New Zealand’s men won all three of their games on the first day of the London Sevens at Twickenham and extended their unbeaten streak to 23 matches. Samoa was the only other team to go through pool matches unbeaten, with both Samoa and Australia vying to win the fifth and last automatic qualification berth at the Paris Olympics next year. If Australia reaches the semi-finals in London, it will qualify, whilst Samoa could qualify if it wins the event.
The Export-Import Bank of China and “several other Chinese banks” will fund the $3bn debt to build the controversial East African Crude Oil Pipeline. The announcement ended speculation that the project would stall after dozens of lenders and insurance companies refused to take part in financing. Uganda and Tanzania plan to build the 1,445 km conduit to transport crude oil from two oilfields at Lake Albert in northwestern Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania on the Indian Ocean. The pipeline is expected to transport 216,000 bpd of oil to international markets. Financing for the pipeline is set at a 60:40 debt-to-equity ratio; the US$3bn will be secured as debt, and the remaining $2bn will be financed by shareholders through equity contributions. French oil major TotalEnergies owns the biggest stake in the project at 62%, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation owns the remaining 8% of the project.
Ranking business schools offering different executive education courses is a complex and difficult task, due to the variety of content, clients, and duration of the courses. The pandemic has shifted demand for courses, and this report describes the challenges in ranking the courses and offers readers an opportunity to suggest modifications to better select and evaluate the programmes. The report highlights cultural diversity, sustainability and technology as the three main topics of concern in executive education today. The report also highlights the work of Duke Corporate Education which ranked top for custom programmes and the innovative programme combining an MBA, leadership training, and executive education course to tackle the low representation of Arab Israelis in business.
Canada defeated Kenya 12-7 in a relegation playoff final on Sunday to remain a core team on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. Kenya was reduced to six men when John Okeyo received a sin-bin for an international knock-on. The Kenyans’ relegation means that from next season, only 12 teams will compete in the elite sevens competition. Japan became the first team to be relegated after last week’s tournament in Toulouse, France. The other three teams - Uruguay, Canada and Tonga - will have to take part in their respective regional sevens championships to qualify for the 2024 Challenger Series and climb their way back to the top tier. The Canadians’ 12th status on next season’s world series ensures the country remains on course for the 2024 Olympics. Canada, Kenya and Uruguay finished with 2-1-0 records in the relegation round-robin. Tonga finished 0-3-0.
The idealistic vision of a world without nuclear weapons came to the fore this weekend following the G7 summit in Hiroshima, with Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida using the forum as the backdrop to call for global peace and the end of nuclear arsenals. The last day of the talks was upstaged by the arrival of Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, determined to raise support for the Ukrainian peace plan and show recalcitrant Republicans in Congress that withholding further assistance from his country would damage US leadership. Plans for a joint communication document that would align the G7 behind the Ukrainian peace plan came to nothing, but its message was transmitted nonetheless. Kishida outlined four principles that the participants had agreed on, with the importance of the United Nations charter and the rule of law, as well as projecting solidarity with Ukraine the main areas of accord.
A delegation of African leaders, including South Africa, Egypt and Zambia, are set to discuss a peace process and the easing of economic sanctions against Russia during talks in Ukraine and Moscow next month. Jean-Yves Ollivier, an international negotiator involved in brokering the talks, said the six African leaders would also discuss bringing in more grain shipments from Ukraine and the issue of prisoner exchanges. The talks have also won the support of the UN, EU, the African Union, China and the US. Since being sanctioned by the US and other Western firms, Russia has struggled with exporting fertiliser, leaving African and other countries, such as Brazil and India, with limited access to the resource, a fundamental item for farming. African nations are also keen to expand trade ties with Russia and China as an alternative to traditional Western partners.
A UK woman and her husband who put her father into a care home, sold his house and stole his life savings of £49,354 have been jailed for three years and three months. Fherisia Dougall and David Dougall were both convicted of fraud after her father died in a care home where he had been abandoned. They convinced him to move from South Africa with them, where they trapped him in their home and tricked him into transferring his life savings into their joint account. They spent his money on themselves and also sold his house without his consent or knowledge.
Bobotie, a South African dish that originated from Dutch colonies, has been modified by the Cape Malay community and is now considered South Africa's national dish. The dish consists of ground beef or lamb mixed with chopped onions, curry powder, bay leaves, and other spices, then topped with a custard of milk and eggs and baked. Its name comes from a Javanese dish called "bobotok," and it is traditionally served with rice and/or sambal. Bo-Kaap Kombuis is a traditional family-run eatery in Cape Town that serves bobotie, and people can buy the ingredients to cook it at home at places like African Vibe in Balgowlah and The South African Shop in Caulfield South. An essential ingredient, Mrs H.S. Ball's chutney, has been around since the 1870s.
