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CNN —As one of the lead negotiators for students protesting inside the grounds of Columbia University, Mahmoud Khalil said his primary objective was to get the university to sever all financial ties with Israel. Khalil said Columbia never put anything in writing, instead making offers verbally. But without a firm promise, Columbia’s offer didn’t go far enough for Khalil and other protesters, since the university had previously rejected divestment proposals. Khalil said they then presented Columbia with another offer: Rather than dump Israel-tied investments, Columbia could instead divest from weapons manufacturing companies and any companies complicit in violating international law. NYPD officers in riot gear march onto Columbia University campus, where pro-Palestinian students are barricaded inside a building and have set up an encampment, in New York City on April 30, 2024.

Persons: Mahmoud Khalil, “, Israel, …, ” Khalil, Khalil, Columbia, Brown, Minouche Shafik, Lockheed Martin, Kena Betancur, ”, Shafik, Ben Sasse, it’s, Columbia’s, Lee Bollinger, Bollinger, Stephanie Keith, Columbia College –, Hedge, Leon Cooperman, Cooperman, Robert Kraft, Luigi Zingales, Zingales, ” Shafik, he’s, “ There’s Organizations: CNN, Columbia University, Brown University, Columbia, Dynamics, Caterpillar, West Bank, Columbia University campus, Getty Images Columbia, New York Police Department, Jewish, Northwestern University, CNN’s, Union, Sunday, University of Florida, Columbia Daily Spectator, Human Rights Watch, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defamation League, University, Columbia College, ”, New England Patriots, University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, Times Locations: Israel, Columbia, Gaza, Palestinian, New York City, AFP, CNN’s “ State, South Africa, United States, ”

☆ Thailand decriminalized cannabis 2 years ago. Its prime minister wants to ban it again.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Thailand's prime minister has called for a ban on recreational cannabis in a major U-turn. Thailand was the first Asian country to decriminalize cannabis for recreational use in 2022. AdvertisementThailand's prime minister wants to ban cannabis just two years after his country decriminalized it for recreational use. AdvertisementThailand was the first Southeast Asian country to legalize medical cannabis in 2018, and the first Asian country to decriminalize recreational cannabis in 2022, according to Forbes. Other countries have legalized or decriminalized cannabis for recreational use in recent years, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, and South Africa.

Persons: Thailand's, Srettha Thavisin, —, Thavisin, Anutin Charnvirakul Organizations: Service, country's Ministry of Public Health, Forbes, New York Times, Bloomberg, District of Columbia, Prohibition Partners, Thailand's Center, Addiction Locations: Thailand, Thai, Canada, Germany, Mexico, South Africa

☆ ‘We Still Have Hope’: Rescuers Race to Find Dozens Missing in South Africa Building Collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( John Eligon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It may not have been his dream, but Gift Kasonda was happy to have been working as a laborer on a construction site in South Africa’s coastal city of George. A recent high school graduate, he had emigrated from Malawi last year and was hoping to save money for college, said his uncle, Gracium Msiska. The four-story building under construction where he was working collapsed in a thunderous instant on Monday, killing at least eight people and leaving dozens of others, including Mr. Kasonda, missing. But rescuers were still desperately combing through some 3,000 tons of concrete. As of Thursday afternoon, 29 of the 37 people pulled from the wreckage had survived and 44 people were still missing, according to the authorities.

Persons: Kasonda, Gracium Locations: South, George, Malawi

☆ Beer giant AB InBev beats profit estimates, with Bud Light boycott set to ease one year on
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

AB InBev Budweiser and Bud Light brand beer cans at a store in the Queens borough of New York on Feb. 28, 2024. Shares of Belgium's AB InBev rose 5% Wednesday morning after the company posted higher revenue and profit in the first quarter, as analysts said it had escaped the drag from a year-long boycott of its Bud Light brand relatively unscathed. The company nonetheless managed to increase revenue by 7.8% last year, driven by higher sales in the Asia-Pacific and Central America regions. The first-quarter results showed a 11.1% drop in sales of AB InBev's own beer brands in North America, which it said was primarily due to Bud Light. The results also flagged growth in its Corona brand, particularly for its non-alcoholic beer brand Corona Cero.

