Russia hits Africa, Asia and Middle East hard with decision to defer Ukrainian grain exports
The suspension marks the end of an accord that the UN and Turkey brokered last summer to allow food to leave the Black Sea region after Russia’s invasion of its neighbour worsened a global food crisis. The initiative is credited with helping lower soaring prices of wheat, vegetable oil and other food commodities.
Arab-Africa trade agency launches $1.5 billion food security programme in Egypt
The executive committee of the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Programme, a multi-donor, Inter-regional programme has launched a $1.5 billion food security programme to address the issues of food insecurity in the Arab and African regions amidst the ongoing global food security crisis. The crisis is a critical challenge facing the...
After years of abuse Kenyan tech workers take on Big Tech to champion rights for fellow Africans
In Nairobi, a regional tech hub, outsourcing companies bring talent from numerous African countries to moderate work in different African languages. They include Sama, a San Francisco-headquartered company, which has contracted workers for Facebook and ChatGPT. Majorel, headquartered in Luxembourg, hires labour for Facebook and TikTok.
Russia halts landmark UN-brokered deal, says no link after Crimea bridge attack by Ukraine
To convince Russia to agree to the Black Sea deal, a three-year deal was also struck in July 2022 under which UN officials agreed to help Russia get its food and fertiliser exports to foreign markets. While Russian exports of food and fertilizer are not subject to Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion, Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have amounted to a barrier to shipments.
The Art of Kissing: Vatican’s next doctrinal guardian defends book on healing powers of lips
An article published earlier this month on Catholic news agency Zenit said that “everyone is talking about Monsignor Víctor Manuel Fernández … and above all about his kisses.” Criticism of the archbishop, whose appointment was seen by some as an attempt to break with the past, has come from conservative religious figures in the United States.
Proximal Origin: The goal of this paper ‘was not to discover origin of Covid, but to supress the lab leak theory’
Throughout the process, the report states, “the authors of Proximal Origin were keenly aware of the influence of Dr Fauci, Dr Collins and Dr Farrar,” with drafts of the paper shared with the three officials – sometimes referred to in emails as the “Bethesda Boys” – on several occasions in early February 2020.
Indeed, the report states that Farrar would “push” for the publication of “Proximal Origin” in Nature Medicine later in February 2020, while Andersen testified that Farrar was the “father figure” of the paper.
US House Committee Report finds top US health official and ‘Bethesda Boys’ colluded to suppress Covid lab-leak theory
According to the US House of Representatives Select Subcommittee report, the “Proximal Origin” paper was used to “downplay the lab-leak hypothesis” and label as “conspiracy theorists” anyone who suggested the virus may have leaked from a lab. The report indicated Fauci and Collins were personally involved in the conceptualisation, drafting and publication of the paper.
