africa and Asia will benefit from a training project supported by the United Nations and implemented by an international development organization based in the Netherlands. The project, which is backed by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), will provide vocational tourism training in Benin, Cambodia, Ghana,

North Africa: Egypt: Protests turn increasingly violent while tensions mount over trials

2011-07-27T11:29:00.000+04:00

Former President Hosni Mubarak is set to head to trial alongside former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, but the seeming reluctance to try other ministers, and the swearing in of other ministers who belonged to Mubarak's cabinet into the interim cabinet has created additional tensions amongst the Egyptian population. Concerns over Mubarak's recent wellbeing have scuppered earlier attempts to

Southern Africa: Malawi: Analysing the repression of the Malawian protests

2011-07-27T11:26:00.001+04:00

Special guests John Kapito, chair of the Malawi Human Rights Council and Michael Jana, former lecturer at the University of Malawi and PhD candidate at Wits introduced the discussions.The brutal crackdown and repression of the 20-21 July protests in Malawi has left an estimated 18 people dead. These protests occur within a context in which, over the past months, discontent had build up over

Intelligence Information: Need-To-Know Vs. Need-To-Share – Analysis

2011-07-19T14:32:00.002+04:00

By Richard A. Best Jr. - July 8, 2011 - via Eurasia Review p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 21.0px 0.0px; line-height: 23.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; color: #e17724} span.s1 {text-decoration: underline} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 21.0px 0.0px; line-height: 23.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; color: #333233} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; line-height: 23.0px; font: 25.0px Arial; color: #660303} p.p3 {

Paper: Les pays BRIC peuvent-ils encore progresser? - par Dorothée Enskog

2011-07-19T14:28:00.000+04:00

18.07.2011 Pascal Rohner, analyste du Credit Suisse, nous explique pourquoi les pays BRIC (Brésil, Russie, Inde et Chine) affichent des taux de croissance spectaculaires et pourquoi le moment est bien choisi pour investir sur ces marchés. M. Rohner, vous êtes stratège en marchés émergents. Quel est aujourd'hui le PIB combiné des économies BRIC en pourcentage du PIB mondial? Pascal

Kenya frees Government data on the Internet

2011-07-17T21:01:00.001+04:00

President Mwai Kibaki launched last Friday a key website making Kenya the first country in sub Saharan Africa to offer loads of government data to its citizens.The government has released several large datasets, including the national census and statistics on government spending at national and county level to enhance transparency in governance and access to information.The data presented in

Rwanda: Mobile penetration rate drops as RURA declines to trim its forecasts

2011-07-17T20:58:00.001+04:00

Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) insists that mobile phone users in the country will hit six million next year even as latest statics depict a decline in mobile penetration rate.According to the most recent statistics from RURA, the mobile penetration rate was 36.3 per cent in March this year but slid to 34.4 per cent in April before rising slightly to 36 per cent in May.The decline in

"Brussels & Moody's Fire Shots At One Another " - Updates by Political Risk Explored

2011-07-11T14:55:00.001+04:00

Brussels & Moody's Fire Shots At One Another Brussels is indignant with Moody's after they lowered Portugal's rating to junk status. To a certain degree I agree with the EU. It seems that their sovereign risk ratings are in hyper-sensitive mode after the collapse of their credibility during the financial crisis and that's having a deleterious effect on the eurozone. On the other hand

Darfur water conference concludes with pledges from Sudan and donors

2011-06-30T12:53:00.000+04:00

June 28, 2011 (KHARTOUM)The two-day conference on Darfur water ended Tuesday in Khartoum with pledges to implement projects in the arid region where the scarcity of water is seen as a reason of the eight year conflict.Organized by the Sudanese government, UN agencies in Sudan, UNMIS and UNAMID, the Darfur International Conference on Water for Sustainable Peace launched an appeal for $1 billion to

Hillary Clinton warns shortsighted African leaders

2011-06-30T12:38:00.000+04:00

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 | By Dereje BerhanuADDISABABA, Ethiopia – United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticize African longstanding rulers of lacking vision to their country.While delivering a speech at the African Union on Monday, Secretary Clinton said many Africans are still living without democracy, despite some progress shown recently.“Even as we celebrate this progress, we

