News Round-up from the Commonwealth - 7 April 2014

Asia and the Pacific News

1. Japan, Australia reach agreement on free-trade deal, Channel News Asia

Japan and Australia on Monday said they had reached "substantive agreement" on a long-awaited free-trade deal, in a rare opening of Japan's protected markets.

2. William and Kate arrive in New Zealand with Prince George, BBC News

It is the first official tour for the eight-month-old prince, who was awake in his mother's arms as the trio were greeted at Wellington airport by Prime Minister John Key and waiting media.

3. World Bank optimistic about Bangladesh’s future, bdnews24.com

Visiting World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region, Philippe Le Houérou, has said that he is optimistic about Bangladesh’s prospects of ending poverty and achieving shared prosperity.

4. Why India is so good at organising elections, The Economist

India’s general election is a massive affair. From April 7th to May 12th, across seven phases, 815m people will be eligible to cast votes in the biggest democratic exercise on Earth.

5. 11 things to know about world's biggest election, CNN

The 11 things you need to know about the world's biggest election.

Africa and Europe News

1. Nigeria becomes Africa’s top economy, The Globe and Mail

In a dramatic boost for African economic confidence, Nigeria has announced a huge rise in its estimated GDP, making it the biggest economy on the continent and the 26th biggest in the world.

2. Rwanda: Rising from the ashes, Africa Renewal

As the world marks the 20th anniversary of the genocide this year, Rwanda has moved on, economically, socially and politically. It has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, averaging 8% per year over the past decade, according to the International Monetary Fund. The World Bank says Rwanda is the third best place to start a business in Africa, behind Mauritius and South Africa.

3. EU criticised for failure to transfer technology, SciDev.Net

European countries contribute less to global technological development than other developed nations, and are pursuing intellectual property policies that are not “development friendly”, according to a study.

4. Africa strives to rebuild its domestic industries, Africa Renewal

Across Africa, most countries face the problem that Mauritius once did: they produce and export mainly unprocessed crops or minerals, even though such raw materials are fetching lower and lower prices on world markets. In response, some are seeking to follow the example of Mauritius, to consciously and more energetically build up their manufacturing industries.

5. 'Nigeria's Mark Zuckerberg' puts tech into higher learning, CNN

At 23, many people around the world are still at university - at that age, Gossy Ukanwoke had already started one. The young entrepreneur is the founder of Beni American University (BAU), Nigeria's first private online university.

The Caribbean and the Americas

1. Canada created 43,000 jobs in March, CBC News

Canada's economy added 43,000 jobs in March as young people found work, Statistics Canada said today.

2. St Lucia considers economic citizenship to boost investment, Caribbean360

The initiative could attract “the brightest and wealthiest people” to a country for the purpose of investment, while at the same time highlighting the need for safeguards.

3. Trinidad experiencing robust growth - IMF, Jamaica Observer

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Trinidad and Tobago is experiencing more robust growth after several years of “sub-par performance.”

4. Small enterprises considered key to a sustainable Caribbean economy, St Lucian News Online

The Commonwealth Secretariat co-hosted, in collaboration with the Government of Saint Lucia, the third Global Biennial Conference on Small States... small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs)... should be at the centre of an economic growth strategy for Caribbean states.

5. Bahamas 'remarkable' as offshore center, The Nassau Guardian

The founder of a global private banking group, EFG International, has launched a new private bank in The Bahamas, arguing that this country's financial services sector has continued opportunities to grow notwithstanding ever-evolving global regulatory standards.

News Round-up from the Commonwealth - 13 March 2014

Asia and the Pacific News

1. Singapore Budget 2014, Strait Times, Singapore

A detailed breakdown of the 2014 Budget of Singapore. On March 3, Parliament debated the Budget statement which was delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

2. Land of the long white cow: dairy delivers for New Zealand, Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

New Zealand is poised to become the first developed markets economy to raise interest rates on Thursday…New Zealand is exporting dairy, the ‘iron ore of the Pacific’…Another way of saying that is Australia catered to the industrialisation of China but New Zealand is catering to its rising numbers of middle-class consumers.

3. US to back India for permanent UNSC seat, Daily Mail, Pakistan

The US welcomes India as a rising power and backs its inclusion as a permanent member of a reformed and expanded UN Security Council, Secretary of State John Kerry has said ahead of his maiden visit to New Delhi. 

4. Panel discussion on Commonwealth Day Observance, Times of India, India

A panel discussion on 'Opportunities through the Commonwealth in India…Four high commissioners spoke on the scope of the Commonwealth on various subjects: high commissioner of Canada on education, British high commissioner on democracy, high commissioner of South Africa on culture and high commissioner of Singapore on business.

5. ABC clears itself of gross bias on asylum-seeker coverage with report that says only four reports were questionable, .The Daily Telegraph, Australia

However, the audit did not examine the ABC's controversial reporting in January of allegations of Navy officers burning the hands of asylum seekers which fuelled a bias row with the Abbott government.

Africa and Europe News

1. Border Trade Between Cameroon and Nigeria At a Standstill, All Africa, Cameroon

Trade between Cameroon and Nigeria has stagnated following the closure of the border in an attempt to prevent Islamist terrorists from launching attacks from Cameroonian territory. The closure of the border has led to a sharp fall in food exports like sorghum, rice and onions to Nigeria on one hand, while basic commodities imported from Nigeria like fuel cannot enter Cameroon.

