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☆ Nigerian artist uses AI to re-imagine life for the elderly
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Angela Ukomadu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] An undated handout picture by Nigerian artist Malik Afegbua, created with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), shows elderly models walking on a runway, as part of his Elder series. Courtesy of Malik Afegbua/Handout via REUTERSLAGOS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - A Nigerian artist is using artificial intelligence to re-imagine life for African elderly people by showcasing near real-life pictures and videos of them walking down the fashion ramp and on the beach. Malik Afegbua, who is also a film maker, said because many elderly people were marginalised in society, especially in the fashion world, he began to imagine how they would look if they were models. He said the idea to explore a different world for old people came when his elderly mother fell ill. Using an artificial intelligence app, he started creating content showing a brighter side of old age.

☆ Nigeria's Atiku joins calls to extend deadline on old banknotes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAGOS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Nigerian opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar urged the central bank on Saturday to extend a Jan. 31 deadline to phase out old high-value banknotes, a measure many Nigerians fear will disrupt business in the cash-reliant economy. The central bank started releasing newly designed notes last month but many Nigerians say they are not yet available in banks. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says recalling the notes is part of plans to reduce the use of cash. About 1.3 trillion naira in old notes has been deposited into the bank since the announcement in October, the bank said this week. Nigerian legislators have also asked the central bank to extend the Tuesday deadline.

☆ Why buzzy cases like the $5 million Thinx settlement don't often result in customers getting much money back
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Thinx customers can now seek recoveries as part of a settlement by the period underwear brand. The news may have some customers wondering: Can I, too, recoup money spent on a product that let me down? Instead, these cases — which can take years — may recoup only a portion of customers' spending on the products in question. The Thinx settlement includes a $4 million pot to pay customers and legal fees, and as much as another $1 million for any required "valid claims," according to the settlement. Unilever agreed to the settlement while "denying wrongdoing of any nature and without admitting liability," according to the settlement agreement.

☆ Nigerian artist's exhibition showcases food preservation methods
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, Jan 27 (Reuters) - In his latest exhibition, Nigerian artist Olufela Omokeko is exploring the importance of food preservation in a country where food is often spoiled due to lack of quick access to markets and cold storage. During a recent art exhibition in Iwaya, a slum in the commercial capital Lagos, guests also had the chance to taste Omokeko's puree from dried tomatoes, peppers and local spices as he showcased age-old traditions on how to extend the shelf life of perishable food. Nicknamed "son of a pepper seller," Omokeko grew up seeing women who sell perishables at their homes or at the market throw away food because it was rotted. That problem remains, and Omokeko hopes to show Nigerians who come to his exhibitions how to dry and blend food to preserve its lifespan while maintaining the taste. Reporting by Seun Sanni; writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nigeria launches domestic card scheme in cashless bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABUJA, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Nigeria's central bank on Thursday launched a domestic card scheme to rival foreign cards like Mastercard and Visa, hoping to enhance its drive to make Africa's biggest economy a cashless society and save the country foreign transaction fees. The announcement by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele follows the bank's decision last year to phase out old higher denomination bank notes. Emefiele told a virtual launch of the "AfriGo" card scheme that although penetration of card payments in Nigeria had grown over the years, many citizens remained excluded. AfriGo is owned by CBN and Nigerian banks and Emefiele said that Nigeria was joining China, Russia, India and Turkey in launching a domestic card scheme. International card service providers like Mastercard and Visa would not be stopped in Nigeria, he added.

☆ Nigeria opens 'game changer' billion-dollar deep seaport
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Seun Sanni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Nigeria opened a billion-dollar Chinese-built deep seaport in Lagos on Monday, which is expected to ease congestion at the country's ports and help it become an African hub for transshipment, handling cargoes in transit for other destinations. President Muhammadu Buhari has made building infrastructure a key pillar of his government's economic policy, and hopes that this will help his ruling party win votes during next month's presidential election. "This is a transformative project, game changer project. This project could create at least 200,000 jobs," Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun told Reuters after the port was commissioned by Buhari. China is among the largest bilateral lenders to Nigeria and has funded rail, roads and power stations.

