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NORWAY HOUSE, Man. - A police officer fatally shot an armed teenager on a First Nation north of Lake Winnipeg, RCMP said Friday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * NORWAY HOUSE, Man. - A police officer fatally shot an armed teenager on a First Nation north of Lake Winnipeg, RCMP said Friday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NORWAY HOUSE, Man. – A police officer fatally shot an armed teenager on a First Nation north of Lake Winnipeg, RCMP said Friday. Mounties said it followed a report earlier in the day that a man was “agitated” and armed with an “edged weapon” in a home on Norway House Cree Nation. He was outside with the weapon when officers arrived and, despite numerous orders to drop it, he moved toward them, RCMP said. An officer then shot the youth, and police provided medical aid until paramedics arrived. A 17-year-old from Norway House was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Manitoba Independent Investigation Unit, the provincial police watchdog, is taking over the case. It said the youth was high at the time. The chief and council of Norway House Cree Nation, in a statement, said the teenager’s death, as well as the recent loss of a young woman, have brought “immense grief.” They said they’re committed to ensuring there’s a thorough independent investigation. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. “To this end, we have established a dedicated team that will oversee this urgent issue and implement measures to address the broader issues of drugs and violence within our community,” they said, adding the First Nation’s director of policing, health director, legal counsel and other key members would be involved. “In light of these events, chief and council are considering all options, including the possibility of declaring a state of emergency.” Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, an advocacy group for northern First Nations, has sent its mobile crisis unit to Norway House. The First Nation said it approached that group, as well as Indigenous Services Canada, for immediate resources. “We will take all necessary steps to ensure justice occurs and to support the families affected by these tragedies.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024. Advertisement AdvertisementOKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma will be obtaining mobile counter-unmanned aerial systems detection technology following mystery sightings in other states. Gov. Kevin Stitt on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, announced he had directed Tim Tipton, public safety commissioner and homeland security adviser, to procure the systems to support state and local law enforcement in responding to recent unmanned drone activity. “Drones and unmanned aerial systems are an exciting new industry here in Oklahoma,” Stitt said. “We want to make sure that industry has room to thrive.” Because the technology is new, the state doesn’t have all the measures in place to ensure protection from those who wish to cause harm, Stitt said. “The activity happening in New Jersey and across the country is unsettling,” Tipton said in a statement. “While we’ve only had a few reports of drone activity in Oklahoma, we want to be ready in case the need arises.” Residents in New Jersey and other parts of the eastern United States have reported seeing unexplained drones in the sky recently, sparking concerns over who is operating them. The Associated Press has reported that law enforcement doesn’t believe the drones are a public safety threat, though the FBI has asked residents to share any information, videos or photos they might have. Tipton was not available Monday to answer questions about the announcement, including how much the systems will cost to procure and where the funding will come. Federal law generally prohibits disabling or destroying any unmanned aerial systems because federal rules consider drones to be a form of aircraft. This prevents state and local law enforcement from any activity that would interfere with the flight of a drone, including shooting it down. With the detection systems, the Department of Public Safety can monitor and identify the drones without destroying them and ensure the state’s critical infrastructure is protected, officials said.

