Norway is reconsidering joining the EU, the country’s foreign minister said, citing a shift from a “benign world” to a “crazy world.” Norwegians voted in 1972 and 1994 to remain outside the bloc. However, the country joined the single market, meaning it is subject to EU trade agreements but has ...
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Democrats stick with Platner while bracing for more dirtDemocrats stick with Platner while bracing for more dirt
The News Democrats are preparing for Graham Platner to stick around until November, even as they also discuss — much more quietly — the likelihood of still more damaging stories about their Maine Senate candidate’s past. Platner is seeking to bolster his standing with the party after a weekend of ...
Florida sues OpenAI over safety concernsFlorida sues OpenAI over safety concerns
Florida on Monday became the first US state to sue OpenAI, alleging that the ChatGPT maker ignored safety concerns. The wide-ranging lawsuit argued that OpenAI was driven by an “insatiable quest to win the AI arms race and amass large fortunes,” and accused the AI startup of aiding mass shooters, ...
South Africa agrees $2.3B power lifelineSouth Africa agrees $2.3B power lifeline
South Africa approved an estimated $2.3 billion five-year power tariff-package for its largest ferrochrome producers, moving to halt an industrial decline that saw the nation fall off its perch as Africa’s top manufacturing economy. The energy regulator signed off on the preferential electricity tariff for Glencore’s local venture and Samancor ...
South African households grapple with water shortagesSouth African households grapple with water shortages
More than half of all households in South Africa face systematic water shortages, new data showed, offering the pro-business Democratic Alliance political leverage ahead of key local elections this year. National utility breakdowns have sparked a so-called dry-tap reality across Africa’s most industrialized economy; in the ANC-held Mpumalanga province, the ...
DRC adds lithium to higher-tax strategic minerals listDRC adds lithium to higher-tax strategic minerals list
DR Congo added lithium to a list of strategic minerals that are subject to increased royalties, the country’s latest bid to boost revenues from its natural resources. Niobium, tantalum, tungsten, and uranium were also added to the list of minerals in the higher 10% tax bracket, according to a video ...
‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ gets London stage debut‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ gets London stage debut
A musical adaptation of Malawian engineer William Kamkwamba’s celebrated memoir opened on London’s West End last month. The play, produced by The Royal Shakespeare Company, tells the story of 13-year-old Kamkwamba’s plan to build a windmill during Malawi’s famine in 2001. Using scrap metal, old physics textbooks, and his own ...
DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak is a multifaceted crisisDR Congo’s Ebola outbreak is a multifaceted crisis
Alexis’s view The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is a reminder of the challenges created when informal economies collide with global supply chains and weak governance. The epidemic has so far been concentrated in eastern DR Congo, a region whose economy relies heavily on artisanal and small‑scale mining. Once smelted, ...
Black Democrats confront their post-Voting Rights Act crisisBlack Democrats confront their post-Voting Rights Act crisis
The News With the Supreme Court shattering the district lines that created majority-Black seats in the American South and legislators scrambling to stay in office, the Congressional Black Caucus is wrestling over its identity. The Supreme Court’s evisceration of the Voting Rights Act in its decision leaves the Black Caucus, ...
Why groups are spending big in Montana’s Democratic Senate primaryWhy groups are spending big in Montana’s Democratic Senate primary
Democrats and Republicans see the Montana Senate race as down to favored Republican Kurt Alme and independent Seth Bodnar. Yet the whole race may hinge on Tuesday’s Democratic primary, which attracted more than $5 million in outside spending. The More Jobs, Less Government PAC, aligned with retiring Sen. Steve Daines, ...