Across Europe – The European Investment Bank (EIB) agreed during its board meeting in Brussels yesterday (Tuesday, 6 February 2018) to invest £1.3 billion into the Trans Adriatic Pipeline project, increasing future EU emissions. The loan is one of the largest spendings of public money in the history of the bank, and is meant to help complete the construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), crossing most of Southern Europe. TAP will traverse Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea before making a landfall on Italy’s southern shores. The planned pipeline is envisaged as the western leg of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) – Ecologist: Read More

Across the United Kingdom – The rapid growth of self-employment has been a pronounced feature of the UK labour market in recent years. The number of self-employed increased from 3.3 million people (12.0% of the labour force) in 2001 to 4.8 million (15.1% of the labour force) in 2017. Recent studies of this phenomenon have examined the characteristics of the self-employed (for example, Amankwah and Wales (2016), Tomlinson and Corlett (2017)) but have largely sidestepped the income of the self-employed – ONS.gov.uk: Read More & Download 26 page PDF Report

Africa – Across Nigeria – The Republic of Niger has received a loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for financing of the Trans-Saharan Optic Fiber Project (DTS) – Niger Component – La République du Niger a reçu de la Banque africaine de développement (BAD) un prêt en vue du financement du Projet Dorsale Transsaharienne à fibre optique (DTS) – Composante Niger.
L’objectif global du projet est de contribuer à la diversification de l’économie nigérienne en favorisant l’émergence d’une économie numérique à travers le désenclavement numérique. L’objectif spécifique du projet est de faciliter l’accès des populations, des administrations et des entreprises à des services de télécommunications/TIC de qualité, fiables et au moindre coût – ADB: Read More in French

Africa – Across South Africa – South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly those owned by women, have received a major boost after the International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced new financing of R1,2 billion (US$100 million) to support First National Bank’s (FNB’s) lending. The financing falls under the IFC SME Push Programe, hailed as a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder initiative that intends to promote lending and strengthen support for SMEs by the formal banking sector – CAJ News: Read More

Around the Globe – At its first meeting of 2018 the Board of the European Investment Bank on 6 February approved a total of €6.5 billion of new financing for 36 projects in 17 European Union countries and schemes in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Luxembourg meeting of the EIB’s 28 EU member state shareholders and the European Commission followed a day of discussions between Board members and representatives of more than 90 different civil society organizations. The Board approved the EIB’s Strategy for Diversity and Inclusion that sets out priorities and targets for ensuring that the EIB itself better reflects society – EU Reporter: Read More

Asia – Across Viet Nam – Basic Infrastructure for Inclusive Growth in the Northeastern Provinces Sector Project: Procurement Plan – Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Agricultural production – Rural market infrastructure – Rural water supply services. The proposed project will (i) rehabilitate and upgrade about 265 kilometers of roads in the four northeastern provinces (NEPs); (ii) install 10 rural domestic water supply (RDWS) schemes; (iii) provide infrastructure support for agricultural and rural value chains (ARVC) in Lang Son; and (iv) strengthen provincial infrastructure asset management – ADB: Read More

Asia – Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan & Afghanistan – Direct work on the construction of a high-voltage regional power transmission line CASA-1000 is planned to be launched this year. This line is supposed to supply Tajik and Kyrgyz electricity to Pakistan and Afghanistan, the press service of the Tajik Ministry of Energy and Water Resources reported. The Energy Ministry noted that at the first stage it is planned to begin construction of converter substations in Tajikistan and Pakistan. “On the territory of Tajikistan, a converter station with a capacity of 1300 mW will be built in Sangtuda – Azer News: Read More

Australia – Westbury, Northern Tasmania – Australian feed company, Ridley Corporation, says the construction of its new aqua feed mill in Westbury, northern Tasmania is finally underway, Danish fish feed group, BioMar, is also building a new aqua feed production factory in northern Tasmania. The construction on the plant in the Wesley Vale will begin mid-2018. “We expect to be on stream Q4 2019,” a spokesperson told us in December last year. – Feed Navigator: Read More

USA – Hutchinson County, SD – After running into roadblocks, the Hutchinson County Commission is moving forward with plans for a new courthouse — but at none of the previously considered sites. The new building will replace the 1881 facility, the state’s oldest courthouse still in use. The building received additions in 1888, 1934, 1967 and 1975. The middle section, which includes the courtroom, contains two stories. The east and west wings contain one story. The plans for the new courthouse call for a 22,000-square-foot facility, all on one level. The project would cost an estimated $4.5 million, depending on bids – Yanktown Daily: Read More

USA –  North Providence, RI – A revised plan to build homes behind the Wine & Cheese Restaurant will go back before officials next Wednesday, Feb. 14. The North Providence Planning Board will consider a master plan application for five two-family homes on 2.76 acres of property at 1863 Smith St. The proposal, continued from a January meeting, will be considered starting at 6 p.m. in Town Hall, 2000 Smith St. Developer Armand Cortellesso and Country View Holdings are bringing the latest proposal for the property. Earlier versions of the plan caused plenty of controversy in the neighborhood, which is also home to the town’s senior center and a busy commercial district – The Valley Breeze: Read More

 USA – Tennessee, Texas & Nebraska – As if Americans didn’t have enough chicken on the menu already, production of the nation’s most-popular meat is headed for the biggest growth spurt in more than a decade. Companies including Tyson Foods Inc. and Sanderson Farms Inc. are leading an industry expansion with new processing plants from Tennessee to Texas, fueled by years of profit gains from cheap feed grain and record demand. Even retailer Costco Wholesale Corp. is getting into the act, building its first-ever poultry plant in Nebraska – Bloomberg Markets: Read More