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☆ The G7 is accusing China of 'economic coercion.' Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US has accused China of "economic coercion" and plans to take steps to counteract Beijing. What is "economic coercion" – and what can the West actually do about it? So what exactly is "economic coercion" – and what can the G7 do about it? According to Sullivan, this will involve measures that could enhance economic security for G7 nations. The West needs to work with Beijing on a range of issues that likely go beyond the countries' desire for economic security.

Climate change drove heat in the city to a record-breaking 48C (118F) in 2016. While traditional insurance can take months to pay, with so-called "parametric" insurance there is no need to prove losses. At annual climate talks in Egypt last year, nonprofits urged richer nations to help finance parametric insurance as a way of compensating victims of worsening weather extremes. At the moment, insurance schemes in the developing world are largely subsidized by nonprofit groups, national governments, or wealthy countries. Insurance payouts allow them to buy things like gloves to protect their hands from scorching hot metal tools, or fans to stay cool and avoid heat exhaustion.

☆ Battered by War, Sudan Faces Many Possible Paths — None Good
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, Kenya — The fighting that erupted in Sudan’s capital one month ago surprised few, the culmination of soaring tensions between rival military leaders. But what has shocked many is the scale and ferocity of the war engulfing Africa’s third-largest country, a conflict that has killed about 1,000 people and prompted one million more to flee their homes. In interviews, they agreed on one thing: The immediate outlook is bleak. “We thought through several scenarios,” said one senior European diplomat who, like others working to broker a peaceful solution, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. “None of them ends well.”The immediate challenge is that the warring factions — Sudan’s military, led by Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan — still believe that a military victory is possible, regardless of the cost.

☆ 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.

☆ Last ship to leave Ukraine as fate of Black Sea grain deal in Russia's hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UNITED NATIONS, May 17 (Reuters) - The last ship is due to leave a port in Ukraine on Wednesday under a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, said a U.N. spokesperson, a day before Russia could quit the pact over obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports. To convince Russia in July to allow Black Sea grain exports, the United Nations agreed at the same time to help Moscow with its own agricultural shipments for three years. Senior officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.N. met in Istanbul last week to discuss the Black Sea pact. RISKSOfficials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.N. make up a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, which implements the Black Sea export deal. The United Nations, Turkey and Ukraine did continue the Black Sea agreement in October during a brief suspension by Russia of its participation.

☆ Kenya's 10k world record holder Kipruto provisionally suspended
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 17 (Reuters) - Kenyan athlete and 10-km road race world record holder Rhonex Kipruto has been provisionally suspended for an anti-doping violation, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Wednesday. Kipruto, who also won a 10,000m bronze medal in the 2019 world championships, broke the 10-km road race world record in 2020. The AIU said on Twitter that Kipruto had been suspended "for the use of a Prohibited Substance/Method (ABP)". ABP refers to the Athlete Biological Passport, which shows discrepancies that can reveal the effects of doping. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Western Union rival Zepz lays off 26% of employees as fintech cuts continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Zepz, which owns the WorldRemit and Sendwave brands, has a total headcount of around 1,600. Money transfer group Zepz is laying off 420 employees, the company told CNBC exclusively, as the fintech sector grapples with a tough macroeconomic environment. The London-headquartered company began informing employees of the redundancies on Monday, with individual staff being told by their managers before larger communications were issued. Zepz, which owns the WorldRemit and Sendwave brands, has a total headcount of around 1,600, meaning the cuts translate to about 26% of its workforce. In June 2022, Zepz implemented redundancies affecting around 5% of its workforce, according to Sky News.

☆ A vegan airline passenger was given fruit and nuts instead of meals during a 6-hour flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A vegan passenger told Insider she received fruit and nuts instead of a hot meal during a flight. A vegan passenger said she was given fruit and nuts in place of a hot meal during a six-hour KLM flight from Ghana to Amsterdam on April 19. After she was rebooked onto the KLM flight, she said she informed staff she would need a vegan meal. According to KLM's website, the airline can only guarantee vegan meals if a passenger submits the request more than 24 hours before the flight's departure. "But this wouldn't be an issue if they put a couple of extra vegan meals on the plane."

☆ The world can cut plastic pollution by 80% by 2040, the UN says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Countries could slash plastic pollution by 80% in less than two decades, according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme. Plastic pollution is a scourge that affects every part of the world, from the Arctic, to the oceans and the air we breathe. UNEP’s report aims to offer a roadmap to governments and businesses to dramatically cut levels of plastic pollution. This would be the most “powerful market shift,” reducing plastic pollution by 30% by 2040, the report said. Scaling up recycling levels could reduce plastic pollution by a further 20%, according to the report.

☆ So Expensive Food season 2 marathon
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Pj Rickards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

From Colombia's indigenous panela and India's bilona ghee to Kenya's single-origin coffee and Japan's olive wagyu, we uncovered the stories behind some of the world's most expensive foods. Our first stop is in Indonesia, where the largest communities of one of the rarest lobsters on the planet exist. These colorful crustaceans are more than six times as expensive as Maine lobsters.