Persons: Stella Artois, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Donald Trump, Jason Warner Organizations: InBev Budweiser, Bud Light, Belgium's, InBev, Light, Corona, Former U.S, InBev's, U.K, Revenue Locations: Queens, New York, Asia, Pacific, Central America, North America, China, Brazil, Colombia, Europe, Mexico, South Africa, Corona

☆ South Africa, George: Five dead and 49 missing as multi-story building collapses
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Caitlin Danaher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ Near collapse of Earth’s magnetic field 591 million years ago may have allowed complex life to thrive
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Earth’s magnetic field plays a key role in making our planet habitable. However, Earth’s magnetic field almost collapsed 591 million years ago, and this change, paradoxically, may have played a pivotal role in the blossoming of complex life, new research has found. The discovery of the sustained weakening of Earth’s magnetic field also helped resolve an enduring geological mystery about when Earth’s solid inner core formed. Shuhai Xiao/Virginia TechUncovering the magnetic field’s near collapseThe intensity of Earth’s magnetic field is known to fluctuate over time, and crystals preserved in rock contain tiny magnetic particles that lock in a record of the intensity of Earth’s magnetic field. The research on the intensity of Earth’s magnetic field suggests that the age of Earth’s inner core is on the younger end of that timescale, solidifying after 565 million years ago and allowing Earth’s magnetic shield to bounce back.

Persons: “, ”, John Tarduno, Xiao, Tarduno, Shuhai Xiao, ” Tarduno, Peter Driscoll, wasn’t, ” Driscoll Organizations: CNN, University of Rochester, Environment, Virginia Tech, Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science Locations: New York, South Australia, Virginia, Quebec, Brazil, South Africa, Washington ,, Newfoundland, Canada

☆ I spent $317 a night to stay at the Taj Cape Town. The mountain views weren't even the best part of the 5-star hotel.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Aida M. Toro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

My friend and I paid $1,900 to stay in a mountain-view room at the Taj Cape Town in South Africa. That's why I was ecstatic when my best friend asked me to be her plus-one to a ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, one of the top unique wedding destinations for 2024 and 2025. When we were choosing a place to stay, I decided to go with a chain I was already familiar with and booked a room for two at the Taj Cape Town. I spent 35,500 ZAR, or about $1,900 USD, on a six-night stay at the hotel. Here's what our experience at Taj Cape Town was like.

Persons: —, Pierre Organizations: Taj, Service, Taj Cape Locations: Town, South Africa, Cape Town , South Africa, New York City

☆ Inquiry Into Johannesburg Fire Blames City Officials for Deadly Conditions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Lynsey Chutel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An inquiry into a deadly fire in Johannesburg last August that killed 76 people and exposed a housing crisis in South Africa’s largest city placed the blame on officials who ignored “ringing alarm bells” for years. The eight-month inquiry, led by a retired constitutional court justice, released its findings in a report on Sunday. The report said that years of inaction by city agencies had allowed the building to fall into lethal disrepair, and singled out a high-ranking official for blame. In the early hours of Aug. 31, a fire ripped through a derelict building in downtown Johannesburg. Once a women’s shelter, it had been all but abandoned by city agencies although it was owned by the government and managed by the Johannesburg Property Company, a government agency.

Organizations: Johannesburg Property Company Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa’s, South

☆ Building collapse in South Africa leaves three dead, dozens trapped
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Rescue efforts were underway after three people were killed and dozens remained trapped after a multi-storey building under construction collapsed in the South African city of George, authorities said. Fifty-one people remained trapped, according to a statement from the municipality of George. CCTV footage obtained by Reuters showed a cloud of dust as the building crumbled on Monday afternoon. “I saw one guy was working and then ‘boom’ and I saw the whole building collapsed… I’m also traumatised. “This is going to be a really lengthy exercise and probably going to go right through the night,” he said.

Persons: George . “, Alan Winde, “, I’m, Theresa Jeyi, George Mayor Leon van Wyk, ” Organizations: CNN, Reuters, SABC Locations: African, George, Cape Town

☆ When grief and AI collide: These people are communicating with the dead
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

People have wanted to reconnect with deceased loved ones for centuries, whether they’ve visited mediums and spiritualists or leaned on services that preserve their memory. In September 2023, it introduced ChatGPT voice, where users can ask the chatbot prompts without typing. HereAfter AI, founded in 2019, allows users to create avatars of deceased loved ones. “Remembering is very important; it reflects the human condition and importance of deceased loved ones.”But she noted the relationship we have with our closest loved ones is built on authenticity. Creating an AI version of that person could for many “feel like a violation of that.”Bill Abney said he feels uneasy about communicating with his late fiancée through AI platforms.

