Sofonie Dala - Young Talents from Africa : 02/20/23

Monday 20 February 2023

UN Gives $250m For ‘Forgotten Crises’ In Africa

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the largest-ever allocation from its Central Emergency Fund. He was speaking on the sidelines of the AU summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Mr Guterres said the $250m (£208m) would be spent on what he described as “the world’s forgotten crises” including famine in Africa.
This might sound like a lot of money but earlier this month the UN said it needed $2.6bn just to help the population of Somalia which is enduring its worst drought in four decades.

The food crisis is one of the main topics on the agenda of African leaders at the summit.
The others are a continent-wide free trade deal and Africa’s many conflicts. It appears that none of these issues will be solved anytime soon.

Source: BBC

Amazon Asks Employees To Be In Office At Least Three Days A Week

Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) would require employees to be in office at least three days a week from May 1, the e-commerce giant said on Friday.

The COVID-19 pandemic had altered the workplace, with companies sending employees home to work remotely. Even as lockdowns eased around the world, a large population of employees remains remote or in a hybrid environment.

In a message that was posted on Amazon’s blog, chief executive Andy Jassy wrote the decision was taken at a meeting earlier this week and the move would make it easier to learn and collaborate.

“This shift will provide a boost for the thousands of businesses located around our urban headquarter locations in the Puget Sound, Virginia, Nashville, and the dozens of cities around the world where our employees go to the office,” Jassy wrote.

The company added there would be some exceptions to the rule – customer support roles and salespeople would have the option of working remotely.

Amazon had said in October 2021 it would let individual teams decide how many days corporate employees would be expected to work from office in a week.

Source: Reuters

Africa Left In Lurch By Global Finance – UN Chief

The global financial system is “dysfunctional and unfair” and is “failing developing countries”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said at the opening of the annual African Union leaders’ summit.

In a stinging rebuke he said that countries are being “left in the lurch” as they are denied debt relief and being charged “extortionate interest rates”, he told his audience in Ethiopia.

“As a result, vital systems are starved of investment.”
He called for a total rethink of the “global financial architecture” that made decisions that reflected the “needs of developing countries”.
Mr Guterres also said he was deeply concerned about a rise in violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In addition, he talked about climate change and the war in Ukraine, saying Africa was suffering the effects of crises it had not created.
Also speaking at the start of the summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had a similar message.

“Nearly all of us want to put our economies back on a growth trajectory but this will not happen without sufficient restructuring to make our external debt sustainable,” the Reuters news agency quotes him as saying.

Source: BBC

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says Putin will target other ex-Soviet states

‘It’s obvious that Ukraine is not going to be his last stop,’ the president tells world leaders meeting in Germany.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says it is “obvious” that Ukraine would not be the last stop on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion and it is vital that the West not delay deliveries of weapons to help repel Russia’s forces.

The Ukrainian leader told the Munich Security Conference by video link on Friday that while the West was negotiating supplies of tanks for Kyiv, the Kremlin was thinking of ways to “strangle” the former Soviet republic of Moldova just west of Ukraine.

“It’s obvious that Ukraine is not going to be his last stop,” Zelenskyy said. “He’s going to continue his movement all the way, … including all the other states that at some point in time were part of the Soviet bloc.”

Moldova, which is sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania, has often been at the centre of a struggle between Moscow and the West. Tensions in Moldova have risen periodically, especially because of a Kremlin-backed breakaway region on its eastern border where Russia has stationed about 1,500 troops.

On Monday, Moldova’s president, Maia Sandu, said Moscow was plotting to overthrow her government and install an illegitimate one that “would put our country at the disposal of Russia in order to stop the European integration process”.

She accused Russia of trying to use Moldova in the war against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said last week that his country had intercepted plans by Russian security services to destroy Moldova, claims that were later confirmed by Moldovan intelligence officials.

There was no immediate reaction from Moscow, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said this month that the West was considering turning Moldova into “another Ukraine”.

On Friday, Zelenskyy also urged the West to maintain speedy weapons deliveries to his country.

“Delay has always been and still is a mistake,” Zelenskyy said as he called on his allies to “hurry up”.

He made his opening remarks in English as he addressed the security conference, an annual gathering of leading politicians, military officers, security officials and diplomats, a week before Ukraine marks the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Despite his warnings, Zelenskyy also said he did not think Russia could win.

He likened Ukraine to David and Russia to Goliath in the biblical tale in which the underdog David, armed only with a sling, defeats a giant in combat. Zelenskyy said David won against Goliath by action rather than conversation and Goliath “has no chances”.

“We need the speed – speed of our agreements, speed of our delivery to strengthen our sling, speed of decisions to limit Russian potential,” Zelenskyy said.

French President Emmanuel Macron later urged Kyiv’s allies to “intensify” their backing for Ukraine’s counteroffensive as the West warns of a new Russian offensive to coincide with the war anniversary on February 24.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

South Africa: Ramaphosa Thanks Deputy for ‘Unwavering Support’

President Cyril Ramaphosa has given his clearest indication yet that his deputy David Mabuza is on the way out, following weeks of speculation as to when Mabuza might step down from his job.