☆ Ukraine’s Winter Could Turn Against Russian Troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Alistair Macdonald | Oksana Pyrozhok | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BAKHMUT, Ukraine—In the battle to keep warm, Ukrainian infantryman Kyrylo Molchanov has turned to “trench candles”—empty food cans packed with cardboard—to heat his front-line dugout. With Russia and Ukraine fighting through the winter, keeping Ukrainian soldiers warm could become a competitive advantage for Kyiv.

☆ 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' takes Best Picture at Critics Choice Awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Top movie nominee "Everything Everywhere All at Once" won big at the 28th Critics Choice Awards on Sunday night in Los Angeles, taking home honors for Best Picture as well as directing, screenplay, editing and best supporting actor. The top TV series awards went to "Better Call Saul" for Best Drama and "Abbott Elementary," for Best Comedy. Special awards were presented to Janelle Monáe, who received the #SeeHer award, and Jeff Bridges was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Read the full winners list below. Best Picture“Everything Everywhere All at Once”Best ActressCate Blanchett — “Tár”Best ActorBrendan Fraser — “The Whale”Best DirectorDaniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert — “Everything Everywhere All at Once”Best Limited Series“The Dropout”Best Drama Series“Better Call Saul”Best Young Actor/ActressGabriel LaBelle — “The Fabelmans”Best Comedy“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”Best Acting Ensemble“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”Best Comedy Special“Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special”Best Foreign Language Series“Pachinko”Best Animated Series“Harley Quinn”Best Movie Made for Television“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”Best Actress in a Drama SeriesZendaya — “Euphoria”Best Actor in a Drama SeriesBob Odenkirk — “Better Call Saul”Best Hair and Makeup“Elvis”Best Visual Effects“Avatar: The Way of Water”Best EditingPaul Rogers — “Everything Everywhere All at Once”Best Production DesignFlorencia Martin, Anthony Carlino —Best CinematographyClaudio Miranda — “Top Gun: Maverick”Best Comedy Series“Abbott Elementary”Best Actress in a Comedy SeriesJean Smart — “Hacks”Best Actor in a Comedy SeriesJeremy Allen White — “The Bear”#SeeHer AwardJanelle MonáeLifetime Achievement AwardJeff BridgesBest Animated Feature“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for TelevisionDaniel Radcliffe — “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”Best Costume DesignRuth E. Carter — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”Best Song“Naatu Naatu” — “RRR”Best ScoreHildur Guðnadóttir — “Tár”Best Original ScreenplayDaniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert — “Everything Everywhere All at Once”Best Adapted ScreenplaySarah Polley — “Women Talking”Best Supporting ActressAngela Bassett — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”Best Supporting ActorKe Huy Quan — “Everything Everywhere All at Once”Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy SeriesHenry Winkler — “Barry”Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesSheryl Lee Ralph — “Abbott Elementary”Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for TelevisionPaul Walter Hauser — “Black Bird”Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for TelevisionNiecy Nash-Betts — “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”Best Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesGiancarlo Esposito — “Better Call Saul”Best Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesJennifer Coolidge — “The White Lotus”Best Foreign Language Film“RRR”Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made For TelevisionAmanda Seyfried — The Dropout

☆ Catholic priest burned to death, another shot in north Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Gunmen burned a Catholic priest to death and shot and injured his colleague in northwest Nigeria on Sunday, police said, the latest violence raising concerns about security ahead of an election next month. The motive for the latest attack was not immediately clear but gunmen have previously targeted priests in the largely Muslim north. For a priest to be killed in such a manner means that we are not all safe. These terrorists have lost it, and drastic action is needed to end this ongoing carnage," said Niger state governor Sani Bello. Reporting by Maiduguri newsroom, writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe, editing by Andrew CawthorneOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Giant Ukrainian Salt Mine Takes Center Stage in War
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Alistair Macdonald | Oksana Pyrozhok | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A giant salt mine has become a focal point on the most fiercely contested front line in Ukraine, as Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group sets its sights on taking what it sees as a military and economic asset. Russia has said it has captured the eastern town of Soledar, where the mine is located, though Ukraine says the settlement remains contested. While the mine’s owner doubts it has military value, the operation could be a lucrative one. The salt mine could have economic value if Wagner can consolidate its hold there. Russia has seized key economic assets in the parts of Ukraine that it occupies, echoing Wagner’s use of military muscle in Africa to take control of mines.

