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Nigeria is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with skyrocketing inflation, a national currency in free-fall and millions of people struggling to buy food. Only two years ago Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria is projected to drop to fourth place this year. Hospitals are overrun with women wracked by spasms from calcium deficiencies. A nation of entrepreneurs, Nigeria’s more than 200 million citizens are skilled at managing in tough circumstances, without the services states usually provide. They take up arms and defend their communities when the armed forces cannot.

Organizations: Unions Locations: Nigeria, stampedes

☆ Africa’s richest man says he needs 35 visas to travel in Africa – way more than a European visitor
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Larry Madowo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The 67-year-old entrepreneur’s visa woes have reignited a fresh firestorm about the frustrations of traveling within Africa for Africans. But many African countries still require visas from other Africans and the experience is fraught with discrimination, hostility and sky-high fees. He has also been detained at airports in Kenya and South Africa because of his Nigerian passport. “There’s a fear in richer African countries that people from poorer nations might be looking for a way to permanently move there,” he explains. His new St Kitts passport allows him to go to more African countries than his Nigerian passport.

Persons: Aliko Dangote, ” Dangote, ”, Patrick, Pouyanné, Tayo Aina, Aina, YouTuber, hasn’t, Marco Longari, Alan Hirsch, “, Sotunde, William Ruto, Tayo Organizations: Rwanda CNN, Forum, CNN, African, African Continental Free Trade, Getty, University of Cape, New, Institute, Travelers, East African Community, Kenyan, REUTERS, Reuters Kenyan, St Kitts Locations: Kigali, Rwanda, Nigerian, Africa, “, Benin, The Gambia, Seychelles, Addis Ababa, London, Kenya, South Africa, Caribbean, St Kitts, Nevis, AFP, University of Cape Town, Johannesburg, Southern, West Africa, Abuja, Nigeria, East

☆ A 'Shark Tank' beauty brand was criticized for lacking deep foundation shades. It tried to fix it and made it worse.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Amanda Krause | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

So, when Youthforia launched 10 new makeup shades in March, George gave the new darkest option — shade 600 — a chance. Widespread beauty backlashFollowing George's video, beauty fans and creators across the internet have criticized Youthforia and its attempt to make its foundation range more inclusive. George posted another TikTok video on Wednesday, which she captioned: "It's biologically impossible to be PURE black. Shade 600 seems to have no undertone, but it looks like they had more of a red undertone. Specifically, Rihanna's Fenty Beauty changed the game with its massive foundation range — it now boasts 51 shades — and the foundation from Halsey's brand About Face has become a new favorite.

Persons: —, Golloria George, influencer, Fiona, Chan, George, Youthforia, Mark Cuban, Jackie Aina, Javon Ford, George's, didn't Organizations: Service, Business Locations: The California

☆ Don’t launch a small business before asking yourself these 3 questions, says CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Having an idea that you believe could become a lucrative business can bring a rush of excitement. Forvr Mood products can be found in Sephora stores nationwide, and sell direct-to-consumer via their website. Forvr Mood sold $700,000 worth of products within the first four hours of its launch, the company told Women's Wear Daily. "And when we started Forvr Mood, we started with candles and I was like, if [customers] are not here for it, I will be burning these candles by myself. Still, just because you're passionate about something doesn't mean it's a good business idea in and of itself.

Persons: Jackie Aina, Aina, fiancé, Denis Asamoah, Women's, DeAndre Brown, We're, Mark Cuban's Organizations: Amazon Insights

☆ Why Hawaii is becoming a leader in U.S. EV adoption
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Alex Tai | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesU.S. consumers have been making the move to all-electric vehicles more slowly than many expected — but a growing leader in EV adoption is Hawaii. Power's "EV Adoption Score," which is weighted based on market, consumer preference and EV availability, among other conditions, with a score of 33.8. Hawaii also is the top state for EV adoption that hasn't agreed to the California Air Resources Board's Zero-Emission Vehicle program, according to J.D. (For reference, the "Hawaii Belt" around the Big Island, or Hawaii Island, is only about 260 miles.) Power reports the top-selling EVs in the state are the Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3 and Ford F-150 Lightning.

