Zambia’s state-run power company, Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (Zesco), is hiking prices by 75%.
A 50% rise has already happened, and in September a further 25% increase is planned.
The government’s argument is that it will make the sector attractive for investment and create up to a million jobs. But it is also having a devastating effect on certain parts of the economy – in particular, poultry farmers.
Many people are convinced their babies, toddlers and children can make it in the modelling industry. and child model agencies all over the world receive tens of thousands of applications every week.
But do their bundles of joy make bundles of cash?
Africa Business Report went along to a child modelling agency in Johannesburg, South Africa, to find out more.
The HSE said two of the workers involved in the incident were exposed to the chemical and suffered coughing and breathing difficulties. They were sent to hospital and discharged the next day.
It said the release of benzole could have caused serious injury or death had it been ignited.
HSE inspector Stephen Hargreaves said: “It was extremely fortunate no one was seriously affected by this incident. Had the flammable vapour cloud ignited this could have resulted in multiple fatalities.
“This incident highlights the need for all duty holders to implement and address all concerns and potential risks which have been identified.
“Tata’s failure to do so in this case put a number of workers at risk of serious harm.”
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The millennial generation spends an estimated $200bn a year on travel
Clint Johnston can’t speak on the phone when we first try because the service is patchy as he travels from Montenegro to Bosnia.
The next week it’s hard to connect because he’s sailing in Croatia.
It’s a pretty typical schedule for the 33-year-old who founded website Triphackr, a travel company built for the millennial generation.
“Like their parents, millennials love to travel, but they are looking to experience travel in a different way,” says Mr Johnston.
The site mixes “travel hacks” like how to get cash back for delayed flights, with Instagram “trip-spiration”.
Image copyright Triphackr
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Clint Johnston spends his life travelling
Tie-ups with companies and tourism agencies have elevated the business from side-project to full-time job. It now earns up to $15,000 (£11,353) a month.
Johnston is one of a slew of digital media influencers reshaping the millennial tourism market.
The age group – loosely defined as those born from the early 1980’s to 2000 – spends around $200bn (£153bn) on travel each year, according to market research firm FutureCast.
And overall, they have more cash to splash than any previous generation, with around $6tn in disposable income, according to market research firm Asia Insight.
Often cast as fickle and self-absorbed, the generation has been criticised for burning their money on lifestyle perks like avocado toast rather than saving to buy a house, but that tendency to spend is good news for tourism.
And a growing number of travel firms are trying to get a slice of the market.
Image copyright Triphackr
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People of all ages would likely enjoy a luxury holiday on a tropical island
All around holiday firms are touching up their brands with millennial buzz words – connected, experiential, authentic – in the hope of snaring younger customers.
Accommodation providers are concentrating on shared spaces, faster internet and high-tech toys.
Serviced apartment operator Frasers Hospitality said iPad-activated check-ins, and laundrettes fitted with video game consoles, are helping lure travellers to its millennial-focused Capri by Fraser hotels.
Meanwhile, Aloft Hotels has attempted an emoji-based room service trial, and a robot butler service .
And soon millennials will get their own airline.
Image copyright Air France
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Joon’s electric blue uniforms symbolise the airline’s dynamic attitude, Air France say.
It’s called Joon and is due to hit the skies later this year. The carrier will serve the needs of 18 to 35-year-olds, though exactly how it will do so isn’t clear.
Owner Air France has revealed snazzy blue crew uniforms and said it won’t be a budget airline. It describes Joon as a “lifestyle brand” and a “permanent innovation laboratory” for its customers.
Joon, it says, is a “state of mind.”
Is that enough to hook the discerning millennial traveller? #Probably not.
Katrina Leung, executive director of travel trade group ITB Asia, believes Joon’s pitch won’t cut it with younger consumers.
For it to take off, Joon needs to deliver more of what they want.
“If it focuses on more perks and the ambiance as a whole, partners with key hip hotels or works with local guides, those things might help attract millennials,” she says.
Image copyright Triphackr
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Pacific Asia Travel Association says that millenial travellers want to live like locals
A survey by the Pacific Asia Travel Association found that 85% of Asian millennials wanted to “live like a local” while on holiday. Food was also priority when visiting a new destination.
They also travel more than older people. When millennials hit the road they want unique experiences, as well as cultural and authentic encounters.
Along the way millennials will share their experiences on social media and rely heavily on user reviews to make travel decisions. Brand loyalty is typically low.
