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[1/5] Supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) wear traditional attire with APC branding during a campaign rally in Abuja, Nigeria, February 11, 2023. Ahead of the Feb. 25 vote, political rallies and campaign events have become catwalks for colourful printed fabrics twisted into elaborate dresses, tunics and headscarves. He wore an LP-emblazoned, green, red and white version of a traditional hat and held a wooden walking stick that is often used as an accessory among Hausa men. "You can see the stick here which means I am a full Lagosian by virtue of this campaign in Lagos," said Ahanotu. "This is our official regalia for APC presidential campaign council," she explained.

☆ Cameroon detects two suspected cases of Marburg virus near Eq. Guinea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Equatorial Guinea officially declared its first outbreak of the Marburg virus, an illness similar to Ebola, on Monday. Neighbouring Cameroon had restricted movement along the border to avoid contagion following reports of an unknown, deadly hemorrhagic fever in Equatorial Guinea last week. Forty-two people who came into contact with the two children have been identified and contact tracing was ongoing, he added. The World Health Organization (WHO) said earlier on Tuesday that it was increasing its epidemiological surveillance in Equatorial Guinea. He added that the country's authorities had not reported any new suspected cases in the last 48 hours.

☆ African artists show support for east Congo conflict at music festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Crispin Kyalangalilwa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Revellers attend the 9th edition of the AMANI festival with the aim of conveying messages of peace, entrepreneurship and environmental protection at the Athenee d'Ibanda in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo February 10, 2023. REUTERS/Crispin KyalangalilwaBUKAVU, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Artists from across Africa performed at the "Amani" festival in eastern Democratic Republic to show support for victims of conflict despite growing insecurity in the area. "Our mission is to be there with you," he told a jubilant crowd in the city of Bukavu during the event. The Amani festival, which means "peace" in Swahili, usually takes place in Goma, capital of North Kivu province. Reporting by Crispin Kyalangalilwa; Writing by Sonia Rolley; Editing by Sofia Christensen and Alison Williams;Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Taylor Swift is the highest paid female entertainer in the world, earning $92 million in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Taylor Swift is the highest paid female entertainer in the world, earning a cool $92 million in 2022 following the success of her 10th studio album "Midnights," according to a new report from Forbes. To determine the ranking, Forbes considers entertainers' total 2022 pretax earnings, minus fees for representation (managers, lawyers, etc.) While 2022 was a strong year for Swift, her annual earnings were still less than half of what the highest paid entertainers in the world, the progressive rock band Genesis, made last year. Altogether, Genesis earned $230 million in 2022, thanks to a $300 million music rights sale to Concord Music Group in September. There wasn't a single woman on Forbes's list of the top 10 highest paid entertainers in 2022 — the highest paid female entertainer, Reese Witherspoon, ranked 12th for making $115 million in 2021.

☆ Equatorial Guinea quarantines 200 after unknown hemorrhagic fever deaths
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Amindeh Blaise Atabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] People wait to cross the border into Equatorial Guinea by car and by foot in Kye-Ossi, Cameroon, May 23, 2015. Authorities have restricted movement around the two villages that are directly linked, he said, and contact tracing was ongoing. Equatorial Guinea's neighbour Cameroon on Friday restricted movement along its border after the "unexplained deaths", its Health Minister Malachie Manaouda said in a statement. Equatorial Guinea said on Wednesday that it had registered the "unusual epidemiological situation" over the past weeks in Kie-Ntem province's Nsok Nsomo district that caused nine deaths in two adjacent communities over a short period. A Cameroon district health official near the border area said around 20 deaths had been recorded on Wednesday in villages in Kie-Ntem province, which borders Cameroon's Olamze district.

☆ Former Bulgaria energy minister charged with mismanagement of gas deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SOFIA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Bulgarian investigators charged former energy minister Alexander Nikolov on Wednesday with mismanagement that led to losses of more than 88 million levs ($48.36 million) at state gas firm Bulgargaz, related to Russia cutting off gas supplies to the country. Russia cut the gas supplies on which Bulgaria was almost fully reliant at the end of April 2022 after the European Union country refused to pay for deliveries in roubles. Former deputy energy minister Danail Nikolov has been charged with malfeasance as part of the same probe. The centre-right GERB party has accused the former government of reformist Kiril Petkov of paying higher prices to secure alternative gas supplies after it refused to pay for Russian gas in roubles. Petkov's coalition government, where Nikolov was energy minister, was toppled in a no-confidence vote six months after taking office in December 2021.

