Space gears up for climate change study
A record 17 satellites are to be launched in 2008 in the largest-ever concerted global effort to monitor the impact of climate change over the next few decades, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which is leading the initiative.

ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe introduces $10 million note
New bank notes bearing million dollar figures are set to go into circulation in Zimbabwe today, 18 January 2008.

URA unveils communication network to ease tax payments
[Walter Wafula] Paying taxes to the Ugandan treasury is set to become more convenient for taxpayers following the adoption of URANET by Uganda Revenue Authority the body that collects billions of shillings from taxpayers.

US$32 million boost for Maputo port
[Eric Lubisi] Mozambique's Maputo harbour has received a US$32 million boost from Global port operator, Dubai Ports World (DP World).

EGYPT

Poverty driving young Egyptians to risk deadly boat journeys
When two boatloads of would-be Egyptian migrants sank off the coast of Sicily in early November and many people died or were never found, the Egyptian media highlighted what has become a growing problem.


Basic services crisis turns deadly in Kaduna
At least four people have been killed in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna during a violent protest over a three-year power blackout in a poor part of the city.

Naming rights for Green Point Stadium on market
The City of Cape Town has taken the first step in selling the naming rights of its new Green Point stadium.

Novel idea helps your advertising cash in at the cashier
A new advertising concept puts cashiers' conveyor belts to work as an advertising medium – and your target customer is right there… watching your advertisements.

SOUTH AFRICA

African mobile market rivals W Europe
[Eddie Groenewald] There has been a lot of focus on Africa as the final frontier for the world of cellphones. With first world mobile markets in the East and West having rapidly matured and the explosion of mobile services in Latin America, Africa was the last place cellular networks and handset manufactures looked to for significant growth. But recent stats released by Admob, the world's largest mobile advertiser, have shown startling statistics about Africa.

Take a number
Warid Telecom, which open its doors to the general public on Monday has received an overwhelming response from all Ugandans across the country as they flocked to service centres to pre-register their preferred numbers in a bid to join the Warid family. In total over 80,000 thousand potential subscribers successfully completed the exercise. The pre-registration of preferred numbers continues between the hours of 9am – 6pm at the 37 customer care centres countrywide, as well as online at http://www.waridtel.co.ug/ between the hours of 6pm – 9am.

Outdoor cooling a misty business - Right Stuff
For those who have to brave the heat to attend an outdoor wedding or corporate event Right Stuff offers some "mistifying" options in the outdoor cooling market. The Portable Shade and Parasol now incorporate a refreshing misting system as an optional extra to give you the best of both worlds – shade and cooling in an outdoor environment.

No middle ground for crops between drought and deluge for Zimbabwe's farmers
After six years of drought, the forecast was that Zimbabwe was set for good rains and a decent harvest this season - and then came the deluge.

Quo Vadis meets high demand for communication courses in 2007 and plans for 2008 - Quo Vadis Communications
Well-known for its on-hands training methodology in corporate communications, Quo Vadis Communications will shortly announce dates for a new series in 2008. This follows another successful year in which the company earned high praise from new clients who attended the courses and expanded established business relations.

KENYA

Kenyan dairy and flower sectors report losses
Horticulturalists and dairy farmers, who represent two of Kenya's most important economic sectors, have reported losses as a result of the post-election violence.

AFRICA

UN helps poor countries with high food prices
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has launched a multi-million dollar fund for import-dependent poor countries to help adapt their farming industries quickly to cope with high global food prices.