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[1/7] A drone image of Mtauchira village shows the destruction caused by a mudslide where many people lost their lives, in the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy in Blantyre, Malawi, March 16, 2023. Tropical Cyclone Freddy has killed more than 400 people in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar since it first made landfall in Africa in late February and circled back to hit the region for a second time over the weekend. In Mozambique, some villages have been completely cut off since the cyclone made its second landfall on Saturday. At least 53 people have died in Mozambique and 326 in Malawi since the weekend, according to government figures. The storm had already killed about 27 people in Madagascar and Mozambique before it lashed Mozambique a second time.

☆ Cyclone Freddy toll surpasses 300 as Mozambique counts bodies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MAPUTO, March 16 (Reuters) - The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Freddy has passed 300 people, with authorities in Mozambique taking several days to assess the extent of the damage and loss of life. The storm tore through southern Africa over the weekend for a second time after first making landfall in late February. It is one of the longest-lasting tropical cyclones ever recorded and one of the deadliest in Africa in recent years. At least 53 people have died in Mozambique's Zambezia province, authorities said late on Wednesday, more than doubling their previous count. The storm killed about 27 people in Madagascar and Mozambique before lashing Mozambique a second time.

☆ Factbox: Cyclone Freddy among Africa's deadliest storms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JOHANNESBURG, March 15 (Reuters) - Cyclone Freddy has killed more than 270 people in southern Africa since it first made landfall last month, making it one of the deadliest storms to hit the continent in the last two decades. Below are some of the deadliest storms recorded in Africa since 2000. CYCLONE FREDDY, 2023Cyclone Freddy has killed more than 270 people, mostly in Malawi but also in Mozambique and Madagascar. CYCLONE GALIFO, 2004Cyclone Galifo killed about 170 people when it struck Madagascar in 2004, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. SOMALIA CYCLONE, 2013A tropical cyclone that hit Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region in 2013 killed about 160 people, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

[1/3] Young boys carry plastic as they look for items to salvage from the Nasolo river in Ndirande township in Blantyre, Malawi March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Eldson ChagaraBLANTYRE/MAPUTO, March 15 (Reuters) - Malawi and Mozambique were racing to rescue survivors from Tropical Cyclone Freddy on Wednesday as the death toll rose above 270 from one of the most powerful storms recorded in the southern hemisphere. In neighbouring Mozambique at least 21 people had died as of Tuesday, according to the disaster agency. The overall death toll since Freddy first made landfall in February is now estimated at more than 270 in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar. We've rescued thousands but thousands more are still unreachable," said disaster agency spokesperson Paulo Tomas by telephone from Quelimane.

☆ Factbox: Why is Cyclone Freddy a record-breaking storm?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Nellie Peyton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HIGHEST CYCLONE ENERGYFreddy holds the record for most accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), a measure based on a storm's wind strength over its lifetime, of any storm in the southern hemisphere and possibly worldwide. Freddy has generated about as much accumulated cyclone energy as an average full North Atlantic hurricane season, according to the World Meteorological Organization. By last week it was in second place for the most accumulated cyclone energy of any storm since 1980, with the record held by Hurricane and Typhoon Ioke in 2006. RECORD LENGTHFreddy may have broken the record for longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Freddy had seven separate cycles of rapid intensification, according to satellite estimates, said the World Meteorological Organization.

☆ South African township boys spin bikes to stay out of trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ngwenya usually practises stunts with his friends in Kahlehong township, east of Johannesburg, where he is part of a club that encourages young boys to fix up old bikes and get into spinning so they stay away from crime and gang violence. This weekend, they were invited for the first time to "Revved up Sunday", a monthly event which is usually reserved for car spinning but has added a stunt bike exhibition for its younger participants. We don't only spin in our township anymore but we can now be seen by other people," said Ngwenya, who started spinning in 2016 after a friend introduced him to it. "What I love about spinning bikes is that when we are bored and not doing anything, we don't get into trouble but we spin," said Ngwenya. ($1 = 18.1923 rand)Reporting by Siyabonga Sishi; Writing by Nellie Peyton, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] Branches of trees sway as cyclone Freddy hits, in Quelimane, Zambezia, Mozambique, March 12, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. It pummelled central Mozambique on Saturday, ripping roofs off buildings and bringing widespread flooding around the port of Quelimane, before moving inland towards Malawi with torrential rains that caused landslides. At least six people died in Mozambique's Quelimane, which was struck hard by the storm, authorities told the public broadcaster on Monday. The total number killed by storm Freddy in Mozambique, Malawi and Madagascar since it first made landfall last month is now nearing 100. Malawi has been battling the deadliest cholera outbreak in its history, and U.N. agencies have warned the situation could now get worse.

☆ South African court orders striking healthcare workers to end walkout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU) march during a strike over wage disputes, at the Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital in Vosloorus outside Johannesburg, South Africa, March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoJOHANNESBURG, March 13 (Reuters) - The South African Labour Appeal Court on Monday ordered striking state healthcare workers to end a week-long walkout that has affected services in some of the country's major hospitals, the health department said. National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU) members went on strike last week after wage talks with the government failed. The labour relations act prohibits essential workers from engaging in strike action which is detrimental to healthcare services with a risk of loss of life, he told a press briefing. The South African military said it had deployed medics to help in the affected hospitals at the request of the health department.

☆ ‘School Spirits’ Review: A Haunted High-School Mystery
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Once upon a time, you couldn’t talk about sex in polite conversation, much less on television. In the too-cleverly titled “School Spirits,” Madison Nears ( Peyton List ) has a not-untypical problem: She’s dead. The circumstances are a mystery— the mystery in this eight-episode season based on a graphic novel by Nate Trinrud , Megan Trinrud and Maria Nguyen . At first, she travels the hallways of Split River High School not knowing why she’s being ignored, then realizes she can’t be seen, or heard—not by the living. Search parties continue to scour Split River for Maddie, but the rescue effort is fast becoming a recovery mission.

☆ South African rand weakens to multi-year low after Powell testimony
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, March 8 (Reuters) - The South African rand dropped sharply overnight and hit its lowest level in almost three years early on Wednesday, after hawkish comments from U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and South African data showed a sharp economic contraction. The rand's slide was compounded by gross domestic product (GDP) figures released on Tuesday that showed South Africa's economy contracted more than expected in the fourth quarter of last year. If it contracts again in the current quarter, South Africa will be in a recession. The government's benchmark 2030 bond was slightly weaker in early deals, with the yield up 2 basis points to 10.190%. Reporting by Nellie Peyton Editing by Alexander WinningOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Namibia makes third oil discovery in the Orange Basin
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WINDHOEK, March 6 (Reuters) - Namibia's state-owned oil company NAMCOR has made a third oil discovery with partners Shell (SHEL.L) and QatarEnergy in the Jonker-1X deepwater exploration well, in the Orange Basin offshore southern Namibia, it said on Monday. New discoveries could make Namibia, the southern neighbour of OPEC member Angola, another oil producer along the African Atlantic coast. "We are delighted to announce this third oil discovery after the success of the Graff-1X and Venus-1X discoveries by Shell and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) in 2022," Immanuel Mulunga, managing director of NAMCOR, said in a statement. The acquired data is being evaluated, and further appraisal drilling is planned to determine the size and potential of the discovery, the statement said. Shell Namibia B.V and QatarEnergy each hold a 45% stake in the joint venture while state-owned NAMCOR has 10%.

☆ LSU issues statement on academic misconduct after college athlete influencer Olivia Dunne promoted AI essay helper on TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Student athlete-slash-TikToker Olivia Dunne posted a paid partnership video about using AI for homework help. Three days after the video was published, LSU made a statement about the power of AI and warned students of academic misconduct. Dunne is the third highest valued student athlete in the US, according to NIL database. The 10-second clip garnered over one million views, and was followed by a statement from LSU on using AI for schoolwork days later, local news reported. The change sparked a slew of brand deals for college athletes, and Dunne is among the highest earners.

☆ WTA roundup: Katie Volynets escapes 5-0, third-set hole
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 2 - Down 5-0 and a match point in the third set, the United States' Katie Volynets rallied to upset third-seeded Anastasia Potapova of Russia 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 on Wednesday in the second round of the ATX Open in Austin, Texas. Volynets heated up while winning the last seven games, as she lost just one point total in the final three games. Abierto GNP SegurosThird-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia needed just 80 minutes to rout the United States' Emma Navarro 6-3, 6-2 in the second round at Monterrey, Mexico. Fifth-seeded Lin Zhu of China registered a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3 win over Canada's Rebecca Marino, and Belgium's Ysaline Bonaventure topped Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-3. In the last match of the night, Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova was scheduled to oppose the United States' Caroline Dolehide.

☆ Our guests are finding value-oriented options on the menu, says Dine Brands CEO John Peyton
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailOur guests are finding value-oriented options on the menu, says Dine Brands CEO John PeytonDine Brands CEO John Peyton joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss earnings and revenue, and what's behind the numbers.

☆ Mozambicans seek shelter as storm Freddy makes landfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Manuel Mucari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MAPUTO, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Mozambicans took shelter on Friday as tropical storm Freddy made landfall in a small coastal town, with heavy rain expected to batter the country's southern provinces for several days. Pictures posted by Matos on Facebook showed children and adults sitting on the floor in a crowded primary school classroom. Up to 1.75 million people could be affected by the storm and severe flooding, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement. Mozambique has already been battling severe flooding in recent days, and the government has declared a state of "red alert" to expedite operations to tackle Freddy. In Zimbabwe, which is expected to see heavy rain from Freddy, the education ministry has suspended school in six provinces.

Treasury said the government planned to take on 254 billion rand ($14 billion) of Eskom's 423 billion rand debt it said was at risk of default, to enable the utility to pay down the debt and interest obligations. South Africa has been struggling for years to overhaul Eskom, which is plagued by corruption and mismanagement and has received 263.4 billion rand in bailouts since 2008/09. Treasury said about 168 billion rand of Eskom’s debt relief will be in capital and 86 billion rand in interest payments over the next three years. Eskom's debt relief has strict conditions, Treasury said. A proposal to address the debt municipalities owe Eskom, at 56.3 billion rand as of end December 2022, was being finalised.

"Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" premiered in theaters on February 17. How to watch 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'"Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" is now available to watch exclusively in theaters. When will 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' be available on Disney Plus? "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" is expected to start streaming on Disney Plus later this year. With this range in mind, "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" should hit Disney Plus in April or May.

☆ Nigeria's Buhari grants 60-day extension to turn in old banknotes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nigeria's central bank decided last year to start circulating newly designed 1,000 ($2.17) 500 and 200 naira notes. The deadline to turn in old notes has already been extended once to Feb. 10, after which they would no longer have been legal tender. Buhari said in a television broadcast that old 200 notes would continue to circulate in the economy alongside new 1,000, 500 and 200 notes until April 10. But the old 1,000 and 500 notes could only be swapped at the central bank and "designated points", he said. The comments contrasted with last week's Supreme Court interim ruling that said all old notes remain legal tender until it hears a challenge brought by some state governments.

☆ NHL roundup: Auston Matthews' return boosts Leafs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] Feb 15, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (88) battles for the puck with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Caleb Jones (82) in front of Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY SportsFebruary 16 - Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist in his return after missing five games with a sprained knee, helping the Toronto Maple Leafs earn a 5-2 win over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. The Maple Leafs went 2-3-0 while Matthews was out. Conor Timmins added a goal, and the Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov made 27 saves. Lazar and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson left due to lower-body injuries, and goalie Arturs Silovs stopped 22 shots in his NHL debut.

☆ 'Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania' reviews: The villain is good, but the movie is bad
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

DisneyAre the pint-sized heroes of Disney's "Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania" enough to take on the newest — and baddest — villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." "Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania" held a 53% "rotten" rating from 148 reviews, as of Wednesday afternoon. "Sometimes the weight of all this responsibility causes 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' ... to buckle at the knees," O'Sullivan wrote. Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) in "Ant-Man and The Wasp in Quantumania."

☆ MTN commits to $1 bln Ghana investment after government scraps tax claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The investment comes on the heels of the Ghana Revenue Authority exempting the company's bill for back taxes earlier this month after the incident sparked a diplomatic reaction by the South African foreign minister. The tax claim was initially issued after the revenue authority audited the company for the years 2014 to 2018 and inferred that it under declared its revenue by about 30% during the period. MTN Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita said the company was committed to investing in Ghana despite short-term headwinds. That said we are focused on the medium and long term and we are seeing growth," he said in a statement. MTN intends to invest the amount in 5G technology which it believes would spur faster growth across sectors, he said.

☆ How rising-star athletes balance sports and content creation, even as the tech implosion disrupts lucrative brand deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Elaine Low | Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Social media, content creation, and lucrative branding deals offer a new path to fame and fortune. Top agents and managers working with athletes on content said it can be tricky to balance with training. Chasing content deals can be a distraction from the sport, and the industry-wide layoffs across tech companies from Twitter to Meta to Amazon mean that opportunities for influencer revenue are facing a slowdown. Fresno State basketball stars Haley and Hanna Cavinder, for instance, have a number of lucrative brand deals under their belts. A lot more athletes may not get deals if they don't have content creation, social media followings, or brand building."

[1/4] Director Peyton Reed poses at a premiere for the film "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 6, 2023. "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is the first movie in phase five of Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe. It takes the superhero and his resizing powers into the Quantum realm, a subatomic world where he meets new challenges. Reality melted away and brought her into the fantasy world that many children grew up reading about in the Marvel comic books, she noted. Disney artists assembled new environments, creatures, buildings and an entire internal history and logic to make the Quantum realm come to life.

☆ NHL roundup: Tim Stutzle helps Senators rally past Flames
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

February 14 - Tim Stutzle scored 1:55 into overtime to cap off a four-point night and give the Ottawa Senators a 4-3 comeback win over the visiting Calgary Flames on Monday. Stutzle had assists on all three of the Senators' earlier goals, and the forward matched a personal best with four points in a game. The Flames are 12-9-11 in one-goal games this season, with the 20 combined one-goal losses leading the NHL. Roman Josi and Colton Sissons scored goals for the Predators, who lost for the second time in their last three games. Sheldon Dries replied for the Canucks, who have just one win in their past five games (1-3-1).

☆ South Africa declares national state of disaster over floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 13 (Reuters) - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national state of disaster to enable an intensive response to widespread flooding that has affected seven of the country's nine provinces. Invoking the national disaster act gives the government additional powers, including in the procurement and delivery of goods and services and the ability to bypass restrictions under current law. The national police and defence force may be called on to help respond to the flooding, the statement said. Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster last week over South Africa's power crisis, as daily rolling power cuts are paralyzing businesses. The national disaster act was also invoked in March 2020 to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, and last April to respond to floods in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal.

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