Tapping into these desires and habits, says Ms Leung, is crucial to securing younger traveller.
Image copyright Getty Images
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Milliennials are said to want to “experience travel in a different way”
Like their holidays, millennials want authenticity when it comes to brands.
Jeff Fromm, partner at Barkley ad agency, says companies make some common mistakes in their pitches to young consumers, including trying to act like millennials and not making good on promises.
“Millennials can spot a phony, so brands must offer proof on any claims.” he says. “When brands try to be something they aren’t, they get caught.”
And that’s where influencers and websites like Triphackr can play a role.
Mr Johnston said the community he can reach through social media offers “more value than any traditional marketing campaign”.
“I have made friends all over the world through Instagram and the community is one of the best on any social network,” he says.
“When someone asks me to help plan their next trip I am only a comment or email away. “
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Knotweed can grow at a rate of 10cm per day in the summer
Two centuries ago, when Victorian engineers were designing the latest in transport technology, Japanese knotweed sounded like a very clever idea.
A plant that typically colonised volcanoes in Japan was imported to Britain to help hide, or possibly even stabilise, railway embankments.
Since then its spread has caused much unhappiness amongst home-owners and prospective house purchasers.
It can crack tarmac, block drains, undermine foundations and invade homes. Its presence can be enough to cut a property’s value by up to 20%, or prevent a mortgage lender approving a loan.
But just as new technology created the problem originally, new technology may help to solve it.
How close is it to me?
Five years ago, the Environment Agency commissioned a new app to track Japanese knotweed, using the crowd-sourcing principle.
More than 20,000 people have now downloaded it, and their data has pin-pointed over 6,000 knotweed locations.
“If we can get more people taking an interest and submitting records, so much the better,” says Dave Kilbey, director of Natural Apptitude, which designed and launched the app.
“Hopefully it will mean people will become a bit more aware of the problems, and what to look for.”
So far the results show a particular concentration of knotweed in South Wales, the Midlands, London, Scotland’s central belt and Cornwall – where the plant was also introduced by Victorians into ornamental gardens.
Those looking for a property can use the app to find out if knotweed has been found nearby – but the fact it is not on the map does not mean it is not present; it is simply that no one has reported it.
Get PlantTracker app: IoS phones here; Android phones here
How to recognise Japanese knotweed
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The plant was first imported to the UK in the 19th century
Dense thickets of green, purple-speckled, bamboo-like stems up to three meters tall
Heart or shield-shaped leaves
Alternate leafing pattern along stems
Completely hollow stems that can be snapped easily
Tiny creamy white flowers August to October
Rivers and canals
The data provided by the PlantTracker app is also added to the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) atlas, which aims to track the whereabouts of all the UK’s plants and animals, from bee orchids to goshawks.
Even though it has only been available to the public since April, and is not yet fully functional, the atlas has further information about Japanese knotweed locations.
The map shows more than 43,000 historical records for the plant, going back to 1900.
But Purba Choudhury, communications officer for the NBN, says that if there are no records in your area, that doesn’t guarantee its absence.
“Conversely, the record you are seeing might be an old record, and the Japanese knotweed might have been removed since the record was uploaded,” she says.
Image copyright NBN atlas
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Certain areas of the UK are worst affected, such as South Wales
The South Wales section of the NBN map (above) shows how knotweed spreads along the course of rivers and canals.
In such locations tiny fragments of knotweed float downstream, and quickly establish themselves elsewhere.
What if I find knotweed?
Trying to destroy Japanese knotweed by yourself is virtually impossible.
That is because the roots, or rhizomes, spread rapidly underground, and can regenerate from tiny amounts of material. In fact it can grow at the rate of 10cm a day during the summer.
“Digging it out of the ground can just spread it terribly,” warns Stephen Hodgson, the chief executive of the Property Care Association (PCA).
“If you’ve got it in your garden, either leave it alone, or treat it properly.”
Image copyright Japanese Knotweed Control
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Injection with glyphosate is the most effective treatment
The advice is as follows:
Do not try to dig it up: Tiny root fragments can regenerate into another plant
If you cut down the branches, dispose of them on-site. Compost separately, preferably on plastic sheets
Do not take it to your local council dump. It needs specialist waste management
Do not dispose of it in the countryside. This is against the law
Do not spread the soil. Earth within seven horizontal meters of a plant can be contaminated
Take advice from the Invasive Non-Native Specialists Association (INNSA) or the Property Care Association (PCA) on local removal contractors. Many treatments don’t work
Image copyright Dave Kilbey
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The plant can dominate roadsides
In an experiment being conducted in South Wales, thousands of plant lice were released last summer, in the hopes that they would help destroy some of the knotweed along river banks.
