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☆ How moving from the US to Costa Rica’s ‘blue zone’ transformed this family’s life forever
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

They initially mulled over relocating to four potential destinations – Ghana, Sweden, Mexico, and of course, Costa Rica. There’s something energetic about being in Costa Rica.”‘Serendipitous’ move"There’s something energetic about being in Costa Rica," says Ward-Hopper. The community really looked out for each other.”New additionTheir son Nicolai was born in Costa Rica in 2020. “So for us it is more affordable, it’s getting more expensive as more people move to Costa Rica. “I guess we’re more nomadic than stationary, but Costa Rica feels like home.”

Persons: Kema, Hopper, Nicholas Hopper, Aaralyn, ”, “, I’d, Hurricane Harvey, Houston, Ward, they’d, we’ve, Nicolai, ” “, it’s, she’s, “ I’m, Costa, Costa Rica Organizations: CNN, Central American, CNN Travel, Loma Locations: Costa Rica, Houston , Texas, Houston, Ghana, Sweden, Mexico, “ Costa Rica, – Costa Rica, ”, Pueblo Nuevo, California, Sardinia, Okinawa, Nicoya, Costa Rican, Latin America, Colombia, Brazil, Costa

☆ Drone startup Zipline hits 1 million deliveries, looks to restaurants as it continues to grow
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Kate Rogers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Autonomous delivery drone startup Zipline said Friday that it hit its 1 millionth delivery to customers and that it's eyeing restaurant partnerships in its next phase of growth. The San Francisco-based startup designs, builds and operates autonomous delivery drones, working with clients that range from more than 4,700 hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic to major brands such as Walmart and GNC. The company said its zero-emission drones have now flown more than 70 million autonomous commercial miles across four continents and delivered more than 10 million products. The push into restaurant partnerships marks an "obvious transition" he said, due to the continuing growth in interest in instant food delivery. Zipline deliveries for some Panera locations in Seattle are expected to begin next year, the Panera franchisee's chief operating officer Ron Bellamy told CNBC.

Persons: It's, Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, Rinaudo Cliffton, Ron Bellamy, I'm, Bellamy Organizations: Cleveland Clinic, Walmart, Sequoia Capital, a16z, Google Ventures, CNBC, Memorial Hermann Health Locations: San Francisco, Ghana, Seattle, Houston, Detroit

☆ I planned on confronting my absent father about his parenting. But when I asked to hear his side, I learned a powerful lesson.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Justin Jones-Fosu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

My father was absent throughout most of my life, so I went to Ghana to confront him about it. AdvertisementA few years ago, I visited my father in Ghana and asked to hear his story about why he was an absent parent. My father told me about his journey with his dad, his custody struggles, and the interpersonal conflicts between him and my mother. I also asked my father to share his experiences growing upMy father grew up in Ghana, and his own father was only a kid at the time. We hugged, and my father told me he was proud of me, which I never heard growing up.

Persons: —, I'd, Justin Organizations: Service, Finland —, quicken Locations: Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Finland, defensiveness

☆ This solo traveler drove from London to Lagos in a Peugeot 107
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —On January 24, content creator Pelumi Nubi, who grew up in London, set off on a solo drive from the UK capital to Lagos, Nigeria in her beloved purple Peugeot 107. In order to ensure that her vehicle would be suitable for the 10,000-kilometer journey, Nubi had it specially modified, adding a bed and a kitchen facility inside. However, the journey wasn’t without its challenges, some more serious than others. Bigger pictureNubi, seen in Kenya before undertaking her London to Lagos challenge, hopes that her travels will inspire us to pursue their dreams. While she believes that she’s now the first Black solo female traveler to have driven from London to Lagos, Nubi isn’t hugely interested in such titles and says that this was never her goal.

