HARARE POST NEWS UPDATES

HARARE POST NEWS UPDATES

2/18/2025, 10:09:41 AM

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaG07sTJENxyeTTfph1G *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* *18 February 2025* *NEWS HEADLINES* *Holiday Inn owner IHG buys Ruby Hotels as profits rise* *Death of South Korean actor sparks calls for change to how celebrities are treated online* *Trump ‘wants 50% cut’ of Ukraine’s mineral riches in return for peace* *NEWS IN DETAIL* *Holiday Inn owner IHG buys Ruby Hotels as profits rise* Holiday Inn owner InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has snapped up another hotel brand as it reported stronger profits. The FTSE 100 firm said it has acquired Ruby Hotels for an initial 110.5 million euros (£87.6 million). The business was founded in 2013 and currently has 20 hotels, including three in the UK – in London. IHG said the business has a pipeline for 10 further planned hotels and it intends to grow the brand “substantially further”, with plans to expand into the US. It will become the group’s 20th brand after it has expanded through a series of takeover deals. This acquisition demonstrates our focus on building our presence in large, attractive industry segments and using our experience of integrating and growing brands and hotel portfolios IHG chief executive Elie Maalouf said: “This acquisition demonstrates our focus on building our presence in large, attractive industry segments and using our experience of integrating and growing brands and hotel portfolios. “The urban micro space is a franchise-friendly model with attractive owner economics and we see excellent opportunities to not only expand Ruby’s strong European base but also rapidly take this exciting brand to the Americas and across Asia, as we have successfully done with previous brand acquisitions.” It came as IHG revealed that operating profits grew by 10% to 1.12 billion US dollars (£890 million) in 2024, as it benefited from more hotel openings. IHG, which has 355 UK hotels, reported that revenues increased by 7% to 2.31 billion dollars (£1.83 billion) for the year. Meanwhile, the firm’s key sales metric, global revenue per available room, rose by 3%, with this accelerating to 4.6% in the final quarter of the year. The company said it was boosted by the opening of 371 hotels over the year, taking its estate to a total of 6,629 hotels. It added that it continues to make progress with Holiday Inn Express, its largest single brand, which has more than 3,200 hotels, with a planned pipeline of more than 600 extra sites. _LBC_ *Death of South Korean actor sparks calls for change to how celebrities are treated online* The death of South Korean actor Kim Sae-ron at 24 has sparked widespread mourning and ignited a debate about the intense public scrutiny faced by celebrities in the country, particularly online. Kim, a celebrated child actor known for her role in the 2010 film "The Man from Nowhere," was found dead in her Seoul home on Sunday by a friend. Police have ruled out foul play and confirmed that Kim left no note. Kim's death follows a period of professional difficulty after a 2022 drunk driving incident, for which she received a court fine. The incident led to a relentless wave of online negativity and media criticism, exacerbating her struggles to secure acting roles. South Korea's online environment is known for its harsh treatment of celebrities, especially women, who deviate from perceived norms. Kim was frequently targeted by news outlets that amplified public sentiment, facing criticism for socialising with friends, expressing frustration over her lack of work, and even for smiling during the filming of an independent movie last year. Her death has now prompted calls for greater sensitivity and a reassessment of the pressures faced by public figures in South Korea's unforgiving media landscape. Following Kim’s death, several of the country’s major newspapers on Tuesday published editorials and opinion pieces lambasting the toxic online comments about the actor. Some invoked the 2019 deaths of K-Pop singers Seol-li and Goo Hara and the 2023 death of “Squid Games” actor Lee Sun-kyun while calling for a change in the “harsh, zero-tolerance” culture toward celebrities. The Hankook Ilbo newspaper said the country's media outlets were part of the problem, lamenting that some outlets continued to exploit Kim for clicks even after her death, using provocative headlines that highlighted her past struggles. The watchdog Citizens’ Coalition for Democratic Media on Tuesday criticised news organisations for blaming social media without considering their own “sensational and provocative reporting." Born in 2000, Kim began her acting career at age 9, with the 2009 film “A Brand New Life,” portraying a girl’s struggles to adjust to a new life after being left at an orphanage by her father. She rose to stardom with “The Man from Nowhere,” which was one of the biggest hits in the South Korean movie scene that year and won her a domestic acting award. She starred in various movies and TV shows before the 2022 drunk driving incident. Gold Medalist, Kim's former management agency, did not immediately answer calls for comment. _independent.co.uk_ *Trump ‘wants 50% cut’ of Ukraine’s mineral riches in return for peace* US president Donald Trump wants half the revenue from Ukraine’s minerals and veto rights over licencing in return for providing security guarantees in the event of a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv, according to a report of leaked documents. Trump previously said he wants Ukraine to pay for financial and military support by affording Washington access to the country’s vast but untapped rare earth minerals. However, new documents show a deal between the two countries could expand US access to Ukraine’s ports, infrastructure, oil and gas. President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to do a deal with Trump that includes US involvement in developing Ukraine's huge deposits of rare earths and other critical minerals. The Kremlin jumped on the comments, saying it demonstrated the US is no longer willing to provide free aid to Kyiv, before adding, that it was against Trump giving any help to Ukraine whatsoever. However, a new pre-decisional contract, obtained by The Telegraph, reportedly states that the US and Ukraine should form a joint investment fund to ensure that “hostile parties to the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine”. The “Privileged & Confidential” contract, dated 7 February, also reportedly covers the “economic value associated with resources of Ukraine”, including “mineral resources, oil and gas resources, ports, other infrastructure (as agreed)”. The proposed agreement means the US will take 50 per cent of recurring revenues received by Ukraine from extraction of resources and 50 per cent of the financial value of “all new licences issued to third parties” for the future monetisation of resources, according to The Telegraph. The contract, supposedly written by private lawyers rather than the US departments of state or commerce, further states: “For all future licences, the US will have a right of first refusal for the purchase of exportable minerals”. The joint investment fund, according to documents seen by The Telegraph, “shall have the exclusive right to establish the method, selection criteria, terms, and conditions” of all future licences and projects. Rare earths are a group of 17 metals used to make magnets that turn power into motion for electric vehicles, cell phones, missile systems, and other electronics. There are no viable substitutes. The US Geological Survey considers 50 minerals to be critical, including several types of rare earths, nickel and lithium. Ukraine has deposits of 22 of the 34 minerals identified by the European Union as critical, according to Economy Ministry data. This includes industrial and construction materials, ferroalloy, precious and non-ferrous metals, and some rare earth elements. Mr Zelensky recently said that Russia had occupied about half of Ukraine's rare earth deposits. Ukraine also has significant reserves of coal. However, most of these are also now under the control of Russia in occupied territory. Ukraine is also a key potential supplier of lithium, beryllium, manganese, gallium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite and nickel, according to the World Economic Forum. The war has caused widespread damage across Ukraine and Russia now controls around a fifth of its territory. The bulk of Ukraine’s coal deposits, which powered its steel industry before the war, are concentrated in the east and have been lost. About 40 per cent of Ukraine's metal resources are now under Russian occupation, according to estimates by Ukrainian think tanks We Build Ukraine and the National Institute of Strategic Studies, citing data up to the first half of 2024. Details of any deal will likely develop in meetings between US and Ukrainian officials. _independent.co.zw_

