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☆ Soccer star George Baldock dies at 31
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | Eleni Giokos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —George Baldock, a British-born soccer player who played for Panathinaikos and the Greek national football team, has died at the age of 31, Greece’s Ministry of Citizen Protection confirmed to CNN. “The preliminary investigation is being conducted by the Attica Security Directorate,” Greece’s Ministry of Citizen Protection told CNN Sport in a statement. Athens football club Panathinaikos, which signed Baldock earlier this year on a three-year contract, paid tribute to the player, writing in a statement: “We are shocked, we feel appalled by the loss of our George. “We stand with the family and loved ones of George Baldock.”Baldock represented Greece 12 times during his career. “Sheffield United Football Club is shocked and extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player, George Baldock,” the club said in a statement.

Persons: CNN — George Baldock, Baldock, George, George Baldock, ” Baldock, … ” Baldock, Bramall Lane, ” Organizations: CNN, Panathinaikos, Greek national football team, Greece’s Ministry of Citizen Protection, Reuters, Attica Security, CNN Sport, Forensic Investigations, Facebook, Greek, Dons, Oxford United, Northampton Town, Sheffield United, Premier League, “ Sheffield United Football Club Locations: British, Athens, Glyfada, Attica, Greece, ”

☆ Intra-Africa trade could double in next five years, says Secretary General of African Continental Free Trade Area
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Africa is home to the world’s largest free trade agreement, in terms of number of countries, territory, and population – the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). According to the Economic Commision for Africa, African countries continue to trade with the rest of the world more than among themselves. Aliko Dangote has been talking about the fact that he needs 35 visas to travel across the African continent. WM: It’s a significant barrier and constraint to intra-Africa trade and intra-Africa investment. I think we can double intra-Africa trade in the next five years, provided we introduce the tools that are required.

Persons: CNN’s Eleni Giokos, Wamkele Mene, Eleni Giokos, Wamkele, it’s, Mene, Aliko Dangote, It’s, I’ve, it’ll Organizations: CNN, Continental Free Trade Area, Union, EG, Continental Free Trade, CNN EG, African Continental Free Trade Area, European Union, Africa can’t, Democratic Locations: Africa, Kigali, Rwanda, Angola, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, Eastern Africa, Northern Africa, –

☆ ‘The fire moved faster than the cars:’ Residents in Athens suburbs describe destruction wrought by deadly wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Eleni Giokos | Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Athens, Greece CNN —Where just hours ago there were thick rows of trees, now stumps protrude and smoke still rises from scorched soil. “At some point, the fire went faster than the cars,” Vasilis Xypolitas, mayor of Kifisia municipality on the outskirts of Athens, told CNN. Her car, like scores of others lining the roads that climb out of Athens, was burned. More than 700 firefighters, nearly 200 vehicles and 35 water-bombing aircraft were deployed to battle the blaze, Greek public broadcaster ERT reported. Once the winds and the worst of the blaze abated, residents in Chalandri returned to inspect the damage.

Persons: Greece CNN —, bedsheets –, Vasilis Xypolitas, ”, Sophia, Alexandros Avramidis, Xypolitas Organizations: Greece CNN, CNN, “, ERT, Ministry, Protection Locations: Athens, Greece, Chalandri, Attica, “, Kifisia, Penteli, Varnavas, Grammatiko

☆ Michael Mosley likely died soon after becoming unwell, Greek police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Eleni Giokos | Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —British TV personality and health guru Michael Mosley may have died shortly after becoming unwell while walking alone on the Greek island of Symi, local police told CNN on Monday. ET) on Wednesday, the day he went missing, Greek police spokeswoman Konstantia Dimoglidou told CNN. A direction sign on a rocky path in the hills of Pedi, a small fishing village in Symi, pointing toward Agia Marina, where the body of TV doctor and columnist Michael Mosley was discovered. Yui Mok/PAAn initial autopsy concluded that Mosley died from natural causes and that there were no injuries on his body that could have caused his death, the BBC reported. The position in which his body was found suggests he was sitting at the time of his death, Dimoglidou said.

