- WASHINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) — A recently released report showed that defense spending by the United States — the world’s largest military spender — accounted for nearly 40 percent of world’s total military expenditures in 2023. In the latest move of aggressive U.S. military spending, U.S.…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 28 – The government has revealed that over Sh6 billion has been distributed countrywide to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) across the country in the past four years. Speaking during the inaugural public participation on credit guarantee policy and…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 27 – The government, in collaboration with American-based technological company Cisco, has opened a cybersecurity technology experience center at the University of Nairobi, Chiromo Campus. The launch was done yesterday by the Principal Secretary State Department for ICT,…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 27 – The government has made progress in integrating micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the digital economy, according to a study by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). The study, which was undertaken alongside the Kenya Private Sector Alliance…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 27 – Kenya is ready to play host to the 69th United Nations Civil Society Conference in support of the Summit of the Future convention in Nairobi. The conference slotted for May 9 through 10 will be the first one in Africa and seeks to bring onboard civil society groups from…
- OTTAWA, April 26 (Xinhua) — Husky Oil Operations Limited was fined on Friday 2.5 million Canadian dollars (1.83 million U.S. dollars) for spilling about 250,000 liters of crude oil into the Atlantic Ocean in Canada. According to a news release from Environment and Climate Change Canada, the oil…
- HARARE, April 27 (Xinhua) — Old Zimbabwean dollar notes ceased circulating on Friday to introduce the new gold-backed Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency. Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mushayavanhu unveiled the new currency on April 5, giving the public 21 days to exchange their old, inflation-…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 27 – NCBA has has rolled out its digital banking services, NCBA Now, in Tanzania. The omni-channel application, the lender says, leverages technology to enhance digital banking for its customers across the East African region. Its group managing director, John Gachora, said…
- MOSCOW, April 26 (Xinhua) — Russia and Europe will no longer be able to resume their past relations under the current circumstances, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. There is a lack of willingness to build such relations, especially on Russia’s part, said Peskov, adding that Moscow will…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, March 26 – The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has maintained that it is actively addressing the drainage and roof leakages at terminals 1B and 1C of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). This is after videos circulated online of heavy roof leakages at terminal 1C of the …
- RIGA, April 26 (Xinhua) — The vessel Le Bellot from French cruise company Ponant called at the Port of Riga Thursday, marking the beginning of this year’s cruise season in Latvia. During the cruise season from April to December, a total of 67 cruise ship calls are scheduled for the Port of Riga,…
- LONDON, April 26 (Xinhua) — Shoplifting and theft from individuals recorded in England and Wales have reached the highest level in two decades, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS Centre for Crime and Justice examined crime information for the year ending December 2023,…
- NAIROBI, April 26 (Xinhua) — A number of countries in the Horn of Africa will experience wetter than usual conditions between May and July, the Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC) of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc, said Friday. The wetter…
- WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) — The growth of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) slowed significantly in the first quarter amid stubborn inflation that shows no sign of abating. The economy slowed more than analysts expected in the year’s first quarter with decelerations in consumer spending,…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 26 – Ivhu Africa (Ivhu), an Australian developer of green supply chain infrastructure, has entered into a deal with Semiconductors Technologies LLC (STL) for the development of Sh14.85 billion ($110 million) semiconductor and microchip facilities. The two units will be…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 26 – Kenya will host the first semiconductor and microchip fabrication facilities in Africa after Ivhu Africa (Ivhu), an Australian developer of green supply chain infrastructure, signed a deal with Semiconductors Technologies LLC (STL) to kick-start the construction process.…
- NAIROBI, April 25 (Xinhua) — The DigiTruck training program of China’s telecommunication firm Huawei, which began in 2019, has significantly contributed to income generation, employment opportunities and entrepreneurship in Kenya, according to a report released on Thursday. DigiTruck, a mobile,…