☆ Children accused of witchcraft find solace in east Congo shelter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Crispin Kyala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Crispin KyalangalilwaBUKAVU, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb 8 (Reuters) - After Ornella lost several family members within three years, relatives and neighbours in her east Congo village of Kabare began suspecting the 14-year-old girl of witchcraft. Hundreds of thousands of children across the continent are accused of witchcraft each year, according to a 2022 report by the African Child Policy Forum, an independent research group. "Here are at Eka Bana ... they show me that every child has rights," she told Reuters. Children who end up in Eka Bana are usually first taken in by the police, who either find them on the street or receive them from family members. Eka Bana Director Natalia Isella said it was often Evangelical pastors who convinced followers that a "witch" in the family was causing their problems.

☆ Demonstrators in DR Congo demand pope meet sexual abuse victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Benoit Nyemba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Luc GnagoKINSHASA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Around two dozen activists and sexual abuse victims demonstrated in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital on Thursday across the road from a cathedral where Pope Francis was meeting clergy. They held up placards, including some demanding that the pope meet with clergy abuse victims in the country. The demonstration in Kinshasa was organised by Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA), an international group, one of many that have been bringing attention to sexual abuse in the worldwide Church. There were no plans for the pope to meet with victims of sexual abuse in Congo, where about 50% of the population is Roman Catholic. The 86-year-old pope has met with many victims of sexual abuse, both in Rome and on foreign trips.

☆ Molson Coors and DraftKings team up to let fans bet on 'high stakes' Super Bowl ad
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The partnership marks Molson Coors' return to the Super Bowl after a hiatus of 33 years, according to the company. That agreement ended in 2022, and Molson Coors is making a splashy return to the advertising event with an ad campaign specifically leading up to its Super Bowl spot. during the Super Bowl ad. Multiple endings have been filmed, and even Molson Coors' CEO doesn't know how the commercial will end, they said. Correction: This article has been updated to correct how long Molson Coors has been unable to advertise during the game.

☆ Congo revivalist churches draw in Catholics
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Erikas Mwisi KambaleBENI, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Congolese event organiser Deo Malela was born to Roman Catholic parents and identifies as such. But like more and more Catholics in the central African nation, 28-year-old Malele also regularly attends an evangelical church where he says he finds solutions to everyday problems. Pope Francis is expected to visit Congo from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3, the first visit of a pope since 1985. Today there are over 30,000 revivalist churches in Congo, where they also known as "churches of awakening", according to the association representing them. The Catholic church still gives him a stronger sense of community and "political protection", he explained.

☆ Ghana govt and capital market operators agree on domestic debt exchange terms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ACCRA, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Ghana's government and the Ghana Securities Industry Association (GSIA) have reached an understanding on the terms of participation by capital market operators in the country's domestic debt exchange (DDE) programme, they said on Friday. Under the new agreement, capital market operators will participate in the exchange programme on the same "improved terms" agreed with banks earlier this week. "GSIA believes this agreement is necessary to restore market normalcy and confidence in the economy," the statement said. Ghana needs around 80% of bondholders to sign up for the DDE program. Reporting by Cooper Inveen Writing by Sofia Christensen Editing by Louise Heavens, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Italy's Meloni belies radical image in cautious first 100 days
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But almost 100 days since Meloni took office at the head of the most right-wing government Italy has seen since World War Two, these concerns have largely melted away. "We have seen something of a metamorphosis," said Sofia Ventura, a political science professor at Bologna University. Friend and foe alike say a significant reason for the softly-softly approach is money -- or rather a lack of it. "What happened in the UK shows ... how cautious we have to be with our fiscal and monetary policy mix," EU Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, a former Italian prime minister, said at the time. VITAL FUNDSAdding to the pressure on Meloni is Italy's dependence on the European Union's recovery and resilience fund.