☆ China's rising clout spotlighted at finance chief meetings before G7 summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China is among the biggest markets for most G7 countries, particularly for export-reliant economies such as Japan and Germany. In a joint statement on Saturday, the G7 finance chiefs stressed the urgency of addressing debt vulnerabilities in low- and middle-income countries, mentioning Zambia, Ethiopia, Ghana and Sri Lanka. "There were talks about coercion" at the G7 finance leaders' meeting, the Japanese finance ministry official said. The G7 summit will most likely have a special session on China to debate Beijing's "economic coercion" against other countries, according to a Reuters report. "No matter how the G7 want to fence in the Global South, it's not easy," said Atsushi Takeda, chief economist at the Itochu Economic Research Institute.

☆ UN efforts to save Black Sea grain deal to continue in coming days
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The final two ships are due to leave Ukrainian ports on Tuesday under the Black Sea deal, said a U.N. spokesperson. "The (Black Sea) Initiative refers to the export of ammonia, but this has not yet been realized," Griffiths said. "While Russia keeps Ukrainian grain supplies from feeding the hungry, Russia is successfully exporting its own bumper crop of grain," Deputy U.S. 'CRUCIAL'Nebenzia again complained that not enough poor countries were benefiting from the Black Sea grain deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to deliver Russian grain and fertilizers free of charge to African countries.

☆ He Told Followers to Starve to Meet Jesus. Why Did So Many Do It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Delirious from hunger, a believer who had brought his family to live with a Christian doomsday cult in a remote wilderness in southeastern Kenya sent a distraught text to his younger sister last week. While he begged her help to escape, he was still in the grip of the preacher who had lured him there, promising salvation through death by starvation. “Answer me quickly, because I don’t have much time. Sister, End Times is here and people are being crucified,” Solomon Muendo, a former street hawker, told his sister. They were following the call of Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, a former taxi driver turned televangelist who, declaring that the world was about to end, marketed Shakahola to his followers as an evangelical Christian sanctuary from the fast-approaching apocalypse.

☆ Six lions killed in Kenya in blow to conservation efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, May 14 (Reuters) - Six lions have been killed in a national park in southern Kenya, in a blow to conservation efforts and the tourism industry that is a key pillar of the nation's economy. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said the lions were killed after attacking goats and a dog near villages close to the Amboseli National Park. "Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident as over the last week four other lions have been killed," KWS said in a statement on Saturday. Residents around nature reserves in Kenya often complain that lions and other carnivores kill livestock and domestic animals as humans and wildlife compete for space and resources. The 39,206-hectare Amboseli National Park is home to some of the most prized game including elephants, cheetahs, buffalos and giraffes.

☆ Ten lions killed in southern Kenya as human-wildlife conflict escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Ten lions have been killed in southern Kenya this past week, including six on Saturday alone, as human-wildlife conflict escalates in the region, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). This is “an unusually large number of lions to be killed at one go,” a spokesperson for the KWS told CNN on Sunday. The six lions that died on Saturday had killed 11 goats and one dog, the KWS said in a press release on Saturday. “The discussions centered on exploring ways to minimize the risk of human-wildlife conflict, including developing early warning systems to alert communities to the presence of wildlife in their vicinity,” said the KWS. “Further discussions centered on the wider picture of exploring human-wildlife conflict in the context of community livelihoods and benefit sharing towards a harmonious coexistence in the open community and wildlife landscapes,” it added.

☆ Kenya doomsday cult death toll climbs to 201 - official
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHAKAHOLA FOREST, Kenya, May 13 (Reuters) - Searchers for survivors and victims of a doomsday cult in Kenya's Shakahola forest discovered 22 more bodies on Saturday, according to a regional governmental official. The discoveries bring the death toll of one of the country's worst tragedies to 201. She said one more suspect had also been arrested, bringing the total number of those detained over the deaths to 26. On Friday, 29 bodies were unearthed, including those of 12 children which were found in one grave. Reporting by Joseph Akwiri Writing by Elias Biryabarema Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kenya court denies bail for alleged death cult leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOMBASA, Kenya, May 10 (Reuters) - A Kenyan court on Wednesday extended by 30 days the detention of cult leader Paul Mackenzie, who authorities accuse of ordering followers to starve their children and themselves to death. The death toll has climbed to 133, and hundreds of people are still reported missing. Mackenzie, leader of the Good News International Church, has not yet been required to enter a plea after handing himself into police last month. A lawyer representing Mackenzie, George Kariuki, has said the self-styled pastor is cooperating with investigators. Wycliffe Makasembo, a lawyer for Mackenzie and his wife, who is also detained, said he would appeal against the decision.

☆ Tala: 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

That's up from $2.7 billion to more than 6 million people the year before, as the popularity of digital financial services continues to grow in the wake of Covid. Tala offers micro-loans between $10 to $500 for consumers and small businesses through its smartphone app. The financial sweet spot for Tala aims to create a more equitable financial system in emerging markets including Kenya, the Philippines, Mexico and India. Last November, Tala launched a new app with digital wallet features that moves beyond lending. Customers receive credit to their Tala wallet to manage money without fees, and eliminating the need to go to a remittance center for their money.