US Presidential Adviser Announces New Counterterrorism Strategy

2011-06-30T12:13:00.001+04:00

Washington - President Obama's new National Strategy for Counterterrorism formalizes the approach his administration has been pursuing and adapting for the past two and a half years to prevent terrorist attacks and to ensure al-Qaida's demise, Obama's chief homeland security and counterterrorism adviser says."This counterterrorism strategy is only one part of President Obama's larger National

The plot against Egypt , by Issandr El Amrani

2011-06-18T17:01:00.001+04:00

For a while, we've been hearing newspaper and television commentators speak, in their usual ominous tones, about various intrigues to subvert the revolution and bring Egypt down to its knees. In their view of the world, Egypt is very much umm al-dounia: a nexus for world affairs upon which the fate of the very universe hangs. This must be why so many seem to be involved in the plot (or plots, or

China’s unbalanced growth is a myth

2011-06-17T14:42:00.001+04:00

by Yukon Huang, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment and a former country director for the World Bank in China.In Financial TimesChina’s announcement today that inflation in May hit a three-year high of 5.5 per cent and industrial expansion exceeded expectations will buttress those who see an inevitable economic crash coming. But even those who remain confident that a soft landing is

Why is the Egyptian public so misinformed about Israel?

2011-06-17T13:57:00.001+04:00

By Amr Yossef -- June 13, 2011In an earlier commentary in the Daily News Egypt (May 30, 2011), I have argued that underlying the recent rise of anti-Israeli attitudes in Egypt are three myths — “Israel wants to weaken Egypt,” “Israel wants to occupy Egypt,” and “Israel is all powerful” — that appear to continue dominating public opinion. None of these are logically or factually justified, but

Roubini Says ‘Perfect Storm’ May Threaten Global Economy

2011-06-15T12:54:00.001+04:00

By Shamim Adam - Jun 13, 2011 | BLOOMBERGA “perfect storm” of fiscal woe in the U.S., a slowdown in China, European debt restructuring and stagnation in Japan may converge on the global economy, New York University professor Nouriel Roubini said.There’s a one-in-three chance the factors will combine to stunt growth from 2013, Roubini said in a June 11 interview in Singapore. Other possible

African Trade Blocs Sign Agreement to Develop Continental Free Trade Zone

2011-06-15T12:52:00.001+04:00

By Sikonathi Mantshantsha - Jun 12, 2011 -- BloombergThe leaders of three African regional economic blocs signed an agreement to develop a free trade zone stretching from Cape Town to Cairo.The so-called Grand Free Trade Area would encompasses 26 countries, 600 million people and have an estimated gross domestic product of about $1 trillion, according to a statement released after a conference

EGYPT: Wikileaks documents allege deep regional enmities and a surprising alliance

2011-06-15T12:50:00.001+04:00

by Abdel-Rahman Hussein - Al-Masry Al-YoumIt is no secret that relations between Egypt and Qatar soured considerably over the past few years. However, a recently released Wikileaks document suggests that relations between the two nations had deteriorated to the extent that the previous Egyptian regime was seeking to thwart Qatari all initiatives in the region.The leaked cable covers a meeting in

Egypt offers to host 2013 summit of COMESA, SADC, and EAC

2011-06-15T12:48:00.000+04:00

Egypt on Sunday offered to host the third summit of the COMESA, SADC, EAC. The offer came during the Egyptian Premier's opening speech before the second COMESA, SADC, and EAC summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. Egyptian Premier Essam Sharaf, who is leading his country's delegation at the Johannesburg meeting, said the post-revolution Egypt was keen on giving top priority to boosting relations

COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Summit on Grand FTA on 12 June

2011-06-15T12:44:00.000+04:00

PRESS RELEASE26 Heads of State expected to attend the SummitChairperson of the EAC Summit to lead EAC DelegationEast African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, Friday 10 June 2011: The second COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Summit is to take place on 12 June 2011 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty six (26) Heads of State and Government are expected discuss

At the G-8 Summit, Africa Will Be Heard

2011-05-28T13:58:00.001+04:00

I.H.T. Op-Ed Contributor - By ABDOULAYE WADE - Published: May 26, 2011DAKAR — As I head to the French resort town of Deauville this week to participate in this year’s G-8 meeting, I promise one thing new: The tone will change. This year Africa brings to the table its own good news. Senegal, for one, is preparing for a world where the assumptions of yesteryear no longer stand.A few favorite

