News From Countries Around the Globe @ 1 Stop

Countries

Brace for High Interest Rates for a Longer Period World Bank Warns Kenya

Countries April 27, 2024

Kenya’s high-interest rates hit 13 per cent in the last review by the Central Bank of Kenya.
Since mid-2023, however, the World Bank’s index of commodity prices has remained essentially unchanged.
World Bank reiterates that between mid-2022 and mid-2023, global commodity prices plummeted by nearly 40 per cent.

Kenyan consumers will have to bear the high cost of borrowing for much longer as Central Banks will not loosen their monetary policies any time soon, the World Bank has said.

The lender says the continued tightening will be a result of the prevalent global economic shocks, such as the Middle East conflict, which is threatening to halt the inflationary decline that has occurred in the past two years.

“Global commodity prices are leveling off after a steep descent that played a decisive role in whittling down overall inflation last year,” the World Bank says in its latest commodity markets outlook. “However,

…

Visualising the state of debt in Africa 2024

Countries April 26, 2024

There is a debt crisis in Africa as countries struggle to repay international loans.
According to the World Bank, nine African countries entered 2024 in debt distress, with another 15 at high risk of distress and 14 more categorised as moderate risk.
According to the United Nations, Africa’s public debt will stay above pre-pandemic levels in 2024 and 2025.

At 4 per cent, Africa is projected to be the second fastest-growing economic region in the world in 2024, according to a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, behind the headline figure is a less optimistic reality.

Many African countries have suffered from slow post-COVID-19 recovery, climate change shocks, worsening food security situation, political instability, weak global growth, and high-interest rates. These economic shocks have pushed over 55 million people into poverty since 2020. The situation is increasingly alarming as more than half of the continent’s countries are in …

Why the UN is raising the red flag on the UK-Rwanda asylum treaty

Africa April 24, 2024

UN faults UK-Rwanda asylum treaty citing concerns on potentially harmful impact on global responsibility-sharing, human rights, and refugee protection.
Spearheaded by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the legislation mandates judges to deem Rwanda as a safe third country.
With deportation flights slated to start in July, the move is sparking weighty debates over the ethical implications of outsourcing asylum responsibilities.

This week’s passage of the “Safety of Rwanda” Bill by the UK Parliament has triggered alarm bells within the United Nations (UN), with two prominent leaders, Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, raising concerns over its potentially harmful impact on global responsibility-sharing, human rights, and refugee protection.

Spearheaded by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the legislation mandates judges to deem Rwanda as a safe third country, paving the way for the deportation of thousands of migrants who have sought refuge …

Portugal’s Galp Energia projects 10 billion barrels in Namibia’s new oil find

Africa April 24, 2024

Kenya’s economic resurgence in 2024

April 18, 2024

The most stressful cities to live in 2024 exposed

April 18, 2024

The Nairobi accord: UNEA-6’s fresh blueprint for a pollution-free planet

Countries March 4, 2024

UNEA-6 yielded 15 resolutions, two decisions, and a ministerial declaration, underscoring the commitment of member states to collaborative action.
These resolutions span a broad spectrum of environmental concerns, from the management of metals, minerals, chemicals, and waste.
They also touch on environmental recovery in conflict-affected areas, water resource management, sustainable lifestyles, and the rehabilitation of degraded lands and waters.

The sixth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), which concluded last week in Nairobi, Kenya, marked a leap in the journey toward united global environmental governance.

Under the banner of addressing the triple planetary crisis—climate change, nature loss, and pollution—UNEA-6 brought together over 5,600 participants from 190 countries.

This assembly, held at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters, was not just a meeting; it was a chance to the global community’s resolve to forge effective, inclusive, and sustainable solutions to the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

UNEA-6 settles

…

Direct flights to Zanzibar spur the Island’s economic renaissance

Tanzania March 3, 2024

Data shows direct flights to Zanzibar have hit 34 from around the world.
Talks underway to launch direct flights to Zanzibar from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Kenya-based budget carrier Jambojet is set to start Zanzibar-Mombasa flights from July.