- By Anne Kiprotich NAIROBI, Kenya, April 26 – Kenya is experiencing an energy revolution, with 9.5 million Kenyans now connected to electricity. A further 5,000 public schools, public institutions, private hospitality establishments and hundreds of homes are also on course to acquire LPG…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 26 – The Kenyan Leather industry is a priority value chain with a high impact to drive economic recovery and transform the country into a middle-income status by 2030. Speaking during the Ruwaza forum in Nairobi, Kenneth Mwige, the Director General of the Kenya Vision 2030…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 26 – GenAfrica Asset Managers money market fund is expected to reach the Sh1 billion valuation in two weeks, buoyed by an annual return of 15 percent. Already, the fund manager has more than doubled fund under management to Sh921 million as of December 2023, an improvement…
- OTTAWA, April 25 (Xinhua) — The Canadian Finance Ministry announced Thursday it has launched a five-year U.S. dollar global bond to bolster the country’s foreign reserves. The ministry said in a news release that it launched the U.S. dollar global bond, priced at 3 billion dollars and at a spread…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 26-Kenya Airways (KQ) has protested the detention of its two employees by the Congolese Military Intelligence Unit over missing customs documentation on valuable cargo. The airline’s Group Managing Director Allan Kilavuka said that the Militaire des Activities Anti Patrie (…
- MUNICH, Germany, April 25 (Xinhua) — The interdependence between China and European automakers plays a crucial role as the industry gears up to transition towards sustainable mobility, industry insiders from the two sides said here on Thursday. Approximately 120 government officials, researchers,…
- NAIROBI, April 25 (Xinhua) — Kenya on Thursday hosted prominent traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners from southwest China’s Sichuan Province, who offered a range of medical services to Chinese nationals living in the East African country. The six Chinese doctors specialize in diverse…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 25 – Over 10 million people are projected to engage in online shopping for groceries by 2027, following the rapidly growing demand. The latest Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) study titled ‘Online Food and Groceries Delivery Platforms Market Study’ indicates that the…
- MALE, April 25 (Xinhua) — The Maldives is taking steps to reduce U.S. dollar transactions outside the formal banking system to ensure that there is no dollar shortage in the country, Maldivian media reported on Thursday, quoting Minister of Finance Mohamed Shafeeq as saying. In an interview with…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 25 – Communities residing around Tatu City will enjoy high-speed internet connectivity after Rendeavour, the owner of the project, founded a firm to offer broadband services. Through the new company, Fahari Link, underserved local residents will access affordable internet.…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 25 – State Department of Co-operatives Commissioner Patrick Kilemi has said that the government is undertaking various reforms in the coffee sector to ensure that farmers are not exploited. Kilemi, in response to queries raised by parliament, said that some of the reforms the…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 25 – The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) to enhance petroleum handling at the Kipevu Oil Terminal II at the Port of Mombasa. The MoU was signed by KPA and KPC Board Chairs Dalu Tayari and Faith…
- TOKYO, April 25 (Xinhua) — The Japanese yen continued to drop against the U.S. dollar to a fresh low in 34 years on Thursday after sinking below the 155 psychological mark, keeping the market on alert for possible interventions. On Thursday, the yen dipped as low as 155.74 in Tokyo, after the…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 25 – The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Tax Amnesty Programme has netted Sh20.8 billion in overdue principal taxes, with Sh28.7 billion having been self-declared as unpaid taxes. The taxman added that taxpayers who have defaulted on filing and paying taxes have been spared…
- BUENOS AIRES, April 24 (Xinhua) — Argentina’s government on Wednesday promised not to close or defund public universities following massive marches across the country demanding continued funding of higher education. “It will never be on our agenda to close a public university,” presidential…
- LOS Angeles, April 25 – Construction has commenced on a $12 billion high-speed passenger rail line connecting Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area, aiming to cut travel time between the two cities by half. Brightline West, affiliated with a company already running a swift train service in Florida…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 25 – Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) targets a 20 percent growth in the number of delegates set to participate in the 13th edition of the Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE). The regional tourism fair, scheduled to run from October 2nd to October 4th, 2024, at the Uhuru Gardens…
- NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 25 – President William Ruto says trade and investment between Kenya and at least 27 European Union States is expected to improve after the National Assembly on Wednesday ratified the Kenya-EU Economic Partnership Agreement. Speaking during the opening of the New Bunge Towers,…
- ALGIERS, April 24 (Xinhua) — Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya on Wednesday signed an agreement in Algiers to establish a consultation mechanism for the management of shared groundwater resources in the Sahara region, the official APS news agency reported. Algerian Minister of Hydraulics Taha Derbal,…
- SEOUL, April 25 (Xinhua) — South Korea’s biggest automaker Hyundai Motor recorded a single-digit fall in the first-quarter operating profit due to a one-off factor, the company said Thursday. Operating profit reduced 2.3 percent over the year to 3.56 trillion won (2.6 billion U.S. dollars) in the…
- NAIROBI, April 24 (Xinhua) — Kenya launched the National Youth Council Strategic Plan 2024-2028 on Wednesday, providing a roadmap to boost youth empowerment. Ismail Maalim Madey, principal secretary for creative economy and sports in the Ministry of Youth Affairs, told journalists in Nairobi that…
- WASHINGTON, April 23 (Xinhua) — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to pass a foreign aid package that included long-stalled aid for Israel and Ukraine. The measure, totaling 95 billion U.S. dollars, was passed by a vote of 79 to 18. Having cleared the House on Saturday, the legislation will now go to…
- NAIVASHA, Kenya, April 24 – Kenya’s journey to becoming a global industrial powerhouse is on course, President William Ruto has said. He cited the current robust investor confidence, saying it is attracting substantial foreign and local investments and elevating the country’s industrial agenda. “…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 24 – The Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry has developed a three-year operational strategy, roll-out plan, and budget that will enable KenInvest to scale up and deliver its services to meet the objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 24 – Nearly four in ten (39 percent) of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) employees are from the Kalenjin and Kikuyu tribes. According to EPRA’s Employment Diversity Report, 22 percent (42) of the authority’s staff are Kalenjin, with Kikuyu at 17 percent (32…
- JAKARTA, April 24 (Xinhua) — Indonesia’s central bank, Bank Indonesia (BI), announced here on Wednesday raising the benchmark interest rate to 6.25 percent with a rise of 25 basis points as the Indonesian rupiah were on a downward trend in recent weeks. It is the first rate hike since October last…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 24 – The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to launch a pilot study in Kenya on skin-neglected tropical diseases using a mobile app called Artificial Intelligence. In a statement, WHO stated it is collaborating with the University of Catalunya, Spain, and the Kenya Medical…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 24 – Kisumu City has embarked on desilting and improvement of riverbanks to alleviate the sufferings of city dwellers affected by floods occasioned by the ongoing rains. City Manager Abala Wanga says the intervention is to restore normalcy in many estates now submerged in…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 24 – CIC Insurance has unveiled its monthly motor insurance ‘EasyBima’, which allows customers to purchase the cover remotely. The insurer asserts that the move is anchored on leveraging technology as an enabler for seamless service delivery. Its Group CEO, Patrick Nyaga,…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 24 – At least 1 million Kenyans will be trained on artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, offering digital job opportunities for the youth. The program is a joint agreement between the Kenya Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) and Acyberschool and was signed at…
- MANILA, April 24 (Xinhua) — The Philippine government Wednesday banned the deployment of Filipino seafarers on passenger and cruise ships transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden due to the risk of sailing in those regions. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) issued the order after 23…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 24 – ICT solutions provider Smart Applications International (Smart) has bolstered its efforts to enhance healthcare digitization in Nakuru. The company seeks to leverage technology to boost healthcare access for patients as it improves healthcare service administration in the…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 24 – Negotiations between the government and striking doctors have collapsed, prolonging the suffering of Kenyans seeking healthcare in public hospitals. The strike, organised by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), is entering its second…