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☆ Russia, South Africa and a 'redesigned global order': The Kremlin's hearts and minds machine is steaming ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Pretoria as part of an African tour, his second since the invasion, which will also reportedly take him to Botswana, Angola and Eswatini. On Feb. 24 2022, shortly after the Ukraine invasion, South Africa urged Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine. South Africa was one of 15 African nations to abstain from the subsequent U.N. vote in March to condemn Russia's war of aggression. watch nowShe emphasized the multilateral responsibilities of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) bloc of leading emerging economies in a changing global landscape. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that "the United States has concerns about any country … exercising with Russia as Russia wages a brutal war against Ukraine."

☆ South Africa energy blackouts: Ramaphosa skips Davos to tackle crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

London CNN —South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was forced this week to cancel a trip to Davos by an escalating energy crisis that is inflicting rolling blackouts on the continent’s most developed economy. At peak times, demand in South Africa averages between 28,000 MW and 34,000 MW. Electricity theft, including by impoverished townships in South Africa, and non-payment by municipal customers have made matters worse. Despite an abundance of sunshine and wind, South Africa still derives about 80% of its electricity from coal. South Africa’s National Energy Crisis Committee, a body run out of Ramaphosa’s office, has proposed several measures to ease the crisis in the short term, including importing energy from neighboring countries and buying excess energy from private producers.

☆ Chinese travelers say new restrictions are 'unfair' — but they're angry at some countries more than others
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

But it's not out of spite, said several Chinese travelers who spoke to CNBC. 'I think it's unfair'Reactions from Chinese travelers who spoke to CNBC were varied, ranging from indifference to confusion to anger. Last week, the European Union recommended that its members require Chinese travelers to take Covid tests before entering. Rein said Chinese travelers are now headed to Singapore and Thailand because "both countries are welcoming us." Of the top destinations Chinese nationals searched after the border reopening announcement, those are the only two that haven't imposed new restrictions on incoming Chinese travelers.

☆ The CEO of an African energy giant was poisoned with cyanide slipped into his coffee, just days after he resigned
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The CEO of South Africa's biggest energy company, Eskom, was poisoned in December, the firm said. Numerous reports say CEO Andre De Ruyter had cyanide slipped into his coffee at the company's HQ. After drinking the coffee, De Ruyter became "weak, dizzy, and confused," EE Business Intelligence reported, citing an unnamed source. "This attempt on his life will be thoroughly investigated and those responsible must be charged," Pravin Gordhan, the government minister overseeing South Africa's energy sector told the Financial Times. Since taking over as CEO of Eskom, De Ruyter has attempted to crack down on corruption within South Africa's energy sector, EE Business Intelligence reported.

☆ The not-quite-redemption of South Africa's infamous ultra-marathon cheats
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Ryan Brown | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +35 min

"A runner can always recognize another runner," Eugene tells me. Ryan Brown for insiderIn those days, they didn't run for South Africa, but for QwaQwa – one of ten "homelands" established for Black South Africans. Tiny, non-contiguous territories – supposedly, the original territory of different Black South African ethnic groups – dotted across the country. It didn't turn out like that, but it didn't turn out like that for most Black South Africans either. As I sat speaking to Sergio, South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, was fighting for his political life after revelations that wads of cash, potentially ill-gotten, had been stolen from inside his sofa.

☆ A food fight is raging over what we can and can't call 'meat'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Morten Toft Bech, the founder of a startup that makes plant-based meat alternatives, brought the animals in protest. Meat lobbies argue that plant-based products have stolen the concept of meat without matching its taste and nutrition standards, tarnishing the integrity and cultural importance of meat. It tends to argue that plant-based meat alternatives shouldn't be allowed to use meaty terms at all because, put simply, they aren't meat. Meat bodies want startups to come up with new terms for plant-based food that imitates meat. Both meat organizations and plant-based companies told Insider they encouraged a healthy, balanced diet.

REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte/File PhotoDec 13 (Reuters) - For the energy industry, 2022 will be remembered as the year Russia's invasion of Ukraine accelerated a global energy crisis. The world's top energy companies beat a hasty retreat from Russia and wrote off tens of billions of dollars in assets. WHY IT MATTERSRussia's invasion of Ukraine caused European countries to re-evaluate their relationship with that nation, long the continent's primary supplier of natural gas. "We are seeing nothing less than the termination of a successful 50-year partnership on gas between Russia and Europe," said Michael Stoppard, special adviser and global gas analyst at S&P Global Commodity Insights. As the year comes to a close, costs for natural gas and heating fuel have ebbed as economic activity declines.

☆ ABB’s $327 Million Bribery Settlement Arrives in U.S. Court
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

The U.S. court hearing was part of a globally coordinated deal that extends to authorities in South Africa, Switzerland and Germany, with the apparent bulk of the fines being collected in South Africa. The settlement is the first that U.S. authorities have reached in coordination with authorities in that country. The Kusile Power Station, a coal-fired power plant in South Africa. Switzerland on Friday said it was issuing a fine of 4 million Swiss francs, equivalent to about $4.3 million dollars. The Justice Department said it anticipated a related settlement with German authorities, but didn’t indicate a time frame.

☆ Cyril Ramaphosa facing impeachment calls
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Johannesburg CNN —South African president Cyril Ramaphosa is facing calls to step down from opposition leaders and even senior figures in his ruling African National Congress party after an independent panel found there is initial evidence that he could have violated his oath of office. President Ramaphosa most likely did breach a number of Constitutional provisions and has a case to answer. The panel was appointed by the speaker of parliament after a motion from a smaller opposition party. The National Assembly will consider the report and may institute impeachment proceedings – though the ANC does hold a majority of seats. Ramaphosa took office after his predecessor Jacob Zuma was forced to resign because of multiple allegations of Corruption.

☆ Last of the ‘Super Tuskers’: Saving Kenya’s majestic megafauna
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Daryl Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He’s a conservation officer and pilot for Tsavo Trust, an organization dedicated to protecting the wildlife in the Tsavo Conservation Area (TCA) – in particular, the Super Tuskers. “The Tsavo ecosystem holds arguably the largest number of big tuskers in Africa,” says Kyalo. The magnificent "Super Tuskers" of Tsavo National Park are an increasingly rare sight. “There are approximately 25 individuals left in the world, most of which reside in the Tsavo Conservation Area. “A future where there are no ‘Big Tuskers’ in Tsavo is not worth thinking about,” Kyalo says.

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☆ Here's how 9 other central banks adjusted key rates after the Fed's 3rd straight jumbo increase
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Federal Reserve's 75-basis-point rate hike was only one of many central bank moves this week. The Bank of Japan kept its benchmark rate steady, while others raised interest rates. Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled that more interest rate hikes are likely to come. Norway: Its bank raised rates by 50 basis points, matching the UK's 2.25%. Its bank raised rates by 50 basis points, matching the UK's 2.25%.

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