Persons: Ana Schultz, Kyle, ”, Schultz, “, Schutz, they’ve, ” Ana Schultz, ElevenLabs, Joe Biden, Biden, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Danielle Jacobson, she’s, Phil, Cole, ” Jacobson, “ Cole, Replika, Rohit Prasad, Val Kilmer, It’s, Mary, Frances O’Connor, ‘, ’ ”, Bill Abney, Kari, ” Abney, “ I’m, Jodi Spiegel, Sims Organizations: CNN, Davidson College, Tech, Alexa, MARS, Amazon, University of Arizona Locations: Rock Falls , Illinois, Alabama, Johannesburg, South Africa, “, San Francisco, Newfoundland, Canada

☆ Tyla stole the show on the Met Gala red carpet in a skin-tight dress made from sand
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Amanda Krause | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

South African musician Tyla made her Met Gala debut on Monday. She wore a daring dress designed by Balmain, which was covered from top to bottom in sand. But the dress was slightly impractical, as she needed to be carried up the Met steps. AdvertisementTyla's Grammy-winning hit might be called "Water," but it was sand she embraced at the 2024 Met Gala. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Tyla, — Organizations: Balmain, Service, Business

A core demand over by the pro-Palestinian student groups at Columbia University was for the school to withdraw investment funds from what they describe as companies profiting from Israel’s war in Gaza. The group has described those companies as profiting “from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and military occupation of Palestine.” Israel denies accusations of genocide. Columbia now lists five areas where it refrains from investing: tobacco, private prison operations, thermal coal, Sudan and fossil fuels — all decisions made in the past decade. Columbia was also the first Ivy League university to divest from South Africa, and various other colleges followed suit. In 2015, Columbia became the first US university to divest from private prison companies after a student campaign raising concerns about human rights abuses.

Persons: ” Israel Organizations: Columbia University, Columbia, Ivy League, Columbia’s, Trustees Locations: Gaza, Palestine, Columbia, Sudan, South Africa

☆ I love Quarter Pounders. But I don’t get why people enjoy chicken
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Saira Mueller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

I’ve never really understood why people enjoy eating chicken. Like the frenzy of people crowding Chick-fil-A or Popeyes when a limited-edition chicken sandwich goes on sale, as if it were the latest iPhone release. Or the fact that there’s something called the “chicken sandwich wars,” which could return in 2024 — thanks in part to the recent limited release of two new McDonald’s crispy chicken sandwiches. Compared to the aroma of freshly baked bread or the sizzle of bacon — scents that beckon me closer — the fried chicken smell is like an unwelcome intrusion. Why exactly do you enjoy eating chicken?

Persons: CNN —, I’d, ”, Shannon Stapleton, chow, Homer Simpson, I’ve, Michael Nagle, ” I’m, I’m Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Louisiana, New York City, New York, South Africa

☆ Why Warren Buffett’s shareholders line up at 2 a.m. to see him in Omaha: He’s 'the guy who changed our life'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Such is the scene every year at the shareholders meeting at Berkshire Hathaway , the $826 billion conglomerate helmed by the Oracle of Omaha himself, Warren Buffett . And I wanted to see Warren Buffett in person. Warren Buffett is the guy who changed our life. So we appreciate what Warren Buffett brought us. Or you can come here, see Warren Buffett in person, and just enjoy the conference.

Persons: Buffett, Warren Buffett, James F, Walter Chang, Graham, Dodd, Warren, Charlie, Matt McAllister, Omaha's, Jason Garner, James Hunt, Nathan Prottsman, It's, We're, Munger, Barbara Govan, Charlie Munger, Yuan Fang, Tom Keady, That's, Giuliano Guarino, Eleanor Abney, Hayden, Parker McIntosh Organizations: CNBC, Berkshire Hathaway, Oracle, CHI, Center, Berkshire Locations: Omaha, Berkshire, Fairhope , Alabama, Taipei, Taiwan, Oakville, Canada, South Africa, Omaha , Nebraska, Houston , Texas, Dublin, Ireland, New Market , Maryland, Milan, Italy, Louisville , Kentucky

