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☆ Fact Check-Photo does not show laptops stolen during Capitol siege
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A photo showing multiple laptops dates to at least 2019 and is unrelated to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Examples of the photo, which shows dozens of laptops on top of office desks, can also be seen on Facebook (here) and (here). It says the photo shows stolen laptops recovered by DCI. U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi and Senator Jeff Merkley said that laptops had been stolen from their offices during the storming of the U.S. Capitol (here). Photo shows stolen laptops in Kenya, not computers taken during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Persons: Nancy Pelosi, Jeff Merkley, Read Organizations: Capitol, Twitter, Facebook, Criminal Investigations, DCI, U.S, U.S . Capitol, Reuters Locations: U.S, Kenya

kevin rooseAnd you’re listening to “Hard Fork.”casey newtonThis week on the show, Sam Bankman-Fried goes to jail. If you give me, like, 1 percent of the internet, that’s going to give me an aneurysm. And those three are actually going to get to live that out. So I actually think the classroom of the future looks remarkably like the classroom today, but you reverse what you’re doing in it. And I think that’s another piece, is we have to not be delusional about what has actually happened in education.

Persons: casey newton, Joe Rogan, kevin roose You’re, casey newton They’ve, kevin roose They’ve, who’s, kevin roose, Kevin Roose, ” casey newton, Casey Newton, Sam Bankman, Fried, what’s, Wharton, Ethan Malek, kevin roose Casey, I’ve, casey newton Guy’s, David Jaffe Bellini, David, ” david jaffe bellini, casey newton Hi, ’, he’s, david jaffe bellini, david jaffe bellini That’s, they’re, Sam’s, there’s, that’s, Casey, — casey newton, david jaffe bellini I’m, he’d, Caroline Ellison, Caroline Ellison’s, Caroline, She’s, we’ve, they’ve, Sam, He’s, I’m, haven’t, It’s, You’ve, There’s, you’re, Ryan Salem, hasn’t, Gary, Nishad, They’ve, SBF, casey newton Look, Harlem Globetrotters ’, it’s, Kevin, casey newton Oh, kevin roose David Jaffe Bellini, we’re, kevin roose It’s, “, casey newton Sure, Ethan Mollick Ethan, kevin roose Ethan Mollick, ” ethan mollick, ethan mollick, That’s, casey newton Tell, ChatGPT, ethan mollick —, you’ve, Steve Jobs, don’t, You’ll, ethan mollick Oh, casey newton Well, We’ve, kevin roose I’m, Ethan, casey newton It’s, they’d, you’ll, They’re, Ethan Mollick, casey newton —, should’ve, let’s, Cruise, casey newton That’s, — david jaffe bellini, kevin roose —, ”, Alex, casey newton Hey, casey newton Yes, Kyle Vogt, Franciscans, I’ll, kevin roose Totally, casey newton Yep, Uber, casey newton Right, Dirk, Kevin kevin roose, shouldn’t, — casey newton Yes, casey newton Don’t, Rachel Cohn, Davis, We’re, Jen Poyant, Caitlin Love, Sophia Lanman, Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Rowan Niemisto, Paula Shoeman, Tam, David McCraw, Nell Gallogly, Kate LoPresti, Jeffrey Miranda Organizations: Spotify, The New York Times, FTX, Conference, NFL, Google, “ New York Times, MDC, Republican, Alameda, Twitter, Harlem Globetrotters, Washington Generals, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Fork University, Caud Academy, they’re, TA, . University, University, Hard Fork, Wharton, DMs, San, San Francisco, Cruise, Department of Motor Vehicles, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Virginia Tech Transportation, YouTube Locations: New York, California, Bahamas, Alameda, FTX, autodelete, Caroline, Wharton, GPT, Kenya, America, San Francisco, Charlotte , North Carolina, Texas, North Beach, Cruise, Franciscans, robotaxis, AVs, Rhode Island, Zurich, Paris, Madrid, Swiss, Switzerland

☆ Ethiopian Airlines to manufacture parts in venture with Boeing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An Ethiopia’s Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 plane to take off on a demonstration trip to resume flights from the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia February 1, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Ethiopian Airlines will start manufacturing aircraft parts in a venture with Boeing (BA.N) at an initial cost of $15 million, the government's investment agency said on Friday. The state-owned carrier, which is the biggest in Africa, has already signed the deal that also involves the local state Industrial Parks Development Corporation, the Ethiopian Investment Commission said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The venture will make "aerospace parts, including aircraft thermo-acoustic insulation blankets, electrical wire harnesses, and other parts," the commission said. It was not immediately clear if Ethiopian Airlines has also suffered from similar lack of parts.

