đ International Manhunt: âWorldâs Most Wantedâ Human Trafficker Arrested
Plus: Prince Harryâs family feud spills into Africa, Rapper Meek Millâs palatial mishap, Microsoft's billion-dollar bet on OpenAI, Kenya's debt crisis, and more⊠â
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Microsoftâs Billion Dollar Bet on ChatGPTÂ |Â Microsoft is doubling down on OpenAI, the AI research firm co-founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and investor Sam Altman. The tech giant is reportedly in talks to invest $10 billion into OpenAI, the owner of the popular ChatGPT chatbot. Microsoft already has a $1 billion stake in the company, and the new funding round would value OpenAI at a whopping $29 billion.
Kenyaâs Debt Woes: âWe Wonât Defaultâ |Â Kenya is trying to avoid a looming debt default. President William Ruto declared last week that his government wouldnât let the East African nation become another missed-payment-headline. The government is taking steps to curb expensive borrowing, aiming to collect an extra 1 trillion shillings in taxes in the next two years and cutting 300 billion shillings in borrowing this fiscal year.
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
CRIME
International Manhunt: âWorldâs Most Wantedâ Human Trafficker Arrested
An international chase spearheaded by the UAE has ended in the arrest of Kidane Zekarias Habtemaria. Interpol describes Habtemariam as one of âthe worldâs most wantedâ human traffickers.Â
The suspect is accused of leading a criminal organization that extorts, abducts and murders East African migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya.
How did they do it?
The breakthrough was made after officials closely tracked Habtemariamâs organization and family members, uncovering money laundering patterns that led them to Sudan.Â
The manhunt was a nine-month-long operation involving Dutch, Ethiopian, and Sudanese authorities, plus Interpol.
What has he been accused of?
Habtemariam had already been convicted in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment after escaping from custody in Ethiopia while on trial on people smuggling charges in 2020.
The Dutch authorities accused him of running a camp in Libya that housed thousands of migrants.
Why is this a big deal?
Libya has, in recent years, become a dominant transit point for migrants seeking a better quality of life in Europe. The chaos caused by its 2011 revolution has been taken advantage of by human traffickers, who have been smuggling migrants across the countryâs lengthy land borders.Â
To many, this arrest sends a message that traffickers will be held accountable for their crimes, no matter how powerful they may be.
OTHER HEADLINES
Across the Continent
đŸÂ Zimbabweâs just reaped its biggest wheat harvest in 50 years, enough to make it self-sufficient and save it some serious dough on imports. While the countryâs farmers are thrilled, the Grain Marketing Board is struggling to pay them. The maize sector, the main cereal consumed in Zimbabwe, is also making progress but still lags behind the African average. Still, this wheat record-breaker is a significant win for Zimbabwe, and one prominent African journalist had an interesting question in light of the news: âWhatâs the excuse for countries enjoying better goodwill than Zim?â
đżđŠÂ The Case of the Poisoned CEO | AndrĂ© de Ruyter, the chief executive of South Africaâs power utility Eskom, resigned on December 14th after a tumultuous tenure. And just a few days before his departure, the authorities opened an investigation into an alleged plot to poison him. The South African police services have yet to comment, but hereâs what we know: De Ruyter drank a cup of coffee suspected to be laced with poison and was rushed to his doctorâs room, where he was diagnosed with cyanide poisoning. Tests later confirmed that there were elevated levels of cyanide in his body.
đŹđ đ€Â Meek Millâs Presidential Palace Mishap | US rapper Meek Mill learned the hard way that you canât just show up and film a music video in the President of Ghanaâs office. Mill apologised after his secret shoot at the Jubilee House caused an uproar and had MPs raising questions about potential security risks. âTo the people of Ghana, no video I drop is ever meant to disrespect the people of Ghana,â Mill wrote. The rapper had travelled to Ghana after learning he was 18% Ghanaian and was invited to the palace by officialsâwho may not have known he was shooting a music video. MPs called for an inquiry into the incident and for those responsible to be âbrought to bookâ.Â
đ Africa the Hot Spot in Harry and Williamâs Feud | In an interview with ITV news, Prince Harry agreed that he and his brother, Prince William, had a bit of a disagreement over the continent. William saw Africa as âhis thing,â while Harry wanted to get more involved in charity work there. Harryâs not-so-private family drama spilt over into other interviews too. In a series of conversations with Netflix last year, Harry said that he and his wife Meghan were planning to move to South Africa until the story leaked to the press. The Royal Family has stayed silent about Harry and Meghanâs accusations, although Buckingham Palace said it wanted to address grievances held by the couple privately.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Proverb of the Day
âWhen the rhythm of the drumbeat changes, the dance steps must adapt.â
â Nigerian Proverb.
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