Sora prompt: "Create a video of a person, focusing on a close-up of their face. The camera captures ... [+] their eyes looking directly into the lens. The pupils reflect a galaxy filled with bright stars, nebulas, and glowing planets." Google on Monday announced Veo 2, a new version of its Veo AI video generation tool that it says can create more realistic-looking clips in a range of visual styles, in resolutions up to 4k. The move comes days after its top competitor, OpenAI, reopened sign-ups for its Sora video-creation tool following a pause due to high demand at launch. Veo 2 “brings an improved understanding of real-world physics and the nuances of human movement and expression, which helps improve its detail and realism overall,” Google said in a blog post announcing the update . “While video models often ‘hallucinate’ unwanted details — extra fingers or unexpected objects, for example — Veo 2 produces these less frequently, making outputs more realistic.” Google first announced Veo at its Google I/O developer conference in May. Veo 2, a direct competitor to OpenAI’s Sora text-to-video tool, is only available on Google Labs’ VideoFX platform on a waitlisted basis, but Google researchers are already sharing sample videos on social media. “Veo 2 understands the unique language of cinematography,” Google says. “Ask it for a genre, specify a lens, suggest cinematic effects and Veo 2 will deliver.” The below video shared on X, for example, displays the resulting effect from including “cinematic, 35mm film” in the prompt. Mystery Drones Over New Jersey And Nearby States: Trump Claims The Military Knows What The Sightings Are (Updated) The Fed’s ‘Biggest Nightmare’ Is Suddenly Coming True As Bitcoin Price Surges Gmail Account Deletion Warning—Act Now To Save Your Email In 2025 Veo-Sora Brawls Likely On The Way Once Veo 2 becomes more broadly available, expect to see plenty of Veo-Sora battles online. OpenAI launched its generative AI tool tool on Monday, Dec. 9, making it available to anyone with a paid ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscription. However, later the same day, a message on Sora.com greeted visitors with the news that they’d have to wait to try the tool due to heavy traffic. Account signups resumed on Friday, though OpenAI declined to share how many people have signed up for Sora so far. Sora tool produces short, high-fidelity videos from written text prompts, and users can also input their own visual assets for remixing and blending. ​OpenAI first introduced Sora in February, but at the time only made it available to a select group of artists, designers and filmmakers. Who Can Sign Up For OpenAI Sora Now? ChatGPT users anywhere can now play with the new version called Sora Turbo — anywhere, that is, except in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the European Economic Area, which includes European Union members, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, which are not part of the EU but participate in the EU's single market. Users of Sora Turbo can generate videos up to 1080p resolution, up to 20 seconds long, in wide-screen vertical or square aspect ratios. Featured videos on Sora.com range from the photorealistic — a little boy smiling in an elf costume, vividly colored birds flapping their wings — to the surreal, such as a bespectacled German Shepherd in a patterned smoking jacket reading a book and a man whose bicep turns into a moss hillside with a shinto shrine on it. In sharing the sample videos, OpenAI also included the prompts used to make them. Spotlighting Sora’s Strengths And Flaws On social media, users are posting their Sora experiments, too — and their impressions of the tool’s strengths and weaknesses. In one widely shared video , a gymnast twirls through the air with surplus limbs and a head that briefly detaches from her body, a bizarre scene that highlights generative AI’s struggles with movement and anatomy. “As cool as the new Sora is, gymnastics is still very much the Turing test for AI video,” venture capitalist Deedy Das wrote on X. With Sora now officially out to the public, those who have a $20-per-month ChatGPT Plus account can generate up to 50 Sora videos per month at 480p resolution or fewer videos at 720p resolution. The new ChatGPT Pro plan, which costs $200 monthly, allows for 10 times more Sora usage, plus higher-resolution videos with longer durations. “We’re working on tailored pricing for different types of users, which we plan to make available early next year,” Open AI said in a blog post about Sora’s release . “We’re introducing our video generation technology now to give society time to explore its possibilities and co-develop norms and safeguards that ensure it’s used responsibly as the field advances.”LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The goals are flying in again for Arsenal — and it just happens to coincide with the return from injury of Martin Odegaard. Make that eight goals in two games since the international break for Arsenal after its 5-1 hammering of Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday, tying the English team’s heaviest ever away win in the competition. Odegaard is back in Arsenal’s team after missing two months with an ankle injury . In that time, Mikel Arteta’s attack stuttered, with a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth and a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle dropping the Gunners well off the pace in the Premier League. There was also a 0-0 draw at Atalanta in the Champions League as well as a 1-0 loss to Inter Milan last month, when Odegaard made his comeback from injury as an 89th-minute substitute. Since then, Arsenal hasn’t lost and the goals have returned. After a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday came the cruise in Lisbon — and