By Qin Ruijie, People’s Daily In the village of Hongya in Longde county, Guyuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region, a bonfire crackled merrily on a lively night. Young people and children gathered around the fire, mustering their courage to run, jump, and leap over the flame, welcoming the arrival of spring. “Liaogan” is a folk custom in northwest China, said Yang Guoquan, a resident in the village, adding that jumping over the bonfire symbolizes warding off illness and disasters. “Once the Liaogan Festival is over, spring will arrive,” Yang said. “The best Liaogan activities in Guyuan are in our…
Author: NBM CORRESPONDENT
KCB Group has agreed to sell 100% of its struggling subsidiary, National Bank of Kenya Limited (NBK), to Nigeria’s Access Bank subject to regulatory approvals. The deal is currently awaiting regulatory clearance from the Central Bank of Kenya, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the COMESA Competition Commission, and notifications to other relevant regulatory bodies. “This transaction represents what we believe is a great opportunity to maximize value for our shareholders while strengthening the competitive position for the Group,” KCB Group chief executive Paul Russo said. “The past four years have been defining for NBK as a KCB Group subsidiary and…
KCB Group has reported 8% drop in net profit to Sh37.5 billion for the year ending December 2023, compared to the preceding year. The decline, which represents a fall of Sh3.3 billion from the Sh40.8 billion in 2022, is attributed to costs escalation and depreciation of the Kenyan shilling. “Provisions increased by 154.7% from the downgraded facilities in Kenya and additional provisions on foreign currency facilities from the depreciating Kenya Shilling against hard currencies,” the bank said in a statement. Despite the decline in profit, the group’s total assets hit Sh2.17 trillion, representing a 40% jump, boosted by growth in…
By Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus If our planet were a patient, it would be admitted to intensive care. Its vital signs are alarming. It is running a fever, with each of the last nine months the hottest on record, as we hurtle towards the 1.5 degree threshold. Its lung capacity is compromised, with the destruction of forests that absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. And many of the earth’s water sources – its lifeblood – are contaminated. Most concerning of all, its condition is deteriorating rapidly. Is it any wonder, then, that human health is suffering, when the health of the…
M-Pesa, Safaricom and Equity Bank have been ranked as the top most loved brands by women in Kenya in 2024, as per the fourth edition of The Top 100 Most Loved Brands by Women in Kenya report.
This collaboration, part of commemorating this year’s World Oral Health Day on March 20, aims to extend oral health care education to over 400,000 Kenyans by the end of the year.
The Facebook President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, at a meeting with President William Ruto at State House Nairobi on Monday, March 18, said that Kenyan digital content creators will now be able to monetise their content on Facebook and Instagram, as from June, 2024. This will revolutionise digital creation in the country. However, to be eligible for monetization, a creator must have at least 5,000 followers, be over 18 years old, have at least 5 active videos on their Facebook pages, and have accumulated 60,000 minutes of video views in the past 60 days, including live videos. “Kenyan content…
The STB is a practical and integrated talent cultivation model that China Agricultural University began exploring in 2009.
By Bonface Orucho An upsurge in demand for horticultural products across global markets, particularly in Europe, spurred a significant increase in agricultural export revenues for several African countries last year. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), reported via his blog that South Africa’s agricultural exports surged to a record US$13.2 billion in 2023, a 3% increase from the previous year. “The products that dominated the export list were citrus, maize, apples, pears, nuts, wine, soya beans, sugar, wool, grapes, berries, avocados and fruit juices,” Sihlobo explained. Fruits and wine were key exports to…
The restrictions are prompted by the 12th package of EU sanctions against Russia dated December 19, 2023 Microsoft and Amazon will suspend access to their cloud products in Russia from March 20, Russian company, Softline, said. The company notes that it has received this information from Microsoft and Amazon. “For Russian companies, this means that it will be impossible to use these products or access the data contained in them from March 20, 2024,” it said. Elena Volotovskaya, Vice President for Investments at Softline, also published a letter from Microsoft on her Telegram channel. As the Russian company warned, due…