Thursday , November 14 2024

The Independent

Tanzania to host 2017 Nile Basin Day event

Representatives of the 10-member states of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) converge in Dar-es-Salaam on Wednesday to celebrate 18 years of cooperation. Since February 22 1999, NBI has focused on activities aimed at assisting Member States to achieve their development objectives through Nile Cooperation. “That day, in 1999, marked a …

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Museveni launches gold refinery, to abolish royalty tax

President Yoweri Museveni on Monday commissioned Uganda’s first gold refinery with a promise to abolish royalty taxes to boost the sector. The newly-built $20 million African Gold Refinery in Entebbe, is the first of its kind in the region and has the capacity of processing up to 300 kg of gold weekly. It has …

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South Sudan suffering ‘man-made’ famine

Juba, South Sudan | AFP | South Sudan on Monday declared famine in some parts of the country, with more than three years of war leaving nearly five million hungry in what aid groups called a “man-made” tragedy. Isaiah Chol Aruai, chairman of South Sudan’s National Bureau of Statistics, said …

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Africa retail giants Steinhoff, Shoprite shelve merger

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South African retail firms Steinhoff International and Shoprite Holdings announced Monday they had scrapped plans to merge their local assets to form the continent’s biggest retailer. The plan announced in December 2016 was geared to create a discount retailer worth over $14 billion to …

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Under pressure DR Congo govt vows to stem violence

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The Democratic Republic of Congo’s government, under pressure to act after months of violence in the south, on Sunday vowed to move away from a solely military solution. Interior Minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadari told reporters: “The state is envisaging political, traditional and humanitarian solutions …

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Bouteflika’s frail health halts Merkel visit

  Algiers, Algeria | AFP | Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika had acute bronchitis on Monday, causing German Chancellor Angela Merkel to call off a visit to Algeria at the last minute, the presidency said. Bouteflika, Algeria’s longest-serving leader, suffered a mini-stroke in 2013 that affected his mobility and speech. The …

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