Persons: Alex Tai, Elizabeth Krear, hasn't, Ivan Drury, Edmunds, Drury, –, I'm, Scott Sageman, Hawaii Aloha Kia Russell Wong, Wong, there's, That's Organizations: Tesla, Getty, EV, California Air Resources, Hawaii that's, AAA, Ford, Aloha Kia, Hawaii Aloha, Aloha, Kia, Gallup Locations: Honolulu , Hawaii, Hawaii, Power, California, Washington, J.D, ., Washington , Oregon, Colorado, Waikiki, U.S, Waipahu, EVs, Edmunds

☆ I was just accepted into Princeton University after the repeal of affirmative action. As a person of color, I'm feeling conflicted.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Aina Marzia | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'm a person of color who was just accepted into Princeton after the repeal of affirmative action. As a recently accepted student to Princeton University, it might've been the best I ever played. As a person of color, I was the guinea pig round of the increasingly unpredictable admissions process. AdvertisementI tried to show the admissions officers I'm a person — not a scoreI went test-optional. I figured it would be harder to reject a person than a number, so I gave them a person.

Persons: I'm, —, might've, I'd, couldn't, Finegan Kruckemeyer Organizations: Princeton, Service, Princeton University, Ivy League Locations: Princeton

☆ See what celebrities wore to New York Fashion Week
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —New York Fashion Week is back, with celebrities seen sitting front row at shows across Manhattan and Brooklyn and arriving at private parties for luxury houses including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Christian SirianoJodie Turner-Smith arrives at a private Gucci party. Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images/Getty ImagesJessica Chastain at a private Gucci party on Saturday. Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage/Getty ImagesElliot Page arrives at a private Gucci party. Theo Wargo/Getty Images for NYFW: The ShowsIris Apatow at a private Gucci party on Saturday.

Persons: Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Tommy Hilfiger’s, Sofia Richie Grainge, Becky G, Willy Chavarria’s, Sam Smith, Julia Fox, Jessica Chastain, Jodie, Turner Smith, Demi Moore, Elliot Page, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Joe Biden’s, Ashley Biden, Kamala Harris ’, Ella Emhoff, Sophia Bush, J . Smith, Cameron, Philipps, Melanie Lynskey, Alicia Silverstone, Ashlee Simpson, Christian Siriano's, Jamie McCarthy, Christian, Jodie Turner, Smith, Gilbert Carrasquillo, Dascha Polanco, Willy Chavarria's, Roy Rochlin, Debbie Harry, Jason Mendez, Willy Chavarria, Amanda Lepore, Tommy Dorfman, Natasha Lyonne, Annabelle Dexter, Jones, Chanel, Dimitrios Kambouris, Camila Mendes, Ariana Greenblatt, Gilbert Flores, Storm Reid, Jackie Aina, Udo Salters, Cowan, Sarah Desjardins, Christian Cowan, Joel Kim Booster, Anna Wintour, Diane Kruger, Carolina Herrera, Charly Triballeau, Olivia Jade, Noah Beck, Louisa Jacobson, Misty Copeland, Jaimie Alexander, Jason Wu, Molly Ringwald, Helmut Lang, Jed Cullen, Dave Benett, Jeremy O, Harris, Stephanie Hsu, Phillip Lim, Arturo Holmes, Bella Thorne, Theo Wargo, Iris Apatow, Katie Holmes, Ulla Johnson, Manny Carabel, Jemima Kirke, Trullie Organizations: CNN, New York, Central, Brooklyn, Christian, Gucci, Bach, Getty, Harmonie Club, Carolina, Beauty Brooklyn Locations: Manhattan, Brooklyn, AFP, Zsela

Luis Diaz lifted his Liverpool jersey to reveal a T-shirt with the words “Libertad Para Papa” (“Freedom for Papa”) after scoring a late equalizer Sunday in his first appearance for the team since his parents were kidnapped in his native Colombia. Diaz returned to training on Thursday after missing two Liverpool games and said he was ready to play against Luton, with manager Jurgen Klopp selecting him on the bench. "That’s it, for us a super important goal and for him very important and emotional.”Klopp said before the game that “positive” negotiations were taking place about the release of Diaz's father. Tahith Chong looked like being the match-winner for Luton, converting a finish at the end of an 80th-minute counterattack that came after a Liverpool corner. “We pushed a top, top team all the way and we can take a lot of confidence from that.