Persons: Michael Mosley, Mosley, Konstantia Dimoglidou, Yui Mok, Dimoglidou, Lefteris Papakalodoukas, Papakalodoukas, Mosley’s, Clare Bailey, “, ”, Tom Watson, Mosley “, Rishi Sunak Organizations: CNN, Police, BBC, Associated Press, Daily Mail, British, PA Media Locations: British, Symi, Nikolaos, Pedi, Agia Marina, Britain

☆ Aliko Dangote’s mission to build Africa’s largest oil refinery
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Jackelyn Prager | Jackie Prager | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Over the past eight years, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has built one of the world’s largest oil refineries. Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest oil producers, yet the country has lacked the capability to refine its oil forcing it to rely on imported fuel. Aliko Dangote walks CNN's Eleni Giokos through his oil refinery in Lekki, Nigeria. Did it make economic sense at the time to build a cement plant and compete effectively with imported cement prices? Video Ad Feedback A rare look inside Africa’s largest oil refinery 23:00 - Source: CNNCNN: So how are imports affecting industrialization and local growth of value chains?

Persons: Aliko, I’ve, ”, CNN’s Eleni Giokos, they’ve, Dangote, CNN's Eleni Giokos, we’re, you’ve Organizations: CNN, Dangote Industries Ltd, National Petroleum Corporation, CNN CNN, Obajana, Dangote Cement, Continental Free Trade Area Locations: Lagos, Nigeria, Lekki, India, Dangote, Saharan Africa, Kogi State, Egypt, American, Africa

☆ Why Middle East travel is growing faster ‘than any other region’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Rym Bendimerad | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Last week, travel and tourism industry representatives from more than 150 countries gathered at the annual Arabian Travel Market trade show, held this year in Dubai. There, CNN’s Eleni Giokos spoke with Julia Simpson, president of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), about trends in tourism in the Middle East, and the challenge of making travel more sustainable. We are here in the Middle East — this is the first time I’ve been to the Arabian Travel Market — but what’s interesting is everyone’s telling me they have never, ever seen it this busy. Simpson: Well, the GCC and Middle East is growing faster than any other region. Visitors and delegates at the Arabian Travel Market.

Persons: CNN’s Eleni Giokos, Julia Simpson, I’ve, Simpson, Saud, you’ve, We’ve, we’ve Organizations: CNN, Travel, Tourism Council, Arabian, GCC, Gulf Cooperation, United, Visitors, Oxford Economics Locations: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al, Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, Saudi, Arabia, —, Saudi Arabia, Oman, East, UAE, Gaza, Egypt

☆ Gaza aid efforts dealt major blow as Israel’s deadly attack on relief workers prompts withdrawal of agencies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

WCK and Anera, another aid group, have said they will pause operations in Gaza following the incident. Israel maintains there is no limit on the amount of food or humanitarian aid that can enter Gaza, but aid agencies accuse it of deliberately restricting deliveries. Shortly afterwards, American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera), an NGO that delivers aid to the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Jordan, also suspended its Gaza operations. Along with Turkey, the UAE is the biggest donor of aid to Gaza, according to COGAT, providing 25% of all aid from foreign nations. The fate of the extra aid WCK had planned for Gaza is also uncertain.

Persons: “, ” WCK, Jose Andres, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Juliette Touma, Ismael Abu Dayyah, WCK, Touma, Ghassan, ” Abu, Sittah, CNN’s Eleni Giokos, Anera, Barak Ravid, Nikos Christodoulides, Jamie McGoldrick Organizations: CNN, United Arab Emirates, Integrated, UN’s, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Israel, UN, WCK, Reuters, Wednesday, UNRWA, Israel’s, CARE, ICRC, United Nations, Israel Defense Forces, East Refugee, West Bank, Touma, UN agency’s Locations: Gaza, Cyprus, Israel, UAE, ”, East, Gaza’s, Deir al Balah, Cypriot, Larnaca, Territories, Egypt, Jordan, British, Palestinian, Gazan, Deir, American, Lebanon, Axois, Turkey, The Gulf, UNRWA, Palestinian Territory