HARARE POST NEWS UPDATES

2/19/2025, 10:23:05 AM

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaG07sTJENxyeTTfph1G *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* *19 February 2025* *NEWS HEADLINES* *Odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 have reached new high* *United Nations judge forced woman to work as slave after tricking her to come to UK, court hears* *M23, Rwandan troops launch fresh attack on DR Congo* *NEWS IN DETAIL* *Odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 have reached new high* NASA has upgraded the risk of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 to 3.1 per cent, or about a 1-in-32 chance, the highest odds yet of collision. Astronomers discovered that the asteroid was barrelling towards Earth in December and it has been a focus of the world’s telescopes and space agencies ever since. As they gather more data on the asteroid’s precise orbit, astronomers have been able to calculate the likelihood of it hitting Earth with greater precision. The asteroid is thought to be between 40 and 90 metres wide and has the potential to release energy equivalent to 7.7 megatonnes of TNT should it hit Earth – enough to destroy a city. According to NASA, the odds of collision in 2032 have been edging up from a 1-in-83 chance since it was first spotted. It has since moved to 1-in-67, to 1-in-53, to 1-in-43, to 1-in-38 and now to 1-in-32. The European Space Agency has slightly different odds, currently giving the asteroid a 2.81 per cent chance of collision. This steady increase does not necessarily mean that the asteroid is actually more likely to hit Earth, however, and the odds may yet come down. “Just because it’s gone up in the last week, doesn’t mean that it’s going to continue to do that,” says Hugh Lewis at the University of Southampton, UK. But we are running out of time to forecast the asteroid’s risk. One issue is that 2024 YR4 will fly behind the sun in April, placing it out of the view of most Earth-based telescopes. That limits how much astronomers can refine their predictions, says Lewis. “Any observations we can make between now and when it’s out of view will obviously help us to refine the orbit and to make better predictions. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it will go down before April. It could continue to go up, but still ultimately miss us.” Once the asteroid does fly out of view, it is unlikely that we will gain any more information before it comes into view again in 2028. However, astronomers could comb through past data to uncover previously overlooked observations of the asteroid, which would help refine its trajectory. That process is already being undertaken by the world’s space agencies, says Lewis. If an asteroid were heading towards Earth, could you avert disaster? If an asteroid were heading towards Earth, could you avert disaster? From nuclear strikes to giant spikes, discover the systems in place to prevent a collision and test your decision-making to see if you could avoid a catastrophic impact Crucial information on the asteroid’s size and composition will hopefully be gathered by the James Webb Space Telescope in the coming months, says Lewis. This will help us understand whether the asteroid could make it through Earth’s atmosphere intact and how large an explosion it could cause if it does make impact. “That will help us determine what we need to do about it, because if it’s a stony asteroid, that’s very different from a high proportion of iron-metal asteroid,” says Lewis. An iron-rich asteroid would be worse, as a stony asteroid would potentially break up during impact. “The mass makes a huge difference in terms of the energy and whether or not the atmosphere has an effect on it.” _New Scientist_ *United Nations judge forced woman to work as slave after tricking her to come to UK, court hears* A United Nations criminal tribunal judge deceived a young woman into coming to the UK to work as her slave while she studied for a PhD in law at the University of Oxford, a court has heard. Lydia Mugambe told police officers the young Ugandan woman she allegedly tricked into coming to the UK was "excited about the pound". Mugambe took "advantage of her status" over the woman in the "most egregious way" while she studied for a PhD in law at the University of Oxford, prosecutors say. The 49-year-old, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, stopped her holding down steady employment and forced her to work as her maid and to provide childcare for free, it is alleged. On Tuesday, jurors at Oxford Crown Court were shown body-worn footage of police officers attending Mugambe's address in Oxfordshire on February 10 2023 after receiving reports that the woman was being held as a slave. The woman, who was found packing in a bedroom, told the officers that Mugambe would not let her leave the house until she paid her money for her travel to the UK, the court heard. She said that she had arrived in the country in July 2022 on a work visa and that she did not want to stay at Mugambe's house, jurors were told. Meanwhile, Mugambe was downstairs telling an officer that the woman was "acting funny" and that she wanted to do more work rather than providing childcare, the court heard. She also said that the woman did not owe her money, was not packing to leave, that she had a key to the property and was free to go. The defendant said she suspected the woman wanted to work for more money. In body-worn footage, she can be heard saying: "I think it's one of two things. She wants to work more. This is what happens exactly when they come, they get excited about the pound and then they want to work much more than the terms they came on, so that's what she wants." Mugambe could also be heard saying: "She doesn't want to go, who wants to go back to Africa when she can work? "For me, I'm a judge, I'm OK but if you didn't have much to do... she would want to stay." The woman said she had worked for Mugambe in Uganda before she was asked to travel to the UK, the court heard. In pre-recorded evidence she said that Mugambe had told her she could find employment outside of her childcare work, jurors were told. Mugambe is accused of engaging in "illegal folly" with Ugandan deputy high commissioner John Leonard Mugerwa in which they conspired to arrange for the young woman to come to the UK. The defendant is also alleged to have attempted to "intimidate" her alleged victim into dropping the case. She denies conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work and conspiracy to intimidate a witness. The trial continues. _LBC_ *Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs, Vatican says* Pope Francis has "bilateral pneumonia" and continues to receive medical care at a hospital in Rome, the Vatican announced on Tuesday. "Laboratory tests, chest X-ray, and the Holy Father's clinical condition continue to present a complex picture," the Vatican said on Tuesday. The pope has a "polymicrobial infection" that arose during a recent bout with bronchitis and complicates the pope's treatment, the Vatican added. The detection of pneumonia after chest x-rays requires "further drug therapy." The 88-year-old Pope is reported to be in "fair" condition, and is said to be eating breakfast, reading the newspapers and even doing some work from the hospital. Francis had part of one lung removed after a pulmonary infection as a young man, and is prone to bouts of bronchitis in winter. Given his condition, some Vatican events have been canceled. There will be no weekly general audience on Wednesday, and it's not clear if Francis will miss his Sunday noon blessing for a second week in a row. The Vatican press office stated that the Pope had, "received the Eucharist and, throughout the day, alternated between rest, prayer, and reading." _NPR_

HARARE POST NEWS UPDATES

2/11/2025, 9:47:56 AM

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaG07sTJENxyeTTfph1G *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* *11 February 2025* *NEWS HEADLINES* *Man who lost £600m Bitcoin fortune considers buying landfill site to search for it* *Elon Musk launches $97bn bid to buy ChatGPT-maker OpenAI* *SA’s military reinforces beleaguered DRC mission* *NEWS IN DETAIL* *Man who lost £600m Bitcoin fortune considers buying landfill site to search for it* A man who believes he accidentally lost a Bitcoin fortune in a council rubbish tip is exploring the possibility of buying the landfill site before it is shut. James Howells, from Newport in South Wales, claimed his ex-girlfriend mistakenly threw out a hard drive containing thousands of Bitcoins in 2013. According to the 39-year-old IT worker, they are worth more than £600m and he has been trying to recover them ever since. Now he is considering buying the site so he can hunt for the missing fortune himself, multiple outlets reported on Monday. Newport City Council is planning to close and cap the site in the 2025-26 financial year, which would almost certainly spell the end of any lingering hopes of recovering them. Mr Howells said in widely reported comments on Monday it had been "quite a surprise" to hear of the council's closure plan. Last month a judge dismissed a legal case he brought to force the council to allow him to search the landfill site, or award him £495m in compensation. He said the council had claimed in court that closing the landfill to allow him to search "would have a huge detrimental impact on the people of Newport, whilst at the same time they were planning to close the landfill anyway. "I expected it would be closed in the coming years because it's 80-90% full - but didn't expect its closure so soon. "If Newport City Council would be willing, I would potentially be interested in purchasing the landfill site 'as is' and have discussed this option with investment partners and it is something that is very much on the table." _Sky News_ *Elon Musk launches $97bn bid to buy ChatGPT-maker OpenAI* A group led by Elon Musk has made a $97.4bn (£78.7bn) bid to buy OpenAI just months after the X owner sued the artificial intelligence start-up. Mr Musk co-founded OpenAI with its current chief executive Sam Altman in 2015, but left before the company took off after it released ChatGPT in late 2022. Initially launched as a non-profit, OpenAI is currently transitioning to a for-profit model - which it says it needs to do so it can afford to develop the best AI models. Mr Musk disagrees with the move and said in a press release about the bid: "It's time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was. "We will make sure that happens." The offer is being backed by Mr Musk's rival artificial intelligence company xAI, which could merge with OpenAI following a deal, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the bid. The offer relates only to the non-profit that controls the company rather than the whole OpenAI operation. OpenAI was valued at $157bn (£127bn) in its latest funding round in October last year. A deal of this size would require the investing group to raise enormous funds. Mr Musk's offer appears to have escalated longstanding tensions with his former colleague Mr Altman, who posted on X: "no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want." Mr Musk bought Twitter, now called X, for $44bn (£38bn) in 2022. The pair publicly fell out when Mr Musk resigned from the OpenAI board in 2018. They are already embroiled in a lawsuit as Mr Musk sued both OpenAI and Mr Altman last year, accusing them of breaching a contract by pivoting towards profit, arguing OpenAI was going back on its pledge to develop AI carefully and make it freely available. Mr Musk and OpenAI lawyers faced off in a California federal court last week as a judge weighed up whether to back the X owner's request for a court order that would block the company from becoming a for-profit entity. US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has not yet ruled on the request but said she would not stop the case from moving to a jury trial. _Sky News_ *SA’s military reinforces beleaguered DRC mission* SA has sent additional troops and military equipment to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent days, political and diplomatic sources said, after 14 of its soldiers were killed in fighting with Rwanda-backed rebels last month. The reinforcement comes amid fears that fighting in eastern DRC could spark a broader war in a powder keg region that has over the past three decades witnessed genocide, cross-border conflicts and dozens of uprisings. Flight data reviewed by Reuters showed transport aircraft flying from SA to Lubumbashi in southern DRC. An airport employee there confirmed military planes had landed last week. "We have been informed of a (SA National Defence Force) troop build-up in the area of Lubumbashi. We gather that about 700 to 800 soldiers had been flown to Lubumbashi," Chris Hattingh, defence spokesperson for the DA, wrote in a text message to Reuters. Hattingh said it was "difficult to figure out what is unfolding" because parliament's defence committee had not been briefed. The SANDF spokesperson said on Friday he was not aware of the deployment to Lubumbashi and declined to comment further on Monday. A DRC army spokesperson said he could not confirm the deployment. Lubumbashi is about 1,500km south of Goma, the eastern city on Rwanda's border that the M23 rebels seized last month during an offensive that has killed more than 2,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. SA is believed to have around 3,000 troops deployed in the DRC, both as part of a UN peacekeeping mission and a Southern African regional force tasked with helping the DRC's army combat the M23 insurgency. Its intervention has drawn heavy criticism at home after the fall of Goma left SANDF soldiers surrounded and with no clear exit strategy. "They're extremely poorly resourced and equipped," said Kobus Marais, who served as the DA's shadow defence minister before the party entered the governing coalition last year. "This is not our war." Marais, a defence analyst who said he was being kept abreast of the situation, said the flights to Lubumbashi carried medicine, ammunition and consumables. The additional troops were to assist in the case of further clashes and as a deterrent as negotiations to end the fighting get under way. An IL-76 cargo plane with the tail number EX-76008 made five round-trip flights from Pretoria to Lubumbashi between January 30 and February 7, according to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24. The flights left from the south side of Pretoria, where the SA air force has a base. An employee at Lubumbashi airport told Reuters on Saturday he had seen several rotations of aircraft bringing troops and equipment. Three diplomats and a minister from a country in the region said they were aware of the deployment. With M23 rebels controlling Goma's airport, SA troops there are cut off from resupplies. "The pattern of chartered cargo flights under SANDF callsigns from SA to Lubumbashi and locations inside (neighbouring) Burundi points to the likely creation of some type of additional contingency force," said a defence expert who asked not to be named. Two successive wars in the 1990s and 2000s grew out of the Rwandan genocide, drawing in a half dozen of the DRC's neighbours and killing millions, mainly through hunger and disease. Uganda and Burundi, which have thousands of troops in eastern DRC, are also reinforcing their positions. Rwanda has rejected accusations that thousands of its troops are fighting alongside M23, while African leaders have urged the parties to hold talks. _Times Live_