Persons: Luis Diaz, Papa ”, Diaz, Jurgen Klopp, Harvey Elliott’s, ” Klopp, Klopp, Tahith Chong, ”, Rob Edwards, “, Emi Martinez, Aston Villa, Martinez, Orel Mangala’s, Ola Aina, Unai, Steve Douglas Organizations: Liverpool, Luton, Premier League, National Liberation Army, League's, Luton's, ” Luton, Nottingham Forest, Forest, Villa Locations: Papa, Colombia, Barrancas, Liverpool, Argentina

☆ After Losing Their Homes, Lahaina Parents Try to Save Their School Community
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs | More About Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The flames that ripped through Lahaina needed only a few hours to take nearly everything from Aina Kohler. Her surfing school and cafe. The deadly fire on Aug. 8 destroyed King Kamehameha III Elementary School in Lahaina and forced all three of the other public schools in town to close until officials determine that the air and water are safe. As of Monday, nearly 60 percent of the 3,000 public school students in Lahaina, a historic town in West Maui, had not enrolled in another public school or signed up for remote classes, essentially vanishing from the school system. Kimo, whose education was already upended by Covid-19 closures, longs for some sense of normalcy with his classmates.

Persons: Aina Kohler, ’, Kohler’s, —, King Kamehameha, Kimo Varona, hasn’t, Kimo Organizations: King Kamehameha III Elementary Locations: Lahaina, West Maui, Covid

The week after devastating wildfires swept across Maui, Hōkūlani Holt walked to the center of a grassy courtyard about 12 miles from Lahaina, just over the island’s steep mountains. A kumu hula, or hula teacher, Ms. Holt gathered about 50 listeners into a half-circle, and exhorted them to “lift your voice.” They each held a cup of water, a connection between the body, soul and ʻāina, Hawaiians’ expansive idea of the land. Several men and women blew hollowed-out bamboo pipes called pū ʻohe, producing a deep, trumpetlike sound. Then, led by Ms. Holt’s voice, the group began to chant. After the country’s deadliest fire in more than a century — at least 115 people have been confirmed dead, with hundreds still missing — practical recovery responses were clicking into place: food distribution, debris cleanup, a visit from the president.

Persons: Hōkūlani Holt, Holt, ”, Holt’s Locations: Maui, Lahaina

So far, at least 111 deaths have been confirmed in the wildfires, according to a release from Maui County. Names of other victims have been released by familiesFirefight continues : Crews are still battling the fires on Maui. “The people that were trying to put out these fires lived in those homes – 25 of our firefighters lost their homes,” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said Wednesday. “They watched their homes burn as they fought the fire for other homes in their neighborhood,” she explained. “That is a scar that we will carry for a very long time.”Sarah Salmonese sits where her apartment once stood in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday, August 11.