Odegaard was at the heart of everything as Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end. “He’s an unbelievable player,” Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka said of Odegaard. “The day he returned, there was a big smile on my face. You can see the chemistry we have. I hope he stays fit for the rest of the season.” Story continues below video Odegaard was involved in the build-up to Arsenal’s first two goals against Sporting — scored by Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz — and was fouled to win the penalty converted by Saka in the 65th to restore Arsenal’s three-goal lead at 4-1. Odegaard was seen flexing his leg after that but continued untroubled and was substituted in the 78th minute. The last thing Arteta would want now is another injury to Odegaard as Arsenal attempts to reel in first-place Liverpool in the Premier League. Liverpool is already nine points ahead of fourth-place Arsenal after 12 games. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Peacock’s ‘Hysteria!’ set in Michigan during 1980s satanic panic(Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks are set to follow the positive lead from Wall Street where a rally in the world’s largest technology companies drove stocks to fresh all-time highs. Futures show benchmarks in Tokyo, Shanghai and Sydney are set to rise at the open, while Hong Kong looks flat. Currency markets are in the spotlight, with the dollar snapping a three-day losing streak after President-elect Donald Trump’s warning to BRICS nations. French bonds and stocks came under renewed pressure while the euro fell as much as 1.1% amid the nation’s political turmoil. In the US, the S&P 500 notched its 54th closing record this year in a “narrow” advance that saw just a few groups ending higher. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 rose more than 1%, Tesla Inc. led gains in megacaps and Apple Inc. hit a fresh peak. Traders are bracing for a barrage of economic data and remarks from Federal Reserve speakers that will help shape the outlook for interest rates. Treasuries pared losses on Monday after Fed Governor Christopher Waller said he’s inclined to vote for a rate cut in December, with swaps pricing in more than 70% of a quarter-point cut this month. The highlight this week is Friday’s payrolls report, which is expected to show US hiring jumped in November after hurricanes and a major strike undercut job growth a month earlier. On Wednesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell participates in a moderated discussion, and investors will await any assessment of the job market and inflation as well as clues to whether the central bank will lower rates in December. “This week is the last truly important economic data week of 2024,” said Tom Essaye at The Sevens Report. “If results are ‘Goldilocks,’ then investors will expect a soft landing and a December rate cut.” The S&P 500 added 0.2%. The Nasdaq 100 rose 1.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%. Treasury 10-year yields advanced two basis points to 4.19%. In a move that escalated a campaign to contain Beijing’s technological ambitions, but stopped short of earlier proposals that would have sanctioned more key Chinese firms, the US unveiled new restrictions on China’s access to vital components for chips and AI. The Department of Commerce slapped fresh curbs on the sale of high-bandwidth memory chips made by US and foreign companies, likely affecting South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. as well as Idaho-based Micron Technology Inc. In China, investors hungry for signs of stimulus to boost the sub-par economy have been put on edge after the Communist Party’s elite decision-making body skipped releasing a readout for its regular November meeting. Investors are now turning their attention to this month’s Politburo assembly — one of three annually to normally focus on economic policy. In Europe, Marine Le Pen pledged to topple Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government after he failed to meet her demands on a new budget, threatening financial and political disruption for France. Buoyant Mood Back on Wall Street, the mood remains buoyant. The Fed’s Waller said he’s inclined to vote for another reduction in interest rates when officials meet later this month, though data due before then could make the case for holding them steady. The optimism is in stark contrast to a year ago, when equity investors and strategists were bracing for a potentially turbulent 2024, worrying about the risk of a hard landing for the US economy and rate cuts that could come too late to prevent it. Few anticipated that the S&P 500’s annual gain would be among the best in history. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this ‘Goldilocks’ zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” said Mark Hackett at Nationwide. “December continues the seasonal tailwind, historically delivering the second-best performance behind November. Other technical tailwinds for the market include financial conditions, sentiment, momentum, and breadth.” December has usually been a stronger month when the market enters the month up solidly year-to-date, according to Bespoke Investment Group. In the 22 years that the S&P 500 has been up more than 20% in the year through November, the index has averaged a gain of 1.77% in December — with positive returns 77.3% of the time, Bespoke noted. While the gauge has fallen in December just five of 22 times when it has been up over 20% through November, three of those five December drops came during election years (1936, 1980, 1996). Corporate Highlights: Key events this week: Some of the main moves in markets: Stocks Currencies Cryptocurrencies Bonds More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com ©2024 Bloomberg L.P.

