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☆ Is the iPhone's 'Made in India' era beginning as Apple breaks with China?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said Apple was already making between 5% and 7% of its products in India. His comments come at a time when Foxconn (HNHPF), a top Apple supplier, is looking to expand its operations in India after suffering severe supply disruptions in China. For years, Apple had relied on a vast manufacturing network in China to mass produce iPhones, iPads and other popular products. China headaches mountBut the world’s most valuable company posted shockingly weak earnings this month, partly because of its recent problems in China. According to Counterpoint’s Pathak, India accounts for 16% of the global smartphone production, while China constitutes 70%.

☆ Explainer: What is driving the violence in eastern Congo?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Sonia Rolley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Djaffar SabitiGOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan. 31 (Reuters) - A focus of Pope Francis' visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo is a meeting on Wednesday with around 60 victims of the decades of violence in the east of the country who have made the cross-country journey to see him. Millions have been killed, and millions more have been displaced by the violence in the east since the 1990s. WHAT IS DRIVING THE VIOLENCE IN EASTERN CONGOThe conflict in Congo goes back decades, making it difficult to isolate a few causes, said Jason Stearns, director of the Congo Research Group. The name refers to the March 23 date of a 2009 accord that ended a previous Tutsi-led revolt in eastern Congo. Rwanda has accused Congo of using the FDLR a proxy, while Congo has accuse Rwanda of backing the M23.

☆ Wall Street says Europe's a better bet than the U.S. right now — and names its top stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

European stocks are are having a good year so far. While the underperformance has been marginal, the outlook for U.S. stocks is decidedly more muted — Wall Street is still wary of a recession. European stocks are therefore worth a look in the near term, according to Bernstein, which expects more upside for them. Stock picks One of Bernstein's top plays is low leverage stocks, which the bank defines as stocks with a low net debt to equity ratio. Bank of America has a number of European picks with exposure to higher Chinese consumer spending and improving overall demand in light of China's reopening.

☆ Canada says Cameroon warring parties agree to enter peace process
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

YAOUNDE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - The government of Cameroon and some separatist factions in the English-speaking regions of the country have agreed to enter into a process aimed at resolving a conflict that has killed over 6,000 people, Canada's foreign ministry said. "Canada welcomes the agreement by the parties to enter a process to reach a comprehensive, peaceful and political resolution of the conflict," foreign minister Mélanie Joly, said in a statement on Friday. The statement said Canada had accepted a mandate to facilitate the process and the parties have agreed to form technical committees to begin work on confidence-building measures. The parties further express the hope that other groups will join the process," the statement said. Spokespersons for the separatist factions could not be reached for comments.

☆ Market environment was one of the worst imaginable in 2022, insurer Allianz says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The chief executive of Allianz on Tuesday said that the German insurer proved to be "very resilient" through what he described as one of the worst market environments imaginable in 2022. Bäte said that 2022 saw Allianz post record customer satisfaction levels and claimed its employee satisfaction was "beating almost every company in the world." Asked how difficult it is for the company to invest, Bäte replied, "2022 was one of the worst, in terms of environment, that you can imagine. "We are now benefitting tremendously from rates rising in the insurance business … but it has not been priced yet. It is recently that people have come to understand that the higher rates are really, really good for us as a life insurer," Bäte said.

☆ Allianz CEO says company ‘benefitting tremendously’ from rising rates in the insurance business
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAllianz CEO says company ‘benefitting tremendously’ from rising rates in the insurance businessOliver Bäte, CEO of insurance and asset management giant Allianz, reflects on what he describes as one of the worst imaginable market environments last year, but says the company is “benefitting tremendously” from rising rates in the insurance business.

☆ Stars flock to Dakar for All-Africa Music Awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DAKAR, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Musical heavyweights gathered in Dakar, Senegal on Sunday for the eighth All-Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) that aim to celebrate and promote the continent's best veteran and cutting-edge musicians. Globally recognised stars including Senegalese maestro Youssou Ndour, and Nigerian artists P-Square and Tiwa Savage are among those set to perform during the main awards ceremony at the 15,000-seat Dakar stadium. Companies are cashing in on rising global interest in African music. Last June, Universal Music Group (UMG.AS) launched a label for independent African labels and artists, while music streaming platforms, including Spotify (SPOT.N), have sought to expand their offerings by African artists. Reporting by Bate Felix and Ngouda Dione Writing by Alessandra Prentice Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