☆ Ukraine’s Electric-Repair Crews Become Unlikely Wartime Heroes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Alistair Macdonald | Photographs Joseph Sywenkyj For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The workers clambering over the charred remains of an electricity transformer at a Ukrainian power station are fighting on one of the war’s most important fronts: protecting Ukraine’s power grid. Russia has targeted Ukraine’s electricity supply with a blitz of drones and missiles, leaving businesses struggling and millions of people with sporadic heat and light in subzero temperatures.

☆ Delta bars employees without paid tickets from Sky Club lounges as it struggles with long lines and overcrowding
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Delta employees will be barred from the airline's Sky Club lounges unless they pay for a ticket. Airline staff who pay for Sky Club access will still be able to use the lounge when flying on discounted employee tickets. Delta Sky Club access is becoming more expensive — and more exclusive — for both passengers and airline employees. Brady MacDonald/InsiderDelta employees who purchased Sky Club membership or qualifying Amex cards can request a reimbursement, according to the email. Are you a Delta flight attendant or pilot?

☆ How a Billion Lost Eggs Show the Challenges Facing Ukraine’s Economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Alistair Macdonald | Sophia Kayes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Andriy Chirkov said the chicken farm he manages will have to start from scratch. KYIV, Ukraine—Andriy Chirkov said he felt euphoric when the giant chicken farm he managed on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast was freed from Russian rule. Then he saw the devastated state soldiers had left it in. For Ukraine’s war-battered economy to return to health, Kyiv needs to revive economic assets like Avangard Group’s Chornobaivske chicken farm, a factory that used to export a billion eggs a year. The Wall Street Journal reported in April on how the invasion had left the farm’s over 4 million chickens dead, landing a handful of remaining workers with the job of burying the birds.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Thursday for a 36-hour cease-fire during Russian Orthodox Christmas as his troops were getting pushed back and hit by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country wouldn’t agree to any truce that leaves Russian troops occupying its territory. One of his advisers said Thursday on Twitter that Mr. Putin’s offer was hypocritical.

☆ Zelensky Says Ukraine Makes Gains Outside Bakhmut but Fighting Rages Nearby
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Alistair Macdonald | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces have pushed Russian troops from the outskirts of the contested eastern city of Bakhmut, giving high-level endorsement to similar recent reports from some Ukrainian forces on the ground. Russian officials haven’t commented on any retreat from in or around the battle zone, which has achieved outsize significance for both sides.

☆ Ukraine Sees Signs of Russia Shifting Front-Line Firepower Away From Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Alistair Macdonald | Photographs Joseph Sywenkyj For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BAKHMUT, Ukraine—Russian troops have tempered their assault on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Ukrainian commanders say, as stiff resistance forces Russian units to shift some of their firepower to surrounding areas. Some Ukrainian officers and British military intelligence say that Russia is no longer hitting Bakhmut—a city that has assumed outsize importance to both sides—with the same ferocity as they were last month. The Ukrainian commanders say Russia has instead repositioned armored vehicles and artillery fire toward the nearby town of Soledar.

☆ Russia Launches Fresh Barrage on Kyiv After Zelensky Vows to Strengthen Ukraine’s Air Defenses
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Isabel Coles | Alistair Macdonald | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Russia fired a salvo of missiles at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine on Saturday in what many Ukrainians saw as an attempt to intimidate them on the eve of the new year. The barrage of more than 20 missiles was the second this week and came hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses in 2023. The commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, Valeriy Zaluzhny, said 12 of the missiles had been intercepted.

☆ Ukraine Rings In New Year With Hopes of Russia’s Defeat
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Alistair Macdonald | Oksana Pyrozhok | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukrainians greeted 2023 with drinks, air raids and a firm belief that their country will fully reverse the Russian invasion that marked the past year with disruption and death. Their optimism for the new year comes with around 20% of the country still in Russian hands; military and civilians still dying in the thousands; and the economy suffering lasting damage from a war that few Western experts see ending soon, or outside a negotiating table.

☆ Here are some key things to consider before tapping your retirement savings to pay off credit card debt
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As a result, they may be wondering if it's a good idea to tap their retirement savings to pay off the debt. Stopping your 401(k) contributions for a while — or at least cutting back — and redirecting those funds to debt payoff might make sense. For most others, though, there are more appealing options than a withdrawal, Rossman said. "Using a 401(k) loan to pay off high-interest debt, like credit cards, could reduce the amount you pay in interest to lenders," said Jessica Macdonald, head of editorial content at Fidelity Institutional. Other benefits to a 401(k) loan, Macdonald said, are that they don't require a credit check and they don't show up as debt on your credit report.

