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☆ Kenyan president's tax hikes alienate his 'hustler' base
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ruto has also faced criticism for increasing allocations to his office and the deputy president's while cutting petrol subsidies. The proposals, contained in a draft law known as the finance bill, will be considered by parliament alongside the 2023-24 budget to be presented by the finance minister on Thursday. The president and his allies have defended the tax hikes, saying East Africa's economic powerhouse needs more revenue to avert a debt crisis and fund affordable housing projects. One man in Githunguri, who declined to give his name, defended the finance bill, saying Ruto was simply trying to leave his mark by constructing affordable housing. Fruit vendor John Nyaga, another Ruto voter, complained that the tax hikes would leave his customers with even less money to spend.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto, Jacqueline Wambui, Ruto's, Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, John Nyaga, Duncan Miriri, Aaron Ross, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, Ruto, Thomson Locations: Kiambu County, Kenya, GITHUNGURI, Nairobi, Ukraine, Githunguri

The indictment gives the clearest picture yet of the files that Mr. Trump took with him when he left the White House. Mr. Trump is expected to appear in Federal District Court in Miami on Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Trump continued to rail against the indictment on Friday, calling it the “greatest witch hunt of all time,” in a Truth Social post. Two lawyers, James Trusty and John Rowley, have left Mr. Trump’s legal team, and will no longer represent him in the documents case. “I will be represented by Todd Blanche, Esq., and a firm to be named later,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Jack Smith, “, ”, Waltine, —, Nauta, Trump’s, FVEY, Aileen M, Cannon, Judge Cannon, Biden, James, John Rowley, Todd Blanche, ” Mr, Charlie Savage, Nicholas Nehamas Organizations: White, “ United, Prosecutors, Mr, Court, General Services Administration Locations: “ United States, United States, Florida, Iran, Bedminster, N.J, U.S, Britain , New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Miami, White, Mar, Esq

☆ Kenya's parliament approves appointment of new central banker
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

He will replace Patrick Njoroge, who is retiring after serving two terms as the central bank governor since 2015. In a voice vote, lawmakers adopted the report of the National Assembly's finance committee, which urged the house to back his appointment after vetting his suitability for the post. His predecessor, Njoroge, has maintained stable prices for most of his eight years at the helm. But the World Bank expects growth to edge up to 5.0% in 2023, underpinned by a recovery in agriculture. Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Thugge, William Ruto's, Kamau, Ruto, Patrick Njoroge, Duncan Miriri, Alexander Winning, David Evans Organizations: Njoroge, National, Johns Hopkins University, International Monetary Fund, Kenyan, Treasury, Bank, Thomson Locations: Ruto, U.S

☆ Kenyan police fire tear gas at protesters marching against finance bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, June 6 (Reuters) - Kenyan police fired tear gas at hundreds of people protesting near parliament on Tuesday against a proposed finance bill that would hike taxes on fuel and housing. Police fired tear gas to disperse about 500 protesters who marched to parliament to present a petition against the bill, a Reuters witness said. REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaEleven protesters were seen being detained by police. In downtown Nairobi, plain-clothed police officers were seen carrying an activist who held a placard that read: "Colonialism never really ended." Labour unions, including one representing health workers, also protested against the bill last week.

Persons: William Ruto, Thomas Mukoya, Ruto, La, Raila Odinga, Duncan Miriri, Bhargav Acharya, Alex Richardson, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Kenyan, Police, REUTERS, Labour, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, East, Nairobi, Kenya

☆ Kenya and Russia to sign trade pact, President Ruto says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya Moses Wetangula shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya May 29, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERSNAIROBI, May 29 (Reuters) - Kenya will sign a trade pact with Russia aimed at boosting cooperation between businesses, President William Ruto's office said on Monday, after hosting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Nairobi. Kenya's presidency said in a statement that bilateral trade with Russia was still low despite the potential and the pact would give business the "necessary impetus". Russia says its invasion of Ukraine, launched on Feb. 24, 2022, is aimed at protecting its own security against Ukraine's pro-Western leadership. Lavrov has visited the African continent at least three times this year, while Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba travelled to countries including Ethiopia, Rwanda and Mozambique last week.

☆ How Greenwood Grew a Thriving Black Economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Victor Luckerson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

They soon transformed the space into the Dreamland Theatre. It was the first Black-owned theater in Tulsa and one of the few owned by a Black woman. Du Bois believed that enterprises like the Dreamland held the key to Black prosperity in a segregated world. Though primarily heralded as a sociologist and activist, Du Bois studied economics in graduate school in Berlin. When Du Bois strolled the streets of Greenwood in the spring of 1921, there was hardly any competition.

☆ US mortgage giants were placed on credit watch. Here’s what that means for home buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington, DC CNN —The credit ratings of US mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were put on watch for possible downgrade by Fitch Ratings late Thursday. The warning came because the ratings for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are linked to the sovereign rating of the United States. The aim of Freddie and Fannie is to provide liquidity into the mortgage market and enable a reliable flow of affordable funds to mortgage lenders. “The housing GSEs continue to benefit from meaningful financial support from the U.S. government,” the Fitch statement said. “While politics are at play, the ratings watch is a just that — a watch,” she said.