X Financial Reports Third Quarter 2024 Unaudited Financial Results

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Consumers in the United States scoured the internet for online deals as they looked to take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon with Cyber Monday. Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of many people's regular routines and the holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday — a term coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation — has become the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to the deals and the hype the industry has created to fuel it. Adobe Analytics, which tracks online shopping, expected consumers to spend $13.2 billion Monday — a record, and 6.1% more than last year. That would make it the biggest shopping day for e-commerce for the season — and the year. Online spending was expected to peak between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday night, per Adobe — reaching an estimated $15.7 million spent every minute. People are also reading... 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The real reason Corvallis' Pastega Lights moved to Linn County 2 bucks illegally killed with crossbow in Corvallis OSU football: Three takeaways from Oregon State's loss at Boise State Prosecutor: Driver on laughing gas caused double fatal in Sweet Home Linn County deputy resigns during menacing case More allegations against ex-OSU coach OSU women's basketball: Marotte takes a more aggressive approach on offense Recently made-over park sees this change after Albany got an earful OSU football: Boise State's pass rush is formidable A busy day: A series of crashes in Sweet Home UPDATED: GAPS teacher strike NOT off after talks over returning to the classroom break down Strike to end, GAPS reaches tentative deal with Albany teachers OSU football: Preview and prediction for regular-season finale against Boise State OSU football: Bray expects Johnson to see action against Boise State For several major retailers, a Cyber Monday sale is a dayslong event that began over the Thanksgiving weekend. An Amazon Prime delivery person lifts packages while making a stop Nov. 28, 2023, in Denver. Amazon kicked off its sales event right after midnight Pacific time on Saturday. Target's two days of discount offers on its website and app began overnight Sunday. Walmart rolled out its Cyber Monday offers for Walmart+ members Sunday afternoon and opened it up to all customers three hours later, at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Consumer spending for Cyber Week — the five major shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday — provides a strong indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays. Many U.S. consumers continue to experience sticker shock after the period of post-pandemic inflation, which left prices for many goods and services higher than they were three years ago. But retail sales nonetheless remain strong, and the economy kept growing at a healthy pace. At the same time, credit card debt and delinquencies are rising. More shoppers than ever are also on track to use "buy now, pay later" plans this holiday season, which allows them to delay payments on holiday decor, gifts and other items. Many economists also warned that President-elect Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs next year on foreign goods coming into the United States would lead to higher prices on everything from food to clothing to automobiles. A FedEx delivery person carries a package from a truck Nov. 17, 2022, in Denver. The National Retail Federation expects holiday shoppers to spend more this year both in stores and online than last year. But the pace of spending growth will slow slightly, the trade group said, growing 2.5% to 3.5% — compared to 3.9% in 2023. A clear sense of consumer spending patterns during the holiday season won't emerge until the government releases sales data for the period, but some preliminary data from other sources shows some encouraging signs for retailers. Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, noted that discounts from Thanksgiving onward "exceeded expectations" and online spending throughout Cyber Week is on track to cross a record $40 billion mark combined. U.S. shoppers spent $10.8 billion online on Black Friday, a 10.2% increase over last year, according to Adobe Analytics. That's also more than double what consumers spent in 2017, when Black Friday pulled in about $5 billion in online sales. Consumers also spent a record $6.1 billion online on Thanksgiving Day, Adobe said. Meanwhile, software company Salesforce, which also tracks online shopping, estimated that Black Friday online sales totaled $17.5 billion in the U.S. and $74.4 billion globally. Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks in-person and online spending, reported that overall Black Friday sales excluding automotive rose 3.4% from a year ago. A United Parcel Service driver sorts deliveries July 15, 2023, on New York's Upper West Side. E-commerce platform Shopify said its merchants raked in a record $5 billion in sales worldwide on Black Friday. At its peak, sales reached $4.6 million per minute — with top categories by volume including clothing, cosmetics and fitness products, according to the Canadian company. Toys, electronics, home goods, self-care and beauty categories were among the key drivers of holiday spending on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to Adobe. "Hot products" included Lego sets, espresso machines, fitness trackers, makeup and skin care. Other data showed physical stores saw fewer customers on Black Friday, underscoring how the huge crowds that were once synonymous with the day after Thanksgiving are now more than happy to shop from the comfort of their homes. RetailNext, which measures real-time foot traffic in stores, said its early data showed store traffic on Friday was down 3.2% in the U.S. compared to last year, with the biggest dip happening in the Midwest. Sensormatic Solutions, which also tracks store traffic, said its preliminary analysis showed retail store traffic on Black Friday was down 8.2% compared to 2023. Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions, noted that in-store traffic was getting spread across multiple days since many retailers offered generous discounts before and after Black Friday. "Some of the extended Black Friday promotions really ended up leading to a little bit of a softer day-of traffic than expected," Gustafson said. The 7 small business trends that paid off in 2024 The 7 small business trends that paid off in 2024 In 2024, staying small on purpose seems to be paying off big for small businesses. They're keeping operations small and targeting niche, highly specialized customers. And some business owners find this strategy results in more time, energy, and money to intentionally capitalize on unique, small cap opportunities. The data tells the story of growth in small businesses for the year. According to NEXT , the Small Business Administration (SBA) reports awarding 38,000 SBA 7(a) loans under $150,000: double the amount they awarded in 2020. Here are the related small-business trends paying off in 2024. 1. Small and cozy office spaces in industrial and flex condos Commercial real estate agent Ryan Beckenhauer of Market Real Estate in Boulder, Colorado, has noticed that small businesses are growing smaller, and that their office and warehouse spaces are starting to reflect that as they shop for business space. In commercial real estate, many small business owners gravitate toward industrial condos and other flexible spaces. These are small-scale industrial spaces with a 90:10 or 80:20 split of warehouse to office. "More individuals are leveraging skills acquired at larger organizations to venture out on their own," explains Beckenhauer. And he goes on to say that they don't need a large commercial space as they make that leap to start a business. His clients include engineers, consultants, builders and other tradespeople. Beckenhauer's clients like the flexibility of being out of an office and being close to their inventory and workshop space. "The clients want to see and touch the finishes," he says. Small business owners both rent or buy these spaces. But he's seeing his clients opt to own industrial condos to stabilize costs due to rent increases in Boulder. And because these spaces are smaller, it can be easier for new buyers to qualify for financing. 2. More outsourcing of financial services Mariana Alvarez, owner of Controller Works , an online bookkeeping and advisory firm, has noticed that small business owners outsource financial support services because they don't want to increase headcount. "Outsourcing gives them the possibility of having access to the knowledge and the skills of a CFO without having to pay for the salary," she says. "They don't have to manage or deal with the workload, employment taxes , and all that comes with it," says Alvarez. Additionally, many small business owners in fields like construction are family-owned, and this makes it easier for business owners to hand off delicate financial work to a trusted person with financial experience. 3. Automating bookkeeping tasks with AI Every small business has recurring tasks that can benefit from some level of artificial intelligence automation . And Alvarez sees a lot of value in using AI for small business bookkeeping. She explains that you can automate the data entry on Quickbooks. "When you create rules, as long as you create the rules correctly, it pretty much does itself," says Alvarez. From there, you can lean on financial experts to help you analyze the data and make more informed decisions. She uses AI as a background resource when guiding her accounting clients. "I believe that we still need the human-to-human interaction that comes with more perspective for financial analysis," she explains. 