Virus crisis piles pressure on African media

14 Sept 21:43 Key points summarised by AI

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a severe financial crisis for African media, leading to widespread job losses, wage cuts, and collapsing revenues from advertising and sales across countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda.
Media outlets face significant operational hurdles due to lockdowns, poor infrastructure for remote work, and increased costs for protective equipment, further compounded by harassment of journalists by security forces.
While some governments offer financial aid, there are strong concerns that such assistance could compromise media independence and increase political interference in a sector already vulnerable to hostile authorities.
Governments are also using the crisis to tighten control, introducing laws against "disinformation" that risk muzzling critical reporting and mandating the broadcast of official propaganda, as seen in countries like South Africa and Madagascar.

New home loan scheme aims to boost property sector with Bt125 billion

Yesterday 11:38 Key points summarised by AI

The Cabinet approved a new Bt50-billion 'A House for Each PLUS' home loan scheme from the Government Housing Bank, offering up to Bt3 million with 40-year repayment terms for low- and middle-income earners.
This initiative aims to significantly boost the property sector and national economy, projecting to generate Bt125 billion in economic activity and create jobs.