hasbeensetasidebytheKenyanGovernmentinthecurrentfinancialyeartopurchasemaizebothlocallyandabroadtoboostthefoodreserves
ISTOCKKenyasaidonAugust13thatitplanstoincreaseitsstrategicfoodreserveto8millionbagsofmaizeinthemediumtermtoboostfoodsecurity.
EugeneWamalwa,CabinetSecretaryintheMinistryOfDevolutionandASALAreas,toldjournalistsinNairobithat$14millionhasbeensetasideinthecurrentfinancialyeartopurchasemaizebothlocallyandabroadtoboostthefoodreserves.
DatafromtheMinistryofAgricultureandIrrigationindicatesthatthecountryproducesapproximately39millionbagsofmaizeannuallyagainstaconsumptionof46millionbags.TheshortfallismetthroughimportsfromtheinternationalmarketsaswellasthroughinformaltradefromUgandaandTanzania,Wamalwasaid.Toguaranteemoremaizeproduction,hesaid,thegovernmentisenhancinginvestmentinirrigationaswellasfertilizersubsidiestomaizefarmers.
Uganda
StrengthenedEconomicGrowth
Uganda鈥檚centralbank,theBankofUganda,saidthecountry鈥檚economywillgrowat6.3percentinthemediumterm.EmmanuelTumusiimeMutebile,GovernoroftheBankofUganda,toldreportersthateconomicgrowthcontinuestostrengthen,whiletherealGDPgrowthforfinancialyear2017/18isestimatedat5.5percentcomparedto3.9percentin2016/17.Hesaidthegrowthissupportedbypublicinfrastructureinvestments,improvingagriculturalproductivity,recoveryinforeigndirectinvestment,andstrengtheningprivatesectorcreditgrowth.Henotedthatthisispartlyasaresultoftheeasingmonetarypolicy.Aboutthecoreinflationforecast,Mutebilesaiditwillcontinuerisingandpeakintherangeof6-7percentinthesecondhalfoffinancialyear2018/19,butwillstabilizearoundthemedium-termtargetof5percentbyendof2019.
Ghana
DeathofUNIcon
KofiAnnan,oneoftheworld鈥檚mostcelebrateddiplomatsandacharismaticsymboloftheUnitedNations(UN),whorosethroughitsrankstobecomethefirstblackAfricansecretarygeneraloftheUN,hasdiedattheageof80.
HisfoundationannouncedhisdeathinSwitzerlandonAugust18inatweet,sayinghediedafterashortunspecifiedillness.AnnanwasbornonApril8,1938intoanelitefamilyinKumasi,Ghana,thesonofaprovincialgovernorandgrandsonoftwotribalchiefs.AnnanspentvirtuallyhisentirecareerasanadministratorintheUN.Hisaristocraticstyle,cool-temperedeleganceandpoliticalsavvyhelpedguidehisascenttobecomeitsseventhsecretarygeneral,andthefirsthiredfromwithin.Heservedtwoterms,fromJanuary1,1997toDecember31,2006andwasawardedtheNobelPeacePrizejointlywiththeUNin2001.
Ethiopia
BoostingTourism
Ethiopiaisworkingtowardenhancingitshospitalityindustrycapacityandwelcomemoreforeigntourists,saidanofficialwiththetourismministry.Ethiopiaearned$3.5billionfrom934,000touristswhovisitedthecountryintheEthiopianFiscalYear2010(2017/18)thatendedonJuly7,saidGezahegnAbate,PublicandInternationalRelationsDirectoroftheEthiopiaMinistryofCultureandTourism(MoCIT).AbatementionedtheMoCIT鈥檚workinattractingtouristsfromtheworld鈥檚mostpopulousnation,China,whichhesaidhasshownasteadyincreaseinthepastseveralyearsdespitetheunresttheEastAfricancountrywentthroughsince2016.ChinesetouristsarethethirdlargestgroupoftouriststoEthiopia,onlysurpassedinnumbersbytouristsfromtheUnitedStatesandUK.Ethiopiaearned$169.6millionfrom453,017Chinesetouriststhatvisitedthecountryin2017.
China
BiosafetyLab
OnAugust7,Chinaputintooperationahigh-levelbiosafetylabinHarbin,capitalofnortheastChina鈥檚HeilongjiangProvince.Thefirstbiosafetylevel-4lab(BSL-4)forlargeanimalswasaccreditedbyChinaNationalAccreditationServiceforConformityAssessment,withBSL-4beingthehighestbiosafetylevel.Thenationalanimaldiseasecontrollabcouldboostthecountry鈥檚researchonandpreventionandcontrolofhighlyinfectiousdiseases,accordingtotheHarbinVeterinaryResearchInstituteundertheChineseAcademyofAgriculturalSciences,thelab鈥檚operator.Itwillconductanimaltestingonpathogensofallknownmajorinfectiousdiseases,theinstitutesaid.Thelabwillalsoworkwithotherinstitutesonjointresearchofpreventionandcontrolofhighlyinfectiousdiseasesinabidtosafeguardthelivestockindustryandpublichealth,itsaid.
AlexanderChikwandaFormerZambianFinanceMinisterU.S.PresidentDonaldTrump鈥檚tradeprotectionistmeasureswillharmtheglobaleconomyandhurttheUnitedStatesaswell.Hisdecisiontoimposeheftytariffsonforeignimportswillalsoimperiltheeconomiesoftheleastdevelopedcountries.
Numbers
396mln
thenumberoflicensedvehicledriversinChinabytheendofJune2018
8.5%
Egypt鈥檚annualcoreinflationrateinJuly2018
80,000
universitygraduateswereselectedtoteachinChina鈥檚ruralschoolsin2017
$143.5mln
amountChina鈥檚onlinecharityplatformsraisedinH1
$4.8bln
totalprofitmadebysecuritiesfirmsinChinainH1