OUIDAH, Benin, Jan 11 (Reuters) - On Benin's national voodoo holiday, performers dressed as guardians of the night swirled in costumes resembling technicolour haystacks, delighting worshippers and tourists alike. [1/7] Devotees perform as they take part in the annual celebration of Voodoo festival in Cotonou, Benin January 10, 2023. REUTERS/ Charles Placide Tossou 1 2 3 4 5"For them, there is a lot of interest in discovering the roots of our ancestors, the African roots," she said. Only around 350,000 tourists visited Benin in 2020, although numbers have been rising steadily since 292,000 visited in 2016, according to the most recent annual data from the World Tourism Organization. French tourist Elodie Wine, 23, said seeing the group dances and fantastical costumes of the Ouidah festival was likely to be the highlight of her trip to Benin.

☆ Ten killed after Burkina Faso bus hits landmine on Christmas Day
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DAKAR, Dec 26 (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed and five others injured when a passenger bus triggered a landmine in eastern Burkina Faso on Christmas Day, the government said in a statement on Monday. The bus was travelling from the market town of Fada N'Gourma around 220 km (136 miles) from the capital Ouagadougou, to the border town of Kantchari near neighbouring Niger. The insurgents control swathes of territory in Burkina Faso. Since 2015 they have carried out raids and blockades of several towns in the north and eastern regions of the country, killing more than 2,000 people and displacing nearly 2 million. Reporting by Thiam Ndiaga; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Hugh Lawson and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Burkina Faso summons Ghanaian ambassador over Wagner allegations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OUAGADOUGOU, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Burkina Faso summoned the Ghanaian ambassador on Friday morning for "explanations" after Ghana's president alleged that Burkina Faso had hired the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Burkina Faso's foreign ministry said. Burkina Faso has now entered into an arrangement to go along with Mali in employing the Wagner forces there," Akufo-Addo said, adding that it was a distressing development for Ghana. Akufo-Addo also alleged that Burkina Faso had offered Wagner a mine as payment. In a statement issued after the meeting with the ambassador, Burkina Faso's foreign ministry said it had "expressed disapproval" about the statements made by the Ghanaian president. Burkina Faso also recalled its ambassador from Ghana for a meeting, the spokesperson said.

The cedi has lost more than 50% of its value this year , pushing up the cost of Ghana's external debt. Interest payments alone absorb between 70 and 100% of the government's revenuesHOW BIG IS GHANA'S DEBT? Ghana's public debt was 467.4 billion cedis ($37.4 billion) in September, of which 42% was domestic debt, according to the most recent central bank figures released last month. Ghana's debt-to-GDPWHO OWNS GHANA'S DEBT? The fund is yet to comment on Ghana's debt sustainability or domestic bond exchange plans.

ACCRA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Ghana are expected to reach a staff-level agreement on a loan deal by Tuesday at the latest, said three sources with knowledge of the ongoing talks. Two sources said that the IMF program was expected to be an extended credit facility, which provides financial assistance to countries. One of those sources and a third source said that major hurdles in the negotiations were overcome this week which sped up the process. Ghana turned to the IMF for help in July, and an IMF team is currently in the country until Tuesday. The cocoa, gold, and oil-producing West African nation has said it needs the deal by the end of the year.

☆ Energy crisis highlights need to broaden renewables' supply chain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Enel CEO Francesco Starace speaks during the Reuters NEXT Newsmaker event in New York City, New York, U.S., December 1, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidNEW YORK, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The global energy crisis sparked by war in Ukraine has underscored how parts of the renewables supply chain might face similar struggles if not quickly diversified, energy executives told the Reuters NEXT conference this week. "Out of this crisis, you learn that there are many other things that might follow this same pattern," said Francesco Starace, CEO of Italy's Enel (ENEI.MI), speaking at the conference on Thursday in New York. Starace noted how solar panels are produced overwhelmingly in China, saying that, and the manufacture of other energy components critical to transitioning from fossil fuels, are potential problem areas. South Africa, the most industrialized country in Africa, will need to add more than 50,000 megawatts (MW) of new power generation capacity to help meet demand and stabilize its grid, Brian Dames, chief executive officer of African Rainbow Energy & Power, said at a Reuters NEXT panel on Wednesday.