☆ Middle East Crisis Turkey Severs Trade With Israel, Citing Conditions in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Gulsin Harman | Ben Hubbard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey said late Thursday that it had halted all trade with Israel until “uninterrupted and adequate humanitarian aid is allowed into Gaza,” signaling further deterioration in relations between the two countries. Turkey’s Trade Ministry said in a statement that exports and imports “for all products” would pause. Mr. Katz also said he had instructed the Foreign Ministry to create alternatives for trade with Turkey, focusing on local production and imports from other countries. Turkey reported $5.4 billion in exports to Israel in 2023 and $1.64 billion in imports, according to United Nations figures. The Turkish leader has also forcefully defended Hamas and recently met with Ismail Haniyeh, the group’s political leader, and other Hamas officials in Istanbul on April 20.

Persons: Israel Katz, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mr, Katz, Erdogan, Ismail Haniyeh, “, “ Israel, Hakan Fidan Organizations: Turkey’s Trade Ministry, Bloomberg, Foreign Ministry, United Nations, Ministry, Trade Ministry, Israel, International Court of Justice Locations: Turkey, Israel, Gaza, Istanbul, “ Israel, Palestine

For the first time in the history of the United States, billionaires had a lower effective tax rate than working-class Americans. Opinion Guest Essay Make Billionaires Pay (Their Taxes)Until recently, it was hard to know just how good the superrich are at avoiding taxes. Let’s agree that billionaires should pay income taxes equivalent to a small portion — say, 2 percent — of their wealth each year. Billionaires who already pay the baseline amount of income tax would have no extra tax to pay. The idea that billionaires should pay a minimum amount of income tax is not a radical idea.

Persons: Emmanuel Saez, Gabriel Zucman, we’ve, Demetrio Guzzardi, Jeff Bezos, Bezos, Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, Arnault’s, Arnault, Reagan, Critics, haven’t, Biden Organizations: Government, Social Security, European Economic Association, Institut des Politiques, Economic, Amazon, Elon, Twitter, Shepard, Getty, Trump, Internal, Abaca, New York, Facebook Locations: United States, Netherlands, States Netherlands Italy France, Italy, France, Tesla, LVMH, America, Europe, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, U.S, Brazil, South Africa, Spain

☆ Hala Rharrit, US diplomat who quit over Biden administration’s Gaza policy, speaks out
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Hala Rharrit never expected that she would choose to leave her career as a US diplomat. About a year and a half ago, after mostly behind-the-scenes roles, Rharrit became an Arab language spokesperson for the State Department. But the US government’s policy on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza “unfortunately really, really changed that,” she said. Rharrit told CNN that she and her colleagues were “horrified” by the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, which triggered the war in Gaza. We just have not been able to say it.’”The State Department would not comment specifically on Rharrit’s case, citing personnel matters.

Persons: Hala Rharrit, Yemen —, Rharrit, “, ”, Josh Paul, Annelle, ” Rharrit, “ I’m, ‘ you’re, ’ ”, you’re, they’re, ‘, we’ve, Vedant Patel, ” “ You’ve Organizations: CNN, State Department, Biden, Israel, US, The State Department Locations: Yemen, Hong Kong, Qatar, South Africa, Arab, Israel, Gaza, United States, “

☆ Analysis: Why the Israel-Hamas war isn’t Biden’s Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Joe Biden’s Democratic base has been divided over the Israel-Hamas war. To some, including people within Biden’s own party, the public demonstrations against the war in Gaza remind them of the Vietnam War protests. A mere 2% answered with some version of the Israel-Hamas war (e.g., the Middle East conflict). An unpopular warThis is dramatically different from what we saw in 1968, when the Vietnam War forced President Lyndon Johnson to abandon his reelection bid. Only a small fraction of that polling decline can be attributed to Biden’s war response.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Biden, That’s, Lyndon Johnson, it’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden’s Organizations: CNN, Joe Biden’s Democratic, NBC, Gallup, Republican, Trump, Black South, ABC, Quinnipiac Locations: Israel, Gaza, Vietnam, Africa’s, South Africa

☆ Princess Charlotte turns 9! See the sweet photo from her parents to mark the occasion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

London CNN —A photograph of a beaming Princess Charlotte has been released by the Prince and Princess of Wales to mark her ninth birthday. The children, from left, are Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Lena Tindall and Mia Tindall. The Duchess of Cambridge/Getty Images The Prince and Princess of Wales have released a photo of Princess Charlotte to mark her ninth birthday on Thursday, May 2. Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images Princess Charlotte, William and Catherine's middle child, is seen in this handout photo released on May 1, 2021, a day before her sixth birthday. The Duchess of Cambridge via Getty Images Princess Charlotte playfully sticks out her tongue while attending a King's Cup regatta with her mother in 2019.