☆ Amid anguished joy, ‘nothing is impossible’ for the Palestinian national soccer team on its Asian Cup adventure
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Eoin Mcsweeney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —As the echoes of the final whistle rang out around the Abdullah bin Khalifa stadium in Doha, Qatar, Palestinian players celebrated with anguished joy last week. The historic sporting moment for Palestinians comes as Israel’s war against Hamas rages in Gaza, causing widespread destruction and initiating a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The Palestinian Football Association says that, as of December 6, 55 football players are amongst the dead, including amateur and youth members. Some Palestinian national team footballers, like Saleh, have reportedly lost family members or have relatives and friends trapped in Gaza. Palestinian national team players observe the national anthems prior to the AFC Asian Cup Group C match between Iran and Palestine at Education City Stadium on January 14, 2024 in Al Rayyan, Qatar.

Persons: Abdullah, Oday, Israel, Rami Hamada, Mohamed Saleh, Mohammed Rashid, CNN’s Eleni Giokos, “, Hong Kong, ”, “ We’re, Rashid, Mohammed Saleh, Hector Retamal, Saleh, ” Rashid, there’s, “ They’ve, ” Mohammed Rashid of, Mohammad Mohebbi, Masashi Hara, Gianni Infantino, we’re, Robert Cianflone, Monday’s Organizations: CNN, Palestinian national soccer team, AFC Asian, Hong, Qatar, Iran, Palestinian, UAE, Group C, Janoub, Getty, Ministry of Health, Palestinian Football Association, West Bank, Palestinian soccer, Education City, FIFA, UEFA, Russian, Israel, Persib, “, Hamas Locations: Doha, Qatar, Palestinian, Gaza, Hong Kong, Hong, Palestine, Al, AFP, “, Ramallah, Israel, Iran, Al Rayyan, Ukraine, Persib Bandung, refence, Russia

☆ In Gaza, disease could be even deadlier than airstrikes, WHO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, there’s growing concern about how the situation may raise the risk of disease and illness in Gaza. There could be more deaths in Gaza from disease and a broken health infrastructure than from bombs and missiles, the World Health Organization has warned. “If the conflict impacts access to safe water, then there may be challenges with waterborne diseases,” she said. In this situation, the risk of death due to disease is much greater than the risk of death due to bombardment,” said Haque, who is not involved in WHO but has studied infectious disease, conflict and war. During the Israel-Hamas conflict, maternity care facilities have been affected by Israeli airstrikes due to evacuations, power outages, and a shortage of medical supplies.

Persons: “, Margaret Harris, Barry Levy, ”, Levy, Rebecca Katz, ” Katz, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ” Tedros, Abed Rahim Khatib, Ubydul Haque, Haque, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Shifa, CNN’s Martin Goillandeau, Eleni Giokos Organizations: CNN, World Health Organization, WHO, Tufts University School of Medicine, Center for Global Health Science, Security, Georgetown University, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, Getty, Rutgers Global Health Institute, CNN Health, Shifa Locations: Israel, Gaza, Covid, Al

☆ In a Cairo hospital: Guilt, pain and a desperate wait
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Eleni Giokos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Today Wadea’s 9-year-old son, Abdelrahman, shares a hospital room at Nasser Medical Institute with his 14-year-old sister. Injured children board an ambulance to be transferred from Al-Aqsa Hospital to Egypt for medical treatment through Rafah on November 17, 2023. On Monday, 28 babies arrived in Egypt from Gaza at the Rafah crossing, according to an Egyptian government official. One baby was discharged in Gaza and went home with his parents to their temporary shelter, while two others stayed in the ICU unit of the Emirati hospital in Rafah, Gaza. Conditions in Gaza have grown desperate as fuel supplies dwindle, forcing the closure of 26 of the enclave’s 35 hospitals.