☆ Yellen to meet with Jamie Dimon and other bank CEOs on Thursday as debt ceiling crisis looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —With time running out to reach a deal on the debt ceiling, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen plans to meet with bank CEOs on Thursday afternoon in Washington, sources tell CNN. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser plan to attend the Yellen meeting, which will very likely include a focus on the debt ceiling as well as the banking crisis, people familiar with the matter told CNN. As the White House and Republican leaders struggle to reach a deal on the debt ceiling, Yellen has stepped up her warnings about the economic stakes. The debt ceiling is not necessarily the focus of the meeting, which will also include regional bank CEOs at a time when that industry is in turmoil. Yellen is also likely not the only figure from Washington who will speak before the bank CEOs this week.

But for months, Mr. Santos has denied any criminal wrongdoing, even as he has admitted to lying about going to college and working for prestigious Wall Street firms. When he appears before a judge on Wednesday, Mr. Santos will hear the government’s case against him. Shortly thereafter, prosecutors will argue for the terms of release they believe to be appropriate to ensure that Mr. Santos returns to court. It is not yet clear whether Mr. Santos will lodge a plea or if he will be asked to do so in a subsequent hearing. Court records show that Mr. Santos spent nearly $700 using a stolen checkbook and a false name at a store near Rio de Janeiro.

☆ Forest search resumes for Kenyan death cult victims of 'highly organised crime'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHAKAHOLA FOREST, Kenya, May 9 (Reuters) - Kenyan investigators have resumed the search for members of a doomsday cult in a forest where more than 100 corpses, mostly of children, have been exhumed, victims of a "highly organised crime", Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said on Tuesday. "We have many more graves in this forest, and therefore it leads us to conclude that this was a highly organised crime," Kindiki told reporters. Search and rescue efforts for people "suspected to be holed up in the thickets and bushes have been going on". President William Ruto on Friday announced an inquiry into the mass deaths, while a court kept Mackenzie in detention pending further investigations. Reporting by Dicksy Obiero in the Shakahola Forest and Hereward Holland and Humphrey Malalo in Nairobi; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Demand for collaborative robots is on the rise, says manufacturing company
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailDemand for collaborative robots is on the rise, says manufacturing companyWilliam Ryu of Doosan Robotics says labor shortages are a common issue all over the world.

CNN —Prince William paid tribute to his “Pa” King Charles III at the coronation concert on Sunday, saying “we are all so proud of you” as he evoked the memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Instead, William said he simply wanted to “say a few words about my father and why I believe this weekend is so important.”Prince William, Prince of Wales (left); Queen Camilla and King Charles III (right) at the Coronation Concert on Sunday. Yui Mok/WPA Pool/Getty ImagesHe went on to pay a heartfelt tribute to the King, outlining his commitment to service over the years. My father’s first words on entering Westminster Abbey yesterday were a pledge of service,” Prince William remarked. Police arrested dozens of people during the coronation, after controversially promising a “robust” approach to protesters.

☆ Inside a Kenyan starvation cult and its tragic end in a forest of death
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Mackenzie, 50, is in police custody and has yet to be required to enter a plea to any charge related to the mass graves, which are still being exhumed. HUNDREDS STILL MISSINGThe death toll stands at 109 so far, with 101 found in mass graves and eight people found alive who later died. On April 13, police acting on a tip-off returned to the forest and found 15 emaciated people lying in the forest, according to police who said four of them were so weak they died before reaching hospital. On April 21, they began exhuming mass graves. Charo said he was horrified last month when he learned about the mass graves found in the forest.

☆ Anti-government protests in Kenya resume with police firing tear gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A boy carries a bouquet of flowers as he walks past a bus torched by unknown people ahead of protests by supporters of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga of the Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) One Kenya Alliance, in a nationwide protest...moreA boy carries a bouquet of flowers as he walks past a bus torched by unknown people ahead of protests by supporters of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga of the Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) One Kenya Alliance, in a nationwide protest over cost of living and President William Ruto's government in Nairobi, Kenya May 2, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaClose

☆ Kenyan anti-government protests resume with police firing tear gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaNAIROBI, May 2 (Reuters) - Kenyan police fired tear gas at a small group of protesters in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday as the opposition resumed anti-government demonstrations following a one-month pause. But he later announced that the protests would resume, accusing the government of not negotiating in good faith. The police said on Monday that the protests would be considered unlawful. Odinga's Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) coalition said the protests would go ahead. Reporting by George Obulutsa, Thomas Mukoya and Humphrey Malalo; Editing by Aaron Ross, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kenyan police fire tear gas as anti-government protests resume
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaNAIROBI, May 2 (Reuters) - Kenyan police fired tear gas at a small group of protesters in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday as the opposition took to the streets again in anti-government demonstrations following a one-month pause. Police said they had arrested 46 people "engaging in acts of criminality" and said the protests were unlawful. The Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) coalition said some of its members of parliament were stopped on their way to the president's office and met with teargas. Our protests will resume on Thursday," the coalition said in a statement. But he later announced that the protests would resume, accusing the government of not negotiating in good faith.

☆ Supreme Court: New documents show how Sandra Day O'Connor helped George W. Bush win the 2000 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Joan Biskupic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

CNN —Justice Sandra Day O’Connor provided the early framework that steered the outcome in the dispute over the 2000 presidential election and ensured George W. Bush would win the White House over Al Gore, Supreme Court documents released on Tuesday show. They also demonstrate the tension among the nine justices being asked to decide a presidential election on short deadlines. The five conservative justices (O’Connor, Kennedy, Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas) sided with Bush. The Florida results had been too close to call at the end of Election Day, November 7. The next day, Kennedy wrote to the chief justice, “Sandra’s memorandum sets forth a very sound approach” and said he wanted to build on it.

Authorities have recovered 101 bodies from shallow graves since April 21, while eight cult members were found alive but died later. Cult leader Paul Mackenzie has been in police custody since April 14, held alongside 14 other cult members. Children account for most of the bodies recovered so far, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said on Friday. Kindiki said the autopsies will look at all possibilities, including whether or not some bodies had missing organs. Oduor said the government was collecting DNA samples from those who had reported missing relatives and would do the matching in a process that would take at least a month.

Eight cult members who were found emaciated in the forest died later. Mackenzie has been in police custody since April 14 alongside 14 other suspected cult members. Two showed signs of asphyxiation, he added. Children account for most of the bodies recovered so far, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said on Friday. On Sunday, President William Ruto said he would appoint a judicial commission of inquiry this week to probe what happened in Shakahola.

NAIROBI, April 27 (Reuters) - A Kenyan church leader was arrested on Thursday over the "mass killing of his followers", the interior minister said, just days after the leader of a cult based in the same region was detained and mass graves of his followers were found. REUTERS/Stringer 1 2 3 4Odero was "being processed to face criminal charges related to mass killing of his followers," Interior Minister Kindiki wrote on Twitter. Mackenzie was arrested again on April 14, and held alongside 14 other members of his church. The death toll among Mackenzie's followers is expected to rise further. Reporting by George Obulutsa; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by James Macharia ChegeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Police have now recovered 89 bodies from mass graves in a forest in eastern Kenya, believed to be linked to a cult that allegedly encouraged its followers to starve themselves to gain salvation, the country’s government said. His lawyer told CNN on Tuesday he was denied bail over investigation interference fears. “The court is of the opinion that he might interfere with investigations,” Nthege’s lawyer George Kariuki told CNN. Kariuki said prosecutors have been given 14 days to investigate the case, adding that Nthege has not been charged. The case has sent shockwaves through Kenya and the government has vowed tighter regulations on religious bodies and organizations.

☆ Death toll in Kenyan starvation cult rises to 58 - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Hereward Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The death toll, which has repeatedly risen as exhumations have been carried out, could rise further. The Kenyan Red Cross said 112 people have been reported missing to a tracing and counselling desk it has set up at a local hospital. Kenya's Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, visiting the scene, said the death toll included 50 people found in mass graves as well as eight who were found alive and emaciated, but later died. Koome said 14 other cult members were in police custody. Reporting by Hereward Holland; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Alexander WinningOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ For LGBTQ Kenyans, court win prompts backlash as threats escalate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ayenat Mersie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NAIROBI, April 18 (Reuters) - For Kenya's lesbians and gays, a supreme court ruling allowing the rights body that represents their interests to register as a non-governmental organisation has turned out to be a mixed blessing. But, in a country where same-sex acts remain punishable by up to 14 years in prison, the ruling has also led to a menacing backlash. An LGBT activist wears a badge as he attends a court hearing in the Milimani high Court in Nairobi in Nairobi, Kenya. For now, Kenya is still seen as a relative haven for LGBTQ people in a hostile region. For Kevin Mwachiro, an LGBTQ activist for 15 years, this is the most challenging time that the community inside Kenya has experienced.

[1/3] Smoke rises from the tarmac of Khartoum International Airport as a fire burns, in Khartoum, Sudan April 17, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said an immediate ceasefire was needed, saying that view was shared by the international community. By Sunday it appeared that the army was gaining the upper hand in the fighting in Khartoum, using air strikes to pound RSF bases. Sudan has been affected by rising levels of hunger in recent years as an economic crisis has deepened. The WFP says it reached 9.3 million people in Sudan, one of its largest operations globally.

☆ Kenya's President Ruto asks opposition to give talks a chance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Monicah MwangiNAIROBI, April 16 (Reuters) - Kenya's President William Ruto asked the opposition on Sunday to give talks with the government a chance while his main opponent urged his followers to protest again over electoral reforms and the high cost of living. The protests partly stem from accusations of fraud in August's presidential election in which Ruto narrowly beat Raila Odinga. Odinga's Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) Alliance and Ruto's Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) alliance disagree about the content of the talks and who should steer them. Kenya Kwanza wants the talks to involve only lawmakers and discuss only the selection of electoral officials. "If we don't hear from Ruto next week, when Ramadan ends, we are going back to the streets," he said.

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