4. AI-driven customer service According to the SBA , 77% of consumers feel that human interaction is still required for a positive customer experience. People turn to small businesses every day for a human experience. According to Arvind Rongala, CEO of Edstellar , small business workers can show up for their customers but still use AI for routine tasks like customer queries. "This balance allows companies to scale their operations without losing the personal touch that makes them unique. It's important to remember that AI isn't there to replace the human element—it's there to enhance it," he says. 5. Personalized customer experiences "By really focusing on one very small weakness that Amazon has, I've been able to carve out a successful business by offering something different," says Lou Harvey owner of Tank Retailer , a retailer of commercial water and fuel tanks. "When you read our customer reviews, many of them actually mention me by name because of how much we focus on customer service and go the extra mile." One of Harvey's most successful business strategies this year has been to lean into his small, niche market and offer the kind of customer experience that large retailers like Amazon don't. "Any small weaknesses that Amazon has (however small those weaknesses may be) needs to become a strength of a smaller business focusing on a niche market," says Harvey. Harvey has his company's customer service phone number front and center on the website to help earn customer trust. "I prominently feature our phone number, and a real person always answers the phone (usually it's me)," says Harvey. 6. Businesses promoting social impact Lucie Voves, CEO and founder of Church Hill Classics , an online, woman-owned diploma framing company that uses sustainable materials, has noticed an uptick in customers seeking services from a business on a mission. "This year, we've seen a growing inclination for consumers to actively seek out and support small businesses owned by women and minorities," says Voves. When consumers shop small, they choose to make their dollars count. "Customers are fueled by a desire to promote social impact through purchasing power," says Voves. 7. Increased social commerce sales Long gone are the days of online retailers "building it and they will come." In 2024 we've seen more small businesses than ever turn to social commerce to sell directly on social media platforms like Instagram Shopping , Facebook Marketplace , and TikTok . Small business owners are turning toward influencers, social media ads, and organic content to target their customers. Mike Vannelli of Envy Creative creates online ads for businesses, and he has seen his clients succeed on TikTok of late. "I've seen businesses, especially in retail, use TikTok's short-form video format to make their products go viral. Think of it as word-of-mouth marketing on steroids," says Vannelli. He uses the platform's algorithm to push a company's content to the right audiences, and it works because TikTok loves storytelling. "I know small brands that use behind-the-scenes videos, customer testimonials, and even playful challenges that tap into trends to humanize their products and build trust," explains Vannelli. To stand out on TikTok, he says, smaller brands need to embrace authenticity and emotional connection. Show your team, share your journey, and involve your community in content creation. This story was produced by NEXT and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

MMA Global Announces the SMARTIESTM X Global & North America 2024 Winners: A Celebration of Marketing Excellence – Pushing Innovative Boundaries on the Global Stage

FBI arrests man charged with planning an attack on the New York Stock Exchange

President Joe Biden unleashed a firestorm of controversy and further eroded public trust in his already damaged party by giving a shocking blanket pardon to his son, Hunter, on Sunday. Biden fled from the controversy by jetting to Angola, one of the most corrupt nations in the world. Biden was wheels-up for Angola within a few hours of pardoning his son for all crimes, both known and yet to be revealed, over a ten-year period. He refused to answer questions about the pardon from reporters during a stopover in Cape Verde. WATCH — Joe Biden Lands in Angola Shortly After Pardoning Hunter Biden: According to the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index prepared by Transparency International (TI), Angola is 121st on the parade of 180 most corrupt nations. Angola is rife with cronyism and nepotism, bribery, and conflicts of interest, particularly in its real estate, energy, and mining industries. Powerful individuals and corporations routinely pay off the justice system to avoid prosecution. Many of Angola’s municipalities do not have a court system at all. For the Angolan elite, paying bribes to avoid taxation is cheaper and easier than paying their taxes. Just two weeks ago, the United Kingdom imposed heavy sanctions on Isabel dos Santos, the billionaire daughter of former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos, in a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption and money laundering. Dos Santos has been under investigation by numerous countries ever since her father’s 38-year reign came to an end in 2017. She claims all of the charges against her are political fabrications, while international anti-corruption activists point to her as a textbook example of kleptocracy. Angola also has major problems with slavery and human trafficking, although the Biden State Department gives the Angolan government credit for making progress on these issues over the past few years. The Labor Department was less enthusiastic, giving Angola only tepid applause for making “moderate advancement” against the use of child labor in mining, agriculture, and construction. The Biden White House clearly wanted the president’s