Persons: Rami Mahmoud, Elham Maged, Mahmoud, Cairo's, Cairo’s, “, ‘, ” Elham, ”, ’, Adel Hana, God, Rami, Elham, Muhammed Wadea, CNN Muhammed Wadea, Khan Younis, Abdelrahman, Wadea, Riham, Dr, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Mustafa Hassona, CNN's Eleni Giokos, CNN Ghaffar Organizations: CNN, Cairo's Nasser Medical Institute, Cairo’s Nasser Medical Institute, Nasser Medical Institute, Aqsa, Getty, United Nations Locations: Gaza City, Egypt, Gaza, Salah, Israel, Khan, Rafah, Qatar, United States, Al, Anadolu, Gazan

☆ Opinion: Johannesburg’s hijacked souls
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Eleni Giokos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Born in Greece and raised in South Africa, she presents the network’s Connecting Africa and Marketplace Middle East feature shows. Either abandoned by their owners or surrendered to gangs, these “hijacked” buildings typically house migrants or poverty-stricken locals in downtown Johannesburg. The first time I visited one of these buildings I was based in South Africa as a correspondent, and what I found was shocking. “I can take you to buildings 10 times worse than this,” the mayor told me. Some of the gangs were not even from South Africa, we were told.

Persons: Eleni Giokos, Read, Herman Mashaba, “, Renney Plit, Plit, Afhco, Becky Anderson, ” Mashaba, ”, Anderson, Cyril Ramaphosa Organizations: CNN, Afhco Holdings, Twitter, Facebook South Locations: Dubai, Greece, South Africa, Johannesburg, Zimbabwe, ”

☆ Greece wildfires: A losing battle to save the lungs of Athens
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Eleni Giokos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The national park, known as the "lungs of Athens" is now home to a battle to repel wildfires. Now it is the home to a raging battle, as the emergency services try to repel more than 200 wildfires in Greece since Monday alone. Firefighters look at a wildfire burning on Mount Parnitha, in Athens, Greece, August 24, 2023. Burning cars destroyed by the fire on Mount Parnitha in Athens, Greece, on August 23, 2023. It was a welcome glimmer of hope, but it will take more than a little water to protect Greece from these wildfires and those that will surely come again.

Persons: Nikos, Eleni Giokos, CNN Nikos, ”, Nicolas Economou, Kostas, Michalis Diakakis, Parnitha, Giorgos Arapekos, Dr Diakakis, Nikos ’ Organizations: Greece CNN, CNN, Reuters, of Geology, Kapodistrian University of Athens, AP, Police Locations: Athens, Greece, Paraskevi, Panitha, Greece’s, ”, Parnitha, Dadia, Alexandroupoli, Evros

CNN —Greek authorities have arrested dozens of people on arson-related charges as deadly wildfires – the largest ever recorded in the European Union – rage across the country. Wildfires in Mount Parnitha, north of the Greek capital Athens, are still out of control Friday, with more forest destroyed overnight. The biggest fire front line in Greece remains near the northeastern town of Alexandroupolis, in the Evros region. Alexandros Avramidis/ReutersGreek police have made 79 arson related arrests, Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis told public broadcaster EPT Friday. Across Greece, wildfires have burned through 1.3 billion square meters (130,000 hectares) so far, an EU record, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.

Persons: AMNA, Alexandros Avramidis, Pavlos Marinakis, Vassilis Kikilias, ” Kikilas, Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič, “, ” Lenarčič, CNN’s Organizations: CNN, European, Reuters, EPT, Justice, European Union, Crisis Management, EU Locations: Mount Parnitha, Athens, Greece, Alexandroupolis, Evros, Dadia, Turkey, Avantas, Parnitha

☆ IMF chief says Africa must do these three things to increase trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The timing is ripe as African countries grapple with sluggish growth, food insecurity and debt distress. CNN: According to IMF reports, the levels of inflation and public debt we’re seeing in Africa have not been seen in many decades. Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the IMF, speaks in Washington, DC, in April at a meeting of the World Bank and IMF. Georgieva: I expect to see a very strong focus on the African continent. We did a paper on how the continental free trade agreement can benefit Africa if these trade and non-trade barriers are eliminated and the results are phenomenal: trade within Africa can increase by 53%, trade between Africa and the rest of the world by 15%, and real income per capita could grow by 10%.