Persons: George Obulutsa, Duncan Miriri, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Ethiopia’s Airlines Boeing, Max, REUTERS, Tiksa, Acquire, Rights, Ethiopian Airlines, Boeing, Industrial Parks Development Corporation, Ethiopian Investment Commission, Twitter, Kenya Airways, Thomson Locations: Bole, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Rights NAIROBI, Africa, Ukraine

A man carries an elderly man as they flee their neighbourhood Carrefour Feuilles after gangs took over, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti August 15, 2023. REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 18 (Reuters) - The United Nations on Friday estimated that more than 350 people have been killed in Haiti by civilian vigilante groups since April, amid escalating gang violence that has in recent days has forced thousands to flee in parts of the capital. The report comes after fighting intensified late last week around the capital's heavily populated Carrefour Feuilles neighborhood, where attacks from the Grand Ravine gang prompted around 5,000 people to flee their homes. "We used to see clashes between gangs, now it's gangs against the population," said Serge Dalexis, the head of the International Rescue Committee's Haiti office. Reporting by Isabel Woodford and Sarah Morland; Editing by Mark Potter and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ralph Tedy Erol, Kale, Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani, Serge Dalexis, Prince, Dalexis, Shamdasani, Isabel Woodford, Sarah Morland, Mark Potter, Sandra Maler Organizations: Carrefour, REUTERS, United Nations, Human Rights, Carrefour Feuilles, Food, Thomson Locations: Carrefour Feuilles, Port, Prince, Haiti, Haiti's, Kenya

[1/2] A woman stands next to stacked school furniture, as she and others shelter at a school after fleeing their neighbourhood Carrefour Feuilles when gangs took over, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti August 16, 2023. "In a matter of days, violence escalated dramatically in Port-au-Prince, particularly affecting neighborhoods where the IRC collaborates with local organizations to provide vital services," the aid group said on Thursday. The IRC launched its Haiti response plan last December and works with a number of local groups around the capital, where much of the violence has taken place. Ann Lee, co-founder of U.S.-based crisis response group CORE, which is still operating in Haiti, said many aid groups had left as costs rise, financial aid dwindles and staff operates under increasingly life-threatening conditions. Lee said there was not a single member of CORE's 100-person Haiti team who did not know a victim of the violence.

Persons: Ralph Tedy Erol, Ann Lee, dwindles, Lee, Haiti's, Ariel Henry's, Sarah Morland, Josie Kao Organizations: Carrefour, REUTERS, International Rescue, IRC, U.S, CORE, Haiti, United Nations, Feuilles, Carrefour Feuilles, . Security, Kenyan, Thomson Locations: Carrefour Feuilles, Port, Prince, Haiti, Caribbean, Haiti's, Kenya

☆ Rapid intensification, explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Jennifer Gray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

So as the climate crisis forces up ocean temperatures, rapid intensification becomes more likely, pushing storms to explode at a rapid pace into deadly hurricanes, scientists say. Mike Lang/USA Today Network Workers and residents clear debris from a destroyed bar in Fort Myers on Saturday, October 1. Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network This aerial photo shows damaged homes and debris in Fort Myers Beach on Thursday. Wilfredo Lee/AP Jake Moses and Heather Jones explore a section of destroyed businesses in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Thursday. Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach on September 24.

