Significant decline in African capital markets

2016 marked a challenging year for African equity markets in the wake of lower economic growth and political upheaval around the globe, largely as a result of the US elections cycle and the Brexit vote. African equity capital markets (ECM) broke a streak of three successive years of growth, recording a decline in overall ECM […]

A Swedish aviation strategy

The Swedish government has adopted ‘A Swedish aviation strategy – for aviation’s role in the transport system of tomorrow’.   The aviation strategy is a policy document, a platform that clarifies the government’s overall view of aviation’s role in the transport system and also presents the government’s priorities in seven different areas on the continued […]

ECOWAS parliament holds session in Nigeria

The 4th Legislature of the parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) over the weekend convened its first extraordinary session for the year in Abuja, the Nigeria capital. Both the speaker of the parliament and president of the ECOWAS Commission separately paid glowing tributes to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, chairperson of the […]

US: Liberian arrested for lying in warlord’s case

  Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced this week that Liberian national Isaac Kannah, 51, of Philadelphia, PA, who was charged in an October 2012 indictment with perjury and obstruction of justice, was arrested on January 10, 2017, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agents in Philadelphia.    The charges carry […]

OECD praises Swedish economy

  The Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Angel Gurria has today presented the organisation’s report on Sweden’s economic situation with a special focus is on equality and gender equality.   The OECD also expresses clear support for the government’s fiscal policy. This report is part of the OECD’s regular review of […]

EU has faulty Niger migrants transit numbers

The European Union has been touting a faulty figure for migration reduction through key transit country Niger as it looks to expand a policy of giving more development aid to African nations if they crack down on people smuggling and migrants, IRIN can exclusively reveal. When the International Organization for Migration (IOM) released figures in early […]

Some key considerations in the new Gambia

It finally became clear on January 21, 2017, that Yahya Jammeh, the long-serving autocratic president of The Gambia would step down and leave the country. The road to this point was a twisty one; writes Niklas Hultin. Jammeh had lost the December 1, 2016, election to Adama Barrow (who represented a coalition of opposition parties). […]

Remembering the Holocaust

Hédi Fried, author and Auschwitz survivor, wrote: “Can anyone say when something begins? Grains of sand are added to grains of sand, and before you know it there is a pile of sand in front of you.” Today (January 27) is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, when we remember one of humanity’s greatest crimes against itself. But […]

Finland: Illegal immigrants create security concerns

  Unsuccessful asylum seekers who choose to stay in the country illegally have raised concerns among security authorities in Finland, reveals Päivi Nerg, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of the Interior.   She added in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat that unsuccessful asylum seekers who disappear before returning to their country of origin are a […]

World Bank predicts global economic growth

Global economic growth is forecast to accelerate moderately to 2.7 percent in 2017 after a post-crisis low last year as obstacles to activity recede among emerging market and developing economy commodity exporters, while domestic demand remains solid among emerging and developing commodity importers, the World Bank said in a report released on Tuesday. Growth in […]