Football Focus

Gabon

Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba said that his country will be ready to co-host the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, despite concerns that preparations are lagging. He said some plans for next January's finals are progressing well but admitted that "others were very slow."

New Place in the Sun

China

African countries are looking to claim a share of China's lucrative tourism market, after the 2010 Shanghai Expo opened a window of opportunity for them.  By sending executives and marketing officials to attend the Eighth World Travel Fair in Shanghai this May, the countries are hoping to draw visitors away from traditional destinations, such as the United States and Europe. Apart from regular participants, the fair has for the first time welcomed representatives from the Seychelles, Tunisia, Brunei and Mauritius, resulting in foreign tourism professionals and Chinese tour operators meeting, discussing and signing contracts for the upcoming tourist season.

YGL's African Fellowship

South Africa

The Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL) announced a fellowship program for young African leaders in South Africa on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Africa. The program is to guarantee the full engagement of African YGLs into the World Economic Forum community and thus be integrated into global dialogue and decision-making processes.

Fast Growth

Tanzania

Tanzania is set to have some good fortune as the IMF has forecasted that its economy is to grow by 7.2 percent this year. Having suffered from power shortages triggered by recent droughts, the hydropower-producing nation is hoping that improved weather conditions can help bolster its economy.

Rape Shocker

Democratic Republic of Congo

A study published in the American Journal of Public Health says that 1,152 women are raped every day in the DRC, a rate equal to 48 per hour. “The message is important and clear: Rape in the country has metastasized amid a climate of impunity, and has emerged as one of the great human crises of our time,”said Michael Van Rooyen, Director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

Numbers

$23 million

China to spend to ensure nuke safety

60%

Of rural areas to benefit from China's expanded pilot pension program in 2011

26

The number of African countries that can now buy Android apps

3 million

An estimated reduction of tourists in Egypt from February to April