But a new survey suggests a “disturbing” lack of awareness about the Holocaust in the Netherlands, where she and her family hid for years before being discovered and deported to a Nazi concentration camp. Equally disturbing is the trend toward Holocaust denial and distortion,” Claims Conference President Gideon Taylor said in a press release accompanying the survey. Some of them, a small part, do not even know about the Holocaust,” Dutch Holocaust survivor Max Arpels Lezer, 86, told NBC News by video call from his home in Amsterdam. A memorial at the Westerbork transit camp in the Netherlands, where Dutch Jews were kept before being sent to concentration camps. In 1961, Lezer married Sofia, now 86, who as a child had been hidden by a Dutch family during the war.

☆ Guatemalan ex-president Colom dies from cancer, says former minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUATEMALA CITY, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Guatemala's former president Alvaro Colom died on Monday aged 71 from esophageal cancer, his former security minister Carlos Menocal told Reuters. The former president, who led the Central American country from 2008 to 2012, was very sick and released from the hospital a week and a half ago, Menocal told Reuters. Colom, a soft-spoken politician and textile businessman, beat former head of army intelligence Otto Perez Molina in 2007 to become Guatemala's first leftist president since the country's civil war ended in 1996. When he died, Colom was under preventative home arrest still awaiting a trial. Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bulgaria gears for its fifth election in two years on April 2
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SOFIA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Tuesday said he would set April 2 as the date for the country's fifth parliamentary election within two years after inconclusive October polls failed to produce a working government. Radev has to dissolve the parliament after the Socialists became the third political party to refuse to form a regular government in a deadlocked parliament. Bulgaria, European Union's poorest and one of its most corrupt member states, has been rocked by political instability since anti-graft protests in 2020. "I will issue a decree to dissolve the National Assembly on Feb. 3 and will appoint the parliamentary election on April 2," Radev told reporters. The political crisis is likely to delay much needed reforms to combat high-level graft and hamper Bulgaria's ability to use efficiently EU funds.

☆ How 'Cryptoqueen' Ruja Ignatova ended up as the only woman on the FBI's most-wanted list
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Ruja Ignatova is one of the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives -- the only woman currently on that list. FBIShe is now one of the FBI’s 10 most-wanted fugitives, alongside accused gang leaders and murderers, and is the only woman currently on that list. The bureau declined to provide additional details to CNN beyond court documents from the US Department of Justice, which did not list an attorney for Ignatova. “The cryptocurrency OneCoin was established for the sole purpose of defrauding investors,” IRS Special Agent John R. Tafur said in a statement. Less than two weeks later, on October 25, 2017, she boarded a commercial flight from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Athens, Greece, court documents said.

☆ Over 60 women, children freed in Burkina Faso after kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Thiam Ndiaga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OUAGADOUGOU, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Sixty-six women and children kidnapped by armed assailants in northern Burkina Faso last week have been freed, national broadcaster Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina (RTP) said on Friday. The mass kidnapping was unprecedented in Burkina Faso, which is facing a violent Islamist insurgency that spread from neighbouring Mali in 2015. Security forces staged a rescue operation and found 27 adult women and 39 babies, children and young girls in the adjacent Centre-North province. Burkina Faso is one of several countries in West Africa battling a rampant insurgency with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State. Frustration over the authorities' failure to restore security and protect civilians were contributing factors to military coups in Burkina Faso and Mali.

It came after Amazon said in November it was looking to cut staff, including in its devices and recruiting organizations. The company had 2,450 employees, according to PitchBook data, suggesting around 490 employees were laid off. In a letter to employees, CEO Logan Green and President John Zimmer pointed to "a probable recession sometime in the next year" and rising ride-share insurance costs. Shopify: 1,000 jobs cutIn July, Shopify announced it laid off 1,000 employees, which equals 10% of its global workforce. Tesla: 6,000 jobs cut