But otherwise the accepted best-practice treatment is for professionals to inject the plant with industrial-strength weed killer glyphosate.
David Layland, the joint managing director of Japanese Knotweed Control, based in Stockport, says it is the only thing that works.
“Once we inject into it, it transfers into the root system pretty quickly, and then it binds with the roots. Over time, it rots away into the subsoil.”
But professional treatment is costly, starting at about £2,500, and going upwards to £30,000 for a major infestation.
Court case
Just as big a worry for many home-owners is the discovery that your neighbour has Japanese knotweed on his or her property, and refuses to do anything about it.
Image copyright Dave Kilbey
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Knotweed flowers between August and October
But under the 2014 Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, local councils or police forces can now issue a Community Protection Notice (CPN), forcing neighbours to take action, and fining them if they don’t.
“I think when they are enforced – and they are starting to be enforced – CPNs are very effective,” says Stephen Hodgson.
“But they are, and should be, a measure of last resort.”
In the meantime judges at the Court of Appeal are gearing up to provide an important precedent on who should pay if a landowner allows knotweed to encroach on somebody else’s property.
Next year they will rule on the case of Williams v Network Rail – after two homeowners in South Wales were awarded £15,000 to compensate them for knotweed which had spread into their gardens.
The US dollar, long a symbol of American economic might, has fallen steadily this year.
The value of the dollar index, which tracks the dollar against six major global currencies, has fallen about 10% since January.
It pushed lower on Friday, even as demand for other safe-haven assets – typically a category that includes the US dollar – rose amid sabre-rattling between the US and North Korea.
The dollar, which surged in 2014 as the US economy gained strength, is hardly in danger territory. The index is running just a bit lower than it was a year ago.
But key US economic data was weaker last year. So what’s behind this year’s decline?
Things are looking up in Europe.
In some ways, this is a good news story, driven by a better economy in Europe.
The euro lost ground against the dollar in 2014, when central bankers adopted a stimulus program, while the US started to move away from stimulus policies.
Now, as the Eurozone economy improves and the European Central Bank eyes an end to the stimulus, the currencies are starting to move closer together. The election of pro-EU Emmanuel Macron in France in June contributed to confidence in the Euro.
The Euro‘s gain is the dollar’s loss. A Euro is now worth more than $1.17, up more than 10 cents since the end of last year.
Investors are reacting to political turmoil in America.
But this isn’t just a European story.
The dollar has lost ground against many other currencies, including the Japanese Yen, the Mexican peso and the Swedish Krona. Even the British pound, which plunged after the Brexit vote, has regained some of its power against the dollar in recent months. (It’s now valued at about $1.30, up from $1.22 in March.)
“This type of broad based decline shows you that it’s really people moving away from the dollar, rather than just moving towards these other currencies,” says Sameer Samana, a global quantitative and technical strategist at Wells Fargo based in St. Louis, Missouri.
One reason? Donald Trump.
Image copyright Getty Images
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The fall in the dollar reverses gains that occurred after Mr Trump’s election
Analysts trace the dollar’s surge in the final months of 2016 to his win, which fuelled expectations of tax cuts or infrastructure investment – spending expected to drive demand for the dollar.
Now they say the retreat shows traders recalculating, as Mr Trump’s economic agenda stalls.
An ongoing investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign has cast a shadow over his administration. And alarm over Mr Trump’s erratic statements and foreign policy clashes – including with North Korea this week – has also increased.
“If people feel like there’s greater political uncertainty … they kind of vote with their dollar,” says Mr Samana says.
Expectations about interest rates and the US economy also play a role.
Rising interest rates are traditionally linked to stronger currencies, since higher rates attract investment.
The US central bank has raised interest rates four times since December 2015, and conventional wisdom calls for another in December. But Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said recently that even supposing future hikes, interest rates are likely to remain historically low for some time.
Her caution in part reflects American economic growth that remains humdrum, with inflation and wage growth lagging.
