Mozambique

Higher input costs and a strong rand led to a 63 percent drop in ArcelorMittal South Africa's first-half profit and the steelmaker forecast a difficult third quarter on Wednesday, sending its shares to a 28-month low.

The killing of rhinoceroses has reached epidemic levels in South Africa, which is home to about 90 percent of the global rhino population.

The first lady is in South Africa with her daughters.

A new World Bank strategy for Africa unveiled on Wednesday focuses on creating jobs and making economies more competitive, while also tackling problems of climate change, disease, food shortages and conflict.

Mozambique's Nacala Development Corridor (CDN) plans to invest $200 million to upgrade its port at Nacala and raise capacity to 16 million tonnes of cargo in 2030 from 1.5 million tonnes, a CDN official said on Wednesday.

Tata Steel, the world's No. 7 steelmaker, has raised its stake in Riversdale Mining to more than 27 percent, making it harder for miner Rio Tinto to seal its $3.9 billion bid for the Mozambique-focused coal miner.

Mozambique will solicit bids for oil and gas exploration from international firms within the next two years, a senior government official said on Friday.

African farmland investment has the potential to match the exponential growth of Brazil's agricultural industry, the head of business development at privately owned agricultural operator Quifel said.

Zimbabwe is an important ally to China and Beijing will seek to further strengthen ties, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said of a country isolated by the West under President Robert Mugabe's rule.

U.S. oil and gas firm Anadarko Petroleum Corp said on Monday it had made its fourth natural gas discovery in the Rovuma Basin, the latest in a string of major deepwater natural gas discoveries off the coast of Mozambique.

Kenya's biggest sugar miller, Mumias Sugar Company on Monday forecast it could earn 2 billion shillings from a new ethanol distillation plant once it is in production next year.

Mozambique's Ports Development Company (MPDC) said on Tuesday it would increase the handling capacity of its Maputo port to 12 million tonnes this year from 8.7 million in 2010 to take more coal from South Africa.

Flooding in South Africa has killed more than 100 people over the last month, saturating farms in the major food producer for the continent and leading the government to declare 33 municipalities disaster areas.

Floods have killed or left missing at least 40 people in South Africa and wrecked thousands of homes in neighbouring Mozambique, officials said on Monday.

Google has refreshed its Translate for Android with few interesting changes to help the users.

Food prices will continue to haunt the world in 2011, even as the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization warned of 'food price shock' on Wednesday.

Australia's relief over the years of drought being finally broken by rain in December was short-lived as its states now brace for flooding which the government has described as biblical.