Persons: John Pelletier, ” Pelletier, ”, Pelletier, Josh Green, CNN’s Wolf, “, Brenda Keau, ” Keau, Jeff Hickman, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, ” Hickman, Melva Benjamin, Virginia Dofa, Alfredo Galinato, Robert Dyckman, Buddy Jantoc, Benjamin, Crews, Brad Ventura, ” Biden, Herman Andaya, would’ve, Matthew A, Foster, Richard Bissen, Aina Kohler, I’ve, Kohler, “ It’s, Jonny Varona, They’re, Wade Ebersole, it’s, who’s, ” Ebersole, ” Sarah Salmonese, Go Nakamura, Jae C, Patrick T, Fallon, Rick Bowmer, Justin Sullivan, Lauren Haley, Bryan Anselm, Makalea Ahhee, Yuki Iwamura, Mike Blake, Max Whittaker, Zoltan Balogh, Robert Gauthier, Mengshin Lin, Evelio Contreras, CNN Vixay Phonxaylinkham, Lana, Phonoxaylinkham, Marco Garcia, Claire Rush, Myrna Ah Hee, Sui, Ty O'Neil, Ku'u Kauanoe, ZUMA, Matthew Thayer, Bob Marshall, ” Marshall, Marshall, Jim Kelly, ” Kelly, ” Darren Pai Organizations: CNN, Maui Police, Authorities, Hawaii Gov, Hawaii Department of Defense, Fire, White House, Maui, Maui Emergency Management, Tuesday . U.S . Army National Guard, Staff, KITV, Maui Health, Maui Memorial Medical, New York Times, AP, FBI, Facility, Getty, AP Volunteers, Grace Baptist, Reuters, Volunteers, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Kahului Airport, Technologies, Kahului, AP Helicopters, Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Reuters Residents, ZUMA Passengers, Maui News, Whisker Labs, Maui Bird Conservation Center, The Washington, Hawaiian Electric, CNN Sunday Locations: Maui, Maui County, Hawaii, Lahaina, Tuesday ., ”, Lahaina , Hawaii, Wailuku, AFP, Kula , Hawaii, Kaanapali, Kula, Kihei, West Maui, Grace, Kahului, Napili, Honokowai, Honolulu, Maalaea, California, Las Vegas, Church, Lahaina Hongwanji, Makawao, Western Maui

☆ Fears of predatory land grabs mount in the ashes of Maui, opening old wounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The threat of predatory outsiders swooping in to buy up property under the ashes of Maui is sparking outrage and opening old wounds for locals. “And every time there’s a crisis, it accelerates.”Homes consumed in recent wildfires are seen in Lahaina, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Jae C. Hong/APA week after wildfires razed through west Maui, killing more than a hundred people and displacing thousands, locals are grieving and rallying together to take care of those who lost everything. It’s through these community-based efforts, Ing said, that the people of Maui will best find a way to equitably rebuild. An offering of flowers is left on the ground following the Maui fires in Lahaina, West Maui, Hawaii, August 16, 2023.

Persons: ”, Kaniela Ing, Jae C, insurrectionists, Queen Lili’uokalani, Sterling Higa, ” Higa, Justin Sullivan, Josh Green, don’t, he’s, ” Green, we’re, wrongdoers, ” Mana Moriarty, Ing, ” Ing, kanaka, Yuki Iwamura, Green, Higa, ” “, GoFundMe, “, “ That’s, it’s Organizations: CNN, Homes, Housing, “, Hawaii’s Department of Commerce, Consumer Affairs, Consumer, Green New Deal, Getty Locations: Maui, Hawaiian, Lahaina , Hawaii, American, Kingdom of Hawaii, United States, Lahaina, Hawaii, Lahaina , West Maui, AFP

☆ Tourists lost their summer vacations. Maui’s locals lost everything
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In an aerial view, homes and businesses are seen that were destroyed by a wildfire on August 11, 2023 in Lahaina, Hawaii. In an aerial view, homes and businesses are seen that were destroyed by a wildfire on August 11, 2023 in Lahaina, Hawaii. CNN Business Writer Catherine Thorbecke (center) with her late grandparents in Lahaina, Hawaii, circa 2013. People looking down to downtown Lahaina from Lahaina Bypass in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 13, 2023. A woman digs through rubble of a home destroyed by a wildfire on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Persons: Rick Avila, ”, –, ” Avila, Avila, Justin Sullivan, Mike Cicchino, “, Cicchino, Catherine Thorbecke, Josh Green’s, Mengshin Lin, ALICE, Rick Bowmer, it’s, ” Gionson, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Lahaina, ”, Washington Post, “, Aloha United Way, Bank of Hawaii, Hawaii’s Department of Commerce, Consumer Affairs, Hawaii Tourism Authority Locations: Lahaina , Hawaii, Lahaina, Maui, Kingdom of Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan, Hawaii, Maui County, Las Vegas, Oahu, –