“What’s going on now is an expectation that the Fed will continue to be relatively loose in its monetary policy, while the [European Central Bank] starts to tighten,” says Jeffry Frieden, a professor of government at Harvard University and the author of “Currency Politics”. “That is roughly analogous to saying there are expectations that the US will not grow as rapidly as anticipated.”
How serious is this ‘uncertainty’?
It’s tough to know where the dollar is headed next, since at the moment it’s neither strongly over- or under-valued, says Jeffrey Frankel, a professor of economics at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Richard Marston, a professor of finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School, says he doesn’t read too much into the decline, pointing to US stocks over the same period, which soared to new records.
“It’s not a question of confidence in the US and the US government because that would also affect the equity markets,” he says.
Image copyright Getty Images
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Janet Yellen is sworn in as Fed Chair in 2014. Her term ends in February
But Mr Frieden says he thinks there is a risk of a free-fall, given disarray in Washington and uncertainty about the Federal Reserve. Ms Yellen’s term ends in February and it’s not clear whom Mr Trump will name to replace her.
“If [the dollar] started really declining in a continual way that seems not to be just random or small fluctuations … that would indicate a real loss of confidence in the US economy, a real loss of confidence in the US government,” says Mr Frieden.
“That would be a very bad thing and that would be something that the government had to respond to.”
So is this all bad news for America?
Mr Frankel says he used to predict the dollar would lose its status as an international currency, because of rising national debt and other factors.
But that forecast was confounded when investors flocked to the dollar during the economic turmoil of 2008 – even though America was the source of many of the problems.
“I finally stopped making that prediction and I’m not ready to switch back,” he says. “I think the dollar is still – in some ways even more so – the number one international currency.”
Mr Trump isn’t worried either. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr Trump said he liked a dollar that’s “not too strong”.
“Frankly, other than the fact that it sounds good, lots of bad things happen with a strong dollar,” he said.
It’s a trade-off between consumers and producers.
As an official presidential position, it was a radical statement, since for US consumers – who buy a lot from overseas – a weaker dollar means reduced spending power. The same is true for US manufacturers who rely on parts produced abroad.
“The weaker the dollar is, the poorer Americans are on average,” says Mr Frieden. “That’s not just rhetoric. That’s the reality.”
But Mr Trump’s pro-business administration has focused on reinvigorating US manufacturing and exports, which become cheaper and therefore more competitive globally if the dollar weakens.
Image copyright Getty Images
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US manufacturers gain competitiveness from a weaker dollar
US firms with global operations also get a boost to their bottom line, as the business overseas becomes more valuable. (That effect contributed to the stock market’s rise this year.)
Eventually, economic theory predicts a cycle, as more expensive foreign goods increase prices and inflation in the US, prompting the Fed to raise rates – which ultimately boosts the dollar.
“As a tourist, of course I want the dollar to be as strong as possible,” says Mr Marston. “As someone who watches the American economy, it’s good news.”
Prices in the US rose by less than expected last month, as inflation in the economy remained tame.
The Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) inched up 0.1% last month, only a slight improvement on a stagnant June figure.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 0.2% month-on-month increase.
The dollar fell on the inflation data, as markets felt it made the prospects of further rate rises less likely.
The annual rate of inflation rose to 1.7%, up from 1.6% in June.
Rising medical care costs, housing and food pulled the CPI up in July, after no change in June and May’s 0.1% dip.
Prices for meat had their largest one-month gain in almost three years, adding 1%. Prescription drug prices rose 1.3% in July after increasing 1% in the prior month.
The US Federal Reserve has a 2% inflation target for the world’s largest economy, although the measure that it tracks is currently at 1.5%.
The Fed has raised interest rates twice this year, and there is speculation that the bank will lift rates again before the end of 2017.
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Amazon says its sales of boxed wine in June and July are up 212% year-on-year in the UK
Supermarkets have reported a surge in sales of bag-in-box wine. Is its popularity back for good?
It has long been regarded as a cheaper – and not necessarily nicer – alternative to bottled wine.
But it seems bag-in-box vino is gradually shedding its image as cheap plonk and becoming the drink of choice for many, according to the latest sales figures.
The packaging – developed by Australian winemaker Tom Angove in the 1960s – consists of a plastic bladder encased in a cardboard box. The drink is poured from a plastic tap.
Amazon began selling boxed wine in 2015. It says sales in June and July are up 212% year-on-year in the UK.