HARARE POST NEWS UPDATES

2/14/2025, 9:29:58 AM

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaG07sTJENxyeTTfph1G *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* *14 February 2025* *NEWS HEADLINES* *Inside Kanye West and Bianca Censori’s marriage: from rules, intervention and split* *Contract signed to build first railway to Burundi* *DR Congo singer killed filming video in conflict city* *NEWS IN DETAIL* *Inside Kanye West and Bianca Censori’s marriage: from rules, intervention and split* Kanye West and Bianca Censori could be set to divorce after two years of marriage, which was plagued by controversy from the start - including a 'compromising' boat incident Kanye West and Bianca Censori's whirlwind romance has hit the rocks, with their two-year marriage reportedly coming to an end. The American rapper and his Aussie architect first set tongues wagging in 2022 when they went public with their relationship, and it's been a rollercoaster of drama ever since. According to a source close to the pair, they're prepping to sign off on divorce papers any day now. This bombshell drops just 11 days post-Bianca's jaw-dropping appearance at the 67th Grammy Awards, where she turned heads in a risqué transparent mesh slip dress. Kanye, father to four, rocked up in a sleek all-black getup, while Bianca, following Ye's prompt to "make a scene", ditched her fur jacket and revealed a transparent mesh dress that left nothing to the imagination. But as the duo seemingly cruise towards single life and prepare to go their separate ways, the Daily Star casts a glance back at their tumultuous love saga and Bianca's fall for the rap mogul... A source close to Kanye told Mail Online that their relationship was in trouble, with Bianca apparently holing up in their plush $35million LA pad, with a cool $5million parting gift lined up post-marriage. The 'All Falls Down' hitmaker tied the knot with the much younger architect in December 2022, hot on the heels of finalising his divorce from Kim Kardashian. News of the unexpected wedding started buzzing in January 2023, but it wasn't until an October leak of their marriage certificate that the union was confirmed, reports the Mirror. The latest instalment in the bizarre story comes after Kanye's 2022 release of 'Censori Overload', a track where he hinted that marriage was driven by a certain restriction, as evident in the lyrics: "And The Bible said I can't have any more sex till marriage." Fast forward to August 2023, when Kanye and Bianca embarked on a lavish Italian getaway, making waves with a racy boat display. As they frolicked on the vessel, the hip-hop star mooned a crowd of stunned onlookers while Bianca knelt before him, an incident that earned the pair a ban from a Venetian boat rental company. The pair reportedly split up last year and then got back together. Later that same year, whispers emerged of Kanye's controlling influence over Bianca's life, dictating everything from her meals and workouts to her wardrobe choices. This reportedly prompted Bianca's friends to stage an intervention in November 2023, urging her to "wake the f**k up" and shatter the illusion surrounding her marriage. According to insiders, Bianca was beginning to see through the façade, recognising that she had grown distant from those close to her. By August 2024, murmurs of a split began circulating, with TMZ sources claiming that Kanye had been sharing his desire to be single again with his friends. Compounding the issue, Bianca's relatives allegedly raised concerns about her increasingly provocative public attire during a visit, adding another layer to the narrative. A source went on to tell Mail Online : "Bianca started to see the relationship in a new light when her friends and family voiced concerns about the way she was dressing in public and Kanye felt that she wasn't as into him as she was in the beginning. There are no hard feelings, but she couldn't ignore her family when they asked her to explain the stranger parts of their relationship." However, another insider slammed the break up claims as a mere publicity stunt, telling: "They knew that, by doing this, it would create some buzz and make them relevant as he tries to promote his new album. They both know that people are just over them and that her naked outfits are not enough to keep people interested. Everyone has seen her naked now there is nothing to wonder about." Scoffing at rumours, the couple were spotted together in Japan in October, putting to bed any whispers about rocky roads. That same week, on The Download podcast, Kanye bragged about Bianca, saying: "Number one b***. My b*** is the most influential b**** on the planet." He even had a cheeky response of "Best underdressed" to the host's compliment on Bianca being the "best dressed". Kanye later clapped back at gossip suggesting he hired a 'fixer' to shadow his wife during a supposed split. Allegations floated around that Ye had detectives on Bianca's tail in Australia, but his team quashed those rumours to Page Six, labelling many of Rolling Stone,'s published allegations as "simply fantastical and false". Before Kanye's romance with Bianca, he was briefly linked to Italian-American actress Julia Fox, 34. In her memoir, Down the Drain, Julia reflected on their short-lived relationship, which lasted less than two months. Despite its brevity, the romance had a lasting impact on Julia, who described Kanye's behaviour as a "weird, twisted game" that left her feeling "used" and "dirty". Kanye exerted significant control over Julia's life, even signing two of her friends as her stylists and dictating what she could wear in public. On one occasion, he suggested getting her a boob job after dressing her in a revealing top that didn't sit right. Julia, a mother to a four year old son, recalled feeling a loss of autonomy, with Kanye making decisions about her public image. In her memoir, she wrote about the damaging effect of his words, which made her question her post-baby body. _Daily Star_ *Contract signed to build first railway to Burundi* AFRICA: A US$2·15bn contract awarded on January 29 will see construction of an electrified standard gauge railway from Uvinza in Tanzania to Musongati in Burundi. It will be the first main line railway in the land-locked east African country. The contract was signed by Tanzanian and Burundian government officials with China Railway Engineering Group and China Railway Engineering Design & Consulting Group. Finance is being provided by the African Development Bank through a concessional loan. ‘This is a very significant moment because it marks the first foray of AfDB in the financing of Tanzania’s railway projects’, said Tanzania’s Finance Minister Mwigulu Nchemba. The line will allow the export of minerals including nickel, platinum, palladium, copper, gold and iron from Burundi to the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam, with expected flows of up to 3 million tonnes annually. The railway will be built in two sections. The Tanzanian segment will branch north from the planned Tabora – Kigoma line at Uvinza, around 60 km east of Lake Tanganyika, and will run for approximately 120 km to reach the border at the Malagarasi river. There, a 1 km long combined road-rail bridge will be built. The Burundian section of the line will then continue northwards to reach Musongati. A memorandum of understanding between Tanzania and Burundi to build the link was signed in January 2022. In December 2022 the Tanzanian government signed a US$2·2bn contract with Chinese companies to build the 411 km Tabora – Uvinza – Kigoma line, which branches west off the standard gauge Dar es Salaam – Mwanza railway. _Railway Gazette International_ *DR Congo singer killed filming video in conflict city* A popular musician in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been killed while filming a music video in the conflict-hit eastern town of Goma. The body of Delphin Katembo Vinywasiki, better known as Delcat Idengo, was found in a street on Thursday with his head partially covered with blood. Unconfirmed reports say the artist was shot. Idengo, famous for his songs critical of both the government and the rebels, was among hundreds of inmates who escaped from a prison in Goma, after M23 militants seized the city last month. The east of DR Congo has been engulfed in fighting as armed groups and the army battle it out for control of the mineral-rich region. It is not clear who was behind the killing. The musician had just released a track called Bunduki (meaning "weapon" in Swahili), condemning the rebel occupation in Goma. "Justice will be done," government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya posted on X platform, terming the musician's killing an "abominable act". He blamed the M23. But the M23 pointed the finger at government-aligned forces, calling on them to hand over their weapons. The killing comes amid growing tension in the area after the Rwanda-backed M23 captured Goma, in a major escalation of the fighting in late January. Around 2,900 people have been killed and about 700,000 others forced from their homes in the recent hostilities, the latest UN figures suggest. What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? The DR Congo rebel leader whose fighters have created turmoil The rebels are now pushing towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu - another key city in the region - despite regional peace efforts to end the conflict. Idengo's death has sparked fresh fears in North Kivu as protesters took to the streets of Beni, where he was born, to demand justice. Videos shared on social media showed the musician's body lying on the ground after the incident in the Kilijiwe area, in the north of Goma. According to the witnesses, Idengo, who was wearing military trousers for the video, died on the spot after the attack. The Congolese ministry of arts and culture described the incident as an "assassination". "A committed voice, he carried, through his music, the aspirations and hopes of an entire generation," the ministry posted on X. Idengo was awaiting trail after his jailing last year for inciting people to take up arms and force UN peacekeepers to leave the country. In 2021, he was prosecuted for insulting President Félix Tshisekedi and spreading "false rumours" in one of his songs where he accused the president of not fulfilling his promises. He was sentenced to 10 years, but was later acquitted. "The nation has lost a patriot committed to national cohesion. I mourn the loss of Idengo. It is high time for this war to end. Humanity above all!" Martin Fayulu, an opposition leader who came third in the 2023 general election, posted on X. Moïse Katumbi, another opposition figure who came second in the election, condemned Idengo's killing. "His murderers, whoever they are, must be quickly identified and very severely condemned," Katumbi posted on X. _BBC_