Singapore’s prime minister tests positive for COVID-19
The Toronto Star
23-05-22 05:49
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from several work trips to Africa and Asia. The 71-year-old leader was prescribed the antiviral medication Paxlovid due to his age. His last COVID-19 vaccine booster was in November, and he urged Singaporeans to keep up with their vaccinations to reduce the risk of severe illness. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung warned that the nation could become vulnerable to the virus again if fewer seniors continue to keep up with their COVID-19 shots.
Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has flown home early from the Indian Premier League with side soreness, placing him on a fitness tightrope ahead of the Ashes tour of England. Hazlewood was ruled out of the last qualifying game for Royal Challengers Bangalore after complaining of niggling pain. However, examinations confirmed no sign of a strain. Side strains have affected Hazlewood during the past two home summers. Australian players and staff not already in the UK are due to depart for England on 28 May for a training camp ahead of the World Test Championship final against India at the Oval.
Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, has tested positive for Covid-19 after visiting South Africa and Kenya. Lee, who is 71 years old, revealed his positive test in a Facebook post and said he was self-isolating. He received his most recent Covid jab last November. Singapore has been struggling with a wave of infections, although cases have fallen since late April. Health minister Ong Ye Kung warned this month that fewer people were keeping up to date with vaccines, adding that this could weaken the population's resilience to Covid-19 and leave it vulnerable to the virus again. He said the "benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine continue to far outweigh the risks".
Human rights groups in South Africa are urging the government to replace sub-standard pit toilets in schools for good. At Seipone Secondary School, with more than 300 children and teachers, only three pit latrines are available, presenting an unhygienic and often dangerous situation. James Komape, whose child drowned in a pit toilet, said many children are still at risk. Schools in poorer areas forgo running water and instead drain pit latrines periodically. Although the government promised to replace them by 31 March, South Africa still has 3,398 schools stuck with the inadequate facilities: the deadline for removal has been extended to 2025.
La Rochelle's participation in the European Champions Cup sparked celebrations after the French side overcame a strong Leinster team at the RDS Arena. The reigning champions delivered a compelling performance, and Dillyn Leyds felt La Rochelle received a lack of respect in the run-up to the game. The future of the tournament came under discussion at the Dublin meeting, and officials were reportedly considering the US as a possible finalist location in the future.
South Africa: Man arrested for porn images with president’s face superimosed on them
The Toronto Star
23-05-22 13:02
A man has been arrested in South Africa for allegedly distributing pornographic images featuring the faces of Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, Police Minister Bheki Cele and Cele’s wife on social media. The man will face charges of contravening the Cyber Crimes Act relating to unlawfully accessing or processing computer data. While pornography is legal in South Africa, its distribution is restricted. The accused distributed the images in May 2021.
The US dollar remains expensive, despite the Fed's interest rate pause in May and possible cuts later this year, according to David Chao, a global market strategist for Invesco. Chao argues that the yuan is the clear challenger to dethrone the US dollar, as past challengers, the Japanese yen and euro, never managed to do so due to the US continuing to outcompete both economies from a macro perspective. Recent events suggest major developing economies are eager to shift away from the US dollar, such as Russia and China trading gas in yuan and roubles.
Efforts by the Group of Seven (G7) to contain China's growing influence with emerging economies in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific are unlikely to alter the Global South's deepening economic ties with Beijing or encourage the nations to switch sides, according to former Singaporean diplomat and ex-UN Security Council President Kishore Mahbubani. Despite US attempts to rally countries to the Americans' cause, economic development is the prime concern for most state and ASEAN governments, driving many of them to seek close ties with both the US and China and discouraging them from taking sides, said Mahbubani, now a distinguished fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Asia Research Institute. Europe will continue its strong trade ties with China; developing nations do not want to choose sides; Russia and China are not yet a bloc; and the consequence of the US-China trade war could be severe for many of these emerging nations, Mahbubani said.
Harumichi Tatekawa has won Japan Rugby League One MVP of the season after captaining Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay to their first-ever title. The 33-year-old centre was named the "spiritual" leader of the club by his coach Frans Ludeke after a decisive victory over Saitama Wild Knights. Although Tatekawa did not make the Best XV, voted for by fans, media, players and coaches, his team was well-represented by four Spears players including Haruto Kida whose try secured the playoff final victory. Rookie of the season was awarded to Tomoki Osada of the Saitama team.