Persons: ”, Phil Klotzbach, Klotzbach, ” Klotzbach, Ricardo Arduengo, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Hurricane, Evan Vucci, Greg Guidi, Thomas Bostic, Joe Raedle, Win McNamee, Stephanie Fopiano, Kenya Taylor, Mike Lang, Giorgio Viera, Jonathan Drake, Candy Miller, Ana Kapel, Amy Beth Bennett, Meg Kinnard, Shannon Stapleton, Steve Helber, Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentintel, Alex Brandon, Jim Watson, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Bob Levitt, Thomas Cordy, Wilfredo Lee, Jake Moses, Heather Jones, Douglas R, Clifford, Tom, Jonathan Strong, Kylie Dodd, Brenda Brennan, Sean Rayford, John Raoux, Stefanie Karas, ZUMA, Ian, Marco Bello, Ben Hendren, Pedro, Reuters Melvin Phillips, Crystal Vander, Bryan R, Smith, Hurricane Ian, Greg Lovett, Stephen M, Dowell, Zuram Rodriguez, Joe Cavaretta, Crews, Ramon Espinosa, Yamil Lage, Chris O'Meara, Maria Llonch, Willie J, Allen Jr, Alexandre Meneghini, Reuters Frederic, Mary Herodet, Pete, Adalberto Roque, Phelan M, Ryan Copenhaver, Siesta, Gregg Newton, Cathie Perkins, Martha Asencio, Sarah Peterson, Andrew West, Ida, Laura, Hurricane Dorian Organizations: CNN, of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, North Atlantic, Getty, Fort Myers, Venice High, USA Today Network Workers, Reuters, South Florida Sun, AP, US Army National Guard, AP University of Central, Bloomberg, Texas, Force, USA, Tampa Bay Times, Zuma Workers, Orange County Government, An, AP Vehicles, NOAA, NASA, City, Naples Police, Anadolu Agency, Punta Gorda, El, El Nuevo Herald, TNS, Officials, Orlando Sentinel, AP Highways, Wednesday, Sentinel, AP People, Southwest, Tampa International Airport, Bistro, Vehicle, Kennedy Space Center, International, Costco, ZUMA Press, Louisiana, Simpson Locations: North, Matlacha , Florida, AFP, Fort Myers , Florida, Island , Florida, Fort, Fort Myers Beach, Kenya, North Port, Venice , Florida, Fort Myers, Myrtle Beach , South Carolina, South Florida, Quarterman, North Charleston , South Carolina, North Port , Florida, Sanibel, Florida, AP University of Central Florida, Orlando , Florida, Orlando, Charleston , South Carolina, New Smyrna Beach , Florida, Cape Coral , Florida, Palm Beach County , Florida, Fort Myers Beach , Florida, Naples , Florida, Orange County , Florida, Orange County, Punta Gorda , Florida, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte , Florida, Captiva, Port Charlotte, Iona , Florida, Bonita Springs , Florida, An Orlando, Sanibel , Florida, Tampa , Florida, Punta, Tampa, Roberts, El Nuevo, Stuart , Florida, Tampa Bay, Delray Beach , Florida, The, Hurricane, Pembroke Pines , Florida, Davie , Florida, Havana, Cuba, Batabano, Pinar del Rio, St, Pete Beach , Florida, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Cuban, Fanguito, Sarasota , Florida, Havana Bay, Kissimmee, Pinellas County , Florida, Bahamas

☆ Safaricom launches M-Pesa mobile money service in Ethiopia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A customer displays the package of a Safaricom Ethiopia sim card during the service launch in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 6, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsADDIS ABABA, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Safaricom's (SCOM.NR) M-Pesa mobile money service went live in Ethiopia on Wednesday, in a boost to the Kenyan telecoms operator as it seeks to kickstart growth in one of Africa's biggest economies. The company also faces stiff competition from Ethio Telecom, whose profits more than doubled in its latest financial year. In July, Ethio Telecom reported having more than 34 million subscribers to its mobile money service Telebirr. Mobile money services are common in East Africa, allowing customers to send and receive money and pay for goods and services.

Persons: Safaricom, Stanley Njoroge, Dawit, Elias Biryabarema, Aaron Ross, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Tiksa, South Africa’s Vodacom, Britain’s Vodafone, Democratic, Ethio Telecom, Thomson Locations: Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, ADDIS ABABA, Horn of Africa, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Mobile, East Africa

☆ Kenya's government U-turns with small fuel subsidy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsKenya's government U-turns with small fuel subsidyPostedA small subsidy has been reinstated in Kenya for 30 days to stabilize retail fuel prices following violent anti-government protests over the cost of living. Mukelwa Hlatshwayo has more.