HARARE POST NEWS UPDATES

2/12/2025, 11:45:52 AM

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaG07sTJENxyeTTfph1G *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* *12 February 2025* *NEWS HEADLINES* *NASA’s Webb Telescope To Scan Asteroid Threatening To Hit Earth* *Almost every nation on Earth misses UN deadline for new climate targets* *SA’s military reinforces beleaguered DRC mission* *NEWS IN DETAIL* *NASA’s Webb Telescope To Scan Asteroid Threatening To Hit Earth* You know it’s serious when they bring in the big guns, or at least the big lenses. The European Space Agency confirms that the James Webb Space Telescope – humanity’s most powerful eye on the cosmos – will soon turn to observe asteroid 2024 YR4, the space rock with a small chance of impacting Earth in 2032. “The chance of impact is very slim, and the asteroid is small enough that the effects of any potential impact would be on a local scale,” the ESA wrote in a blog post. “But the situation is significant enough to warrant the attention of the global planetary defence community.” The Webb telescope is managed as an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The announcement is significant and reflects the level of concern because time using Webb is assigned and booked out by researchers and institutions well in advance. Using the telescope to take a closer look at the potentially hazardous asteroid on short notice is considered a “time-critical” emergency decision. Asteroid 2024 YR4 was first spotted on December 27 and was added to the “risk list” of near-Earth objects (NEOs) that appear to have a chance of impacting our planet. It’s very common for new asteroids to be discovered and added to this list, only to fall off it completely as new observations come in. Additional observations often refine the orbital path of an object, helping to eliminate any possibility of impact. Asteroid 2024 YR4 is the rare case where the opposite has happened. In recent weeks, as more observations have come in, the odds of impact on December 22, 2032 have actually gone up, from about one percent to about two percent. This means that it is still very likely the object will pass right by our planet without incident, but scientists are taking no chances and opting to use valuable Webb telescope time to get more precise measurements of its orbit and size. Not a Planet-Killer Asteroid, But Still Dangerous The latest data puts the diameter of the asteroid at between 40 and 90 meters. The lower end of that scale is what the bolide that impacted and exploded in the atmosphere over Russia in 2013 was thought to have measured before colliding with Earth. The impact created a shock wave that blew out thousands of windows in the city of Chelyabinsk, leading to hundreds of minor injuries. The resulting meteorite impacted a nearby frozen lake and was later pulled up from the water. After its long and fiery journey to the ground, it measured little more than a meter across. That’s what may happen to a 40-meter asteroid on impact, but the ESA points out that a 90 meter asteroid could be a very different story. The damage done could be significant, perhaps more on par with the 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia that leveled millions of trees and may be linked to a handful of deaths. If such an impact were centered on a major city rather than wilderness, the results could be truly catastrophic. The first round of observations by the Webb telescope for the menacing rock are set to happen in March, with follow-ups scheduled for May. Hopefully we’ll soon have a more clear picture of the threat and how serious we should be planning for science-fiction scale contingencies to confront it. _Forbes.com_ *Almost every nation on Earth misses UN deadline for new climate targets* Nearly every nation on the planet missed a UN deadline Monday to submit new targets for reducing their carbon emissions. Global emissions need to almost halve by the end of the decade to limit rising global temperatures to the levels agreed under the Paris Agreement. Nearly all nations missed a UN deadline Monday to submit new targets for slashing carbon emissions, including major economies under pressure to show leadership following the US retreat on climate change. Just 10 of nearly 200 countries required under the Paris Agreement to deliver fresh climate plans by February 10 did so on time, according to a UN database tracking the submissions. Under the climate accord, each country is supposed to provide a steeper headline figure for cutting heat-trapping emissions by 2035, and a detailed blueprint for how to achieve this. Global emissions have been rising but need to almost halve by the end of the decade to limit global warming to safer levels agreed under the Paris deal. UN climate chief Simon Stiell has called this latest round of national pledges "the most important policy documents of this century". Yet just a handful of major polluters handed in upgraded targets on time, with China, India and the European Union the biggest names on a lengthy absentee list. Most G20 economies were missing in action with the United States, Britain and Brazil – which is hosting this year's UN climate summit – the only exceptions. The US pledge is largely symbolic, made before President Donald Trump ordered Washington out of the Paris deal. Accountability There is no penalty for submitting late targets, formally titled nationally determined contributions (NDCs). They are not legally binding but act as an accountability measure to ensure countries are taking climate change seriously and doing their fair share toward achieving the Paris goals. The sluggish response will not ease fears of a possible backslide on climate action as leaders juggle Trump's return and other competing priorities from budget and security crises to electoral pressure. Ebony Holland from the International Institute for Environment and Development said the US retreat was "clearly a setback" but there were many reasons for the tepid turnout. "It's clear there are some broad geopolitical shifts underway that are proving to be a challenge when it comes to international cooperation, especially on big issues like climate change," said Holland, a policy lead at the London-based think tank. The EU, historically a leader on climate policy, has been delayed by elections and internal processes and is bracing for fresh polls in Germany and Poland. An EU spokeswoman said a collective target for the 27-nation bloc would be unveiled "well ahead" of the UN COP30 climate conference in November. "We will continue to be a leading voice for international climate action," she said. Analysts say China – both the world's biggest polluter and its largest renewable energy investor – was also expected to release its much-anticipated NDC in the second half of 2025. The United Arab Emirates, Ecuador, Saint Lucia, New Zealand, Andorra, Switzerland and Uruguay rounded out the list of countries that made Monday's cut-off. Missing in action Evans Njewa, a Malawian diplomat and chair of the Least Developed Countries group, said many poorer nations lacked the financial resources and technical expertise to compile such complex, economy-wide policies. "Big emitters, whose historical and ongoing pollution has driven the climate crisis, must take responsibility and lead by example," he told AFP. Countries have been consistently late in filing periodic updates to their NDCs since the Paris accord was signed in 2015. Last week, Stiell asked that countries turn in "first-rate" submissions by September so they could be properly assessed before the UN climate summit in Belem. "The worsening climate crisis will not wait or pause its disastrous impact as nations delay their action plans," said Tracy Carty from Greenpeace International. Linda Kalcher, executive director of the Strategic Perspectives think tank, said in some cases it was better that countries work on fine tuning quality proposals, rather than rushing out something weaker. "The concern is that if too many countries delay, you could give the perception that they're not willing to act," she told AFP. _France24/AFP_ *Elon Musk’s son X steals show in the Oval Office with Trump - but his mother Grimes is furious* During the meeting, Musk acknowledged his drive to make swift and extensive cuts to the US federal government had made mistakes. But it was his son who was the star of the show, wearing a knee length camel coat, thick gold chain, and picking his nose while standing next to President Trump. Elon, who has 12 children from three different women, welcomed X in May 2020 with his ex-girlfriend pop artist Grimes. Read more: Trump doubles down on pledge to 'take over Gaza', as Netanyahu threatens return to war if Israeli hostages not freed But the star was furious at her son’s appearance, saying it was a "personal tragedy" that X was being paraded in public. She posted on social media saying: "I have made it clear I do not approve of that in every conceivable way I know how. "I am desperate to solve it. It is a personal tragedy to me." Mr Musk stood next to the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office with his young son as President Donald Trump praised his work with his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), saying they have found "shocking" evidence of wasteful spending. The president signed an executive order to expand Mr Musk's influence and continue downsizing the federal workforce. Despite concerns that he is amassing unaccountable power with little transparency, Mr Musk described himself as an open book as he took questions from reporters for the first time since joining the Trump administration as a special government employee. He claimed DOGE's work was being shared on its website and on X, the social media platform he owns, although the DOGE website has no information and the postings on X often lack many details, including which programmes are being cut and where the organisation has access. The White House has also been moving to limit independent oversight. The inspector general for the US Agency for International Development was fired a day after warning it had become nearly impossible to monitor 8.2 billion dollars (£6.6 billion) in humanitarian funds after DOGE began dismantling the agency. Mr Musk defended DOGE's work as "common sense" and "not draconian or radical". "The people voted for major government reform, and that's what the people are going to get," he said. "That's what democracy is all about." He acknowledged, in response to a question about false statements that the US was spending 50 million dollars (£40.2 million) on condoms for Gaza, that some of the claims he has made about government programmes have been wrong. "Some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected," he said, acknowledging that DOGE could be making errors as well. "We are moving fast, so we will make mistakes, but we'll also fix the mistakes very quickly." He said there are some good people in the federal bureaucracy, but they need to be accountable, describing the workforce as an "unelected" fourth branch that had "more power than any elected representative". The executive order signed by Mr Trump said a DOGE representative will need to approve almost all new hiring, a dramatic consolidation of personnel management across the federal government. "The agency shall not fill any vacancies for career appointments that the DOGE Team Lead assesses should not be filled, unless the Agency Head determines the positions should be filled," the order said. In addition, the Office of Management and Budget will require that agencies "hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart" with exceptions when it comes to immigration, law enforcement and public safety. Agency leaders were also directed to plan for "large-scale reductions in force". Government functions not required by statute would be prioritised for elimination. Mr Trump and Mr Musk are already pushing federal workers to resign in return for financial incentives, although their plan is on hold while a judge reviews its legality. The deferred resignation programme, commonly described as a buyout, would allow employees to quit and still get paid until September 30. Administration officials said more than 65,000 workers have taken the offer. Hundreds of people gathered for a rally on Tuesday across the street from the US Capitol in support of federal workers. Janet Connelly, a graphic designer with the Department of Energy, said she is fed up with emails from the Office of Personnel Management encouraging people to take the deferred resignation programme. "From the get-go, I didn't trust it," she said. "It's too easy to vilify us."_LBC_