☆ Ukraine says it has alternatives if grain export deal not extended
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, May 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine has alternative ways of transporting grain if a deal on safe Black Sea exports is not extended on May 18, and would not see that outcome as an "apocalyptic scenario", its agriculture minister said. Ukrainian Black Sea ports were blockaded after Russia's invasion last year, but access to three of them was cleared last July under a deal between Moscow and Kyiv that was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey. The United Nations said on Monday that so far nearly 30 million metric tonnes of grain and foodstuffs had been exported from Ukraine under the Black Sea deal, including nearly 600,000 metric tonnes of grain in World Food Programme vessels for aid operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Yemen. Russia's state-owned RIA news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin as saying a high-level four-way meeting on the Black Sea grain deal would take place in Istanbul on May 10-11. Ukraine also exports grain via Danube River ports and has said previously that what is known as the Danube Cluster offers a viable alternative export route.

☆ No Black Sea grain deal ships inspected as Russian deadline looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - The United Nations said no ships were inspected on Sunday or Monday under a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, which Moscow has threatened to quit on May 18 over obstacles to its own grain and fertilizer exports. The U.N. and Turkey brokered the Black Sea export agreement in July last year to help tackle a global food crisis that has been worsened by Moscow's war in Ukraine. Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.N. make up a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, which implements the deal. To help convince Russia to allow Ukraine to resume Black Sea grain exports, a three-year pact was also struck in July 2022 in which the U.N. agreed to help Moscow facilitate those shipments. The Black Sea export deal also provided for the export of fertilizer, including ammonia, but there had been no such exports so far, the United Nations said.

Now, according to an internal U.N. estimate obtained by Reuters, 5 million additional people in Sudan will require emergency assistance, half of them children. Even before the latest crisis, U.N. humanitarian appeals for Africa faced a $17-billion funding gap this year, risking leaving millions without lifesaving assistance. Last year, it spent a third of its overseas aid budget housing refugees inside the UK, a British aid watchdog said in March. Sudan was hosting over 1 million refugees, mainly from South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Syria, before the outbreak of fighting last month. Aid workers have been killed, food aid looted, and WFP says it's running out of stocks.

☆ Forest search resumes for Kenyan death cult victims of 'highly organised crime'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHAKAHOLA FOREST, Kenya, May 9 (Reuters) - Kenyan investigators have resumed the search for members of a doomsday cult in a forest where more than 100 corpses, mostly of children, have been exhumed, victims of a "highly organised crime", Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said on Tuesday. "We have many more graves in this forest, and therefore it leads us to conclude that this was a highly organised crime," Kindiki told reporters. Search and rescue efforts for people "suspected to be holed up in the thickets and bushes have been going on". President William Ruto on Friday announced an inquiry into the mass deaths, while a court kept Mackenzie in detention pending further investigations. Reporting by Dicksy Obiero in the Shakahola Forest and Hereward Holland and Humphrey Malalo in Nairobi; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Zipline: 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

But with the release of its latest drone, Zipline is spreading its unmanned wings far beyond medicine. Zipline also has relationships with medical providers in the country, and in recent years has conducted long-range medical drone flights in challenging geographies including the Appalachian regions of North Carolina. In 2022, Zipline became the first company to receive FAA Part 135 approval for long-range drone delivery in the U.S., a huge step towards greater domestic expansion. From lunch deliveries with Sweetgreen to health prescriptions from Walmart, Zipline can maneuver peak order times by creating its Zips in a way that automatically redistributes the drones from dock to dock for loading and launching. Zipline has already completed 540,000 deliveries to customers, which is more than what Alphabet and Amazon have delivered combined.

☆ ChatGPT is powered by these contractors making $15 an hour
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( David Ingram | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Out of the limelight, Savreux and other contractors have spent countless hours in the past few years teaching OpenAI's systems to give better responses in ChatGPT. So far, AI contract work hasn't inspired a similar movement in the U.S. among the Americans quietly building AI systems word-by-word. watch nowJob postings for AI contractors refer to both the allure of working in a cutting-edge industry as well as the sometimes-grinding nature of the work. There's no definitive tally of how many contractors work for AI companies, but it's an increasingly common form of work around the world. A spokesperson for OpenAI said no one was available to answer questions about its use of AI contractors.

☆ Lyles wins 150m at Atlanta City Games
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Lyles, bronze medallist at the Tokyo Games, scorched to victory in 14.56 seconds to become the third-fastest athlete of all time over the distance behind Jamaican Usain Bolt and compatriot Tyson Gay. Teenager Knighton, who took bronze at last year's World Championships, finished second in 14.85 in the inaugural edition of the tournament in Atlanta, Georgia. Third-placed Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya clocked a time of 14.89 seconds to better Namibian Frankie Fredericks's mark of 14.99 and set a new African record, adding to his African men's 100m record. Earlier on Saturday, United States' Olympic silver medallist Kendra Harrison finished second in the women's 100m hurdles behind Tia Jones. This year's world championships are scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary from Aug. 19-27.

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