Persons: Pelumi Nubi, “ It’s, ”, Nubi, Omololu Olurinde, Kunle, she’d, Omololu, I’ve, ‘ Lumi, “ She’s, she’s, “, it’s, ” Nubi, It’s, Lumi, Nubi isn’t Organizations: CNN, Sunday, Peugeot, Osprey Locations: London, Lagos, Nigeria, France, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Nigerian, West Africa, Namibia, Ghana, Lake Como, Italy, Spain, Paris, Mauritania, ”, Gambia, Guinea, Bissau, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Kenya, Yamoussoukro, South Africa

☆ Ugandan Court Upholds Draconian Anti-Gay Law
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Uganda’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday largely upheld a sweeping anti-gay law that President Yoweri Museveni signed last year, undermining the efforts of activists and rights groups to abolish legislation that drew worldwide condemnation and strained the East African nation’s relationship with the West. The legislation, which was signed into law by Mr. Museveni in May, calls for life imprisonment for anyone who engages in gay sex. But the law was popular in Uganda, a landlocked nation of over 48 million people, where religious and political leaders frequently inveigh against homosexuality. The fallout for Uganda will be watched closely in other African countries where anti-gay sentiment is on the rise and anti-gay legislation is under consideration, including Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania and South Sudan. In February, Ghana’s Parliament passed an anti-gay law, but the country’s president said that he would not sign it until the Supreme Court ruled on its constitutionality.

Persons: Yoweri Museveni, Museveni Organizations: East, West, World Bank Locations: Uganda’s, Uganda, United States, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, South Sudan, Ghana’s

☆ Stonebwoy draws inspiration from Bob Marley at Tuff Gong Studios to unite the Black diaspora
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Lauren Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The session was the Ghanaian’s first visit to Bob Marley’s iconic Tuff Gong Studio. I feel like I’m surrounded by the spirits of those who built here.”“Once upon a time, Bob Marley was probably sitting in the same spot that I am sitting in,” he added. Bob Marley performs onstage during a concert in Stockholm, Sweden, in the late 1970s. Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Global CitizenUniting the Black diaspora through musicFrom Afrobeats to reggae, Stonebwoy has worked with musicians including Rick Ross, Beanie Man, Shaggy, Keri Hilson, Russ, Davido, and Angelique Kidjo, shining brightest when mentoring emerging artists. Until then, he has his eyes set on making sure the sounds of the Black diaspora continue to dominate worldwide.

Persons: CNN —, Stonebwoy, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Wyclef Jean, Bob Marley, Yohan Marley, Bob Marley’s, ”, riffing, Livingstone Etse Satekla, Ghana's Stonebwoy, ” Stonebwoy, “, Stonebwoy’s, Jemal Countess, Rick Ross, Beanie, Keri Hilson, Russ, Davido, Angelique Kidjo, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Odumodublvck Organizations: CNN, Island Music Conference, Gong, Tuff Gong, Tuff Gong Studios, Global Citizen Festival, Getty, Global Citizen, BHIM, Burniton Music Locations: Ghanaian, Jamaica, Kingston, ”, Ghana, Africa, Caribbean, West African, Stockholm, Sweden, Hulton, Accra

☆ As cocoa prices soar this Easter, chocolatiers consider alternatives
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( John Towfighi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Cocoa prices are surging so high, the Easter Bunny might want to hoard its chocolate. Poor climate and crop diseases in West Africa – home to 70% of global cocoa production – have tightened supply and caused prices to skyrocket. As prices rise, some chocolatiers are exploring cost-cutting alternatives, like diversifying their products to depend less on cocoa. Yet mining often destroys farms and the possibility of a livelihood in cocoa production, Issaka said. “Given the persistently high cocoa prices, it may be necessary for us to make responsible adjustments to pricing in the future,” the spokesperson wrote in an email.