☆ More finance needed for Africa's energy transition opportunities
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Bate Felix | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DAKAR, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Africa's transition to cleaner fuels and power generation presents investors with opportunities across the value chain, but more direct financing is needed on projects, the head of a South African independent power producer, said on Thursday. The South African government has unveiled a five-year $84 billion transition plan to cut carbon emissions and harness other economic opportunities from the energy transition. "We want to build an African energy champion based on clean energy. POOL OF CAPITALHowever, a key question that remains to be answered on African's energy transition and its capacity to adapt to the impact of climate change, is that of finance. Anibor Kragha, executive secretary of the African Refiners and Distributors Association, acknowledged that projects on the continent were struggling to tap available finance for energy transition.

Presenting the West African nation's 2023 budget in parliament, Ofori-Atta said Ghana was at high risk of debt distress and has agreed on a debt management strategy with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Investment bank Morgan Stanley said on Thursday that it expected Ghana to restructure both its domestic and external debt. "The current debt sustainability analysis conducted reveals that Ghana is now considered to be in high risk of debt distress," Ofori-Atta told lawmakers. Ghana will implement a debt exchange programme to address the challenges, he added. Despite the projected increase in revenue, Ofori-Atta said the fiscal budget would increase to 7.7% of GDP from 6.6% over the coming year.

☆ South African retailer Shoprite to close Congo operations
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KINSHASA, Nov 22 (Reuters) - South African retailer Shoprite (SHPJ.J) has decided to shut its shops in Democratic Republic of Congo, a company statement seen by Reuters on Tuesday showed. The decision follows the closure of operations in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Madagascar as the group aims to focus more on its business in South Africa, Shoprite said. "The decision to close operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo during this period is regrettable but is part of the group's long-term strategy," its statement dated Nov. 21 said. South Africa's biggest retailer by market capitalisation launched in Congo in 2012 during a period of aggressive expansion push into African's frontier retail markets. Shoprite's three shops in Congo were among its 2,800 stores across 15 countries in Africa.

☆ World's longest-standing president seeks to extend 43-year rule
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DAKAR, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Equatorial Guinea votes on Sunday in a general election in which President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the world's longest-standing president, is expected to extend his 43-year rule at the helm of the tiny oil-producing West African nation. Voters will also cast ballots to elect 100 members of parliament for the lower house, 55 of the country's 70 senators, and local mayors. "The presidential election is completely devoid of suspense," said Maja Bovcon, a senior Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft. "The closure of the borders and the harassment and arrests of opposition supporters have been paving the way for the extension of Obiang's 43-year rule," she said. Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by Cooper Inveen and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Congo expels Reuters reporter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DAKAR, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo expelled a French journalist working for Reuters after her application for journalistic accreditation was not approved. Sonia Rolley applied in September for accreditation to take up an assignment coordinating Reuters news coverage in Congo. At 5:25 pm on Tuesday, a government official sent a WhatsApp message to another journalist working for Reuters saying, "Are you aware of the expulsion of Sonia by the services? "We are offering Sonia Rolley assistance and urgently seeking information from the Congolese authorities," Reuters said in a statement. "Reuters will continue to report from Congo in an independent and impartial way, as we do around the world."

☆ Analysis: Renewables shift lays bare Africa's energy dilemma
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Bate Felix | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Besides the 678-km West Africa gas pipeline completed in 2008, linking Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana, few regional oil and gas projects exist to take products where they are needed. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry has cautioned against long-term oil and gas infrastructure investment in Africa, urging countries to turn to renewables instead. "Africa's track record for gas projects in this regard is not encouraging," the IEA said, citing delays in TotalEnergies' Mozambique project and in the Senegal-Mauritania gas project. "Funding requirements for the oil and gas industry in Africa far exceeds the capacity of any one individual country in Africa. Previous plans for major regional projects such as large-scale refineries have been thwarted by rivalries, ending in countries constructing small refineries that eventually failed, the expert added.

☆ Air traffic controllers suspend strike in West and Central Africa
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Ngouda Dione | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DAKAR, Sept 24 (Reuters) - A 48-hour strike by air traffic controllers in West and Central Africa has been suspended, their union said on Saturday. The strike, which started on Friday, has disrupted flights across the region and left hundreds of passengers stranded at airports on Saturday. The Union of Air Traffic Controllers' Unions (USYCAA), which called the wildcat strike, said in a statement it decided to suspend its strike notice for 10 days immediately so as to allow for negotiations. The union said more than 700 air traffic controllers joined the strike to demand better working and pay conditions. The controllers work under the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) an 18-member state agency that manages air traffic over an area covering 16 million square km of airspace.