Persons: Mukelwa Hlatshwayo Locations: Kenya's, Kenya

☆ UN chief says 'robust use of force' needed against Haiti's gangs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Haiti last year asked for international help to combat violent gangs that have largely overrun the capital Port-au-Prince. Guterres suggested in October that countries send a "rapid action force" to support Haiti's police. The United States has already said it is prepared to put forward a draft Security Council resolution to back a deployment. Kenya said last month it was ready to consider leading an international force and pledged to send 1,000 police officers. In his report, Guterres said any targeted operations against gangs must also protect people and respect human rights and due process.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Jean, Bertrand Aristide, Ariel Henry, Michelle Nichols, Ismail Shakil, Grant McCool Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Security, Reuters, Peacekeeping, ACT, UN, Security Council, United, United Nations, Human Rights Watch, Thomson Locations: Haiti, U.N, Caribbean, United States, Kenya, Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbuda, Americas

☆ People coaxed AI into saying 9+10=21 and giving instructions for spying — it shows how these systems are prone to flaws and bias
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Participants at a hacking conference tricked AI into producing factual errors and bad math. AI experts have been sounding the alarm about the dangers of AI bias for years. Another participant got an AI model to falsely claim Barack Obama was born in Kenya — a baseless conspiracy theory popularized by right-wing figures. An undisclosed number of participants received 50 minutes each per attempt with an unidentified AI model from one of the participating AI companies, according to VentureBeat and Bloomberg. AI experts have been sounding the alarm on bias and inaccuracy in AI models, despite AI making headlines for acing law school exams and the SATs.

Persons: Kennedy Mays, Barack Obama, Mays, VentureBeat, Def Con Organizations: Morning, Def Con, Google, Bloomberg, White, Office of Science, Technology, Ku Klux, CNET, Def Locations: Las Vegas, Savannah , Georgia, Kenya

☆ CBS News names Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews as president after Khemlani resigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, new CBS News president, poses in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on August 14, 2023. Michele Crowe/CBS News/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsAug 14 (Reuters) - CBS News said on Monday Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, award-winning journalist and veteran news executive, has been named president, after Neeraj Khemlani stepped down from the position on Sunday. The network also appointed insider Wendy McMahon as president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures. Ciprian-Matthews, who has been with CBS News for 30 years, joined the company as a senior producer for live segments for the morning news. Before joining CBS News in 1993, Ciprian-Matthews was the managing editor of CNN's New York bureau.

Persons: Ingrid Ciprian, Matthews, Michele Crowe, Neeraj Khemlani, Wendy McMahon, Ciprian, CNN's, Dawn Chmielewski, Samrhitha, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: CBS News, Reuters, CBS, REUTERS Acquire, CBS Media Ventures, newsgathering, National Public Radio, Nacional, Thomson Locations: Ciprian, York, Kosovo, Kenya, Tanzania, China, Haiti, Chile, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ A Hotbed of Distance Running Talent Emerges in Uganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Jonathan W. Rosen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It is here that Ugandan running is now thriving, though the region’s talent took time to develop. While Kenya enjoyed relative stability in the decades after it gained independence in 1963, Uganda was at war for much of the 1970s and 1980s. Lawlessness pervaded the Mount Elgon region until the turn of the century: Bandits from neighboring tribes would sweep in at night and conduct raids on cattle, often killing locals in the process. The resettlement process, Kiptala said, was traumatic, but it also helped unlock running talent. Through school, children could access competitions, and by the early 2000s, athletes from the Elgon region were beginning to appear in World Championship and Olympic finals.

Persons: Moses Kiptala, Kiptala, Kiplimo’s, Simba, Uganda’s, Dorcus Inzikuru, Stephen Kiprotich Locations: Kenya, Uganda, Elgon, Budapest, Helsinki, Elgon’s, Moscow

☆ STIs are on the rise in the US. A pill taken after sex could help slow them down
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Yet recent research suggests that one pill of the drug can be effective in preventing such infections among men who have sex with men if taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex. He added that any guidance from the CDC will help “fill gaps,” provide direction to clinics and offer a framework for using doxyPEP for STI prevention. “Drug resistance when taking doxyPEP is currently being studied in people using this treatment for STI prevention. “There are still many STI prevention and treatment gaps left to fill. “In STI prevention, we’ve been relying on tools that are decades, sometimes centuries old.

