Author: Jack Oduor

• Cairo, Egypt, holds third place after Athens and Manilla, Philippines.
• India stands out, with three cities being included in the world’s top 10 most stressed cities.
• Los Angeles, US, holds the ninth place with the highest obesity rate on the list.

Experts conducted a study to identify the most stressful cities to live in 2024.  The study measured several parameters including the quality of life, safety, and pollution index as main criteria, also considering the presence of stress-related habits such as smoking rates, obesity, and alcohol consumption. The final score was made, considering all of the mentioned criteria.

The most stressed city in the world is Athens, Greece, with the highest stress levels, which include a low safety index and a high rate of stress-related habits such as smoking, over-eating, and alcohol consumption. Compared to other cities on the list, Athens has the highest smoking rate, with 31.3 per cent …

• Survey shows 60% of journalists interviewed indicate that their newsroom lacks an AI use case policy.
• However, 20% of journalists revealed that they are planning to explore AI’s potential applications.
• State of Journalism Survey 2024 interviewed 1,106 respondents  across the world.

Media houses are still lagging behind in the push for AI adoption in their line of work with a majority failing to institute AI policies in newsrooms. This is according to a recent survey conducted by Muck Rack delving into the current landscape of journalism, revealing notable trends and concerns among journalists across the industry.

From the findings, 60 per cent of the surveyed journalists indicated that their newsroom lacks an AI use case policy, while only 24 per cent reported having one in place.

This raises questions about whether the absence of policies hinders journalists from exploring AI tools or if other factors, such as a lack of …

• The increasing food prices have majorly occasioned the rise in consumer expenditure. 
• In the review period, 50 per cent of the Kenyans polled indicated static income levels over the last year
• 53 per cent of Kenyans polled allocated less than 10 per cent of their income to travel and leisure expenditures.

• Kenya Ports Authority handled 37,576 metric tons  of cargo in 2023, according to its Managing Director.
• The KPA MD revealed the gantry cranes were procured to the tune of $31,493,808
• One of the notable recent investments by KPA is the construction of the second phase of the Lamu Port.

The Lamu port is poised to become a key driver of economic growth and regional integration, according to industry players.

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Captain William Ruto said the impressive statistics underscore the vital role that the Lamu port plays in facilitating trade and driving growth in the region.

He added that this results from its container capacity of 1.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) across its three berths of 4000 meters each.

 “The Lamu facility is poised to become a key driver of economic growth and regional integration,” he pointed out.

Captain Ruto disclosed last year that …

• Level of remote desktop protocol abuse unprecedented since launch of report in 2020.
• External remote services were the number-one way attackers initially breached networks.
• Remote Desktop Protocol is a Microsoft proprietary protocol that enables remote connections to other computers.

Cybercriminals have resorted to the use of remote desktop protocol in executing their attacks on systems according to new findings by Sophos. The Sophos Active Adversary Report for 2024 shows that cybercriminals heavily exploited remote desktop protocol (RDP) in 90 per cent of attacks, marking the highest incidence of RDP abuse since Sophos started these reports in 2021 covering data from 2020.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a Microsoft proprietary protocol that enables remote connections to other computers,

The report further says that external remote services such as RDP were the most common vector by which attackers initially breached networks; they were the method of initial access in 65 percent of …

• DRC Joins the Organisation of Southern Cooperation after depositing the Instrument of Acceptance
• Secretary-General Manssour Bin Mussallam received the Instrument of Acceptance.
• The OSC, aimed at fostering cooperation and development among Southern Hemisphere countries

The Republic of the Congo has consolidated its full membership status of the Organisation of Southern Cooperation (OSC) by depositing the Instrument of Acceptance by Daniel Owassa, Ambassador of the DRC to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union.

Secretary-General Manssour Bin Mussallam received the Instrument of Acceptance at a handover ceremony yesterday at the OSC Headquarters in Addis Ababa.

The Republic of the Congo is a founding member of the OSC. The depositing of the Instrument of Acceptance signifies the completion of the full membership process by countries in the Global South.

Read Also: SkyPower, AFC, and DRC join forces for $2.3Bn Green Giant project

H.E. Bin Mussallam said the occasion marked the beginning …

• Red Sea shipping disruptions by Houthi rebels stemming from the Israel -Palestine dispute in the Gaza Strip.
• Simultaneously, transits around the Cape of Good Hope are up by a nearly similar amount in the same period.
• Since the first attack in November last year, data shows the numbers have risen to about 68 as of March 12.

The East African region is still at risk of future global shocks as continued Red Sea shipping disruptions and attacks on cargo vessels by Houthi rebels could likely dent the current ease in the cost of living in Kenya, with analysts predicting an increase in fuel prices.

This is likely to negate the calmness in inflation witnessed in the past three months, when the country recorded a decline in fuel and some food item prices, bringing down the level of inflation to 5.7 per cent in March.

The attacks that are stemming from …

• In the past two years, short-term rentals in Nairobi have been the new trend.
• Hospitality has bounced back remarkably after the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging as one of the best-performing asset classes in 2023.
• Trappler highlights that hospitality is a key economic driver, employment creator, and focal property type in regions throughout East Africa.

Hospitality has bounced back remarkably after the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging as one of the best-performing asset classes in 2023. This resurgence is particularly notable in Nairobi, especially with the renewed demand for short-term rentals.

The strategic position of Kenya’s capital city serves as an East African hub for various industries, including corporate, government, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), embassies, and tourism, which makes it an attractive destination for hospitality and residence brands.

The increasing and diversifying demand for accommodation creates meaningful opportunities for market expansion and business growth.…

• Kenya looks to rise on its estimated $38.4 million blue economy investments to grow sector revenue to $921 million annually. 
• Africa, with its vast coastline and rich marine resources, is poised to harness the immense potential of the blue economy.
• BlueInvest Africa is a business-to-business event that aims to catalyse the growth of Africa’s blue economy through strategic investments.

The Kenyan government is looking to ride on its estimated $38.4 million (KES 5 billion) investments in the blue economy initiatives to increase revenue to $921 million (KES 120 billion) annually.

This will be a threefold increase from the current $288.6 million (KES 37.6 billion) that the state generates from the blue economy.

The Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy & Maritime Affairs, Salim Mvurya, said that part of the plan was to map the fisheries’ infrastructure across the country.

“We want to increase the revenue to Sh120 …

• The partnership will enable Kenya and South Korea to strengthen legal services and networks for African companies.
• G&A has built a strong reputation in Africa, delivering on transformational projects like the recent Eurobond
• In February last year, the two countries pledged to continue to nurture and expand ties

A law firm in Nairobi is championing a plan to see Kenya and South Korea strengthen legal services for companies in Africa. Kenya’s G&A Advocates LLP has signed a partnership agreement with South Korea-based law firm Jipyong ahead of the Korea-African Summit. The partnership will enable Kenya and South Korea to strengthen legal services and networks for African companies.

The Korean African Summit is set to take place between June 4 and June 5 in Seoul, South Korea, under the theme: “The Future We Make Together, Shared Growth, Sustainability and Solidarity.”

The summit, which will be the first-ever, aims to strengthen the …