☆ Maui wildfires: Crews still working to identify 93 victims found so far in deadliest US fire in over a century
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Nouran Salahieh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Matthew Thayer/The Maui News/AP Volunteers unload supplies from trucks before loading them onto boats for people in need at Kihei Ramp in Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday, August 12. Rick Bowmer/AP Grace Hurt, right, embraces someone while loading supplies for those in need at Kihei Ramp in Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources/AP Burnt boats sit in waters off of Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images In an aerial view, search and rescue crews walk through a neighborhood, continuing to search for missing people in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday. Phonoxaylinkham, his wife, and their five children were caught in the Lahaina wildfires and survived by exiting their car and spending four hours in the ocean as the west Maui wildfires raged around them.

Persons: Josh Green, “ It’s, Dora, We’ve, ” Green, ”, John Pelletier, Deanne Criswell, Green, Brad Ventura, Kihei –, •, Anne Lopez, ” Lopez, Matthew Thayer, Evelio Contreras, Rick Bowmer, Grace Hurt, Hurt, Justin Sullivan, Mike Blake, Zoltan Balogh, Zeran Harris, Robert Gauthier, Mengshin Lin, CNN Vixay Phonxaylinkham, Lana, Phonoxaylinkham, Marco Garcia, Claire Rush, Myrna Ah Hee, Sui, Ty O'Neil, Ku'u Kauanoe, ZUMA, Patrick T, Fallon, Dustin Johnson, “, who’ve, Ilihia Gionson, Gionson, –, Steven, Giulietta Daiker, ” Steven, ” Giulietta, “ We’re, Richard Bissen Jr Organizations: CNN, National Fire Protection Association, ”, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Maui Police, FEMA, Maui County Fire, • Cell, Maui News, AP Volunteers, Hawaii Department of Land, Natural Resources, Reuters, . Hawaii Department of Land, Los Angeles Times, AP, Washington Post, Fire Department, Kahului, Technologies, AP Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Reuters Residents, ZUMA Passengers, Getty, National Guard, Department of Health, Human Services, Pacific Whale Foundation, Ritz, Carlton, Hawaii Department, Transportation, Saturday, Volunteers, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Lahaina Residents Locations: Maui, ” Hawaii, Maui County, Lahaina, Kihei, Upcountry, Hawaii, Church, Lahaina Hongwanji, Lahaina , Hawaii, Wailuku, Kula, Waiola, Kula , Hawaii, Maalaea, Kahului, California, Las Vegas, AFP, Kapalua, Lahaina –, Hawaiian

Image The Pioneer Inn in Lahaina, Hawaii, last year. Image Shops and dining destinations along the sidewalks and streets in Lahaina, Maui. Mr. Hedani said the fabled beach areas on Oahu that Hawaii is best known for held nothing on Lahaina. “The sunset looks fake every time I see it.”Image Sunset in Lahaina, Hawaii. “What happens when you take away the most important street on Maui?” he said.

Persons: George Alan Freeland, Freeland’s, ”, Theo Morrison, Daejas, Baldwin, Ephraim Spaulding, Dwight Baldwin, Morrison, Mark Twain, “, —, Kiha Kaina, Patrick T, Kaina, Lee Anne Wong, Wong, Tony Novak, Clifford, Ronald Williams, Williams, it’s, Jared Hedani, Tommy Bahama, Hedani, “ You’re, Jim Wilson, Kamehameha the, Kaniela Ing, Ing, “ I’d, Amy Qin, David W, Chen, Mitch Smith Organizations: Lahaina Restoration Foundation, The New York Times, East Coast, ., Fallon, Agence France, French Culinary Institute, Hawaii State Archives, New York Times, Green New Deal Network Locations: Lahaina, British, Maui, Hawaii, “, United States, Lahaina , Hawaii, Massachusetts, East, Berkeley, Calif, ”, Papa’aina, New York City, Maui . Credit, Mexico City, Shaw, Paradise, Oahu, Waikiki