Persons: Hershey’s, Shaquille O’Neal, Michele Buck, Billy Roberts, Roberts, ” Roberts, Issaka, Will Kletter, Kletter, “, Peng Xu, Christopher Taylor, Li, Taylor, ”, “ We’re, “ It’s, ” Taylor Organizations: CNN, Cadbury, NCA, “ Brands, Industries, International Cocoa Organization, Rabobank, US, ”, Euromonitor Locations: West Africa, North Region, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Silicon, Washington ,, Manhattan

The world's governments have agreed they want to triple renewable energy by 2030, a goal laid out at the U.N. climate summit in December. Here are the big hurdles to solar, wind and other renewable energy projects:COSTLY CREDITCentral banks in Europe and the U.S. have raised interest rates to combat inflation. Renewables have much higher up-front costs to build wind farms, solar arrays and more, and that borrowing costs money. Germany's southern region of Bavaria, for example, is known for resisting the noise and appearance of wind turbines in its scenic landscape. Installations have lagged in Bavaria and other regions despite the German government's push for more renewable energy after losing affordable Russian natural gas used to heat homes, generate electricity and power factories.

Persons: Todd Moss Organizations: U.S, Renewables, State Department, Energy, Growth Locations: Europe, Germany's, Bavaria, Ghana, U.S, Washington

☆ Spring equinox: First day of spring arrives
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The spring equinox will arrive exactly at 3:06 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) on Wednesday, March 20, according to EarthSky. Click here to look up the exact moment of the spring equinox where you’re located. Spring equinox has another nameIf you ever hear anyone say “vernal equinox,” it means the same thing. Zhang Xiaoyu/Xinhua News Agency/Getty ImagesIn Japan, Vernal Equinox Day is a public holiday (on Wednesday, March 20, this year). In China, trying to stand an egg upright is a popular game during the spring equinox, according to VisitBeijing.com.

Persons: Tuesday •, •, • Chiang Mai, David Silverman, Alex Pena, It’s, you’ve, it’s, Hugo Borges, Itzá, El Castillo, Zhang Xiaoyu, ” Organizations: CNN, Tuesday, United, Southern, Anadolu Agency, Getty, NASA, Northern Hemisphere, Northern, Southern Hemisphere, National Weather Service, Heritage, Xinhua News Agency Locations: • Anchorage, Alaska, Vegas ( Nevada, Tuesday • Guadalajara, Mexico, Chicago, Illinois, Toronto, Canada, Jacksonville, Florida, Halifax, • Dublin, Ireland, Accra, Ghana, • Berlin, Germany, • Alexandria, Egypt, • Ankara, Turkey, • Dubai, United Arab Emirates, • Mumbai, India, Thailand, • Hong Kong, • Tokyo, Japan, Stellenbosch , South Africa, Northern, South, Quito, Ecuador, Singapore, San Andrés, Zapotitán, El Salvador, Pole, Scandinavia, Itzá, Yucatan State, AFP, England, Malta, Yoyogi, Tokyo, Vernal, Persian, China

☆ The cocoa market is so hot that the commodity has crushed bitcoin's 150% gain in the last year
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Cocoa prices are hovering near historic highs around $8,000 per metric ton. The chocolate commodity has outperformed bitcoin in the last year, gaining more than 200%. A bad harvest and lack of investment have sent cocoa prices higher over recent months. Related storiesRoughly three-fourths of the world's cocoa, per Bloomberg, comes from four countries in West Africa: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Last month, chocolate giants Hershey and Cadbury both warned of potential price hikes for consumers in light of the cocoa supply shortage.

Persons: —, that's Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Processors, Reuters, International Cocoa Organization, Hershey, Cadbury Locations: West Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria

LONDON (AP) — British cellphone company Vodafone confirmed Friday that it is selling its Italian business to Switzerland’s Swisscom for 8 billion euros ($8.7 billion) and will hand back half of the proceeds to its shareholders through the buyback of company shares. Swisscom, a telecoms operator, will pay in cash that it will finance through new debt. "Fastweb and Vodafone Italia are an ideal fit to create high added value for all stakeholders." Swisscom will pay annual initial charges of 350 million euros, which is expected to decrease over time. ”Its refreshed strategy also has seen it seek to merge its U.K. business with Three U.K. to create Britain’s biggest mobile phone network worth around 15 billion pounds ($19 billion).

