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☆ Ukraine peace plan is only way to end Russia's war, says Zelenskiy aide
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

He pushed back on a flurry of peace initiatives from China, Brazil, the Vatican and South Africa in recent months. "There cannot be a Brazilian peace plan, a Chinese peace plan, a South African peace plan when you are talking about the war in Ukraine," Zhovkva said in an interview late on Friday. Zelenskiy made a major push to court the Global South this month in response to peace moves from some of its members. Moscow has bolstered ties with Global South powers during the war in Ukraine, including by selling more of its energy to India and China. 'PEACE SUMMIT'Zhovkva said the reaction to Ukraine's 10-point peace plan had been extremely positive at the G7 summit.

☆ Reaction: Biden, McCarthy debt ceiling deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, May 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy have reached a tentative deal to raise the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, ending a months-long stalemate. DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE TED LIU"Tonight, I have been informed that there is an agreement in principle between the White House and House Republicans. This was a House Republican manufactured crisis. REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE BOB GOOD "I am hearing the 'deal' is for a $4 trillion increase in the debt limit. "If we didn't reach a deal … the average American person would clearly see a hit ... we had to reach some kind of conclusion here."

☆ Opinion | If You’re Reading This, You’re Probably ‘WEIRD’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +83 min

You’re probably very weird, and not just for all the obvious reasons you’re thinking of. Because, obviously, there’s going to be some overlap in the curve here. How you’re going to behave with your professor is quite different than how you’re going to behave with your friends. But it’s really kind of faceless, and you’re not really helping anybody you know. I think things are dynamic, and directions are changing, and that sort of thing.

☆ Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tests positive for Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore's Prime Minister, said Monday he has tested positive for Covid-19 after recently returning from state visits to South Africa and Kenya. Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has tested positive for Covid-19, days after returning from official visits to South Africa and Kenya. "I am generally feeling ok but my doctors have advised me to self-isolate until I am asymptomatic," Lee said Monday in a Facebook post. Lee is 71-years-old and has been serving as prime minister of the Southeast Asian city-state since 2004. He was in South Africa and Kenya May 14-19, according to Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

☆ HPV vaccine: Some studies say one and done might be better
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The HPV vaccine protects against the strains that cause most HPV-related cancers. But not every country has the same vaccination options, which is part of the reason WHO has been pushing to change the way doctors give the HPV vaccine. A one-and-done approach to the HPV vaccine could be a huge help around the world, experts say. But she’d also like more people to get the HPV vaccine. So I think that’s really, really important,” Abraham said.

Ships in the Autonomous Port of Cotonou in Benin, West Africa. Prosper Dagnitche/AFP/Getty ImagesThe stream of used cars heading to West African ports is only expected to increase with the West’s shift to electric vehicles. “It’s not like people want to drive used cars; it’s an affordability issue.”Experts say demand for used cars could explode further as the take up of electric cars in the West increases the supply of used cars to African countries. Those states also have robust port operations, making them an ideal place to ship used cars to Africa. “In terms of where Africa goes, the transition shouldn’t necessarily be from used cars to brand new combustion engines, it should be from used cars to EVs,” Ipke said.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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."

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

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