Persons: Charlotte, Prince, Princess, “, Catherine , Princess of Wales, Prince Louis ’, Prince William, Kate, Kensington, It’s, Princess Charlotte, Charlotte’s, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince George, Prince Louis , Princess, Savannah, Isla Phillips, Lena Tindall, Mia Tindall, Duchess, Wales, Wales Prince George, William, George, Samir Hussein, Barack Obama, Pete Souza, Carl Court, Prince George . The Duchess, Cambridge, Chris Jackson, Ben Stansall, Prince Louis, Louis, AP Prince Louis, Kate's, Catherine, Prince Harry, Meghan, Duchess of, Prince Archie, Archie, Toby Melville, Prince Archie of Sussex, Dominic Lipinski, Eugenie, Jack Brooksbank, Princess Beatrice, Sienna, Prince Andrew . Princess Eugenie, Prince Edward, James, Earl of Wessex, Sophie, Lady Louise Mountbatten, Louise, Steve Parsons, Cousins Mia Tindall, Savannah Phillips, Princess Eugenie, Princess Anne, Mia, Mike, Zara Tindall, Peter, Autumn Phillips, Max Mumby, Savannah's, Zara Tindall's, Lena, Zara, Lucas, ”, Queen Elizabeth II’s, King Charles ’, wasn’t, That’s, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Westminster Abbey, St, of England High, Getty, Kensington Palace, William, AP, Press Association, CNN’s Royal, Mary’s Locations: Wales, Windsor, Kensington, Sandringham, Norfolk, London, UK’s, Midlands, St Michael’s, Prince Louis , Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips, Cambridge, AFP, Duchess of Sussex, South Africa, Edinburgh, Mia, Savannah, Wellington, Charlotte, British, St

☆ Colombia will cut diplomatic ties with Israel, President Petro says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaking during a press conference in Bogota, Colombia, on February 8, 2024, after a meeting with the United Nations Security Council. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Wednesday he will break diplomatic relations with Israel over its actions in Gaza. Petro has already heavily criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and requested to join South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice. "Here in front of you, the government of change, of the president of the republic announces that tomorrow we will break diplomatic relations with the state of Israel ... for having a government, for having a president who is genocidal," Petro told cheering crowds in Bogota who marched to mark International Worker's Day and back Petro's social and economic reforms. Countries cannot be passive in the face of events in Gaza, he added.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Gaza . Petro, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Petro Organizations: United Nations Security Council, Colombian, Israeli, International Court of Justice Locations: Bogota, Colombia, Israel, Gaza ., Gaza

☆ Middle East Crisis U.N. Court to Issue Decision on Arms Sales to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Marlise Simons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Members of Germany’s delegation during hearings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague in early April. The judges are set to issue an interim decision in a case brought by Nicaragua against Germany. Germany is a staunch ally of Israel and second only to the United States in providing it with arms. Unlike Germany, which has given the court full jurisdiction, the United States has shielded itself and has to consent to a case. It has protected itself even further from the Genocide Convention, signing the convention but exempting itself from any obligations, such as intervening to stop a genocide or paying reparations if it were found to be complicit.

Persons: Israel, ” Israel Organizations: Germany’s, International Court of Justice, Court, Justice, United Nations ’, Hamas Locations: The Hague, Israel, Gaza, Nicaragua, Germany, Europe, United States, ”, South Africa, Geneva

☆ Columbia protesters' demands have worked before. This time may be different.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Paul Squire | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewThe unrest at Columbia University isn't showing signs of slowing down. In the 1980s, student protesters at Columbia took over the same building and called for divestment of the Ivy League school's investments over a different cause: South African apartheid. Student protesters at the 1985 demonstrations at Columbia University. Protesters there locked and chained the doors to Hamilton Hall — the same building now occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters — and demanded the school completely divest from South Africa. A more fraught situationOn its website, the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group likened itself to the protests from nearly 40 years ago.

Persons: —, It's, Lockheed Martin, Alex Kent, Joe Biden, Mike Johnson, she's, Barbara Alper, didn't, Ronald Reagan, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Nemat, Shafik, Nicholas Dirks, Divesting, Christopher Marsicano, Al, Marsicano Organizations: Service, Columbia University, Columbia, Ivy League, Business, Lockheed, Boeing, NPR, Hamilton Hall, Getty, Columbia University Apartheid, White, Student, New York Times, Times, Coalition, Columbia Spectator, Spectator, The New York Times, Hamas, University, Socially, University of California, CNN, North Carolina's Davidson College Locations: Israel, Gaza, Columbia, divesting, Hamilton, South Africa, Vietnam, Rafah, Berkeley, Al Jazeera

☆ South Africa has one of the world’s largest manganese reserves. So why does it outsource for processing?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jackelyn Prager | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —On delivery day at the Manganese Metal Company’s industrial complex in Mbombela, South Africa, truckloads of manganese ore from the Kalahari Basin in the Northern Cape are ushered inside for processing. South Africa has the world’s largest manganese reserves; however, the International Manganese Institute estimates only 2% of the manganese ore produced within the country is locally processed. The Manganese Metal Company says it receives 80,000 tons of ore every year, with plans to build a $25 million commercial processing plant by the end of 2026. With an abundance of manganese reserves, South Africa has potential to become a leader in high purity manganese sulfate production, but d’Harambure says “issues with the electricity sector in South Africa” and “an increase in electricity prices” have made it difficult to produce manganese chemicals and alloys there. Green potentialThese obstacles are not stopping the Manganese Metal Company from trying to capitalize on the EV boom and expand its processing facilities.

Persons: Louis Nel, ” Nel, Aloys d’Harambure, Nel, ” d’Harambure, ”, d’Harambure, D’Harambure, It’s Organizations: CNN, International Manganese Institute, Metal, International Energy Agency, Metal Company, Employees, Manganese Locations: Mbombela, South Africa, Northern, EVs, China, Mexico, Australia, Europe, Africa

☆ Campus protesters are calling for divestment. Here’s what that means
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest,” protesters at Columbia and universities across the country have chanted. Student protesters who oppose Israel’s military action in Gaza are demanding that their universities sell investments in companies with ties to Israel. Pro-Palestinian protesters say divestment would send an important message of disapproval of Israel’s conduct in Gaza. But while demonstrators have spread their messages across the country, many schools haven’t acquiesced to protesters’ calls for divestment. There are historical precedents for university divestment.

Persons: Israel’s, haven’t, Columbia’s, ”, Christina Paxson, ” Nicholas Dirks, “, Dirks Organizations: CNN — College, Student, Columbia University Apartheid, Microsoft, Protesters, Cornell, Yale, University of Michigan, The University of California, University of California, University, University of Texas, Brown, Brown Daily Herald, Portland State University, Boeing, Columbia, Ford, CNN Locations: Israel, Columbia, Gaza, Dallas, South Africa, Berkeley

☆ UN’s top court rejects call for Germany to immediately halt arms exports to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The United Nations’ top court struck down a demand by Nicaragua that Germany immediately halt its arms exports to Israel on Tuesday, saying it cannot issue emergency measures against Berlin under the current circumstances. However, the court also rejected Germany’s demand to strike the lawsuit from its list, meaning the case will now move on. The ruling on Tuesday only concerned whether or not Berlin should be ordered to immediately stop selling arms to Israel. Germany “welcomed the ICJ ruling” according to a statement posted by the German Foreign Ministry on X shortly after the announcement. The ICJ is still considering whether Israel is guilty of violating the Genocide Convention, a legal process that could take years.

Persons: “, Nawaf Salam, Salam, Netherlands Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, Alain, Piroschka Van De Wouw, Germany “, Israel, CNN’s Abel Alvarado, Tamar Michaelis Organizations: CNN, United Nations ’, Berlin, International Court of Justice, The Hague, Reading, Central, Israel, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Reuters, UN, German Foreign Ministry Locations: Nicaragua, Germany, Israel, The, Netherlands, Berlin, Gaza, Central American, Nicaraguan, Reuters Germany, South Africa

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