☆ Air traffic control strike disrupts flights across West Africa
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterDAKAR, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Dozens of flights were cancelled across West and Central Africa on Saturday as a strike by regional air traffic controllers entered a second day, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at airports. The 48-hour strike was called by a union representing workers of the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), which regulates air-traffic control in 18 countries. The air traffic controllers, who have threatened to prolong the strike if their demands are not met, are seeking better working and pay conditions. "In spite of the prohibition of the strike by all the courts ... the Union of Air Traffic Controllers' Unions (USYCAA) has launched a wildcat strike," ASECNA said on Friday. National carrier Camair-Co said on Friday it had cancelled all its flights due to the strike.

☆ Some West African air traffic controllers go on strike as union defies ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ASECNA had said on Thursday that some of its air traffic control staff had threatened a 48-hour strike that could impact flights. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"In spite of the prohibition of the strike by all the courts, and in spite of the orders of requisition of the air traffic controllers ... the Union of Air Traffic Controllers' Unions (USYCAA) has launched a wildcat strike," ASECNA said on Friday. Paul Francois Gomis, a leader of Senegalese air traffic controllers who were on strike, said that some union members in Cameroon, Congo and the Comoros had been arrested for participating in the strike. Gomis also said that Air Senegal had grounded several flights as a result of the action. On Thursday, a court in Senegal suspended the call to strike by air traffic controllers in Senegal and Ivory Coast, ASECNA said.

☆ VIDEO/ De la nord la sud. O călătorie prin toate „zonele politice” ale R. Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-09 | by ( Aliona Ciurca | ) www.zdg.md time to read: +15 min

Au stat câte 20 și ceva de ani deputați, Diacov a stat atâția ani, Voronin – de când e mâca și bunica a fost deputat. A făcut cât de cât, alții nu-s de acord, mă rog… Se împarte lumea, îs diferite păreri, dar în Orhei e frumos și e făcut bine. Tot de pe spinarea omului și a țăranului”. Într-adevăr, ne-au dus într-o eroare, că lumea a fost dezamăgită de toți… Mi-aș dori să fie mai bine decât cum a fost. De-atâta și toți pleacă.

Persons: ZdG, Renato Usatîi, Ilan Șor ., Edineț, cela, Totul, Diacov, Voronin, ., Sandu, Dodon . Organizations: DNA, Partidul Locations: Moldova, Nord, Bălți, Găgăuzia, Cahul, Chișinău, n.r ., Edineț, Sângerei, Europa, Telenești, Orhei, treucă, . Moldova, Ialoveni, Cimișlia, România, Comrat, URSS, Partidul Agrar, Congaz, Colibași

☆ Luptătorul irlandez Conor McGregor, mai motivat ca niciodată să-şi distrugă adversarul
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-08 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

Mega duelul dintre Conor McGregor și Dustin Poirier stă să-nceapă. Luptătorul irlandez, fost campion al categoriilor de greutate ușoară și semiușoară, este mai motivat ca niciodată să-și distrugă adversarul în ceea ce va fi "cireașa de pe tort" a turneului UFC 264 din Las Vegas. Asta e. O să-l ucid", a declarat McGregor.Poirier, care a deținut și el centura în categoria ușoară, nu se lasă intimidat de declarațiile tari ale adversarului:"E o luptă, o bătaie adevărată. "Va fi a treia luptă dintre McGregor și Poirier. "E o luptă perfectă.

Persons: McGregor, Dustin Poirier, irlandezul, Conor McGregor Organizations: Mega Locations: Las Vegas, Conor

☆ Furtuna tropicală Elsa face ravagii în Georgia şi Florida. Un om a murit, iar câţiva au fost răniţi
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-08 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: 1 min

Furtuna tropicală Elsa face ravagii în statele americane Georgia şi Florida. Un om a murit, iar câţiva au fost răniţi. În Florida, furtuna a lăsat fără curent electric în jur de 18 mii de localnicii.Autorităţile din cele două state au rugat oamenii să evite ieşirile din casă fără strictă necesitate. Potrivit meteorologilor, furtuna se îndreaptă spre Carolina de Sud şi Carolina de Nord și va ajunge în Oceanul Atlantic. Înainte de a ajunge în SUA, furtuna Elsa a ucis trei oameni în Cuba.

Persons: Elsa Locations: americane Georgia, Florida, Carolina de Sud, Carolina de Nord, Atlantic, SUA, Cuba

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