EU injects €161 million into Malawi's ailing economy

2011-05-27T15:40:00.000+04:00

By: Gregory GondweThe European Union, mid last week, announced the approval of €161 million (approximately MWK 34 billion) that will go towards a package of six strategic programmes. This assistance is in line with Malawi's 2010 Annual Action Programme under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF). About €12 million (approximately MKW 2.8 billion) of this money will go towards a new Capacity

China lends Zambia $180mln for regional trade road

2011-05-27T15:38:00.000+04:00

LUSAKA, May 16 (Reuters) - A state-owned Chinese bank will lend Zambia $180 million to upgrade a road that should help boost trade with Africa's Great Lakes countries, an official said on Monday.The region, loosely defined as Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and western Tanzania, is a key market for Zambian sugar and cement exports.Watson Ng'ambi, head of

Debt financing gets sugar mill going in Swaziland

2011-05-27T14:48:00.000+04:00

17 May 2011Ubombo Sugar, 60% owned by Illovo and 40% owned by the Tibiyo Taka Ngwane Trust on behalf of the Swazi nation, will fully commission its major factory expansion and co-generation project in May 2011, due to a successful 940 million Euros medium term funding in Swaziland by Illovo.Investec Capital Markets, Nedbank Capital and the Standard Bank of South Africa acted as lead arrangers in

Malawi: Mutharika announces zero-deficit 2011 budget

2011-05-27T14:10:00.001+04:00

By: Gregory Gondwe | 25 May 2011The pulling out of donors in Malawi forced President Bingu wa Mutharika to announce on Monday, 23 May 2011 that, for the first time ever, Malawi will run a zero-deficit national budget. The announcement was made during his state of the nation address for 2011 which signaled the opening of the 2011/2012 budget meeting in Lilongwe."Mr Speaker, sir, Malawi is

World craves ever more coffee

2011-05-25T13:32:00.000+04:00

Global demand for coffee is set to keep climbing and even a doubling in the cost of the commodity over the last 12 months has failed to quench consumers' thirst for the beverage.Faster paced lifestyles in China and other Asian economies where economic growth has been strong have helped to keep consumption of coffee firmly on an upward path.The International Coffee Organization estimates that

Sudan Rejects Call for Its Forces to Withdraw From Dispute Region of Abyei

2011-05-23T20:27:00.001+04:00

Sudan rejected calls to withdraw from the disputed region of Abyei and said its forces would remain there until a new agreement is signed with Southern Sudan guaranteeing stability and freedom of movement for all citizens.The north’s forces have entrenched their presence in several parts of the region, reaching Bahr al-Arab south of Abyei town, or Kiir River as it is known in the south, in order

Foreign investors show faith in Africa

2011-05-18T13:51:00.000+04:00

May 18 2011 - By Londiwe Buthelezi, Business ReportInterest from international investors in Africa was on the rise as they continued to inject money into the continent despite perceptions of ongoing political turmoil, Coronation Fund Managers said yesterday.The firm said African portfolios attracted significant interest from investors in the six months to March and it continued to build a strong

The transformation of China is transforming the world economy as a whole

2011-05-18T13:46:00.001+04:00

Speech by Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council at the China Europe International Business School:It is a great honour for me to be today at the China – Europe International Business School in Shanghai. I appreciate this opportunity to talk directly to students from both ends of the Silk Road… You represent the driving force for China's and Europe’s future.I find it very important

Economic crisis threatens Swazi unit’s rand parity

2011-05-18T13:35:00.001+04:00

May 17 2011 - By Mantoe Phakathi, Business ReportSwaziland’s economic crisis is threatening the parity of the kingdom’s lilangeni currency with the rand.Central Bank of Swaziland governor Martin Dlamini observed in a statement yesterday that the persistent drop in the country’s reserves threatened the level of confidence of markets in the country’s ability to meet its external obligations.“Gross

Kenya: Port Modernisation Unlikely Before 2013

2011-05-12T17:52:00.000+04:00

Tuesday, 10 May 2011Current plans to privatise Kenya’s Mombasa port have pit hot-button politics against the desperate need to modernise and expand a key infrastructural asset. As the largest seaport serving East and part of Central Africa, Mombasa handles 80% of the cargo arriving by sea into the region. The port processes 19m tons of throughput traffic annually. Growth is projected at 10-12% a