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2/10/2025, 11:46:08 AM

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaG07sTJENxyeTTfph1G *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* *10 February 2025* *NEWS HEADLINES* *Second Labour MP under investigation by party over WhatsApp group comments after Andrew Gwynne sacking* *Trump signs proclamation for Gulf of America Day* *Trump: Trudeau is right, I do want Canada to be 51st state* *NEWS IN DETAIL* *Second Labour MP under investigation by party over WhatsApp group comments after Andrew Gwynne sacking* A second Labour MP - a former councillor in Tameside - has apologised over comments in a WhatsApp group after Gorton and Denton MP Andrew Gwynne was sacked as a government minister. It has been confirmed that Burnley MP Oliver Ryan is being investigated by the Labour Party over 'unacceptable and deeply disappointing' comments in the group. Mr Ryan confirmed he was a member of the WhatsApp chat that Mr Gwynne was sacked as a minister over and apologised for some of his own comments 'which [he] deeply regrets and would not make today'. The chief whip will be speaking with Mr Ryan and 'no action is off the table', a government source told the PA news agency. The WhatsApp group called Trigger Me Timbers hit the headlines this weekend. Mr Ryan, from Ashton-under-Lyne, became an MP in July and was previously a Tameside councillor, representing Audenshaw in the town hall. He held executive roles on the council and also chaired the Tameside Pride event. "Between 2019 and early 2022, I was a member of a WhatsApp group created by my MP and former employer, Andrew Gwynne," Mr Ryan said in a statement posted on X. "Some of the comments made in that group were completely unacceptable, and I fully condemn them. I regret not speaking out at the time, and I recognise that failing to do so was wrong. "I did not see every message, but I accept responsibility for not being more proactive in challenging what was said. I also made some comments myself which I deeply regret and would not make today and for that, I wholeheartedly apologise. "I will co-operate fully with the Labour Party’s investigation." An investigation has been launched into the WhatsApp group, which is said to include more than a dozen Labour councillors and party officials. A government source said: "Oliver Ryan's remarks were unacceptable and deeply disappointing. "While a Labour Party investigation is already under way, the chief whip will also be speaking to him and no action is off the table." It comes after Mr Gwynne was sacked as a health minister and suspended from the Labour Party over what he said were 'badly misjudged' comments that he regretted. Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said on Sunday an investigation was taking place into the 'whole incident'. Mr Gwynne posted on X on Saturday apologising for any offence caused but did not suggest he would stand down as an MP. "I deeply regret my badly misjudged comments and apologise for any offence I've caused. I've served the Labour Party all my life and it was a huge honour to be appointed a minister by Keir Starmer," he wrote. The Prime Minister dismissed Mr Gwynne as a minister as soon as he became aware of the comments, it is understood. A Government spokesman said on Saturday that Sir Keir “is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office”. The spokesman said: “He will not hesitate to take action against any minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has in this case.” _Manchester Evening News_ *Trump signs proclamation for Gulf of America Day* US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation recognising February 9 as "the first-ever Gulf of America Day" after a recent executive order by him to rename the Gulf of Mexico. Trump signed the proclamation on Sunday on his way to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, which sits on the gulf. “We are flying right over it right now,” Trump said, sitting aboard Air Force One with a pen in his hand. “So we thought this would be appropriate.” "Today, I am making my first visit to the Gulf of America since its renaming," Trump said in the proclamation published on the White House website. Trump had signed an executive order on his inauguration on January 20, giving the Department of the Interior 30 days to take “all appropriate action” needed to facilitate the name change. Just after Trump signed the executive order, the US Coast Guard started using the term Gulf of America, marking the US government’s first official use of the term. "As my administration restores American pride in the history of American greatness, it is fitting and appropriate for our great Nation to come together and commemorate this momentous occasion and the renaming of the Gulf of America," Trump said in the proclamation. "NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 9, 2025, as Gulf of America Day," he said. He called upon public officials and all the people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate programmes, ceremonies, and activities._India Today_ *Trump: Trudeau is right, I do want Canada to be 51st state* President Trump said Sunday he is serious about making Canada the nation’s 51st state. In a pre-Super Bowl interview on Fox, Mr. Trump said that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was telling the truth when he told business officials that his talk of making Canada the 51st state is “a real thing.” “Yes, it is,” Mr. Trump said. “I think Canada would be much better off being a 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada and I am not going to let that happen.” Mr. Trump has maintained that Canada is ripping off the United States on trade, arguing Americans are “subsidizing” their neighbor to the north. “Now, if they are 51st state, I don’t mind doing it,” he said. According to local news reports, Mr. Trudeau delivered his comments behind closed doors to business and labor leaders, but a loudspeaker mistakenly carried them. “Mr. Trump has it in mind that the easiest way to do it is absorbing our country and it is a real thing. In my conversations with him on…,” Mr. Trudeau said of making Canada a U.S. state before the microphone cut out, according to reports. “They’re very aware of our resources, of what we have and they very much want to be able to benefit from those,” Mr. Trudeau reportedly said. _Washington Times_

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2/6/2025, 11:18:06 AM

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaG07sTJENxyeTTfph1G *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* *06 February 2025* *NEWS HEADLINES* *Protestors set fire to Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house in Dhaka* *Antarctic skull sheds light on ancient birds 69 million years ago* *M23, Rwandan troops launch fresh attack on DR Congo* *NEWS IN DETAIL* *Protestors set fire to Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house in Dhaka* A group of protestors vandalised and set fire to the residence of Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka on Wednesday while his daughter and deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was giving an online speech, PTI reported. Rahman is a key figure in Bangladesh’s independence movement. The protest, which began at around 8 pm, followed a call for a “bulldozer procession” towards Dhanmondi-32, which had earlier been converted into the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum, reported Prothom Alo. Protestors had also simultaneously announced a “March to Dhanmondi-32”. Subsequently, they broke the entrance and entered the premises of Dhanmondi-32. Several videos shared on social media showed the residence ablaze. Witnesses said that the Army arrived at the site to persuade the protestors to refrain from vandalising, PTI reported. Hasina fled to India on August 5 after widespread student-led protests against her Awami League government, which killed 560 persons. She had been the prime minister of Bangladesh for 16 years. Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus took over as the head of the country’s interim government on August 8. In her speech organised by the Awami League’s now-disbanded student wing Chhatra League on Wednesday, Hasina urged the citizens of Bangladesh to organise a resistance against the current regime, PTI reported. “They are yet to have the strength to destroy the national flag, the constitution and the independence that we earned at the cost of lives of millions of martyrs with a bulldozer,” PTI quoted Hasina as saying in an apparent reference to Yunus’ regime. “They can demolish a building, but not the history,” she added. “But they must also remember that the history takes its revenge.” Earlier in the day, Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, convener of Inqilab Mancha and a member of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, called students marching to Dhanmondi in a series of posts on Facebook, Prothom Alo reported. Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the anti-discrimination student movement, at 7 pm also wrote on Facebook: “Tonight, Bangladesh will be free from the pilgrimage site of fascism.” Hasina’s house had become an iconic symbol in the history of Bangladesh as he had largely led the pre-independence autonomy movement for decades from there. It was turned into a museum during Hasina’s regime and would be visited by heads of state or dignitaries in line with state protocol. The house was also set on fire on August 5. Rahman was assassinated on August 15, 1975. His sons and their wives, his brother’s family, and other close colleagues and associates were also killed on the same night by the Army as part of a coup. ‘All efforts being taken to bring back Hasina’ Earlier in the day, Bangladesh Home Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the interim government was making all efforts to bring back Hasina and others from India under the extradition treaty, PTI reported. “We are arresting those who are staying in the country,” the news agency quoted Chowdhury as saying. “The main person [Hasina] is not in the country. How we would arrest them who are abroad?” He added that legal processes were underway to bring them back to Bangladesh. “We are trying to bring back those who are under trial on charges of crimes against humanity at the International Crimes Tribunal,” Chowdhury added. On January 6, the International Criminal Tribunal in Bangladesh issued arrest warrants against Hasina and 11 others, including former military generals and an ex-police chief, for their alleged role in enforced disappearances during the 16-year reign of the Awami League. More than 60 complaints related to enforced disappearances, murders and mass killings had been filed at the tribunal against Hasina and leaders of the Awami League, among others. This was the second warrant the tribunal had issued against the deposed prime minister. The first one was issued on October 17 against Hasina and 45 others on charges of committing crimes against humanity during the protests between July 15 and August 5. On January 7, the interim government also revoked the passports of Hasina and 96 others for their alleged role in the crackdown on protestors during the protests against the Awami League government in July and August. The passports were revoked weeks after the interim government said on December 23 that it had sent a note verbale, or an unsigned diplomatic communique, to India formally seeking Hasina’s extradition. _Scroll_ *Antarctic skull sheds light on ancient birds 69 million years ago* A 69-million-year-old skull found in Antarctica belonged to what scientists say is the oldest known modern bird. An early relative of the continent’s ducks and geese, it lived off the Antarctic coast during the Cretaceous Period, at around the same time as the famous Tyrannosaurus rex. “This fossil underscores that Antarctica has much to tell us about the earliest stages of modern bird evolution,” Dr. Patrick O’Connor, a professor at Ohio University and the director of Earth and Space Sciences at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, said in a statement announcing the finding. It was found during an expedition in 2011 by the Antarctic Peninsula Paleontology Project. Understanding how the region helped to shape modern ecosystems is currently being researched. “Antarctica is in many ways the final frontier for humanity’s understanding of life during the Age of Dinosaurs,” said co-author Dr. Matthew Lamanna, of Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The skull itself is long, with a pointed beak and a brain shape that is unique among all known birds previously discovered from the Mesozoic Era, which includes the Cretaceous Period. The features, the researchers said, belong to an extinct bird named Vegavis iaai — and place it in the group that includes all modern birds. A digital reconstruction of 69 million-year-old Vegavis iaai shows its long beak. The bird’s features are what set it apart from modern day waterfowl (Joseph Groenke (Ohio University) and Christopher Torres (University of the Pacific), 2025) Vegavis was first reported 20 years ago by University of Texas at Austin co-author Dr. Julia Clarke. It was proposed to be an early member of modern waterfowl like ducks and geese. But, such birds are exceptionally rare before the end-Cretaceous extinction event and this study is the first with a nearly complete skull. The skull has preserved its powerful jaw muscles, unlike today’s waterfowl, and its features are consistent with clues suggesting that Vegavis used its feet to propel itself underwater. “Few birds are as likely to start as many arguments among paleontologists as Vegavis,” says lead author Dr. Christopher Torres, a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, said. “This new fossil is going to help resolve a lot of those arguments. Chief among them: where is Vegavis perched in the bird tree of life?” _NewsScience_ *M23, Rwandan troops launch fresh attack on DR Congo* The M23 and Rwandan forces on Wednesday launched a new attack on the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing a mining town in South Kivu province, as they resumed their advance towards the regional capital Bukavu. A few days after capturing the strategic city of Goma in neighbouring North Kivu, the M23 armed group had declared a unilateral humanitarian ceasefire to take effect from Tuesday. The anti-government group announced at the same time it also had no intention of taking control of Bukavu or other localities. However, it was gathered that intense clashes broke out at dawn on Wednesday between the M23 with its Rwandan allies and Congolese armed forces. DAILY POST reports that the M23 fighters and Rwandan forces seized the mining town of Nyabibwe, about 100 kilometres from Bukavu and 70 kilometres from the province’s airport. “This is proof that the unilateral ceasefire that has been declared was, as usual, a ploy,” Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said. In more than three years of fighting between the Rwanda-backed group and the Congolese army, half a dozen ceasefires and truces have been declared, before being systematically broken. Local and military sources said in recent days that both the DRC army and the M23 and its Rwandan allies were in the process of reinforcing troops and equipment in the region. Recall that last week’s capture of Goma was a major escalation in the mineral-rich region, scarred by relentless conflict involving dozens of armed groups over three decades. According to the UN’s humanitarian body, no fewer than 900 people were killed in the Goma clashes and 2,880 wounded. The fears that the violence could trigger a wider conflict have galvanised regional bodies, mediators such as Angola and Kenya, as well as the United Nations, European Union and other countries in diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution. _Daily Post, Nigeria_