Waitrose has recorded a 15% increase, while Sainsbury’s sales of its own label bag-in-box wines are up nearly 10% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, sales of boxed wines at Asda are up 4.83% on last year.
‘Pleasantly surprised’
Susy Atkins, wine columnist for the Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine, says bag-in-box wine is experiencing a surge in popularity because it is convenient and easy to transport.
“If I was heading to a festival, I would go for a bag in box rather than carrying bottles,” she says.
“There are so many more outdoor events now – if not a rock festival, an outdoor cinema.
“There are good options. They won’t knock your socks off, but there are viable options.”
She says bag-in-box wine may also suit those who are just drinking a glass or two and want to keep their wine fresh.
Plus, the quality of cheap wine has improved, she says.
But she warns: “Most wines are palatable – it doesn’t mean I am recommending it.”
Image copyright Getty Images
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Boxed wine has a lower carbon footprint than bottled wine, businesswoman Kirsty Tinkler says
Weino BIB founder Kirsty Tinkler, who ran pop-up bar BIB Tap Room in east London in 2015 and 2016, says the attitude towards boxed wine has changed “unbelievably quickly” in the space of two years.
It has earned a “cool status”, she says.
“I think what has changed is the number of quality wine producers is starting to go to this format. It is not just mass produced.
“People are pleasantly surprised.”
She says boxed wine has a lower carbon footprint compared to bottled wine. It’s also cheaper to manufacture, and to transport.
Sebastian O’Keefe – beer, wine and spirits store manager for Amazon – says bag-in-box wine increases in popularity over the summer months, because it can easily be transported to a picnic.
He says drinkers are “shrugging off” the preconceptions of boxed wine and embracing the environmental benefits of switching from glass bottles.
Waitrose – which is about to launch a selection of premium bag-in-box wine – says shoppers are looking for “practical and environmental alternatives to glass bottles”.
Indeed, bag-in-box wine can stay fresh in the fridge for four to six weeks.
Perhaps it’s time to open the tap, and give it a try.
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Wilko has more than 400 stores across the UK, including this one in Oakham
High-street retailer Wilko has begun a redundancy consultation with nearly 4,000 staff members as it reorganises its business.
Up to 1,000 senior supervisor roles and a “significant amount” of customer service posts will be created under the plans, the firm said.
The chain, whose headquarters is in Worksop, saw pre-tax profits fall 80% to £5.1m, in the year up to 28 January.
The GMB trade union is also being consulted over the changes.
The firm, which sells homeware and household goods, has more than 400 stores across the UK.
‘Not positive results’
Retail director Anthony Houghton said the changes would help it “stay relevant” to customers.
He added like-for-like sales had increased “despite the challenging retail landscape”, but said this was “not translating into positive results”.
Wilko’s move comes in the wake of other retailers also reviewing their practices.
Earlier this year, Tesco said it would cut 1,200 jobs at its headquarters, with 1,000 jobs also believed to be at risk at fellow supermarket giants Asda and Sainsbury’s.
The UK’s stock market ended the week down 1.1% as worries over the situation between the US and North Korea continue to rattle investors.
On Friday, Donald Trump said the US military was “locked and loaded” to deal with North Korea,
By the close of trading, the FTSE 100 was down 84.46 points, or 1.1%, to 7,305.48, having dropped 1.4% on Thursday.
US markets held steady in trade on Friday, with the Dow Jones up 0.2%.
On the London stock market, mining shares saw the biggest falls as many metal prices were hit by the geopolitical concerns. Shares in Glencore, Rio Tinto and Anglo American were all down by between 2.8% and 3.1%.
Housebuilders Persimmon and Barratt Developments were among the biggest gainers of the day, up 1.58% and 1.02% respectively.
“The FTSE has carried on where it left off on Thursday, with yet another day of risk-off sentiment seeing investors shift out of equities,” said Joshua Mahony, market analyst at IG.
“The UK headline index has crashed to the lowest level since late June, in a week which has turned from mundane to insane.
“For a week that has been largely devoid of major economic releases, Donald Trump’s confrontational stance with North Korea has raised volatility across the board.”
Gold – generally regarded as a safer asset in times of uncertainty – hit its highest price for more than two months on Friday, touching $1,288.97 an ounce at one point.
On the currency markets, the pound was up 0.03% against the dollar at $1.2981 but down 0.23% against the euro at 1.0999 euros.
