Count the gains of ‘year of Africa’ – Graham Mackay

A year on from the Gleneagles summit, governments, nongovernmental organisations, multilateral organisations, civil society and the private sector are taking stock of what has been achieved.  Business Day

G-8, Developing States Get WTO Wake-Up – Wolfowitz

The world's most powerful industrialised and developing countries must break the impasse at a summit in Russia this week, World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz says in letters sent to leaders expected to attend the St Petersburg meeting. Business Day / http://allafrica.com

Technology is Africa's saviour – Gates

Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Monday touted technology as a solution to Africa's development problems, saying his organisation aimed to boost development on the world's poorest continent. iAfrica.com

UK launch White Paper on International Development

On Thursday 13 July DFID launched its new White Paper on International Development, 'eliminating world poverty: making governance work for the poor'. It sets out what the UK Government will do to reduce world poverty over the next five years.  It states that “The UK will work closely with organisations like Business Action for Africa…to identify ways to support development of the private sector and employment”. DFID

Nigeria: China Trade Volume Hits $2.8 Billion

Volume of trade both (visible and invisible) between Nigeria and the people's Republic of China last year is over $2.8 billion, Chinese Commercial Counselor Mr. Hu Yu Chen has said. Vanguard / http://allafrica.com

Angola: Country to Help Increase World Oil Supply by 2010 - Deutsche Bank

Angola, along with several other non-Opec countries, would be largely responsible for increasing in world oil supply by 2010, said a Deutsche Bank report. Business in Africa / http://allafrica.com

South Africa: Country Hands Over Self-Assessment Report To APRM Mission

South Africa has submitted its country assessment report to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Country Review Mission. BuaNews / http://allafrica.com

Mozambique: Mozambique Sets Up Peer Review Forum

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza on Thursday presided at a ceremony to launch the country's national forum for the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique / http://allafrica.com

Nigeria: Economy Grew By 6.2 Percent in 2005, Says Central Bank

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said the nation's economy grew by 6.2 per cent in 2005 identifying agriculture, general commerce and services as the main drivers of the growth. Vanguard / http://allafrica.com

Kenya: Now Old Mutual Forecast 5.5 Percent Economic Growth

Fund managers, Old Mutual Asset Managers, gave a higher economic growth forecast of 5.5 per cent for current financial year. The East African Standard / http://allafrica.com

Kenya: Growth in Key Sectors Still On Target

The economy has successfully shrugged off the adverse effects of drought that swept the country late last year. The Nation / http://allafrica.com

South Africa: ARTs will slash economic Aids impact

The benefits of providing a large-scale antiretroviral treatment programme in South Africa far outweigh the costs on a macroeconomic level. This is according to an in-depth study of the macro-economic impact of HIV and Aids in South Africa under alternative treatment scenarios. The research has been conducted by the Bureau for Economic Research. iAfrica.com

SABMiller wins international award

Johannesburg - South Africa's SABMiller plc, one of the world’s leading brewers, has won the prestigious Citigroup International Award in recognition of the work that its Zambian subsidiary, Zambian Breweries, was doing to support the achievement of the millennium development goals in Africa. Business in Africa

South Africa: MTN ploughs $65m into World Cup

Mobile telecommunications operator MTN said on Thursday that it would pay $65-million over the next four years to become Africa's first global sponsor of the 2010 football World Cup. iAfrica.com

South Africa: JSE shares rocket on trading update

Shares in the JSE Ltd were up 7.84 percent by lunchtime on Tuesday after the JSE issued a trading update in which it advised its earnings per share and headline earnings per share will increase by between 90 percent and 110 percent compared with the comparable period last year. iAfrica.com

South Africa: AngloPlat sees big earnings jump

The country's largest platinum miner Anglo Platinum (AngloPlat) on Wednesday announced that it expected to report an increase of between 110 percent and 120 percent in both its ordinary earnings and headline earnings per share for the half-year ended June 2006 compared to the previous comparative period. iAfrica.com

South Africa: BEE score card to be simplified

The Department of Trade and Industry will streamline the score card used to measure compliance with black economic empowerment (BEE). iAfrica.com

Microsoft Lifts Wraps On Initiative to Help Small Business

Software company Microsoft yesterday announced a new agreement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation to promote innovative uses of technology to support entrepreneurship and create opportunities for small firms in Africa. Business Day / http://allafrica.com

UN Tourism Agency Teams Up With Microsoft to Boost African Tourism

The United Nations tourism agency has teamed up with Microsoft to use information technology to improve the industry's competitiveness and quality in developing countries, especially in Africa which at present accounts for only 4 per cent of international tourism. UN News Service / http://allafrica.com

Rwanda: Starbucks Awards Farmers

Starbucks Coffee Company has awarded the 'Black Apron Exclusives' to farmers of Gatare and Kiyovu districts. According to the Starbucks' Report released July 8, 2006 the Black Apron Exclusives coffees are a rare honor bestowed upon only the best and most exceptional coffees found in the world, and are produced in limited supply. To date, five out of 11 Starbucks Black Apron Exclusives have been awarded to African coffee growers. The New Times / http://allafrica.com