☆ Snowstorm halts flights at Canada's second busiest airport in Vancouver
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Heavy snowfall and low visibility from a strong winter storm blanketing Pacific Canada forced the country's second busiest airport in Vancouver to halt all flights on Tuesday morning, with disruptions expected to continue ahead of the Christmas weekend. The Vancouver International Airport said the storm has had "an unprecedented impact on flights" and caused mass cancellations overnight. Crews were clearing the airfield and aircraft of snow and ice to get planes and people moving again, the Vancouver airport said. The Vancouver region was experiencing a "significant winter storm" that is expected to bring more snow in the morning before the weather clears out by noon, Environment Canada meteorologist Ross MacDonald said. It will likely lead to flight delays and impassable roadways during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, the National Weather Service warned.

☆ Meta's Oversight Board restores Nigeria church attack video on Instagram
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ABUJA, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Meta's Oversight Board on Wednesday overturned a decision to remove a video that was shared on Instagram showing the gruesome aftermath of an attack on a church in Nigeria that killed at least 40 people. The video showing motionless, bloodied bodies on the floor, apparently the aftermath of the church attack that took place on June 5 in Owo, southwest Nigeria, was shared by an Instagram user on the same day. Meta removed the video, saying hashtags added by the user could be read as glorifying violence and minimizing suffering. Nigerian authorities have accused insurgents from the Islamic State in West Africa group of carrying out the attack on St Francis Catholic Church, which took place during Pentecost Sunday mass. Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Estelle Shirbon and Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dog show teaches Nigerians new tricks about pet ownership
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Dogs attend the annual Lagos Dog Carnival, with the theme "Splash of colours", in Lagos, Nigeria, December 10, 2022. Jackie Idimogu, organiser of the Lagos Dog Festival, now in its fourth year, said the show was aimed at debunking stereotypes of Africans mistreating dogs. "I am happy to say that Nigerians are beginning to understand the love language of these animals." Pasha, a six-year-old Caucasian shepherd mix, was crowned dog of the year. He wore black sunglasses and a matching red and black scotch outfit with her owner Hadiza Saidu.

☆ Many of Ukraine’s Western Weapons Await Repairs Far From the Front Line
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Bojan Pancevski | Alistair Macdonald | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

German self-propelled PzH2000 guns need to be serviced outside Ukraine in most cases of failure. Some of the most powerful weapons that the West gave to Ukraine have been languishing away from the battlefield for prolonged periods because of complex maintenance procedures and quarrels among European allies. The unavailability of these weapons for extensive periods poses a considerable challenge for Ukraine, which has been battling Russian forces that invaded the country in late February.

☆ Polish counter-terrorism police help Santa Claus
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Polish counter-terrorism police officers hang outside windows to deliver presents to patients on Saint Nicholas Day, as they abseil down from the roof of a children's hospital in Rzeszow, Poland December 6, 2022. Podkarpacka Policja/Handout via REUTERSWARSAW, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Santa Claus got some help from Polish counter-terrorism police on Saint Nicholas day as the officers absailed down from the roof of a children's hospital in the southern city of Rzeszow to deliver presents to patients. Saint Nicholas day falls on Dec. 6 and children in Poland and many other countries receive chocolates or other small presents ahead of the main Christmas celebration later in the month. "The visit of the police officers caused a great stir among the little patients," police said in a statement. Having succeeded in entering the building through the windows, officers dealt with the challenge of distributing the gifts around the wards by using a bomb disposal robot.

☆ Airtel only bidder in Nigeria's second 5G licensing round
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ABUJA, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Airtel Africa (AAF.L) emerged as the sole bidder for a 5G high-speed spectrum licence in Nigeria's second round of licensing after another company failed to pay a deposit to continue with the auction, the regulator said on Wednesday. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) issued the country's first 5G licences to MTN Nigeria (MTNN.LG) and Mafab Communications last year in December after the companies each paid $273.6 million. NCC said Standard Network & Connections Limited failed to pay the required "intention to bid deposit," leaving Airtel the only bidder. The regulator has set a reserve price of $273.6 million for the new 5G spectrum licence with a tenure of 10 years. Reporting by Felix Onuah, writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe Editing by Keith WeirOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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