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2/5/2025, 7:02:27 AM

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaG07sTJENxyeTTfph1G *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* *05 February 2025* *NEWS HEADLINES* *Trump says US will ‘take over’ Gaza as he welcomes Netanyahu* *China hits back with tariffs on US goods after Trump imposes new levies* *DRC government points fingers at Rwanda for the killing South African, Malawian and Tanzanian soldiers* *NEWS IN DETAIL* *Trump says US will ‘take over’ Gaza as he welcomes Netanyahu* Donald Trump proposed the US “take over” the Gaza Strip during talks with Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump suggested Palestinians move to countries such as Egypt and Jordan, but both nations rejected this. Netanyahu praised Trump as Israel’s “greatest friend” and said the plan could “change history”. President Donald Trump made an extraordinary proposal for the United States to “take over” the Gaza Strip, as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for crucial talks on the truce with Hamas. Trump also doubled down on his call for Palestinians to move out of the war-battered territory to Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt and Jordan, despite the Palestinians and both nations flatly rejecting his suggestion. “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it,” Trump told a joint press conference with Netanyahu. Trump said the US would get rid of unexploded bombs, “level the site” and remove destroyed buildings, and “create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area”. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. But Trump appeared to suggest that it was not Palestinians who would return there. “It should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have really stood there and fought for it and lived there and died there and lived a miserable existence there,” he said. He said Gaza’s 2 million inhabitants should instead “go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts”. Netanyahu hailed Trump as the “greatest friend Israel has ever had”. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. He said the US President’s Gaza plan could “change history” and was worth “paying attention to”. Egypt and Jordan have flatly rejected Trump’s suggestion of moving Palestinians from Gaza. The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations meanwhile said world leaders should “respect” the wishes of Palestinians. Gazans have also denounced Trump’s idea. “Trump thinks Gaza is a pile of garbage — absolutely not,” said 34-year-old Hatem Azzam, a resident of the southern city of Rafah. US President Donald Trump meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House. Photo / AFP US President Donald Trump meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House. Photo / AFP The US President has claimed credit for securing the first six-week phase of the Israel-Hamas truce after more than 15 months of fighting and bombing, and he was expected to urge Netanyahu to move to the next phase aimed at a more lasting peace. Netanyahu earlier said “we’re going to try” when asked how optimistic he was about moving on to phase two. He hailed Trump’s “great force and powerful leadership” in sealing the original ceasefire deal, and took a swipe at former President Joe Biden, with whom he had tense relations over the death toll in Gaza. “When the other side sees daylight between us — and occasionally in the last few years they saw daylight — it’s more difficult. When we cooperate, chances are good,” Netanyahu said. Israel said hours ahead of the White House talks it was sending a team to mediator Qatar to discuss the second phase of the agreement. Hamas said on Tuesday negotiations for the second phase had begun, with spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou saying the focus was on “shelter, relief and reconstruction”. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Under the first phase of the ceasefire, Palestinian militants and Israel have begun exchanging hostages. Eighteen hostages have been freed so far in exchange for some 600 mostly Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, taking into Gaza 251 hostages, 76 of whom are still held in the Palestinian territory including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Families of the Israeli hostages have been urging all sides to ensure the agreement is maintained so their loved ones can be freed. Since the Gaza ceasefire took effect on January 19, Israel has launched a deadly operation against militants in the occupied West Bank’s north. UN aid agency UNRWA — which is now banned in Israel — warned that the heavily impacted refugee camp of Jenin was “going into a catastrophic direction”. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. On Tuesday, the Israeli Army said a gunman killed two soldiers before being shot dead in an attack south of Jenin. The truce has also led to a surge of food, fuel, medical and other aid into Gaza, and allowed people displaced by the war to return to the north of the Palestinian territory. Discover more Trump says tariffs ‘pain’ will be ‘worth the price’...... ‘We will not leave’: Palestinians slam Trump’s idea ... ‘A game of billiards’: What four years of Trump means ... Hamas’ October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1210 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel’s retaliatory response has killed at least 47,518 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The UN considers these figures as reliable. _New Zealand Herald/AFP_ *China hits back with tariffs on US goods after Trump imposes new levies* China has announced a wide range of measures targeting US businesses including Google, farm equipment makers and the owner of fashion brand Calvin Klein, minutes after new US tariffs on Chinese goods took effect. China also slapped tariffs on US products such as coal, oil and some autos in a rapid response to the new duties on Chinese goods imposed by US President Donald Trump, escalating trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies. China's State Administration for Market Regulation said Google was suspected of violating the country's anti-monopoly law and an investigation was initiated in accordance with the law. It did provide further details on the investigation or on what it alleged Google had done to breach the law. Google products such as its search engine are blocked in China and its revenue from there is about 1% of global sales. It still works with Chinese partners such as advertisers. In 2017, Google announced the launch of a small artificial intelligence centre in China. But the project was disbanded two years later and the firm does not conduct AI research in China, according to a blog posting. Separately, China's Commerce Ministry said it had put PVH Corp, the holding company for brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and US biotechnology firm Illumina on its "unreliable entity" list. It said the two companies took what it called "discriminatory measures against Chinese enterprises" and "damaged" the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. Companies added to the blacklist can be subject to fines and a broad range of other sanctions, including a freeze on trade and revocation of work permits for foreign staff. Google declined to comment. PVH and Illumina did not respond to requests for comment outside regular US business hours. PVH had already been under scrutiny from Chinese regulators over "improper" conduct related to the Xinjiang region. "These moves are warnings that China intends to harm US interests if need be, but still give China the option to backdown," Capital Economics said in a note. "The tariffs could be postponed or cancelled before they come into effect... The probe against Google could conclude without any penalties." China also announced 10% tariffs on imports of US farm equipment that could impact firms such as Caterpillar, Deere & Co and AGCO, as well as a small number of trucks and big-engine sedans shipped to China from the United States. That could apply to Elon Musk's Cybertruck, a niche offering Tesla has been promoting in China, as it awaits regulatory clearance to begin sales. China's Ministry of Industry and Information technology designated the Cybertruck as a "passenger car" in a posting in December that was quickly deleted. If the Cybertruck was designated as an electric truck, Tesla would face a 10% tariff on any future imports from its factory in Texas. Tesla had no immediate comment. The new tariffs on US products will start on 10 February, the ministry said. The announcements ramped up trade restrictions between China and the US that had been largely limited to the tech sector under the administration of former president Joe Biden, which sought to restrict China's access to high-end semiconductors. China said in December it had launched an investigation into Nvidia over a suspected violation of the country's anti-monopoly law, a probe widely seen as a retaliatory shot against Washington's latest curbs on the Chinese chip sector. Intel's products sold in China were also called fora security review late last year by an influential Chinese industry group. _RTE_ *DRC government points fingers at Rwanda for the killing South African, Malawian and Tanzanian soldiers* As tensions continue to simmer in South Africa over the killing of South African soldiers following a fierce battle in Democratic Republic of Congo, the vast country situated in central Africa has accused its neighbour Rwanda of involvement in the heinous acts. Chief of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), General Rudzani Maphwanya has told Parliament’s defence portfolio committee that remains of the 14 soldiers who died in Goma, the capital and largest city of North Kivu province in the eastern DRC are expected to arrive on home soil on Wednesday. Speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, DRC’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Francophonie, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, said the joint summit will be a moment of reckoning. “I think it is a moment of reckoning for us as Africans. I find it particularly distressing when in 2025 we find ourselves in such harrowing situations. The scenes that we have seen from Goma. I find it unbearable that in 2025 we find ourselves in situations where Africans kill other Africans," she said. “This is not just talking about Rwandan forces killing Congolese (people), but also South Africans, but also people from Malawians, but also people from Tanzania.” The Kinshasa diplomat insisted that the presence of Rwandan troops on the DRC soil is beyond question. She said at the high-stakes joint summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) scheduled for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Saturday, to address the deepening crisis in DRC, egos will be set aside DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame – the main protagonists in the war which has sucked different regions of Africa – are both scheduled to attend the joint summit. “This is a moment that I really hope that everyone goes beyond their personal egos, beyond whatever has motivated them to engage in such inhumane action that have led to so many years of suffering. We understand as Africans that this is the moment where we change, we reverse the tide, we open a new chapter that is one where we can look at the potential that we have as a continent,” said Wagner. Kinshasa’s Foreign Minister has expressed condolences to the South African government and the families of the soldiers who lost their lives in the DRC. The rebel group that claims to have taken control of city of Goma has called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, after fierce fighting with the Congolese military and the foreign peacekeepers, which has reportedly left hundreds of people dead. However, Wagner said the ceasefire is not sufficient. “The M23 has issued a unilateral ceasefire on humanitarian grounds. We have yet to see what that means concretely. For humanitarian solutions, for humanitarian access to be re-established, first of all we would need Goma to be de-militarised, we would need the M23 to leave immediately as we as the Rwandan Defence Forces which are de facto occupying a sovereign part of the DRC,” she told Newzroom Afrika. The rebel coalition in the DRC, the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) which includes the M23 armed group has declared the declared the truce which started on Tuesday. President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. Rwanda has been repeatedly accused of supporting the M23 rebel group, but it denies the allegations. _IOL_