visit to Angola to be “historic,” as he is the first American president to visit the country, and he is making the only trip to Africa of his presidency. Early media releases touted the trip as an effort to reinforce the Biden administration’s competition against China and Russia for influence in West Africa. Unfortunately for the outgoing president, he scribbled a much larger entry in the history books with his blanket pardon for Hunter Biden. News coverage on Monday was generally dour, with Biden’s trip portrayed more as a last-ditch gamble or desperate attempt to salvage a “legacy” in Africa. The fact that Biden avoided visiting Africa for his entire term – even after promising to pay a visit almost two years ago – sent a louder message than finally getting around to a desultory visit in the final two months of his term. One of the major items on Biden’s agenda is a visit to the town of Lobito, where his administration has lavished billions on an 835-mile railroad that is supposed to link cobalt, lithium, and copper mines in the Congo and Zambia to Angola’s Atlantic ports. The “Lobito Corridor” project was billed as the first serious Western attempt to provide African nations with an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It is not yet clear if the second Trump administration will continue funding the project. Trump may be skeptical of a rail line that could benefit Chinese companies as much as it does American interests and, if Africa’s mineral nations make good on their plans to develop more domestic refining capacity, the Lobito Corridor might never become as profitable as its planners hoped. The leftist New York Times (NYT) on Monday spoke to ordinary Angolans who had absolutely no idea the United States was helping to fund a railroad in their country, while being keenly aware of China’s massive infrastructure investments. “Beijing has built ostentatious shopping malls and roads with Chinese logos and signs. Angolans say the Chinese have made life easier and created jobs. Rather than funding such development projects, the United States has sought to create conditions that will attract private investment, though there’s no telling how long that will take or when Angolans might see the benefits. Some are skeptical those benefits will come at all,” the NYT summarized. Some Angolans are skeptical enough to believe that the vaunted Lobito Corridor project will just be a mechanism for Western companies to rob Africa of its mineral wealth. The U.S. government has been trying to counter this cynicism by advertising the rail line as an opportunity for Angolan farmers to ship their produce overseas at modest cost. To reinforce this argument, the U.S. implemented programs to teach advanced agricultural techniques to Angolan farmers. Supporters of the Lobito Corridor hope to convince Trump it will provide an effective counter to Chinese influence at the perfect moment for such a pitch to be made, as China’s deflating economy means it has less money available to pour into Africa, and developing nations are growing wary of Chinese debt. Biden’s trip to Angola might have been intended to make it harder for Trump to disengage from the Lobito Corridor, but the Hunter Biden pardon is eclipsing U.S. coverage of Biden’s Africa trip, so Joe Biden may have just sabotaged his own last chance to create a “legacy” in Africa.

Grant of Options to Purchase Common SharesOluchi Chibuzor Stakeholders in Nigeria’s dairy value chain have underscored the need for collaboration and cross-boarder knowledge sharing in addressing some of the challenges facing the sector. This was the key Highlights at a recent Workshop on Nutrition in the Dairy Sector organised by Arla Foods in partnership with the Consulate General of Denmark, and the Financial Centres for Sustainability (FC4S). Speaking at the event, the Managing Director, Arla Foods. Peder Pedersen, said he was inspired by the collective vision and commitment seen from the dairy sector to address critical issues around nutrition and access. He also said the high-level workshop represented Arla’s ongoing strategic and collaborative efforts to drive the future of dairy in Nigeria forward through nutrition, innovation, sustainability, knowledge-sharing and access. According to him, “Arla’s commitment to support the industry under the Partnership for Green and Productive Dairy (PGPD) project, its content development initiatives, green dairy farming practices, and integration of advanced technology continue to effect key developments in the industry’s journey to scaling local production and building a sustainable environment for dairy players and every day Nigerians to thrive. “This is the kind of transformative, community-driven change that is at the heart of Arla’s mission, and I’m excited to continue this important journey alongside our industry partners.” Commenting, the Danish Consul General, Jette Bjerrum, said challenges in the sector requires shared commitment in collaboration and knowledge sharing,” Bjerrum said. The high level workshop brought together key stakeholders from the dairy value chain—including government officials, farmers, nutrition experts, policymakers, and industry leaders—to discuss strategies for improving dairy nutrition, sustainability, and access.