During his reply to the parliamentary debate on his State of the Nation Address (SONA), Ramaphosa thanked Mabuza for his service, praising him for having been a worthy running mate over the last five years. “As I conclude I wish to extend my appreciation to Deputy President David Dabede Mabuza who has given me unwavering support over the last five years.

He has ably led the South African National Aids Council and has extensive engagements with military veterans and traditional leaders. Deputy President David Mabuza has indicated his wish to step down from his position.” Ramaphosa is expected to announce a cabinet reshuffle soon.

By Melody Chironda

High Intake Of Processed Meat Could Expose Men To Prostate Cancer — Medical Officer

Research has linked high consumption of red meat and processed meat to increased risk of prostate cancer and prostate cancer mortality, Dr. Mrs. Anita Owusu-Afriyie, a Medical Officer, Oncology Unit, International Maritime Hospital (IMaH), has stated.

Dr. Mrs. Owusu-Afriyie has, therefore, cautioned people, especially men, to avoid eating too much meat, which is a risk factor to developing prostate cancer.
She explained that global studies suggested that eating red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb as well as processed meat, such as sausage, hot dogs, bacon, ham, and luncheon increased the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Dr. Mrs. Owusu-Afriyie gave the caution at the maiden “Your Health! Our Concern! a Ghana News Agency initiative that seeks to provide health information to influence personal health choices by improving health literacy.
“Your Health! Our Concern! is a public health advocacy platform initiated by the Ghana News Agency to explore the parameters of the four approaches to health communication: informative, educating, persuasive, and prompting.

Dr. Mrs. Owusu-Afriyie added that high-temperature cooking methods such as grilling and barbequing may produce heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which are known carcinogens –a substance that causes cancer.

She explained that red meat which was associated with an increased risk of developing prostate cancer may be due to heterocyclic amines contained in it and advised men to reduce the high intake.
She noted that “reducing your intake of saturated fats may benefit your prostate and your overall health”.

Dr. Mrs. Owusu-Afriyie encouraged people especially men to consume more fruits and vegetables which are a great source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.
She also encouraged the consumption of fish and plants instead of meat, suggesting that fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herrings contained omega 3, which could lower the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Dr. Mrs. Owusu-Afriyie urged all men to go for regular prostate cancer screening or tests every year to know their status.
She advised men from families with prostate issues to go for screening every three months as a preventive factor.

Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Tema Regional Manager, Ghana News Agency, said information was key in guiding citizens about issues of health, saying the “Your Health! Our Concern” platform would help provide information to influence personal health choices and literacy.

“We must all be concerned about the health of some other person to develop a healthy society,” he said.

Source: GNA

COVID, Russia-Ukraine War: We Have Been Left To Fend For Ourselves – Akufo-Addo Laments

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has lamented the neglect of Africa in the global geopolitical and economic space.

He cited the case of COVID-19 vaccines and the Russia-Ukraine war to buttress his point that when global disruptions kick in, Africa more often than not suffers the brunt.

“We see that from the latest crisis that has overcome humanity, thus COVID-19 and also the war between Russia and Ukraine, we [Ghana] have been left to fend for ourselves.
“Even access to vaccines during the pandemic became a major problem for the African continent, and we have seen it again with the war in Eastern Europe,” he stressed.

Akufo-Addo was speaking over the weekend at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
He was on the same panel as Bill Gates and IMF boss, Kristalina Georgieva and others.

The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva for her part underscored that the Ghanaian economy was in good shape till COVID-19 struck, followed by the Russia-Ukraine war.
“We recognize that we are in a world in which exogenous shocks more often than before, hit innocent bystanders. Ghana has been working toward good policies for quite some time and then COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war hit and that significantly undermined Ghana.”

Ghana is currently engaging the Fund for a $3 billion loan facility to complement its economic mix which was worsened by the two events even though the opposition blames the mismanagement of the economy for the downturn.

Source: ghanaweb.com

Dozens killed as deadly storms hit Brazilian coast

Authorities in the Brazilian state of São Paulo say at least 36 people have been killed in heavy flooding and landslides, forcing some cities to cancel annual Carnival celebrations. picture showed neighbourhoods under water, flooded motorways and debris left after houses were swept away.

Rescue teams have been struggling to reach survivors and unblock roads. More than 600mm (23.6 inches) of rain fell in some areas on Sunday, twice the expected amount for the month.

“Search and rescue teams are not managing to get to several places; it is a chaotic situation,” said Felipe Augusto, the mayor of the hard-hit town of São Sebastião. “We have not yet gauged the scale of the damage. We are trying to rescue the victims.”

Dozens were missing in the town and about 50 houses had collapsed and washed away, Mr Augusto added, saying that the situation remained “extremely critical”.