HARARE POST NEWS UPDATES

2/7/2025, 11:24:02 AM

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaG07sTJENxyeTTfph1G *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* *07 February 2025* *NEWS HEADLINES* *Malawi president orders troops to withdraw from DR Congo* *ChatGPT Search is now free for everyone, no OpenAI account required – is it time to ditch Google?* *'Astonishing': Hottest January on Record Stuns Scientists* *NEWS IN DETAIL* *Malawi president orders troops to withdraw from DR Congo* Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered the military to begin preparing to withdraw from their peacekeeping mission in the volatile eastern Democratic of Congo. The Malawian troops are part of the southern African regional bloc's military mission (SAMIDRC) deployed to DR Congo to help tackle armed groups. At least 20 peacekeepers, including 14 South Africans and three Malawians, were killed as the M23 rebels captured the key city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, last week. President Chakwera said on Wednesday that his decision was meant to "honour the declaration of a ceasefire by the parties", even though the fighting is continuing. In a statement read on state TV on Wednesday evening, he said the withdrawal of troops would "pave the way for their planned negotiations towards a lasting peace". Malawi Information Minister Moses Kunkuyu told the BBC Newsday programme that the planned withdrawal was being "made in good faith". He said a meeting by southern African leaders last week in Tanzania, on the sidelines of the Africa Energy Summit, had passed a resolution "to call for a ceasefire from all parties in the conflict, just to pave way for peaceful negotiations". "It is pursuant to that agreement that the president of Malawi has seen it fit to contribute to the peace-building effort by withdrawing troops from the region so that there is that peaceful negotiation". He did not indicate exactly when the troops would leave, but said what remained were the "operational aspects" and that they had communicated the decision to the DR Congo president and the southern Africa bloc. On Monday, the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group declared a unilateral ceasefire "for humanitarian reasons", which was due to start the following day. However, fighting has since resumed, and the rebels have reportedly taken the mining town of Nyabibwe in the South Kivu province. The Malawian president has been under pressure to withdraw his country's forces from DR Congo in the wake of the deaths of peacekeepers. South Africa has faced similar pressure, but President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to keep his troops in DR Congo, saying they are subject to the SAMIDRC mission "which has operational timeframes and an end date". The mission was initially deployed in 2023 and was last year extended until December this year. The SAMIDRC mission was authorised by the southern African bloc (Sadc) to have 5,000 troops from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania. South Africa, which leads the mission, was to deploy 2,900 troops and the rest shared between Malawi and Tanzania - although it is not clear how many troops are currently there. Malawi also has some soldiers in DR Congo serving under the UN peacekeeping force Monusco. Sadc leaders are due to meet in Tanzania this Saturday in a special joint summit with East African heads of states to address the DR Congo crisis. Bitter rivals DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame are both expected to attend. Meanwhile, the Ugandan military has denied reports it has sent troops to eastern DR Congo because of the fighting in and around Goma. Since their capture of Goma, the rebels have been seeking to seize territories in South Kivu, especially the capital Bukavu. Congolese authorities have enlisted hundreds of civilian volunteers to help defend the city. The rebel group has appointed top officials including a governor of North Kivu, to administer the territory. For the first time since they seized Goma, the M23 on Thursday held a rally in the city that saw rebel leader Corneille Nangaa address large crowds at the Unity Stadium. A warrant for Nangaa's arrest has been issued by a military court in Kinshasa, accusing him of war crimes and treason. The UN says nearly 3,000 people were killed during the M23's violent campaign to seize Goma. There are fears that diseases such as Mpox and cholera could spread beyond the city. The International Criminal Court has said its prosecutors are closely following events in DR Congo "including the grave escalation of violence over the past week". _BBC_ *ChatGPT Search is now free for everyone, no OpenAI account required – is it time to ditch Google?* ChatGPT Search is now available to everyone, regardless of whether you're signed into an OpenAI account or not. OpenAI announced the major update on X, bringing ChatGPT Search to the masses, without creating an account or giving any personal information to the world leaders in AI. ChatGPT Search is a search engine powered by, you guessed it, ChatGPT. It allows you to quickly search the web in the same way you would with Google Search, but get more in-depth results and summaries alongside sources. OpenAI says, "ChatGPT can search the web and get you fast, timely answers with links to relevant web sources directly in ChatGPT. ChatGPT will choose to search the web based on what you ask, or you can manually choose to search by clicking the web search icon." Until now, ChatGPT Search was completely free to use but you needed to sign into an OpenAI account before being able to look anything up. Now, users can use it just by accessing ChatGPT.com. This is an excellent addition to ChatGPT, which has been free to use without an OpenAI account for a while and could be the turning point for AI search engines as more and more people look for Google alternatives. ChatGPT Search will roll out to logged-out users over the next few days, so if you don't see the Search icon under your prompt today, try again tomorrow! ChatGPT Search is built into ChatGPT and wants to make the AI chatbot your go-to for all your information. In the past, ChatGPT would have a knowledge cut-off date that meant you couldn't ask for information about things that were happening in the world at the time of your prompt. With ChatGPT Search that has completely changed, and ChatGPT can now give you up-to-date information on everything from world politics to the latest sports scores. Google Search is engrained in society, most of the world's population with access to the internet use Google on a daily, if not hourly basis. OpenAI's alternative is an excellent option for those who want more from a search engine but I find myself opting to use my trusty ol' buddy Google more often than ChatGPT Search, even if it's not quite as knowledgeable. The joy of the internet is curating your own sources and choosing where you want to get information from. As it stands, ChatGPT Search's approach doesn't really work for me as I want to be in control of what I consume, and having a summary from multiple sources doesn't always give me that. ChatGPT Search is still in its infancy, and it's bound to improve over time. If you haven't ever tried an AI-powered search engine before, there's never been a better time. But is it time to ditch Google Search? I'm not convinced. _techradar.com_ *'Astonishing': Hottest January on Record Stuns Scientists* Last month was the hottest January on record, blitzing the previous high and stunning climate scientists who expected cooler La Nina conditions to finally start quelling a long-running heat streak. The Copernicus Climate Change Service said January was 1.75C hotter than pre-industrial times, extending a persistent run of historic highs over 2023 and 2024, as human-caused greenhouse gas emissions heat the planet. Climate scientists had expected this exceptional spell to subside after a warming El Nino event peaked in January 2024 and conditions gradually shifted to a cooling La Nina phase. But the heat has lingered at record or near-record levels ever since, sparking debate among scientists about what other factors could be driving warming to the top end of expectations. Scientists warn that every fraction of a degree of warming increases the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events like heatwaves, heavy rainfall and droughts. January was 0.09C hotter than the previous high of January 2024 – a "sizeable margin" in global temperature terms, said Julien Nicolas, a climate scientist from Copernicus. "This is what makes it a bit of a surprise… you're not seeing this cooling effect, or temporary brake at least, on the global temperature that we were expecting to see," he told AFP. Stefan Rahmstorf, from the University of Potsdam, said it was the first time that temperatures recorded during a La Nina period were above those of a preceding El Nino. "This is of serious concern – over the past sixty years, all twenty five La Nina January's have been cooler than surrounding years," he said. Weak La Nina This year La Nina is expected to be weak and Copernicus said prevailing temperatures in parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean suggested "a slowing or stalling of the move towards" the cooling phenomenon. Nicolas said it could disappear completely by March. Last month, Copernicus said that global temperatures averaged across 2023 and 2024 had exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius for the first time. This did not constitute a permanent breach of the long-term 1.5C warming target under the Paris climate accord – but was a clear sign that the limit was being tested. Overall, 2025 is not expected to follow 2023 and 2024 into the history books: scientists predict it will rank as the third hottest year yet. Copernicus said it would be closely monitoring ocean temperatures throughout 2025 for hints about how the climate might behave. Oceans are a vital climate regulator and carbon sink, and cooler waters can absorb greater amounts of heat from the atmosphere, helping to lower air temperatures. They also store 90 percent of the excess heat trapped by humanity's release of greenhouse gases. "This heat is bound to resurface periodically," said Nicolas. "I think that's also one of the questions – is this what has been happening over the past couple of years?" Sea surface temperatures have been exceptionally warm over 2023 and 2024, and Copernicus said readings in January were the second highest on record. "That is the thing that is a little puzzling – why they remain so warm," Nicolas said. Open questions Bill McGuire, a climate scientist from University College London, said it was "astonishing and frankly terrifying" that January remained at record highs despite La Nina emerging. Joel Hirschi, from the UK's National Oceanography Centre, cautioned against reading too much into a single month's data, saying record warmth had been observed following El Nino phases even after the onset of La Nina. Scientists are unanimous that burning fossil fuels has largely driven long-term global warming, and that natural climate variability can also influence temperatures from one year to the next. But natural warming cycles like El Nino could not alone explain what had taken place in the atmosphere and seas, and answers were being sought elsewhere. One theory is that a global shift to cleaner shipping fuels in 2020 accelerated warming by reducing sulphur emissions that make clouds more mirror-like and reflective of sunlight. In December, a peer-reviewed paper looked at whether a reduction in low-lying clouds had let more heat reach Earth's surface. "These are avenues that must be taken seriously, and remain open," Robert Vautard, a leading scientist with the UN's climate expert panel IPCC, told AFP. The EU monitor uses billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations to aid its climate calculations. Its records go back to 1940, but other sources of climate data – such as ice cores, tree rings and coral skeletons – allow scientists to expand their conclusions using evidence from much further in the past. Scientists say the current period is likely the warmest the Earth has been for the last 125,000 years. _Science Alert/ © Agence France-Presse_