☆ Gambian vice president dies of illness, president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BANJUL, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Gambia's Vice-President Badara Alieu Joof has died of illness in India, President Adama Barrow said on Wednesday. Joof, 65, was appointed vice president of the West African country in 2022. Barrow said on Twitter that Joof had died "after a short illness" without providing further detail. The vice president left Gambia about three weeks ago to seek medical treatment. (This story has been corrected to say Wednesday, not Tuesday, in the lead)Reporting by Pap Saine Writing by Sofia Christensen Editing by Estelle Shirbon and Jon BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Guatemala summons ambassador in Colombia for consultations in defense minister tussle
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GUATEMALA CITY, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Guatemala summoned its ambassador in Colombia for consultations, Guatemala's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, a day after Colombia did the same in regard to a conflict over Colombia's defense minister. Guatemala on Monday accused Colombian Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez, who led a United Nations anti-corruption unit in the Central American country, of committing illegal acts. Colombian President Gustavo Petro came out to defend the minister, saying he would not accept any "order for the arrest" of Velasquez. Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei told Spanish news agency EFE on Tuesday that Velasquez was not facing "criminal prosecution." Arrest warrants were issued for several others as part of the investigation, including former Guatemalan Attorney General Thelma Aldana.

☆ Nadal survives early test, Kyrgios pulls out in Australian Open shock
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With Draper's injury reducing him to a groaning wreck, Nadal finished strongly to close out the match 7-5 2-6 6-4 6-1. With Kyrgios gone and last year's women's champion Ash Barty retired, the chances of a another home winner for local fans are greatly diminished. Seventh seed Coco Gauff also raced into the second round, while last year's finalist Danielle Collins advanced with a tougher, three-set win over Anna Kalinskaya. Briton Raducanu will next face teenager Gauff, who won in Auckland and confirmed her good form with a 6-1 6-4 win over Katerina Siniakova. Italian 15th seed Jannik Sinner, a quarter-finalist last year, was the first man to reach the second round, rolling over Briton Kyle Edmund 6-4 6-0 6-2 on John Cain Arena.

☆ Azarenka prevails over Kenin in battle of former champions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I also thought she was coming in with nothing to lose so I knew she was going to play well, play freely. Kenin will perhaps have been encouraged by her fighting display on Margaret Court Arena after three years blighted by injuries, illness and off-court issues. Kenin fought gamely to hold serve for 5-4 but Azarenka made no mistake when serving for the set. The second set was much tighter with the key moment coming in the tiebreak when Azarenka boomed down her fifth ace and Kenin responded lamely with a double fault. "The off season is full of blood, sweat and tears so we can go out there and do our best.

☆ Ghana extends domestic debt exchange deadline for third time
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ACCRA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Ghana has again extended the deadline to register for its domestic debt exchange, this time to Jan. 31, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said on Monday. The crisis-hit nation launched the debt swap plan at the start of December, days before clinching a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $3 billion rescue package. "Building consensus is key to a successful economic recovery for Ghana," Ofori-Atta wrote on Twitter, adding that registration for the debt exchange would be extended "pending further stakeholder engagement". The IMF has said its board will approve the deal only if Ghana undergoes comprehensive debt restructuring. The deadline for the debt swap, initially set for Dec. 19, had previously been extended to Dec. 30 and then to Jan. 16.

☆ Ancient Maya cities, 'super highways' revealed in latest survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It is the latest discovery of roughly 3,000-year-old Maya centers and related infrastructure, according to a statement on Monday from a team from Guatemala's FARES anthropological research foundation overseeing the so-called LiDAR studies. All of the newly-identified structures were built centuries before the largest Maya city-states emerged, ushering in major human achievements in math and writing. LiDAR technology uses planes to shoot pulses of light into dense forest, allowing researchers to peel away vegetation and map ancient structures below. Among the details revealed in the latest analysis are the ancient world's first-ever extensive system of stone "highways or super-highways," according to the researchers. Reporting by Sofia Menchu and David Alire Garcia, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nadal launches title defence as Australian Open ushers in new era
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal will kick off his Australian Open title defence on Monday with a first round test against rising Briton Jack Draper as a new era begins on the blue hardcourts of Melbourne Park. The top seed has had only one win since September's U.S. Open and admitted his title defence was vulnerable to an early shock after two straight defeats in the lead-up. The reigning French and U.S. Open champion opens her campaign against Jule Niemeier in the first evening match at Rod Laver Arena, the German who gave Swiatek a huge scare in the U.S. Open fourth round. With American tennis looking for a new champion in the post-Serena era, Coco Gauff will open the day session at Rod Laver Arena against Czech Katerina Siniakova. Medvedev, the men's seventh seed, will return to the scene of last year's final heartbreak when he faces unseeded American Marcos Giron in the late match at Rod Laver Arena.

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