Zanzibar President Dr. Hussein Mwinyi has been steadfast in his push for the economic growth of the Spice Islands and a globally renown tourist hub. Among his major focuses has been the introduction of direct flights to Zanzibar, an archpelago off the Indian Ocean.

Zanzibar’s crown airport is Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport which now the government is revamping, expanding, and modernizing to meet the demand of a growing number of visitors.

Complete with almost all modern facilities, the airport also has several duty-free and commercial outlets at its terminals, enhancing its appeal for airline operators eyeing direct flights to Zanzibar.

For example, its newly-built international Terminal 3, which exclusively serves international

…

Turning the tide: $46M grant to improve water, sanitation in Ethiopia’s Borana region

Countries March 2, 2024

Borana region is home to an estimated 1.2 million people, half of whom are women.
These communities rely heavily on pastoralism for their livelihoods, making them particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
In March 2023, over 3.3 million livestock perished due to lack of water, leaving more than 67,000 households without means of economic support.

For decades, millions of people in Ethiopia’s Borana region have borne the brunt of the loss of livelihoods as climate change-induced disasters cause the death of their livestock, leaving them vulnerable to economic difficulties.

This story is, however, set to change following the African Development Fund’s $46.02 million grant to the Borana region to improve water access and sanitation in the area.

This funding, designated for Phase 2 of the Borana Resilient Water Development for Improved Livelihoods Program, is a vital investment in the well-being and future of the region’s pastoral communities.…

Ngorongoro Crater: a driving force in Tanzania’s tourism recovery

Countries March 2, 2024

The number of tourists visiting Tanzania has significantly increased, especially visitors to the globally famous caldera, the Ngorongoro Crater.
Over half a million tourists visited the East African country in the first half of the 2023/24 year.
Authorities have managed to control poaching in the renowned UNESCO Heritage site, Ngorongoro Crater, a top tourist destination.

The number of tourists visiting Tanzania has significantly increased, especially visitors to the globally famous caldera, the Ngorongoro Crater.

This 2000-foot-deep caldera was formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself some two to three million years ago. Over the years, the crater has become a tourism sensation, attracting thousands yearly.

From the famed lions that climb trees to the sheer size of the crater and the lakes inside it, the grazing herbivores on its slopes, wildebeests, zebras, elephants, buffaloes, name it, all the big five are to be found in and around …

Tanzania Mourns the Passing of Former President Ali Hassan Mwinyi at 98

Africa February 29, 2024

Mwinyi, who led Tanzania from 1985 to 1995, is remembered for his pivotal role in transitioning the country from the foundational policies of his predecessor.
Before ascending to the presidency, Mwinyi served in various capacities, including as the Interior Minister and Vice President.
He also chaired the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), from 1990 to 1996, demonstrating his significant influence in Tanzanian politics.

Tanzania is in mourning given the passing of former President Ali Hassan Mwinyi, who died at the age of 98. President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced the somber news, stating that Mwinyi died on Thursday evening at approximately 5:30pm after a battle with cancer.

Mwinyi, who led Tanzania from 1985 to 1995, is remembered for his pivotal role in transitioning the country from the foundational policies of his predecessor, Julius Nyerere, towards more liberal economic reforms.

His presidency marked the beginning of Tanzania’s shift away from socialist …

Eastern Africa Power Pool to go live by December, countries to auction electricity

Countries February 29, 2024

The Eastern Africa Power Pool has made major inroads in increasing cross-border electrification.
The system has the potential to connect 600 million people to clean energy.
EAPP member countries are Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) is targeting to go live on power auctioning (trading) by December this year, the secretariat now indicates, in what will allow the 13-member countries to sale excess electricity across borders.

This comes as countries continue to build a strong power connection network, amid huge investments in renewable energy mainly solar, wind, hydro and geothermal.

The EAPP member countries are Burundi, DRC, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Council of Ministers and the EAPP Steering Committee met in Nairobi this week to deliberate on the future of the power pool …