The state government reported at least 35 deaths in São Sebastião and the mayor of Ubatuba, some 80km (50 miles) north-east, said a young girl had been killed. Hundreds have been displaced and evacuated.

“Unfortunately, we are going to have many more deaths,” a civil defence official told newspaper Folha de São Paulo.

Meanwhile, officials say another 228 people have been left homeless, with 338 more evacuated from coastal regions north of São Paulo.

A 180-day state of calamity was declared in six towns in the state: São Sebastião, Caraguatatuba, Ilhabela, Ubatuba, Guarujá and Bertioga.

State Governor Tarcísio de Freitas said he had released the equivalent of $1.5m (£1.2m) in funding to aid in disaster relief.

Carnival events were cancelled across the northern coastline, which is a popular destination for wealthy tourists looking to avoid huge streetside festivities in the big cities.

The festival usually lasts for five days in the run-up to the Christian festival of Lent and the colourful celebrations are synonymous with Brazil.

Latin America’s largest port in Santos was also shut as wind speeds exceeded 55km/h (34mph) and waves rose to over a metre, local media reported.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was spending the carnival weekend in the north-eastern state of Bahia, said he would visit the affected areas on Monday.

In a post on Twitter, he sent his condolences to those who had lost loved ones and promised to bring authorities together to provide healthcare and rescue teams.

“We are going to bring together all levels of government and, with the solidarity of society, treat the wounded, look for the missing, restore highways, power connections and telecommunications in the region,” Mr da Silva wrote.

More heavy rain is expected in the area, threatening to make conditions even worse for emergency teams.

Extreme weather events such as the floods are expected to become more common as the impacts of climate change took hold.

Last year, torrential rain in the south-eastern city of Petropolis killed more than 230 people.

Source: BBC

China provinces top list of regions at risk from climate change

Jiangsu, Shandong and Hebei ranked among the areas most vulnerable to rising water levels and extreme weather.

China is home to more than three-quarters of the regions most at risk from climate change, with some of the world’s most important manufacturing centres threatened by extreme weather, according to a new report.

China’s eastern Jiangsu province ranks as the world’s most climate-vulnerable region, followed by Shandong, Hebei and Henan, according to the report released on Monday by climate risk specialists XDI.

In total, China is home to 16 of the world’s 20 most at-risk regions, according to XDI.

“We’re already feeling the significant impacts of weather events around the world, and they will only increase,” XDI Chief Executive Rohan Hamden told reporters.

“Finally, we just want to make sure that every investment decision is made in a climate-resilient way.”

After China, the United States is home to the most at-risk areas, according to XDI.

Florida, which is ranked 10th globally, is the US state most under threat, followed by California and Texas.

Nine areas of India also made the top 50 at-risk regions. Other major economic centres in the top 100 include Argentina’s Buenos Aires, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, and Indonesia’s Jakarta.

In Europe, Germany’s Lower Saxony region is deemed the most vulnerable to climate change. Italy’s Veneto region, which contains the city of Venice, is ranked the fourth most at-risk region in Europe.

XDI’s analysis assessed 2,600 territories globally, modelling damage from 1990 to 2050 based on the “pessimistic” scenario of a 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) rise in global temperatures by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Researchers said the findings highlight the massive potential economic fallout from climate change and the need for governments to ramp up efforts to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to extreme weather events.

“Folks who are looking to build a factory, establish a supply chain that involves those states and provinces are going to think twice about where they are,” said Karl Mallon, XDI’s head of science and innovation.

Investors may apply “risk pricing” to vulnerable regions or “try and find safer havens”, Mallon said.

“There is a lot to be done to work out which areas in the world are potentially adaptable and defendable, and which are probably the areas we will see abandoned in due course,” he said.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

Former President Mugabe’s Son Arrested – Report

A son of Zimbabwe’s former President Robert Mugabe is being held by police in the capital, Harare, on allegations of being involved in the destruction of cars during a party over the weekend, the government-owned Herald newspaper reports.

Robert Mugabe Junior is likely to be charged with malicious damage to property, the newspaper adds.
He and his lawyers have not yet commented and there is no independent confirmation of the report.
He is the late Mr Mugabe’s second child with his surviving widow, Grace.

Source: BBC

Kenyan women claim sex abuse in British-owned tea farms

More than 70 women working on two British-owned tea plantations in Kenya have told the BBC they were forced to have sex by their managers to retain their jobs.

Undercover filming by the BBC caught local bosses pressuring a female worker for sex. The two firms, Unilever and James Finlay and Co, say these managers have now been suspended.

Unilever sold its tea operation in Kenya while the BBC was filming. The new owner said it had launched a full, independent investigation.

One of Britain’s biggest supermarket chains, Sainsbury’s, called the allegations “horrific” and said they had no place in its supply chain.

Source: BBC

China provinces top list of regions at risk from climate change

Jiangsu, Shandong and Hebei ranked among the areas most vulnerable to rising water levels and extreme weather.