Today’s Issue Cluster: Africa
Trucks – Preliminary US orders down 48%
El Niño – Buffets sugar and cocoa
Zika – Is the Next Front in the Mosquito Wars
US – Dec: Factory orders post biggest drop in a year; -2.9% from -0.7% / R
US – Q4: Productivity Falls; -3.0% from +2.1% / WSJ / AP
US – Q4: Unit labor costs rose; +4.5% from +1.9% / R
US – Week: Jobless Claims Rise; +8k to 285k / WSJ / AP
Africa – AfDB steps in to plug funding gap FT *
Africa – Electrification plans are stalling because distributors won’t pay E *
Africa – McKinsey predicts 10 cities with $50b+ GDP / motw *
Botswana – Seeks to reap more than diamond dollars FT * *
Botswana – Losing its sparkle E *
Zimbabwe – Swaps hyperinflation for deflation with use of US dollar FT *
Zimbabwe – Close to striking landmark deal with west FT *
Nigeria – Plunging currency piles pressure reform agenda FT / E *
Kenya – Plans spending cuts to curb surging budget deficit FT * *
Kenya – A rare bright spot in EM gloom FT *
South Africa – Democracy being sorely tested by Zuma E *
South Africa – Self-inflicted wounds FT * * * *
SARB – South Africa Raises Key Interest Rate to Buoy Rand WSJ / FT *
Africa – Smartphones pave way for huge opportunities FT / FT *
Africa – Mobile payments race spawns entrepreneurs FT *
Africa – Nigerian groups target ‘100% mobile-first market’ FT *
Africa – Tencent in bid to loosen Facebook’s grip FT *
Trucks – Preliminary US orders down 48% R
Trucks – Sales Downshift at Makers WSJ *
Trucks – US Sales Decline / cr *
Truck – Companies Throttle Back Expansion Plans WSJ
Truck – ATA Index increased / cr *
El Niño – Commodity markets now brace for La Niña FT / B *
El Niño – Buffets sugar and cocoa FT / FT
El Niño – US West snow is boosting hydropower prospects / b *
Zika – Is the Next Front in the Mosquito Wars BW *
Zika – Drug Industry Starts Race to Develop Zika Vaccine WSJ / FT / B *
Zika – Sexually transmitted case confirmed in TX AP / R
Zika – Australia reports two cases R
Zika – Africa, Asia vulnerable to spread of virus R *
Chikungunya – 1st death in Brazil EFE / SciNews *
Chikungunya – If you get virus this summer, maybe blame El Niño PBS *
Dengue – 241 cases as potentially infectious in Hawaii bin *
Number of venomous animals by country bm *