Persons: Dr, Jonathan Mermin, ”, doxyPEP, Stephanie Cohen, “, “ We’re, ” Cohen, ” David C, Harvey, ” Harvey, DoxyPEP, someone’s, Annie Luetkemeyer, gonorrhea, ” Luetkemeyer, Connie Celum, Kenya Medical Research Institute —, Jenell Stewart, Stewart, ” Stewart, Suneer Chander, Wisp, ” Chander, Sanjay Gupta, Mermin, Deidre McPhillips Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC’s National Center, HIV, CDC, San Francisco Department of Public Health, California Department of Public Health, San Francisco Department of Public, National Coalition, STD, “, New England, of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, UCSF, University of Washington, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Hennepin Healthcare, University of Minnesota, PEP, Food and Drug Administration, CNN Health Locations: United States, San Francisco, Seattle, King County, Washington, Kenya, Hennepin

☆ Months after an AI deepfake of the pontiff in a puffy coat went viral, Pope Francis is warning about the dangers of AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One of the biggest AI moments this year involved a deepfake image of the Pope in a big coat. Now the Vatican has released a statement where Pope Francis warns against AI's dangers. The Pope said AI could lead to discrimination, but there should be an open dialogue to ensure it benefits humanity. Pope Francis was at the center of one of this year's most viral AI controversies, and now he's warned against the dangers of the budding technology. Instead, the Pope said AI should be "at the service of humanity and the protection of our common home."

Persons: Pope, Pope Francis, Francis, MiqkcLQ8Bd, Nikita S, Pablo Xavier, Buzzfeed, Sam Altman Organizations: Intelligence, Guardian, Wall Street Locations: Brooklyn, Chicago, Kenya

☆ I burned out at McKinsey and quit the elitist consulting lifestyle. The workload was mentally straining and I felt myself losing my humility.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Aria Yang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

I was hired by McKinsey & Company as a business analystWhen I joined in 2016, my base salary was $80,000 plus an additional performance bonus. McKinsey provided a retirement program contribution of 7% of qualified compensation, and I also received a sign-on bonus of $5,000. The bonus was based on my performance after the first year, and it was calculated as a percentage of my base salary. Then in the following year, this bonus, combined with my base salary, was my new base for compensation. But I realized I was getting too used to this lifestyle, and I personally found myself losing humility and patience.

Persons: Angelina Lu, Lu, I'd, I've, you've, Aria Yang Organizations: McKinsey & Company, Service, McKinsey, Northwestern University, Northwestern, McKinsey — Locations: Wall, Silicon, client's, Chicago, Kenya

Hands hold the biometric imaging device, the Orb, of the identity and financial public utility Worldcoin, which aims to create a World ID digital passport, with a tradeable cryptocurrency, in Berlin, Germany August 1, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File PhotoAug 8 (Reuters) - Worldcoin has no problem attracting eyeballs. More than 2.2 million people have signed up, getting their irises scanned in exchange for a digital ID and, in some countries, free crypto. The new project from ChatGPT founder Sam Altman aims to create a blockchain-based "identity and financial network". PitchBook analyst Robert Le said there were several startups trying to build blockchain-based digital identity systems, but none on Worldcoin's scale.

Persons: Annegret, Sam Altman, WLD, Gordon Grant, Andreessen Horowitz, Robert Le, James Butterfill, Worldcoin, It's, Riyad Carey, Elizabeth Howcroft, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, Genesis, Reuters Graphics, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Pravin Char, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Berlin, Germany, Kenya

☆ William H. Dilday Jr., First Black TV Station Manager in U.S., Dies at 85
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Clay Risen | More About Clay Risen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

William H. Dilday Jr., a Boston TV executive who moved to Jackson, Miss., in 1972 to manage the city’s NBC affiliate, becoming the country’s first Black person to run a commercial television station, died on July 27 in Newton, Mass. His daughter Kenya Dilday said that he died at a hospital from complications after a fall. The inquiry came after eight years of litigation by the United Church of Christ and a group of Black citizens against the station, which was owned by a local insurance company. Like many TV stations in the Jim Crow-era South, WLBT had given scant coverage to the civil rights movement, or to the lives and concerns of Black Mississippians in general. It refused to use courtesy titles when interviewing Black people, and once cut off a segment with Thurgood Marshall, replacing it with a sign reading, “Sorry — Cable Trouble.”