Persons: Swisscom, Christoph Aeschlimann, Margherita Della Valle, “, ”, Sophie Lund, Yates, stockbrokers Hargreaves Lansdown Organizations: Vodafone, Fastweb, Vodafone Italia Locations: British, Italy, Hungary, Ghana, London, Zurich

☆ Ghana: In deciding on anti-gay law, president is caught between a rock and a hard place
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Sam George, the driving force behind Ghana’s harsh anti-LGBTQ legislation, portrays himself as a guardian of gay Ghanaians. Making inequality legalWhatever its origins, the bill’s passage is terrible news for LGBTQ Ghanaians. “The sentiment and emotion we are expressing right now is sadness,” said Alex Kofi Donkor, the founder of LGBT+ Rights in Ghana, an advocacy group. On one side, you have politicians like George and a broadly conservative citizenry that will publicly goad the president to act. For Ghana’s president, navigating this intricate political landscape looks set to be a daunting – and unenviable – task.

Persons: Sam George, “, ”, It’s, ” George, George, Alex Kofi Donkor, Nana Akufo, it’s, Ghana’s Organizations: CNN, Rights, Ghana’s Ministry, Finance, Bank Financing, Monetary Fund, Bank, US State Department, Ministry of Finance Locations: Accra, Ghana, United States, Uganda, Ghanaian, “ Ghana, State

☆ Paris 2024: How friendship and faith helped guide these two US marathon runners to the Olympic Games
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The pair finished first and second at the Florida event to stamp their tickets to Paris 2024. Racing is important and making an Olympic team is obviously a once in a lifetime thing, but there is more to this life than running.”Young poses with his family after achieving his dream of making the Olympic team. Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports via ReutersWith Paris 2024 fast approaching, both men are building up their preparations ahead of this year’s Olympics. The setback is not expected to impact his participation at Paris 2024 though. Neither is afraid to admit that a podium place in Paris is the goal, but both are acutely aware of how unpredictable an Olympic marathon can be.

Persons: Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, Mantz, Young, I’m, ” Young, ’ ” Mantz, James Gilbert, We’ve, we’ve, “ We’re, we’re, ”, I’ve, Mike Ehrmann, “ It’s, of Jesus Christ, God, Kirby Lee, I’d, ” Mantz, “ Organizations: CNN, Olympic, CNN Sport, Mantz, Getty, Brigham Young University, BYU, of Jesus, USA, Sports, Reuters, Paris Locations: Utah, Florida, Paris, Ghana, North Carolina, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Central Park

☆ Photographer Lisa Kristine is shining a light on child labor
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Leif Coorlim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

So it sort of shook up my trajectory a little bit and I began really focusing on modern-day slavery and child labor. Photographer Lisa Kristine says witnessing child labor can be heart-wrenching. Lisa Kristine: When I initially saw slavery and forced labor existing, it was in the brick kilns. Lisa KristineCNN: What would you say you’ve learned from your travels and expeditions regarding forced child labor? Lisa KristineCNN: What would you like people to take away from your work documenting forced child labor?

Persons: Lisa Kristine, Lisa Kristine CNN, you’re, I’m, they’re, You’ve, Lisa you, you’ve, Kristine, I’ve Organizations: CNN Locations: South Asia, West Africa, Ghana, United States, Nepal, Volta

“If you have minerals or oil under the ground, how do you come up with a price for a long-term contract? The shift to renewable energy and electric vehicles has caused a spike in the demand for critical minerals, driving these kind of loans. Adesina, whose Abidjan, Ivory Coast-based institution helps finance development in African countries, said these arrangements come with a litany of problems. Photos You Should See View All 60 Images“These are the reasons I say Africa should put an end to natural resource-backed loans," Adesina said. After Chad, Angola and the Republic of Congo approached the IMF for support, the multilateral lender insisted on the renegotiation of their natural resource-backed loans.

Persons: Akinwumi Adesina, paydowns, Adesina, ” Adesina, Glencore, Trafigura, ”, Mao Ning Organizations: African Development Bank, Associated Press, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Chartered, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China Railway Group, Gecamines, Alliance for Green Infrastructure Locations: Lagos, NIGERIA, China, Congo, Nigeria, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Africa, Chad, Angola, Republic of Congo, Guinea, Ghana, Beijing, Nigerian, AP.org

☆ Idris Elba explains why he doesn’t watch ‘The Wire’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Nell Lewis | Eoin Mcsweeney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Sherbro Island is known for its pristine beaches that are a nesting ground for green sea turtles. The actor was brought up in London, but his mom is from Ghana and his dad from Sierra Leone. Elba: First of all, it’s a beautiful little island off the coast of Sierra Leone. And Sherbro Island used to historically be the point of no return in the slave trade. It was where England had their capital city of Sierra Leone [when it was a colony], in a city called Bonthe, which is still there.

Persons: Idris Elba, Stringer Bell, John Luther, Elba, CNN’s Becky Anderson, It’s, Siaka Stevens, I’ve, CNN's Becky Anderson, Alexa Fogel, they’re, –, ” It’s, Luther, “, I’m Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN —, Sherbro Alliance Partners, CNN, Sherbro, Partners, CNN CNN Locations: Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi CNN — British, Sierra Leone, Sherbro, Elba, London, Ghana, Chicago, England, Africa, New York, Baltimore, East London, United States, Hollywood, America

☆ Ghana’s parliament passes anti-homosexuality bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Johannesburg CNN —Ghana’s parliament on Wednesday unanimously passed a controversial anti-homosexuality bill that has drawn international condemnation. The bill, which was introduced in the parliament in 2021, not only criminalizes LGBTQ relationships, but also those who support LGBTQ rights. The bill in Ghana still needs to be signed off by the country’s president before it becomes law. “Approaches rooted in inclusion of all people have been crucial to Ghana’s progress in the HIV response,” Byanyima said in a statement. “Evidence shows that punitive laws like this bill are a barrier to ending AIDS, and ultimately undermine everyone’s health.”

Persons: “, ”, Sam George, Volker Türk, Winnie Byanyima, ” Byanyima, Byanyima Organizations: Johannesburg CNN —, Twitter, CNN, United Nations Locations: Johannesburg, Africa, Ghana

☆ Opinion: What it means to be born Black in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Opinion Josephine Apraku | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

It is hard to group Black Germans — sometimes also referred to as Afro-Germans — under one umbrella; there is no one description that encompasses the diversity of Black people here. The same year I was born, a seminal work about Black Germans, “Showing Our Colors: Afro-German Women Speak Out,” was published. I think that these are precisely the times when Black community, Black alliances and Black spaces are so important. In 2020, the Black Student Union at the University of Bremen renamed February “Black Our Story Month,” and has been holding Black History Month events every year since, creating visibility for the complexity of Black experiences. The Black community in Germany celebrated its first Black History Month in 1990.

Persons: Josephine Apraku, I’m, I’ve, ” Josephine Apraku Dahahm Choi It’s, there’s, ” Josephine Apraku, ”, Christian Mang, Audre Lorde, Lorde, Roma, Sinti, — that’s, Steffi Loos, Schwarzer, George Floyd, Black, — Organizations: African Studies, CNN, Berlin CNN, Black, Africa, Free University of Berlin, CDU, Christian Democratic Union, Black Student Union, University of Bremen, ISD, of Black People, White Locations: Berlin, Germany, Black, East Germany, Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, German, Ghana, Europe, Territories, Namibia, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Cameroon, Togo, ” Josephine Apraku Germany, France, Belgium, Great Britain, United States, Tiergarten, Black Germans, Deutschland

Ghana’s Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill that imposes jail terms on people who identify as L.G.B.T.Q. or organize gay advocacy groups, measures that Amnesty International called among the harshest on the African continent. issues could get five years, and those who engage in gay sex would receive five years instead of the three years under previous legislation. The bill is the latest in a wave of anti-gay legislation passed in Africa: Tanzania, Niger and Namibia have tightened such laws in recent years, while Uganda has adopted an anti-gay law that includes the death penalty. Many have experienced a surge in homophobic attitudes, behaviors and rhetoric in recent years, the rights group said in a report last year.

Persons: Nana Akufo Organizations: Amnesty Locations: Africa, Tanzania, Niger, Namibia, Uganda

☆ Activists bombard British Museum’s social media with calls for return of Easter Island statue
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The British Museum is facing renewed calls to return a huge moai statue to Easter Island, sparked by a social media campaign by Chilean activists. “Comments were only deactivated on one social media post,” a museum spokesperson told CNN in a statement Monday. The social media campaign is the latest stage in efforts to get it back to Easter Island. A museum spokesperson told CNN that other initiatives involving representatives from Easter Island had taken place at the British Museum in 2022 and 2023. The British Museum, like other cultural institutions across the Western world, is facing calls to return many artifacts to their place of origin.

Persons: Mike Milfort, “, ”, Neil Hall, el, Gabriel Boric, Adrian Dennis, ” Boric, Queen Victoria, Rapu, London’s Victoria Organizations: London CNN, British, Islanders, British Museum, CNN, Radio Chiloé, Getty, London’s, Albert Museum, Asante Locations: Easter, Chilean, Rapa, Pascua, Eastern, AFP, Chile, London, Rapa Nui, Ghana, Manhyia, Kumasi

☆ Opinion | Restoring the Past Won’t Liberate Palestine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Lydia Polgreen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Amid the graphic images, fierce polemics and endless media criticism that have dominated my social media feeds since the war in Gaza began late last year, I noticed a seemingly bizarre subplot emerge: skin cancer in Israel. “You are not Indigenous if your body cannot tolerate the area’s climate,” one such post read, highlighting outdated news coverage claiming that Israelis had unusually high rates of skin cancer. In the context of the ongoing slaughter in Gaza — more than 28,000 people dead, mostly women and children — such posturing may seem trivial. But even, or maybe especially, at this moment, when things are so grim, the way we talk about liberation matters. In this analysis, there are two kinds of people: those who are native to a land and those who settle it, displacing the original inhabitants.

Persons: “, slinging, Frantz Fanon, Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, Jawaharlal Nehru, Fanon — Organizations: Palestine Locations: Gaza, Israel, Jordan, Palestine

☆ Cocoa prices just hit a record high. Here's what's driving the gains and what it means for chocolate makers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

If you think chocolate prices this Valentine's Day were more expensive than usual, it's not you. Year to date, futures contracts are up nearly 27%, with cocoa prices rising in six of the past seven weeks. Here's a breakdown of what's driving cocoa prices higher and how it impacts the investment case around two major chocolate stocks. Doshi thinks cocoa prices could sell off about 20%, taking them to around $4,500 to $4,800 per ton. In an interview with CNBC last week, he underscored the rising cocoa price outlook as the key driver for his lower rating.

Persons: Humza Hussain, El, Aakash Doshi, Doshi, Bernstein, Bruno Monteyne, … There's, Mondelez, Alexia Howard, Hershey, Michele Buck, Bernstein's Howard, Howard, I'd, Bryan Spillane, Morgan Stanley, Pamela Kaufman, Bank of America's Spillane Organizations: Asset Management, CNBC, Hershey, Citi, 2H, Street, Bank of America, Bank of, Cadbury Locations: Mondelez, El Niño, Ghana, Ivory, Nigeria, Europe

☆ Ivory Coast Seizes 100 Tons of Cocoa at the Border With Guinea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

That compares with 1,000 CFA francs a kilogram in Ivory Coast, where the price is fixed and guaranteed throughout the year. Global cocoa prices have hit record highs in recent months amid worries about a bean deficit this season and with concerns growing for the next. Ivory Coast and neighbouring Ghana, the world's second biggest producer, have said smuggling hampers their effort to meet their yearly production target. "This year, despite the high price in both countries compared to Ivory Coast, there is less leakage... People are really finding it hard to get cocoa out of Ivory Coast," said Abel Gbale, a cocoa buyer in Danane, the country's last major town before the borders with Liberia and Guinea. Amadou Konate, a cocoa buyer based in Man, the main city in western Ivory Coast, said cocoa producers earn nothing from smuggling and the middlemen pocket all the money.

Persons: Ivory Coast's, Yves Brahima Kone, Kone, Abel Gbale, Amadou Konate, Ange Aboa, Anait Miridzhanian, Bate Felix, Frances Kerry Organizations: Ivory, Cocoa Council, CFA, Reuters Locations: ABIDJAN, Guinea, West African, Liberia, Ivory Coast's, Ivory Coast, Sipilou, Ghana, Danane

☆ Joy Gregory’s new book shines a light on overlooked Black women photographers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Suyin Haynes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The genesis of photographer Joy Gregory’s latest project, “Shining Lights,” began 40 years ago, at a Valentine’s Day party in London. After the party and as they became friends, Mercer suggested the pair collaborate on a book about women’s photography. Courtesy the artist/MACKThe idea then, for a book surveying the work of Black women’s photography in Britain in the 1980s and 1990s, lay dormant for several decades. The result is “Shining Lights: Black Women Photographers in 1980s–90s Britain,” a new photography book edited by Gregory and co-published by Autograph and Mack. “I think as women, it wasn’t open, and I think being of color, it definitely wasn’t open.”In the book, Black “refers to the whole gamut of color, which was really about difference,” says Gregory.

Persons: Joy Gregory’s, ”, Joy, Araba Mercer, Mercer, “, ” Gregory, Gregory, Mercer —, Sheba, Jennie Baptiste's, Wale Adeyemi, MACK, Black, Maxine Walker’s, Mack, Walker, Mona Hatoum, Turner, Ingrid Pollard, Maxine Walker, Jacqueline Moran Daubercies, Maria Pedro, callouts, Eileen Perrier's, “ That’s, ” Joy Gregory, Maria Kheirkhah's, Mumtaz Karimjee, Virginia, Karimjee, Ronan Mckenzie, MACK “, haven’t, Taous Dahmani Organizations: CNN, Royal College of Art, Women Photographers, Facebook Locations: London, Sheba, Britain, Ghana, Kingston , Jamaica

☆ Valentine's Day chocolate prices highest in years amid cocoa shortage
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But lovers may experience sticker shock this year due to higher cocoa and sugar prices. "Chocolate prices are the highest we've seen in years," said a representative of NielsenIQ. He noted that in spite of higher prices, the chocolate market is robust in mature markets like Europe and North America. Now, chocolate and Valentine's Day are synonymous, even if critics say the affiliation is perpetuated by marketing gimmicks. That being said, chocolates are not the only Valentines' Day treats that will dent the wallet this year.

Persons: Scott Olson, Sergey Chetvertakov, David Branch, there's, Kim, Mintec, It's, Andrew Francis Wallace Organizations: Valentine's, Getty, P, El Nino, Food Institute, Branch, CNBC, Bloomberg, National Confectioners Association, Toronto Star Locations: Chicago , Illinois, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Wells, Asia, India, Africa, Azaguie, Europe, North America, Western Europe, Singapore, Toronto

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