Why superrich Britons beg to be taxed: ‘I see it as a problem if you’ve so much money that you no longer need a functioning society’
On both sides of the Atlantic, the Patriotic Millionaires are notable for being unusually public and unusually frank – US chair Morris Pearl, a former MD at investment firm BlackRock, has described how the Covid-19 pandemic made him personally wealthier, and how he doesn’t check his bank balance because he doesn’t need to.
How clothe makers pre-pollute unborn babies with toxic chemicals used to add better smell on textiles
The chemical cocktails in fragrances are often toxic as they are derived from petroleum and coal tar, and not made from the essential oils of flowers or sweet-smelling plants. As soon as you smell an air freshener, scented candle or laundry detergent, you have already absorbed the chemicals into your body as they enter through your lungs.
Biden administration comes under scrutiny as court in Missouri rules on US social media censorship
The Republican attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana filed the lawsuit last year, alleging that the Biden administration fostered a sprawling “federal censorship enterprise” that pressured social-media platforms to scrub away dissenting views, including criticism of mask mandates and objections to Covid-19 vaccination.
South Sudan unveils plans to start exporting refined petroleum to East Africa Community from August
Exporting refined petroleum to EAC would be milestone for South Sudan, who despite having the third-largest oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa, has suffered from limited refining capacity to date and imports the majority of its local refined oil demand.
How Florida-based tech-savvy young woman Marissa Kearny is matching Black-owned businesses with big stores in US
In 2018, Census Bureau data found about 3,115,000 Black-owned businesses had no employees, compared to 134,567 with employees. Yet, Black companies only make up about three per cent of all US businesses.
Why North Koreans are hoarding US dollars and Chinese yuan, but use local won to buy cheap items like vegetables and soda
North Koreans are likely resisting attempts by authorities to take their foreign currency given the low level of public trust in the government’s economic policies, said Choi Ji-young, an analyst at Seoul’s state-funded Korea Institute for National Unification.
Climate change fuels human-wildlife conflict in Kenya as Maasai herders spear lions that feasted on their livestock
Last month, one of Kenya’s oldest lions, Loonkiito, was speared to death as it wandered out of the Amboseli National Park in search for food. The Kenya Wildlife Service said it is working on lasting solutions that would address the conflict while protecting both humans and wildlife.
Oil prices rise after US debt ceiling deal, shifting attention to OPEC meeting in Austria this week
OPEC+ in April announced a surprise cut of 1.16 million barrels per day in April, but the gains from that move have since been retraced and prices are below pre-cut levels. But signals on any fresh cut have been varied, with Reuters reporting and bank analysts indicating that further output cuts are unlikely.
It’s a sigh of relief for President Biden as US debt ceiling bill passes House with broad bipartisan support
The legislation suspends – in essence, temporarily removes – the federal government’s borrowing limit through January 1, 2025. The timeline allows Biden and Congress to set aside the politically risky issue until after the November 2024 presidential election.
China’s teetering economic recovery unleashes hordes of hawkers on streets as low wages bite
For decades, street stalls and hawkers – common elsewhere in Asia – have been banned or tightly regulated in many Chinese cities, with authorities seeing them as unsightly. There are signs, however, that local governments are giving hawkers more leeway, a trend expected to continue.