Persons: William H, Dilday Jr, Kenya Dilday, Dilday, Jim Crow, WLBT, Thurgood Marshall, ” Organizations: Boston, NBC, United Church of Christ Locations: Jackson, Miss, Newton ,, WLBT, Mississippi’s

☆ Uganda to reopen century-old rail link after China fails to fund new line
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Elias Biryabarema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The line, which has been out of use for roughly 40 years, is part of the East Africa rail network that stretches from Kenya's Indian Ocean seaport of Mombasa. It was built by Kenya and Uganda's former colonial ruler Britain around the beginning of the 20th-century. Uganda decided to revamp the old network after plans to build a separate modern standard gauge railway (SGR) failed to secure financing from China. The European Union funded construction of the Gulu hub, completed in late 2021, as part of the effort to revamp Uganda's railway network, which fell into disrepair during the country's economic collapse in 1970s and early 80s. Ugandan officials hope once the link is restored, rail will replace trucks in shipping transit goods to South Sudan and northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Persons: Thomas Mukoya, John Linnon Sengendo, Sengendo, Elias Biryabarema, George Obulutsa, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Democratic, Uganda Railways Corporation, Reuters, China Harbour, Engineering Company, Bridge Corporation, European Union, Thomson Locations: Kenya, Uganda, Kibera, Nairobi, South Sudan, DRC Kenya, KAMPALA, Democratic Republic of Congo, East Africa, Mombasa, Britain, China, Ugandan, Tororo, Uganda's, Gulu, Kampala

☆ US mulls backing Kenya-led multinational force in Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Sarah Morland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. has said it is willing to introduce a resolution at the UN Security Council to authorize such a force. "We will be doing everything that we can to support that process and ensure swift passage of that resolution," Feinstein said. She said the U.S. would seek contributions such as personnel, equipment, training, financing or other support from countries across the world. Recommendations from an Aug. 15 UN report are likely to shape what the force would look like, she said. Haiti's government requested international security assistance last year and the UN has repeatedly voiced its support for a security force.

Persons: Ralph Tedy Erol, Haiti Barbara Feinstein, Feinstein, Haiti's, Sarah Morland, Grant McCool Organizations: Haitian National Police, U.S . Embassy, REUTERS, UN, State Department, State, Caribbean Affairs, UN Security Council, Thomson Locations: Port, Prince, Haiti, Kenya, United States, Haitian, U.S, Ouest

☆ South Africa's recognition of sign language signals new hope for the deaf
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Thando Hlophe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Before it was an official language... there was absolutely no access" to communicating with other people, he signed. Still, South Africa only has about 40 deaf schools and one tertiary institution that is fully accessible to deaf people, meaning there is still work to be done to improve that access. "It is a very rich, beautiful language but we need people who are going to be equipped enough to develop it even more," said Andiswa Gebashe, a South African Sign Language activist and former interpreter for Ramaphosa. World Atlas, an online site that studies demographics, says only 41 countries recognise sign language as an official language, just four of them in Africa - Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. "Now that it's an official language, I know that I can go to university and I can make my dreams come true," he said in sign.

Persons: Cyril Ramaphosa, Manana, Andiswa Gebashe, Wilma Newhoudt, Thando, Tannur Anders, Alexander Winning, Nick Macfie Organizations: inclusivity, Sizwile School, Thomson Locations: Pretoria, Read, JOHANNESBURG, Johannesburg, Dobsonville, Soweto, South Africa, Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe

☆ Man who visited every country without flying has finally returned home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

After nearly ten years of travel, Pedersen successfully visited his 203rd and final country, the Maldives, and began his long-awaited voyage back to Denmark. In early 2020, the intrepid traveler suddenly found himself stuck in Hong Kong for two years with just nine countries left. “I look back at Hong Kong, and it’s a bit of a paradox. Next came a 16-day journey back to Hong Kong, where he returned to hotel quarantine for another two weeks. Pedersen in Hong Kong, where he spent an unexpected two years during the pandemic.

Persons: Torbjørn, Thor ” Pedersen, Pedersen, He’d, ” Pedersen, ”, “, Le, I’ve, He’s, ‘, ’ ”, Maxime Champigneulle, Gunnar Garfors, it’s, It’s, you’ve, he’s, “ There’s, Mike Douglas Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Maersk, “, Port, Le, UN, Danish, Hong, Denmark, Pacific, Tonga, National Museum, Ross Energy, Aarhus . Port Locations: Denmark, Maldives, Danish, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Aarhus, Kenya, Colombia, Australia, Norway, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Syria, Iran, Nauru, Angola, Ghana, Iceland, Canada, Hong Kong, Everest, Palau, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Pacific, Tuvalu, Fiji, Singapore, Malé, Norwegian, Aarhus ., Aarhus What’s, Suez, Germany