☆ Jason Momoa ‘devastated and heartbroken’ by Maui fires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —One of Hawaii’s biggest stars is expressing support in the midst of the lethal wildfires in Maui. “We are devastated and heartbroken for our friends and ‘ohana on Maui who have been impacted by the recent wildfires,” the caption reads on one of Momoa’s posts, which reposted information from the community organization ‘Āina Momona. Momoa, who was born in in Honolulu, also reposted information that included a locator list for those searching for their loved ones. In his Instastories, the “Game of Thrones” and “Aquaman” star reposted information from organizations that are aiding in the disaster. “Survivors are the priority.”Momoa is a frequent booster of Hawaiian organizations that support its culture, environment and social activism.

Persons: Jason Momoa, ‘, Momoa Organizations: CNN, American, & Lodging Association, Hawaii Hotel Alliance Locations: Maui, Honolulu, Hawaii

☆ Forest sign U.S. keeper Turner from Arsenal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 9 (Reuters) - Nottingham Forest have signed goalkeeper Matt Turner from Arsenal with the United States international signing a four-year deal, the two clubs announced on Wednesday. No financial details were given but British media said Forest will pay seven million pounds ($8.92 million) for Turner plus three million in performance-related add-ons. Turner shot to fame in Major League Soccer where he made 111 appearances for New England Revolution before moving to Arsenal last year. It's felt right from the start and I'm happy it's got done." Arsenal are expected to replace Turner with Brentford keeper David Raya, according to British media.

Persons: Matt Turner, Turner, Aaron Ramsdale, Steve Cooper, It's, Ola Aina, Anthony Elanga, David Raya, Rohith Nair, Ken Ferris Organizations: Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, United States, CONCACAF Gold, CONCACAF Nations League, Major League Soccer, New England, Gunners, Premier League, Brentford, Thomson Locations: Nottingham, Bengaluru

☆ 31-year-old mom started her CBD business from home in Hawaii—3 years later, it brings in $100,000 annually
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A friend recommended she try CBD oil, which is derived from hemp plants, the non-psychoactive cousin of marijuana. Young continued to take CBD oil on a regular basis and welcomed her second daughter, Ho'olehua, in 2019. In May 2020, Young was ready to sell her first product, a CBD oil that blends hemp flower and coconut oil, online. Now, 'Āina Organics is sold in 25 stores, in both California and Hawaii. After deducting the operating costs to maintain the business, Āina Organics's profit stands at about $50,000, according to tax documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

Persons: Grace Young, Young, Keith Andrade, Ka'auwai, Andrade, Ho'olehua, Meleana, Alexandra Masihy, daydreaming, they'd Organizations: Omao Labs, USDA, Hawaii, Young, CNBC Locations: Kauai, Hawaii, California

☆ How Pacific Islanders in the US are keeping in touch with their culture through dance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“One, two, three,” Hernandez, founder of the Pacific Islander dance group Lei Pasifika, yells out. “It makes them less homesick.”According to the US Census Bureau, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders were the fastest growing ethnic population in the US from 2020 to 2021. And in big cities with a large Pacific Islander presence, like New York, Portland, Oregon, and San Diego, many US-born Pacific Islanders as well as transplants are keeping their culture alive through dance. It’s a way for Pacific Islanders, especially young people, “to find themselves” and get connected with their ethnic identity and cultures, she notes. Mann says they noticed a growing number of Pacific Islanders, including those who aren’t Native Pacific Islanders but grew up in the islands, wanting to learn more about the culture and participate in dances.