2. New Study Reveals Africa's Top Tweeting Cities, All Africa, Kenya

In a follow up to its 2012 study, strategic communications agency Portland analysed geo-located tweets originating from Africa during the final three months of 2013. The second How Africa Tweets study dives deeper into Twitter use on the continent, looking at which cities are the most active, what languages are being used the most and what issues are driving the conversation online. 

• Johannesburg is the most active city in Africa, with 344,215 geo-located tweets
• Nairobi is the most active city in East Africa and the sixth most active on the continent, with 123,078 geo-located tweets
• Brands in Africa are becoming increasingly prevalent on Twitter.

3. SA Government silent after diplomats expelled from Rwanda, Times Live, South Africa

Last week, South Africa expelled three Rwandan diplomats, one of whom, according to reports, has been linked to an "attempted hit" on exiled Rwandan army chief Faustin Nyamwasa at his home in Johannesburg. Rwanda responded by expelling six diplomats based at the South African mission in its capital Kigali.

4. If Joyce Banda loses, it will be by suicide, not murder, Nyasa Times, Malawi

Malawi heads to the polls on 20 May 2014 to elect their President. This Ed-op piece explains the political terrain going into the election itself.

5. Major salute to Indian war effort, Telegraph of India, India

John Major, the former Conservative Prime Minister, has waded into the immigration debate in the UK by declaring that Indians had the right to be an integral part of British society because their forefathers had fought and died for Britain.

The Caribbean and the Americas

1. Canada's military squeezed out of cyber-defence, emails warm, Canada.com, Canada

Military advisers working on the cyber-security file warned a year ago that the Canadian Forces were on the verge of being pushed entirely out of the realm of cyber-defence, according to internal emails from the military’s cyber task force.

2. Caribbean leaders end “very successful” CARICOM summit, Caribbean 360 news, St. Vincent 

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders say they have had a “very successful” two day inter-sessional summit here, completing a 20-odd agenda and implementing policies and strategies that would ensure the future socio-economic and political development of the region.

3. An independent Quebec wants to keep Canadian dollar, have seat at Bank of Canada, Pauline Marois says, National Post, Canada

An independent Quebec wants to keep using the Canadian dollar and hopes to have a seat at the Bank of Canada, Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois said. The Quebec economy is in good shape and it would be beneficial to Canada for Quebec to be involved with the dollar and the central bank, Marois said ahead of the April 7 provincial vote.

4. Five accused granted $5.4m bail, Trinidad Express, Trinidad & Tobago

Five men were granted a total of $5.4 million in bail when they appeared before a Sangre Grande magistrate yesterday charged with the daring $4.5 million heist at the Republic Bank’s Sangre Grande branch on Carnival.

5. Debate wages over ‘police brutality’ video, Antigua Observer, Antigua

Youtube video shows video of alleged police brutality. Read Police Commissioner Vere Brown’s reaction here.

African and European News

1. Call for David Cameron to boycott Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka, The Guardian, UK Shadow foreign minister Douglas Alexander says UK should follow example of Canada in expressing human rights concerns.

2. Who killed the rabbit?, The Gazette, Botswana

Apparently there’s going to be an election next year. It is hard to tell though, with the absence of fanfare that usually accompanies a landmark event of this nature.  Where are the songs? Where is the rabbit that used signify that elections were coming and usher in another “democratically” elected government?

3. Ghana needs international trade commission, All Ghana News, Ghana

Chairman of the Tariff Advisory Board (TAB), has stressed the need for Ghana to have an International Trade Commission to assist it to conduct trade within the framework of the WTO.

4. What the country can learn from Tanzania, Daily Nation, Kenya

Tanzania’s minerals account for 5 per cent of the country’s source of wealth. In Kenya, it accounts for only 0.47 per cent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). But this has not always been the case for the former. In 2010, the government of Tanzania undertook a review of the Mining Act with a view to setting a foundation for the country to reap much more from the sector.

5. Nigeria’s market potential is huge but challenging, Guardian News, Nigeria

An interview from Panasonic Marketing’s MD in Middle East and Africa: “To have a large market share in Nigeria, it is better we set up a factory in the country, but to do that, several things have to be addressed. Among them is the infrastructure deficit.”

African and European News

1. Obama pledges support for African Growth and Opportunity Act extension, Times Live, South Africa

Obama said he supported moves to “improve” and “renew” Agoa. Agoa — which allows Southern African countries to ship certain products to the US tariff-free — expires in 2015.

2. Fuel Price Increases to Be Effected On 3 July 2013, All Africa, South Africa

Five reasons for the increase in fuel: Crude oil prices; International product prices; The Rand/Dollar exchange rate; Adjustment to the Slate Levy on petrol and diesel; Anticipated fuel price increases.

3. On banking union, Malta is ‘cautiously optimistic’, Malta Today, Malta

Prime Minister says government will keep pushing for national sovereignty as pressures for more  EU centralisation increase.

4. Patients facing eight-hour waits in ambulances outside A&E departments, Daily Telegraph, UK

An investigation by The Sunday Telegraph shows that the number of patients forced to wait at least two hours parked outside A&E has risen by two thirds in just one year.

5. West Africa: Gulf Of Guinea Summit In Figures, All Africa, West Africa

A summit  to discuss repressive measures that will counteract illicit activities in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea.