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☆ AI researcher Joy Buolamwini cautions that if AI systems fail people of color, they fail humanity
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Monica Melton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

We’re growing some teeth as to what can be done with AI, but we also see where there’s progress, there’s attack. One of the things I like to point out with AI systems is that if your AI systems fail on people of color, you don’t have a robust system. If your AI doesn’t work on the global majority, if your AI doesn’t work for women, if your AI doesn’t work for people with disabilities, once you start expanding all of the areas we’re talking about, it comes to your AI doesn’t work for humanity. To me, that’s a proactive approach of saying, how do we build consumer AI technology in a way that’s more ethical? I was talking to Sam Altman about the climate impact of AI, especially these large language models and generative AI systems.

Persons: Joe Biden, Joy Buolamwini, Buolamwini, It’s, ”, we’ve, it’s, I’ve, there’s, We’ve, you’re, aren’t, Simone Biles, Biden, Sam Altman, Olay, we’re, There’s, We’re, that’s Organizations: Service, League, Business, Federal Trade Commission, Procter, Gamble, Big Tech Locations: Davos

Learn moreIf you're looking for the latest guide on where to watch the Africa Cup of Nations online for free, we have everything you need. How to watch Africa Cup of Nations live streams free from anywhereIf you want access to every single match of this year's Africa Cup of Nations, then Ghanian TV channel New World TV has your back, with no sign-up required. Watch the Africa Cup of Nations game. How to watch the Africa Cup of Nations in the UKAs mentioned above, BBC3 will show ten select games over the course of the tournament. How to watch the Africa Cup of Nations in the USAIf you want to watch AFCON online in the USA, you'll find it on the BeIN channel.

Persons: We've, ExpressVPN, you've, we've Organizations: Africa, Nations, of Nations, BBC3, BBC, BBC ., Sky Sports, Sky, Sports Locations: Ghana, USA, FuboTV

☆ Ghana plunged into darkness as country faces economic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Large swaths of Ghana are facing power blackouts due to gas shortages at a major power facility, the nation’s power operator said, compounding the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. The West African nation has battled power outages, known locally as “dumsor” for many years. “Dumsor is fully back, no announced timetables, no communication, nothing, just frequent random power outages,” one Ghanian said of the latest power cut on X, formerly known as Twitter. Recent studies expect the country’s energy crisis to worsen over the coming years, starting from this year. “Ghana’s energy supply requires urgent, purposeful and significant investment to undo the current precarious situation the country finds itself,” said research and policy think tank, Centre for Socioeconomic Studies (CSS).

Persons: “, Ghanian, GRIDCo, ” Organizations: CNN, Ghana Grid Company, ”, World Bank Locations: Ghana, Tema, Accra

☆ Claudia Quaatey dreamed of becoming a nurse before she was fatally shot in New York City
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Aya Elamroussi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —At just 14 years old, Claudia Quaatey decided to run her own hair braiding business from her New York home as she prepared to support herself through nursing school. “Claudia was not perfect, but Claudia was exactly what I prayed for.”Claudia Quaatey and her mother, Marian Abbey. Claudia was shot once while sitting in the back seat of a car, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case told CNN. Her mother later told CNN that Claudia had plans to braid a friend’s hair that evening. Courtesy Marian AbbeyBorn to Christian Ghanian parents in New York City, Claudia grew up to be the kind of person who was empathetic and caring.

Persons: Claudia Quaatey, “, Claudia, ”, Marian Abbey, ” Claudia, “ Claudia, ” Claudia Quaatey, Marian, Howard University’s, ’, sweatshirts, Claudia’s, ” Albert Quaatey, There’s, daydreams, “ She’s, ’ Claudia, Christian Ghanian, they’re, Keon Anderson, ” Keon, Keon, don’t, Roberta Anderson Keon, Roberta Anderson, Keon’s, ” Anderson Organizations: CNN, Howard University, New York Police Department, Police, NYPD, Queens High School of Teaching Locations: New York, Jamaica, Queens, Washington, DC, Ghana, St, Albans, Queens , New York, United States, New York City, ’ West

Cocoa beans are pictured next to a warehouse at the village of Atroni, near Sunyani, Ghana April 11, 2019. A weakened cedi currency and a lower farmgate cocoa price in Ghana in the 2022/2023 season, compared with neighbouring Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa grower, saw beans smuggled to there and to Togo. Fiifi Boafo, head of public affairs at regulator COCOBOD regulator told Reuters on Saturday that Ghana is targeting an output of 820,000 metric tons for the 2023/2024 season after the increased farmgate price. Boafo added that Ghana is planning to borrow $1.2 billion for its annual cocoa purchases. Cameroon, another top West African cocoa producer, and the world's fourth biggest, on Thursday raised its farmgate cocoa price by 25% to around 1,500 ($2.45) CFA franc per kg for the 2023/2024 season.

Persons: Ange Aboa, Nana Akufo, Addo, Ghana cedi, , Leticia Adu Yankey, Fiifi Boafo, Maxwell Adombila, Bate Felix, Clelia Oziel, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Ghana cedi, Ghana Civil Society Cocoa, Reuters, CFA, Central African CFA, Thomson Locations: Atroni, Sunyani, Ghana, Akufo, West Africa, London, Ivory Coast, Togo, Cameroon

☆ Turkey seizes $1 billion of counterfeit money headed for Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL, June 9 (Reuters) - Turkish security forces seized $1 billion of counterfeit money in Istanbul and arrested six people involved in the operation, including one Ghanian and three Swedish nationals, the governor's office said on Friday. Gendarmerie forces tracked the suspects to a storage space in Istanbul's Kagithane district, where they seized the fake $100 bills meant to be sent to African countries, the office said. The Swedish and Ghanian consulates were notified. The counterfeit haul was the largest in Turkey's history, the governor's office said. Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ali Kucukgocmen, Richard Chang Organizations: . Gendarmerie, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkish, Istanbul, Istanbul's Kagithane

LONDON, April 21 (Reuters) - African countries are lining up to approve a new vaccine for malaria, with 20 million doses available for them to buy this year, the shot’s manufacturer told Reuters. African countries that do not have extensive resources for drug regulation have previously relied on the U.N. agency to initially review new medicines. "We expect many more countries to come through," Mary Hamel, the WHO's malaria vaccine implementation head, told the expert meeting on Tuesday. “We are committed to making the R21 vaccine available to people who need it most,” Poonawalla said. FUNDING DOUBTSThe moves are a further sign that African countries want to exert their own pharmaceutical oversight after COVID-19 exposed inequity in vaccine supply.

☆ Ghana's finance ministry: debt talks with China 'cordial and fruitful'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ACCRA, March 2 (Reuters) - Ghana's finance ministry said on Thursday that a Chinese delegation had ended a three-day visit to discuss Ghana's request for the restructuring of the $1.9 billion debt it owes China. The ministry said in a statement that the Chinese delegation came to Accra ahead of an upcoming Ghanaian mission to China and that discussions had been "highly cordial and fruitful". External debt was $29.2 billion at the end of November 2022, according to central bank data. China's official bilateral loans involving Ghana account for less than 5% of the West African country's total debt, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday. ($1 = 12.5000 Ghanian cedi)Reporting by Christian Akorlie; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Estelle ShirbonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ghana says domestic debt swap closed with over 80% participation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Christian Akorlie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ACCRA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The Ghanaian finance ministry said its domestic debt exchange programme (DDEP) had closed on Tuesday with more than 80% participation of eligible bonds, taking it a step closer to securing a $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout. Ghana is fighting its way out of a generational economic crisis by hiking interest rates at record speed, cutting spending, and restructuring debt to secure IMF funds. "Attention will now turn to the eurobonds, where restructuring talks are at a much earlier stage, and which could be even more complicated," Culverhouse said. Ghana became early this year the fourth nation to apply to the common framework platform, an initiative of Group of 20 major economies launched in 2020 to streamline debt restructuring efforts for poorer countries. Its bilateral lenders are discussing the formation of an official creditor committee, a first step needed to engage in debt relief talks, sources told Reuters on Monday.

LONDON/ACCRA, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Ghana is poised to request debt relief via the G20 Common Framework programme and has sought reassurances that the negotiations can be expedited before proceeding, sources told Reuters. In December, Ghana launched a domestic debt exchange and later said it would default on nearly all of its $28.4 billion of external debts. If it received such assurances, the government would quickly sign onto the Common Framework, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Another source with knowledge of Ghana's debt restructuring said it was hard to see any other outcome for Ghana than signing up to the Common Framework as they have left themselves no other options. The Common Framework, designed to allow for speedy debt reworks, has been widely criticised for its glacial progress.

The cedi has lost more than 50% of its value this year , pushing up the cost of Ghana's external debt. Interest payments alone absorb between 70 and 100% of the government's revenuesHOW BIG IS GHANA'S DEBT? Ghana's public debt was 467.4 billion cedis ($37.4 billion) in September, of which 42% was domestic debt, according to the most recent central bank figures released last month. Ghana's debt-to-GDPWHO OWNS GHANA'S DEBT? The fund is yet to comment on Ghana's debt sustainability or domestic bond exchange plans.

Presenting the West African nation's 2023 budget in parliament, Ofori-Atta said Ghana was at high risk of debt distress and has agreed on a debt management strategy with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Investment bank Morgan Stanley said on Thursday that it expected Ghana to restructure both its domestic and external debt. "The current debt sustainability analysis conducted reveals that Ghana is now considered to be in high risk of debt distress," Ofori-Atta told lawmakers. Ghana will implement a debt exchange programme to address the challenges, he added. Despite the projected increase in revenue, Ofori-Atta said the fiscal budget would increase to 7.7% of GDP from 6.6% over the coming year.

The opening ceremony in a tent-shaped stadium will be held at 1440 GMT, ahead of the first match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. Few details were available on heads of state attending, but state media said the U.N. secretary general and Algeria's president arrived on Saturday. The smallest nation to hold soccer's biggest global event, Qatar, a wealthy gas producer, aims to bolster its credentials as a global player, display strength to rivals in the region and placate conservative Sunni Muslim Qataris. Many of the migrant workers who toiled to prepare Qatar's tournament infrastructure will watch from the sidelines, priced out of the stadiums. "When we came in it was like a bit of a work site," England fan Neil Gahan said in an area in Doha housing fan portacabins.

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