☆ More than 3,000 dead as two massive earthquakes rock Turkey and Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Aina J. Khan | Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Just hours later, a 7.5-magnitude quake hit the same area, raising the specter of a new humanitarian crisis in a region devastated by years of conflict. A massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey on Monday , killing more than 3,000 people in the country and neighboring Syria with scores more trapped in the rubble as another huge temblor hit the region. People search for survivors under the rubble following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey February 6, 2023. The quake hit an area of Syria's northwest that is divided between government-held territory and the country's last remaining rebel-controlled enclave. Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes; 18,000 people were killed in powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999.

☆ Iran says drones attacked military factory amid Israel tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Aina J. Khan | Aina Is A Freelance Reporter With Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

'Defensive traps'The Iranian defense ministry confirmed one of its workshop complexes had come under attack Saturday from a number of Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs), but said the complex’s air defenses had successfully repelled the attack. Three quadcopters equipped with bombs were used in the attack, Iran’s defense ministry said in a statement shared with IRIB. Israel is widely believed to be behind a growing list of incidents like the drone attack that have hit Iranian military and nuclear targets in recent years. Russia’s foreign ministry on Monday condemned Sunday’s drone strike against its burgeoning ally and warned against “unpredictable consequences” that could escalate an already precarious situation. “Such destructive actions could have unpredictable consequences for peace and stability in the Middle East,” foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

☆ Deadly West Bank raid raises fears of Israeli-Palestinian conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Aina J. Khan | Aina Is A Freelance Reporter With Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The deadliest Israeli raid in the West Bank in decades has fueled fears of a dramatic escalation of violence in the region. Israel carried out airstrikes in Gaza early Friday after Palestinian militants fired rockets, a limited exchange that nonetheless raised concerns of further flare-ups. It followed a raid in the occupied West Bank that killed nine Palestinians, including a 61-year-old woman and seven militants — the deadliest single operation in the territory in two decades. His trip was announced just hours after the large-scale raid Thursday in the Jenin refugee camp, a rare daytime operation that Israel's military said was carried out to to prevent an imminent attack. Israel said that it had killed a number of militants during a gunbattle and was looking into reports of other deaths.

☆ 7 shot dead at Jerusalem synagogue as violence spirals in region
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Aina J. Khan | Paul Goldman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Israeli security forces deploy at the site of a reported attack in a settler neighborhood of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, on January 27, 2023. At least seven people were shot dead in a synagogue in east Jerusalem on Friday, Israeli police said, as violence escalated following an a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. The attack, among the deadliest for Israelis in years, occurred in east Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and came after the deadly Israeli raid in the West Bank. The violence comes amid tensions over the Palestinians' long campaign for an independent state in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, which were captured by Israel in 1967. Responding to the Israeli raid Thursday, the State Department said the U.S. was "deeply concerned by the escalating cycle of violence in the West Bank."

☆ ‘I have Prussians in my attic’: Surprise revelation leads to rare Battle of Waterloo discovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Aina J. Khan | Aina Is A Freelance Reporter With Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

When the elderly man approached after Bernard Wilkin had given a speech on battlefield bones, it's safe to say that Wilkin was not expecting the man's opening gambit. “You should know that I have Prussians in my attic,” the man told him, recalled Wilkin, an author and researcher, in an interview Thursday with NBC News. The skull of a Prussian soldier who fought at the Battle of Waterloo. Estimates vary on how many died at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, but the number runs into the thousands. Only two complete human skeletons have ever been formally excavated from the Waterloo battlefield, according to the British charity Waterloo Uncovered.

☆ Satellite images hint at scale of Russian mercenary group's losses in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Aina J. Khan | Aina Is A Freelance Reporter With Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The number of graves at a cemetery used by Russia's notorious mercenary Wagner Group has dramatically grown over the last two months, satellite images show. Satellite images show an increase in graves at a cemetery in Bakinskaya, Russia, from Nov. 24, 2022, to Jan. 24, 2023. The Wagner Group previously provided assistance to the Russian military during conflicts in Syria and Libya. The U.S. government said last week that it will designate Wagner Group as a “significant transnational criminal organization” and impose further sanctions against the organization and its support network. The Wagner Group did not comment on the satellite images and video footage.

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