Economists still question its impact on people’s pockets Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda’s economy expanded faster than expected in the past 10 months compared with the previous year supported by accommodative monetary policy, rebound in private sector credit and continuous investment in infrastructure. Data from Bank of Uganda, Ministry …
Read More »Macron calls for order after ‘yellow vest’ attack on police
Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron called for “order” on Sunday after a sixth weekend of “yellow vest” anti-government protests marked by dwindling participation and a violent attack on police in Paris. Speaking during a visit to the central African state of Chad where he was visiting …
Read More »Zimbabwe’s economic crisis wipes out Christmas cheer
Chinamhora, Zimbabwe | AFP | At Solomon Chakauya’s grocery store in Zimbabwe’s Chinamhora district outside Harare, there’s no sign of the seasonal Christmas rush that he needs to keep his business afloat. Even in the country’s toughest times, sales rocketed in the days before Christmas, but this year few people …
Read More »Fresh protests in Sudan after deadly bread clashes
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Fresh protests over the rising cost of bread broke out in Sudan on Friday, witnesses said, as troops deployed after two days of deadly clashes that left eight protesters dead. A government decision to raise the price of a loaf of bread this week from …
Read More »Bashir deploys troops after deadly Sudan bread protests
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan deployed troops in the capital Khartoum and other cities on Friday, witnesses said, after eight demonstrators were killed in clashes with riot police during protests over increased bread prices. A government decision to raise the price of a loaf of bread this week from …
Read More »DR Congo, a vast African giant wracked by violence
Paris, France | AFP | Africa’s second largest country, Democratic Republic of Congo, is rich in raw materials and minerals but cursed by deadly violence, insurgencies, graft and poverty. Presidential elections were scheduled for Sunday, but electoral authorities delayed the vote by seven days until December 30 after a warehouse …
Read More »Eight killed in Sudan bread price protests
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Eight demonstrators were killed in eastern Sudan on Thursday, officials said, during clashes with riot police on the second day of protests over the rising price of bread. A government decision to raise the price of bread this week from one Sudanese pound to three …
Read More »Putin says wants to push Russia into top five economies
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he wants to see his country’s economy in the world’s top five. “The main thing is that we need to get into a new league economically,” Putin told his annual press conference, adding: “We could very well take …
Read More »Nigeria’s Buhari submits slimmer budget to lawmakers
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday presented parliament with his government’s 2019 budget plan that he said was to help growth, fight poverty and boost infrastructure. The draft budget, at 8.83 trillion naira ($24.3 billion), was smaller than the 9.12 trillion approved for the previous …
Read More »Pope says Xmas not about consumerism
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis said Wednesday that Christmas cannot just be about swapping presents and indulging in a massive consumer binge, urging the faithful to remember its original purpose to mark Christ’s birth. “The advertising machine tells us we have to exchange more and more …
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