☆ Haiti hospital cares for kids amid gang violence, hunger and scarce aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

After being turned away from Haiti's only general hospital, her daughter Myleisha was finally accepted at Fontaine Hospital, a UNICEF-sponsored facility in the capital Port au Prince - in an area the rest of her family considers too unsafe to visit. The Fontaine Hospital is located in the Cite Soleil neighborhood, where the G9 and G-Pep gangs have been fighting a vicious turf war. "We are in one of the poorest areas of the country, and also one of the most dangerous," said hospital founder Jose Ulysse. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) says nearly half of Haiti's population - some 4.9 million people - are going hungry. Without more UNICEF funding, hospital director Kareen Ulysse said she doubts the Fontaine can keep running for another year.

Persons: Pierre, Marie Michelle Joseph's, Moliere, Fontaine, Octavio, Myleisha, Joseph, Jose Ulysse, Celestin Fraceline, Kareen Ulysse, Haiti's, Octavio Jones, Harold Isaac, Sarah Morland, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Cite Soleil, REUTERS, Fontaine Hospital, UNICEF, au, United Nations, UN, Food Programme, Thomson Locations: Cite, Port, Prince, Haiti, Haiti's, au Prince, Kenya

☆ Kenya suspends crypto project Worldcoin over safety concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Stickers handed out to people who signed up for WorldCoin are seen at a sign-up site in Shoreditch, East London, Britain July 24, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Howcroft/File PhotoNAIROBI, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Kenya's interior ministry said on Wednesday that it had suspended the local activities of cryptocurrency project Worldcoin while government agencies assess potential risks to public safety. "Relevant security, financial services and data protection agencies have commenced inquiries and investigations to establish the authenticity and legality of the aforesaid activities," interior minister Kithure Kindiki said in a statement. Kindiki said the government was concerned with Worldcoin's activities, and agencies would probe how it intends to use the data it gathers. The project has also come under scrutiny in Britain, Germany and France.

Persons: Elizabeth Howcroft, Sam Altman, Kithure Kindiki, Worldcoin, Kindiki, Humphrey Malalo, Bhargav Acharya, Alexander Winning, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Kenyan, Thomson Locations: Shoreditch, East London, Britain, NAIROBI, Kenya, Germany, Spain, France

☆ An International Force May Be Headed to Troubled Haiti, Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Frances Robles | More About Frances Robles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After nearly a year of calls from the prime minister of Haiti for armed intervention from abroad, the troubled country may soon get such a deployment from an African nation. Just days after announcing the withdrawal of nonemergency personnel from its embassy in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, and urging other Americans to leave, the United States said on Monday that it would introduce a resolution to the United Nations Security Council authorizing a multinational force to Haiti. On Saturday, Kenya said in a statement that it would “positively consider” leading such a force by sending 1,000 police officers to the Caribbean nation, which has become a cauldron of violence and political instability. The prime minister of Haiti is largely viewed as incompetent, gangs have take over vast areas of Port-au-Prince, and the police have done little to quell the violence, leading to the rise of vigilante groups that have targeted and killed suspected gang members in public.

Organizations: United Nations Security Locations: Haiti, Port, United States, Kenya, Caribbean

☆ Haiti: Gang violence is tearing the country apart. Here's what to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Caitlin Hu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Waves of crime and unrest have hit Haiti since the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise in 2021. His successor, Prime Minister Ariel Henry, has struggled to staunch the violence, which is also a major impediment to holding crucial long-delayed elections in the country. For months, Henry and the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres have called for a military intervention in the country. The mission, if eventually approved by the UN Security Council, is hoped to “restore normalcy” to Haiti, Mutua said. The Bwa Kale movement successfully deterred some gang activity, according to Haitian monitoring group CARDH, with kidnappings slowing in early summer.

Persons: Jovenel Moise, Ariel Henry, Henry, General Antonio Guterres, Alfred Mutua, ”, Mutua, Prince, Kale ”, Maria Isabel Salvador, Flavia Maurello, Ralph Tedy Erol, Kale, –, Alix Dorsainvil, Dorsainvil, “, Alix, Gedeon Jean, Dorsainvil’s, Jean Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Twitter, Kenyan, UN Security Council, US, Catholic, Borders, US State Department, El Locations: Haiti, Kenya, ”, Port, Haitian, Les, Prince, Tabarre, El Roi Haiti

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