HARARE POST NEWS UPDATES

2/13/2025, 7:10:02 AM

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaG07sTJENxyeTTfph1G *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* *13 February 2025* *NEWS HEADLINES* *Zambia to introduce new banknotes on March 31, 2025* *DR Congo closes airspace to all aircraft registered or based in Rwanda* *Ghana is open for business - President assures Chinese investors* *NEWS IN DETAIL* *Zambia to introduce new banknotes on March 31, 2025* The Bank of Zambia (BoZ) has announced the introduction of new banknotes and coins for the Zambian kwacha, set to launch on March 31, 2025. This marks a significant update to the nation's currency, aimed at improving its security, efficiency, and aesthetic appeal. The updated currency will include the introduction of 500 kwacha and 200 kwacha banknotes, alongside a refreshed series of coins in denominations of 5 kwacha, 2 kwacha, and 1 kwacha. Smaller units, namely 50 ngwee, 10 ngwee, and 5 ngwee, will also be issued as part of the revamped coin series. BoZ Governor Dr. Denny Kalyalya confirmed that while the designs of the new banknotes and coins have been updated, key features will remain unchanged. These include the alpha code for the Zambian kwacha (ZMW), the numeric code 967, the currency symbol K, and the face value of the currency. Dr. Kalyalya highlighted that the updated designs draw inspiration from Zambia's rich cultural and natural heritage. The new notes and coins will showcase elements of the nation's iconic flora, fauna, and stunning waterfalls, reflecting the beauty and uniqueness of the country. "This redesign is not only about enhancing security but also about celebrating who we are as Zambians," Dr. Kalyalya stated during the announcement. The rollout of the new currency is expected to strengthen public confidence in the monetary system while ensuring the kwacha remains a secure and efficient medium of exchange. With the updated designs, the BoZ aims to merge functionality with an artistic tribute to Zambia's identity. The transition to the new currency will be accompanied by a public awareness campaign to ensure smooth adoption and understanding of the changes. Further details on the distribution process and the withdrawal timeline for the existing currency will be shared by the BoZ in the coming weeks._Bulawayo 24_ *DR Congo closes airspace to all aircraft registered or based in Rwanda* The Democratic Republic of Congo has closed its airspace to all civil and state aircraft registered or based in Rwanda, the state agency reported. Congolese airport authorities released an internal note on the "formal ban on overflight and landing on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for all civil and state aircraft registered in Rwanda or those registered elsewhere based in Rwanda due to the situation of insecurity caused by the armed conflict," according to the Agence Congolaise de Presse on Tuesday. The decision to ban Rwandan aircraft comes as the fighting between M23 rebels and Congolese forces resumed on Tuesday on the Lubero front in the eastern province of North Kivu in Congo. Since Jan. 26, more than 3,000 people have been killed, 2,880 injured, and over 500,000 displaced, adding to the 6.4 million already internally displaced people, according to the UN. At least 20 peacekeepers, including 14 from South Africa, have been killed during the clashes between M23 rebels and Congolese forces. The remains of the South African soldiers are expected to be returned home on Thursday. The M23 rebels now claim control of Goma and have declared their own administration in the city. Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels and sending its forces to eastern Congo when the latest offensive began, while Kigali has repeatedly denied the allegations that it backs rebels. _Anadolu Agency_ *Ghana is open for business - President assures Chinese investors* President John Mahama has declared that Ghana is "open for business" as he woos Chinese investors with promises of a stable democracy, growing economy and skilled workforce. Addressing the Chinese Lantern Festival Gala held at the University of Ghana Stadium in Accra last Sunday, President Mahama commended the significant contributions of the Chinese community in the country, highlighting their pivotal role in key sectors such as construction, manufacturing, agriculture and trade. He observed that Chinese investments had created jobs, stimulated economic growth and improved infrastructure to the benefit of Ghanaians. The President called on Chinese investors to explore new opportunities and create a "win-win situation" for both countries. “As I said in my inaugural address, Ghana is open for business again, and I invite our comrades in the Chinese investor community to look at the opportunities Ghana has to offer. Let’s create a win-win situation for our two people,” President Mahama said. He also acknowledged the educational opportunities that China had provided to many young Ghanaians. “As we move forward, we must continue to embrace mutual respect and ensure that the benefits of our partnership are shared by all,” the President added. Festival President Mahama underscored the importance of the festival, which marks the conclusion of the Chinese New Year celebrations. “The Lantern Festival is more than just a celebration; it is a symbol of enlightenment, unity and progress,” he said. The Lantern Festival Gala featured cultural performances by a Chinese troupe from Fujian province and was attended by dignitaries from both Chinese and Ghanaian communities, including business leaders and diplomats. The festival also marked 65 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Collaboration For his part, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, expressed optimism about the future of China-Ghana relations, citing the country's stable democracy, growing economy, and skilled workforce as key attractions for Chinese investors. He said bilateral trade between the two nations reached a historic high of $11.84 billion last year. "The past six-and-a-half decades have witnessed strong mutual political trust, flourishing economic cooperation, and close people-to-people exchanges between our two countries," the Ambassador said. The Ambassador also commended President Mahama's commitment to developing China-Ghana relations, particularly his decision to grant an audience to President Xi Jinping's special envoy, Mr Hao Mingjin, immediately after his inauguration. Mr Defa emphasised the importance of industrialisation and technological innovation in Africa's development, echoing President Mahama's sentiments during the recent Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD). He expressed China's willingness to engage with Ghana on industrialisation and agricultural modernisation, citing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) as key frameworks for cooperation. The Ambassador also emphasised the importance of cultural exchanges and people-to-people connections, saying, "One flower doesn’t make a spring; it takes a garden in full bloom to bring the season to life." Mr Defa said 2026 had been designated the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. He, therefore, expressed China's willingness to strengthen exchanges and stage more projects with Africa, including Ghana. _Graphic.com_