Connect with us

Musings From Abroad

Pope dares Abortionists. Will more Catholics abandon the faith?

Published

on

Pope Francis on Wednesday compared having an abortion to hiring a “contract killer”.

It would not be the first time that the leader of the Catholic movement would express strong reservations about the act.

This time, he said, in an address to worshippers at the Vatican that, “Interrupting a pregnancy is like eliminating someone.”

“Getting rid of a human being is like resorting to a contract killer to solve a problem. “Is it just to resort to a contract killer to solve a problem?” he queried.

Read also: Melania Trump to undertake solo tour of African nations

Pope Francis earlier this year opposed a bill that would have legalised abortion in his home country of Argentina.

In August, a lay campaign group said thousands of Argentine Catholics had renounced their membership of the church to protest against his opposition to the bill.

Musings From Abroad

After initial evaluation, IMF raises Ethiopia’s international reserves target

Published

on

In order to make it easier to pay for future hard currency expenses, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) increased Ethiopia’s aim for net international reserves, the Fund announced.

After implementing a number of reforms, including floating its birr currency, the East African country was granted a $3.4 billion, four-year financing program by the IMF in July. Additionally, a new initiative to restart its debt restructuring is underway.

“An increase in near-term target is warranted by Ethiopia’s vulnerabilities and heightened uncertainty around the outlook,” the IMF said in a report published late on Monday.

An overachievement of the August target for net international reserves was caused by increased gold exports and lower-than-expected amounts of hard currency sales by the central bank through auctions, according to the IMF.

According to the Fund, net overseas reserves were $1.3 billion in mid-August, more than twice the $630 million projection.

To help build a buffer for the nation to settle maturing letters of credit for gasoline imports issued before the start of reforms, it increased the end-June 2025 target by $300 million to $400 million.

The IMF stated that although the official and black market rates converged as a result of the birr currency’s launch, market activity increased more slowly than anticipated, resulting in a sustained unmet demand for dollars.

According to the Fund, Ethiopia intends to agree with its bilateral creditors by the end of the year, and then “as soon as is feasible” with its Eurobond investors.

According to bondholders, the government was disregarding the fact that Ethiopia is dealing with a liquidity problem rather than an insolvency one when it suggested a haircut, or decrease in the principal amount, of 18% in a recent investor presentation.

“The authorities are making good faith efforts to agree terms with Eurobond holders,” the IMF said.

Between 2024 and 2029, Ethiopia’s national debt is expected to rise steadily by a total of 58.7 billion USD (+178.09%). The national debt is predicted to reach 91.7 billion USD in 2029, marking a new peak after ten years of continuous growth. Notably, throughout the previous few years, the national debt has been steadily rising.

Continue Reading

Musings From Abroad

Prince William visits South Africa, meets President Ramaphosa

Published

on

Following a nature walk in Table Mountain National Park with rangers and conservationists, Prince William of Britain, on his visit to South Africa, met with President Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town on Tuesday.

The Prince of Wales is in South Africa for four days to attend the annual Earthshot Prize awards event. In addition, he will attend a global wildlife meeting and participate in other climate-related events.

William and Ramaphosa were seen shaking hands and sharing pleasantries in video footage released by Ramaphosa’s office at the beginning of their meeting.

“The visit is indicative of the strong ties the United Kingdom, including the Royal Family, share with South Africa, and also another step towards the deepening of these historic ties,” South Africa’s presidency said in a statement.

According to the presidency, South Africa is happy to host this year’s Earthshot Prizes since it brings attention to the effects of environmental degradation and climate change in Africa.

Established in 2020, the prize seeks to identify technologies to address climate change and other environmental concerns. Five winners will get one million pounds ($1.3 million) apiece to support their projects.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Uncategorized4 hours ago

Dangote: Deregulation doesn’t excuse low-quality oil blends

In Nigeria, Dangote Petroleum Refinery has warned Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited and other oil marketers that the country’s national...

Politics4 hours ago

Equatorial Guinea bans sex in govt offices after tapes leak

Following the release of private recordings on social media that seemed to show a senior finance ministry official having sex...

VenturesNow4 hours ago

Ghanaian cocoa farmers stockpile beans ahead of price rise

According to industry sources cited by Reuters, cocoa farmers in Ghana, the world’s second-largest producer, are stockpiling beans in anticipation...

Musings From Abroad4 hours ago

After initial evaluation, IMF raises Ethiopia’s international reserves target

In order to make it easier to pay for future hard currency expenses, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) increased Ethiopia’s...

Politics4 hours ago

Chad threatens to leave international security force

Mahamat Idriss Deby, the temporary president of Chad, has threatened to withdraw the Central African nation from a multinational security...

Metro6 hours ago

President Tinubu congratulates Trump on US election victory

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has congratulated USA president-elect, Donald Trump, on his electoral victory after defeating vice president Kamala Harris...

Tech23 hours ago

Mastercard partners Diamond Trust Bank to boost digital payments in East Africa

Mastercard has struck a strategic partnership with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) to boost digital payments in East Africa with specific...

Uncategorized23 hours ago

Zimbabwe bans police from using mobile phones while on duty

The Zimbabwean government has banned members of its police force from using mobile phones while on duty. The ban, which...

Metro23 hours ago

Zambia’s ruling party UPND warns against personal attacks on President Hichilema

Zambia’s ruling party, the UPND, has warned opposition politicians and critics against personal attacks on President Hakainde Hichilema as his...

Sports1 day ago

Kenyan court jails killers of Ugandan Olympian Kiplagat for 35 years

A Kenyan court sitting in Nairobi on Tuesday sentenced two men, Peter Ushuru Khalumi, 30, and David Ekai Lokere, 25,...

Trending