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva, Georgieva, CNN’s Eleni Giokos, Kevin Dietsch, we’re, they’re Organizations: CNN, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Bank, IMF Locations: Africa, Marrakech, Morocco, Washington , DC

CNN —The Israeli military’s operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin is winding down but “not over” until the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) say it is, a spokesperson told CNN, as the United Nations expressed deep concern over the violence in the city’s sprawling refugee camp. At least 12 people, ranging in ages from 16 to 23, have been killed and scores more injured after Israeli forces launched operations in the camp this week, Palestinian officials say. “We are now in the end of achieving our goals, inside Jenin, fighting the terror and dismantling the terror in the Jenin Camp,” Hagari said. The operation was carried out because the gunmen “posed a threat to the security forces exiting from the Jenin Camp,” the IDF added. Rudeineh said that “the Israeli army was attacking Palestinian citizens” and added, “What happened yesterday was completely dangerous.”

Persons: Israel, Daniel Hagari, ”, ” Hagari, “, Volker Türk, maiming, Türk, Pinchas Rosen, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sawafta, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, CNN’s Eleni Giokos, Eleni Giokos, Rudeineh Organizations: CNN, West, Israeli Defense Forces, United Nations, UNICEF, Hamas, West Bank, Israeli Security Forces, ISF, Israeli, Palestinian, IDF, Reuters, Palestinian Authority Locations: West Bank, Jenin, Tel Aviv, Israel, United States

☆ Aspen Pharmacare CEO Stephen Saad on the future of medicine in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Tom Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CEO Stephen Saad discussed the future of the pharmaceutical sector in Africa, and what lessons Aspen Pharmacare has learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, with CNN’s Eleni Giokos. During the pandemic, we’ve seen a spotlight on the inequalities that exist on the continent in the pharmaceutical sector. Aspen has had a very strong commercial presence across Africa and now you’re moving up the value chain. When Covid came and Africa needed vaccines, over 90% of the vaccines were supplied by India — and that wasn’t great. If it hadn’t been for Aspen, there would have been no vaccines made in Africa for the continent.

☆ World Trade Organization head wants to 'double or triple' Africa's share of global trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The World Trade Organization (WTO) projected in October that after growing by 3.5% in 2022, trade volumes will increase by just 1% in 2023. Either way, Africa may start to reap the benefits of a free trade deal that came into effect in 2021. The landmark African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement created the world’s largest new free trade area since the establishment of the WTO. What do they need and what are they telling you in terms of doing cross-border trade on the African continent? What we’ve seen during the pandemic is that Africa needs to get its own manufacturing capacity, and this falls right back into what can make the continental free trade area work.

☆ Why the energy transition is so tough for Africa: 600 million people still have no access to power
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Ahead of COP 27, CNN’s Eleni Giokos discussed this and other topics at Africa Energy Week in Cape Town, with Verner Ayukegba, Senior Vice President of the African Energy Chamber, which works with businesses in the continent and promotes energy growth. At the African Energy Chamber, we have decided to champion making energy poverty history by 2030. We need to make sure that we solve, of course, the climate issues, but also the power issues. What we are saying, however, is that you can’t transition in Limpopo [South Africa] in the same way you transition in New York. For anybody who has a constituency with 600 million people without power, you need to talk differently about these issues.

☆ Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu says Africa must cut reliance on food imports
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-27 | by ( Giovanni Prati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu says it’s time for African countries to work together to create a food value chain across the continent, and produce more goods for domestic consumption. Rabiu is the CEO of BUA Group, a conglomerate in food processing, infrastructure, manufacturing and mining. His company has made investments across the continent to cut its reliance on imports from Europe and Asia. High inflation, food insecurity, energy prices: What are you going to do to solve some of these issues? It’s a 20,000-hectare, four-in-one, fully integrated sugar plantation with sugar mill, sugar refinery, ethanol and power plant.

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