Africa not changing harmful trade

2011-05-06T11:27:00.000+04:00

May 5 2011 - SapaAfrica has little room to change the one-dimensional nature of its trade ties and use its new-found growth to create jobs and alleviate poverty, according to the 2011 Africa Progress Report released on Thursday.The emergence of non-European trade partners, notably China, has not changed the fact that the continent mainly exports raw materials and imports manufactured goods, it

Africa ready to follow China as a big player

2011-05-05T14:44:00.000+04:00

John Battersby/ www.thenational.ae/ Apr 18, 2011China's phenomenal rise as an economic force took the world by surprise. Such shifts in the dynamics of global power can be hard to spot - but it is happening again with the rise of Africa.The continent is set to become a priority investment destination as it moves into a similar position that China was in three decades ago when it began opening its

Envoy: S. Sudan to respect India’s oil deals after independence

2011-05-05T14:01:00.001+04:00

By Julius N. UmaMay 03, 2011 (JUBA) - All contracts for Indian stakes in south Sudan’s oil wells and their entities within the semi-autonomous region will be honoured after the latter’s independence, a special envoy revealed last week.Priscilla Joseph Kuch, according Indo-Asia News Service (IANS), made these assurances during a meeting she held with S.M Krishna, the Indian external affairs

Darfur rebels refute accusations of obstructing Doha peace agreement

2011-05-05T13:56:00.001+04:00

May 4, 2011 (DOHA) — The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) denied obstructing efforts to reach a negotiated agreement for Darfur conflict but stressed that any durable peace should be inclusive for all Darfur forces.Sudan’s government top negotiator Amin Hassan Omer accused the rebel group of leaking the draft peace agreement and obstructing the Doha process. He further said by its

38 Kenyans killed in raid by Ethiopian armed men

2011-05-05T13:25:00.001+04:00

May 4 2011 / Sapa-AFPAn attack by Ethiopian armed men on a rival community in a remote region of north Kenya on the Ethiopian border left 38 people dead, a local official said on Wednesday.“Where the incident occurred is very remote and mostly not accessible,” Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner Osman Warfa told AFP in an update on Tuesday's attack.“Security forces have been combing the area

Sudan: Deadly Clashes in Disputed Border Territory

2011-05-05T13:24:00.001+04:00

More than a dozen soldiers have been killed in clashes in Sudan’s contested Abyei area, Sudanese officials said on Tuesday. The fighting broke out Sunday afternoon when a convoy of northern Sudanese troops tried to enter the specially demarcated Abyei area, which straddles the border of northern and southern Sudan and is administered jointly. Southern Sudanese policemen traded fire with the

China Projecting India Threat And Limiting India: The Game Goes On – Analysis

2011-05-05T13:22:00.000+04:00

By Bhaskar Roy - Written by: SAAGMay 3, 2011In a short article in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP)’s mouthpiece, the People’s Daily (April 26), Ms. Li Hongmei tried to encapsulate India’s nuclear policy and sought to damn it as a possible rising threat.The article objected to the US policy of opposing Iran and North Korea for violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), but

Command System Vulnerability – Analysis

2011-05-05T13:20:00.001+04:00

By M Shakir Bacha - Written by: Eurasia ReviewMay 4, 2011The survivability of the command is the survivability of the strategic arsenals of the state. Command is linked with the capabilities; any harm to both can harm national strategy. Command system vulnerability is serious enough to warrant more concern than it has received, specially the concern over strategic weapons and systems. There are

Did U.S. Execute Osama Bin Laden? – OpEd

2011-05-05T13:18:00.001+04:00

Written by: Richard Silverstein May 4, 2011The killing of Osama bin Laden is beginning to look like little more than a standard IDF targeted killing. Initially, the Obama administration clearly stated that bin Laden was armed and resisted. Now, the account has been radically revised. He wasn’t armed, but ‘resisted’ in some unspecified way. There is only one way to satisfy speculation in this

US Silences on the Arab Spring are Deafening

2011-05-05T13:16:00.001+04:00

Even amidst crackdowns, the Obama administration has hardly said a peep about the need for democracy in Saudi Arabia or the other oil-rich states of the Gulfby Hannah Gurman - Published on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 by OtherWords